Material and plant codes of culture in chastushkas about social relations

The aim of this article is to identify the specific use of verbal cultural codes of objects and plants in Russian chastushkas about social relations. The empirical material consisted of 491 chastushkas about social relations with units of these codes, selected from three folklore collections. The study concluded that the functions of the verbal cultural codes - plant and object - differ in the interpretation of social relations in chastushkas, due to the specifics of their structural and substantive organization. This corresponds to the types of social relations interpreted by chastushkas, among which the most prominent are relationships within a young couple, as well as relationships between children and parents. Object nominations are used more frequently than plant nominations; the composition of the units of the object code is also more extensive and varied. Code units in chastushkas implement genre-specific semantics (1) through general folklore/genre symbolism or (2) by actualizing the functions of the nominated realities manifested in a specific chastushka plot. Object nominations participate in the assessment of social relations both by activating general folklore symbolism and by their primary meaning, activating the functions/attributes of objects. It is precisely through units manifesting primary meaning that the diversity of object nominations used in chastushkas about social relations is created. The names of clothing, musical instruments, and food are most consistently recorded as symbolically loaded object nominations in chastushkas about social relations. Plant nominations in chastushkas about social relations, on the one hand, always activate their symbolic content, and on the other, virtually all plant nominations used in them possess similar symbolism. The limited variety of units used corresponds to the high level of development of plant symbolism within the tradition and the priority given to those whose symbolism corresponds to the emotions evoked. Interpretations of parent-child relationships using object nominations suggest both negative and positive evaluations. Food nominations, indicating family harmony, are most frequently recorded for the expression of positive emotions. Chastushkas about parent-child relationships with plant nominations express only negative emotions. Only four objects are most frequently used: birch, flower, grass, and fir tree. Interpretations of boyfriend-girlfriend relationships using object nominations and plant nominations do not differ in the composition of the emotions expressed and suggest both negative and positive evaluations. Names of clothing and musical instruments are recorded as object nominations used to express positive emotions. Negative emotions are expressed through the use of symbolically unloaded object nominations, as well as symbolically loaded clothing names. The same units are used as plant nominations in chastushkas about the "child-parent" relationship. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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