Features of the Naming in the Epic of the Evenks

Yakovleva Margarita Prokop'evna PhD in Philology Researcher, Institute for Humanitarian Research and Problems of Indigenous Peoples of the North SB RAS 677000, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk, Stepnaya str., 82/3 ayakchan@mail.ru

The epic of each nation is unique, inimitable, peculiar. However, many motives, plots, images, formulas are similar.  One of the key motives in the epic is the naming of the hero, because depending on the name, the fate of the epic hero also develops. The motif of naming is present in the epic of many peoples. Epic heroes from different nations may have several names.  For example, in the Evenk legend "Irkismondya Bogatyr", the son of the main character has a separate full name in all three Sivir lands: in the upper world his name is Mennaniken sonin - Mangnonikon bogatyr, in the middle world Kokoldokon –Kokoldokon, in the lower world Senekchen sonin – Sangokchon bogatyr ^{[14, p. 283]}. In the epic Dulin bug Torgandunin – Torgandun of the Middle Earth, the brother of the main character Torgandun has two names.  At the beginning of the narrative has the name Umun altama chanikki dyavuchamnin baldycha Chanikol – Born with a copper kettle in his hands Chanikol ^{[8, p. 37]}. As a result of an accident, he dies, subsequently resurrects and receives the name Altangur. For example, in the dastan "Idegey" the epic hero has two names, at first the hero grows as a Kobogyl, and at a certain stage takes his epic name Idegey. As many researchers of the Tatar epic note, the hero takes his name when he is ready to perform feats ^{[6, p. 243]}. R.M. Galiakhmetova writes that naming a name has a magical effect on the future fate of a person. The presence of two names in the epic hero is explained by well-known ethnographic phenomena "... hoping that this will give a new long life" ^[7].As many researchers note, in practical life, the Evenks attached great importance to the name of a person.

The name was not given immediately after birth, as observations on the character and abilities of the child had to accumulate so that the name reflected its essence. In case of trouble, the name was changed ^{[1, 3, 5]}.

The materials of the Evenki epic show that the hero's name is always connected with his fate. The meaning of the name (etymology) also affects the plot of heroic tales, so the motive of naming in the epic of many peoples is an important link in the narrative.

In the epic of the Evenks, the hero's name plays a special role, therefore it has a mandatory definitive epithet. For example: Iherden deverden tatylken dagilter songku Develchen – The all-powerful hero Develchen In embroidered and decorated clothes ^{[15, p. 238]}; Ireg dunnedu dykenchen oskeche Ireglinde – Who grew up hiding in a larch forest Ireglinde ^{[15, p.257]}.The names of the Evenk folklore characters contain the main characteristic of the hero and set the focus on a certain image, which is then realized plot-wise.

Earlier, the author considered the full name of the main character from the epic "Torgandun of the Middle Earth", where the etymology of the name Torgandun associated with the word torga was mistakenly given: fabric, matter ^{[16, p. 124]}. A.N.Myreeva adhered to the same opinion, noting that the name Torgandun is translated from Evenk as "wearing a caftan made of cloth" ^{[8, p. 851]}. In our opinion, the etymology of the name comes from the word t:r – earth, world, country ^{[11, p. 73]}. In the beginning of the legend, Torgandun lives at the beginning of the emergence of the middle world. He is the first inhabitant of the newly emerged and flourishing middle earth, he had neither father nor mother. He grew and gained strength on his middle land along with its growing trees and grasses. In the epilogue of the narrative, it is mentioned that the current generations of Evenks live on the land of Torgandun ^{[8, p. 837]}.  Thus, the name of the bogatyr Torgandun is associated with the emergence of the earth, with the creation of the world. The meaning of the name is fully reflected in the plot of the epic. 

The motif of naming in early legends is an integral part of the general motif of "improving the world", which is present in the myths of the creation of the Evenks (having created the world, the creator deity Saveki will improve it) ^{[3, p. 69]}.  So, in the legend "The dashing Maiden Sekakchan and her younger brother named From having strong veins the most sinewy and strong hero", the lonely sister and brother are thought of as the first people on earth. And, as the first people on earth, they begin to improve the world, creating their own order on the newly flourishing earth. They begin to give names to all living things on earth:

"Chick" gunerive – chivkachan,Gunyvkil bingat.

"Cook" gunarive –

Kukeki gunivkil binget;

"Chick" the talking bird,

When negotiating, they call.

"Cook" speaking –

"Let the cuckoo be called," they say ^{[13, p. 60]}.

Further in the text of the legend, the brother and sister call each other names, the brother calls the sister Aya ayan Sekakchan – The best of the comely / girls/ Sekakchan (Seryozhka), the sister names the brother  Sumulkonduk Sumulkohol, evtyletpi ehi tykte Irany-soning –Of those with strong veins, the most sinewy and never falling on their ribs Irany-bogatyr. Thus, the brother and sister give names to everything, creating order in the world where they live. Like all living inhabitants of the earth, they name themselves along with everyone else, acting as demiurges.  The motive of the improvement of the world is realized in this legend through the motive of "naming all living things on earth", without acting as an independent motive for naming the name of the hero in the epic.

According to the materials of the legends of the Evenks, the name of the hero can also be given by large animals, considered by the Evenks to be progenitors, ancestors (bear, tiger). For example, in the text about Kildynakan, the naming of the hero by the name occurs in this way: "On the middle earth, an old man and an old woman lived. When they lived like this, a child was born to them. When their child was born, the parents began to knock on the tambourine. The heavenly (sacred) beast was called. The old man said:  "Neri, nere!  Neri, nere! Give my son a name!". One tiger name said, "Kale, kale! Calais, calais! I will give your son a name, let the name of the son be – a clever man of the Middle Earth Kildynakan!". So having eaten the wedding (having been treated at the feast), everyone went home" ^{[4, p. 104]}.

The motif of naming is present both in the early legends of the Evenks and in the developed legends.  Naming in developed heroic tales is a stable motif and a characteristic episode. Structurally, the naming motif always consists of episodes – the miraculous growth of a heroic child;  the namelessness of the child, which is why birds and animals do not recognize him; the demand of the heroic child to give him a name; the motivation is the explanation of the mother why the son is still nameless and naming (in the form of an alga spell). The narrator can reveal individual fragments briefly, and describe some of them in more detail.

Let's consider the naming motif, consisting of the above episodes, in the legend "Dulin buga Torgandunin – Torgandun of the Middle Earth":

1. The wonderful growth of the hero child:"Taduk odakin bili hurken hutetyn bihemde

Umulduvu biran — umuchidyn oran,

Dyuldeve biren — dyuchindy odan,

Ilaldava biren — ilachidyn odan-da

Duvi ereli tuksaktakatna evivki odan;

And their son, having lived a day,

Became a one-year-old,

Two days later he became like a two-year-old,

In three days — as a three-year-old child,

He was playing, running around the tent" ^{[8, pp. 138-139]}.

2. Early hunting of the hero child:"Dygildeve biren, dygichydyn oxa,

Dygildeve biren, dygichydyn oxa,

"Chyp"

  guneri chivkachanma oyolivi elden degivkene,"Cook" guneri kukekiwe sugun dagaduvi elden ichere,

"Kok" gundy sorva-da eletene degri eleve-de,

Ekun garbilken degive

Durukkan er ?alagdatpi bariltumkare-kat ene

Landuragar garadaxoma ku?akan odan;

- Having lived four days,

He didn 't let a single chirping bird fly over him

the bird,

He did not let the cuckoo cuckoo sit nearby,

Without a bow, throwing a stick,

He began to kill the croaking raven as well,

And a kite circling above,

And all winged birds" ^{[8, pp. 138-139]}.

3. The namelessness of the child, as a result of which even small birds and animals despise him:"Bi gallery gherbiye achindukiv

Ekun havatari durukin somat-ta senette,

Satar kutuyak, chivkachan atagastattan;

Because I don't have my own name,

Everything alive in the world despises me,

Even mice and birds offend me" ^{[8, pp. 140-141]}.

4. The requirement to give him a name (before deciding to go on a trip):

"De dyalvar sot turgendi tulduliken turatkeld.Bagar hutet gundyl bimil gerbiyev budi?ehun,

Onton hutet emi gune etes gerbiyev bure.

Ir auguhun herbittes?

Uh-huh buga Gahantyma ahakanin eninmi, si-gu buchindy?

Dulin buga Torgandunin aminmi, si-gu buchindy?

Ehiksun gerbire,

Er surotpi sundule etem emere.

Garbiyev bureksun,

Inikin-nyun bimi emi-kat emedi?ev.

Tara murdun sakaldu;

 Speak out now,

If you consider me your son, give me a name,

If you don't admit it, you won't give it.

Which one of you will give me a name?

Is my mother a Gakhantyma maiden of the upper world,

Is my father a Torgandun of the Middle Earth?

If you don't give a name,

Then I won't come back to you anymore.

If you give,

Then if I'm alive, I'll definitely come back.

Decide for yourself!" ^{[8, pp. 140-141]}.

5. Motivation-explaining to the mother why the son is still nameless: "Er bu taekehelwun

Bilirgi an?anildu, nonopty dolbonildu

Bojun baye o?at bayeve djalanin edelin dyaknara,

Ulden sahin, edelin dipkire

E?nere gerbire guni?kityn;

Our ancestors in the old days,

  In the years that have passed , they said,

 That the future hero is not given a name until then,

Until his joints become stable,

 Until his muscles get stronger" ^{[8, pp. 326-327]}.

6. Naming a name in the form of a spell-benevolence alga:"Taduk odakin er dulin buga Torgandunin

Er bugala dur soy ku irkin beyundi

Ivne ive, irne Ivulchenmi ivukse emechen.

Tarit si garbis bimi

Dulin buga Torgandunin amilkan

Uh-huh buga Gahantyma ahakanin enilken

Dulin buga bukatyrin Ivulchen sony, gunmuri okal.

Taduk odakin er bi ekun-ka gerbidun

Algihilkan turelkan ayi evanki hunadin

Uh-huh buga Gahantyma ahakanin ochav:

Aya turenmi algis ogin,

Me-un turenmi ilkeyi ogin.

Amy-yes evanki takenin okal.

You are elkenduk ekel tykte,

Dur halgalkandu dulavi ekel bure,

Durr alalcanma ekel uhunnarda,

Evtylelkenduk ekel oldondivi tykte,

Duva takal,

Togovo ilakal,Hut - eve balukel,

Ilan datkan delamichave himself hiccuped.

Kidu-kidu kiduyar;

Your father came to this country

On two heroic wild deer-males,

Without stopping before any difficulties.

So I'll call you

 The hero of the middle earth Ivulchen

The son of Torgandun of the Middle Earth

And Gakhantyma girls of the upper world.

And it's not for nothing that they call me

The daughter of the Evenks with magic words

And let my kind words

They will be a good blessing for you,

My golden words will serve as a guide.

Be the successor of the Evenk family.

Do not fall in front of having a chest,

Don't give in to a biped,

Defeat the two-armed,

Don't fall sideways from having ribs,

Build yourself a home,

Make a fire,

Have children,

Make a smoke smoke for cattle, deer.

Kidu-kidu kiduyar!" ^{[8, pp. 144-145]}.

The hero's mother follows the Evenk traditions of naming a person. The name and naming in the traditional culture of the Evenks is associated with ancient mythological views. The name was so individual that most often it was a neoplasm at all – a new word.  The parents gave the child a name based on observations of what was particularly important during the birth of the child, taking into account the personal characteristics and abilities of the child. For example: Libgerik is the name of a girl, during whose birth the first wet snow was falling – libge; Soocho is the name of a crybaby boy ^{[5, p. 172]}.

In the legend "Dulin Buga Torgandunin", Gakhantym's grandmother gives her grandson the name Irkismondya. The name is formed from the word irkin "wild male deer in the period of peeling the skin from the horns before the chase" ^{[8, p. 850]} Grandmother calls him  Irkismondei, because his first prey is a male wild deer - irkin, who has just bared his horns.

The motif of naming in the above legend reflects the ancient rite of initiation – the boy among the Evenks was considered an independent person when he got the first wild animal. The future hero, having extracted his first prey, gets a name and the right to be considered an independent adult:

"Gallery garbivi okin gadan,Evevi mannet karchiyan okin dyavaran,

Evevi alaavan okin ananan-yes,

Maygitai-bitkatei sin sagdylduk

En-da hu?tuyu achin ku?akan odan

Er dulin buga Irkismanden

Gunmuri beyetke;.

How did he get his name,

I picked up my grandmother's coin,

 When I heard that my grandfather bequeathed him his bow,

Immediately matured,

 Behavior-morals became the same,

Just like adults,

This boy named Irkismondya of the Middle earth" ^{[8, pp. 330-331]}.

Thus, the proper names of folklore characters contain the main characteristic of the hero and set the focus on a certain image, which is then realized plot-wise. Naming a name in the epic of the Evenks vividly demonstrates the various stages of development of this motif in Evenk folklore. In the early legends of the Eastern Evenks, the hero is named by animals considered to be the ancestors of the Evenks (bear, tiger). In other legends, the motif of naming is an integral part of the general motif of "improving the world". In developed legends, naming is a mandatory episode consisting of several fragments: the miraculous growth of a heroic child; early hunting; the namelessness of the child, as a result of which even small birds and animals despise him; the requirement to give a name; motivation-explaining to the mother why the son is still nameless; naming a name in the form of an alga spell.