Устные нарративы о семейных реликвиях калмыков как репрезентация их культурно-исторической памяти (по экспедиционным материалам)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction. The article attempts a study into oral narratives about objects that are of utmost significance to Kalmyks and are kept in families to be passed from generation to generation as objects of veneration and evidence of past events. For the first time in Kalmyk folklore studies, oral narratives about family heirlooms are identified as a separate thematic group, which attests to the research be relevant and original enough. Materials and methods. The paper analyzes oral narratives about family heirlooms recorded in the Republic of Kalmykia from 2012 to the present day from representatives of different generations. To collect data on the research topic, a set of methodological techniques have been employed, such as surveys, interviews, observations, recordings, transcription, and systematization. The analysis has involved elements of the comparative historical, descriptive, and functional structural methods. Special attention has been paid to theoretical and methodological generalizations by V. B. Shklovsky, W. Labov, and D. Valetsky related to studying oral narratives. Results. The work reveals that the list of objects revered by Kalmyks is repetitive enough (Buddhist cult objects, personal belongings of high‑ranking clergy or ancestors, household and cultural items, attributes of traditional rituals, and folk medicinal practices), but histories of their sacralization in oral narratives actually tend to vary. It has been determined that oral narratives about family heirlooms are a reliable means to preserve and pass on folk knowledge about events of historical and cultural significance from generation to generation, as well as about spiritual values of material objects. The former reveal symbolic meanings of objects and items revered in Kalmyk families, explain reasons behind the reverent attitudes, and highlight the importance of observing prohibitions and rules, as well as following instructions and warnings in their practical use. Such knowledge about family heirlooms preserved in memory and transmitted orally involves several generations and is passed on as a basic element of Kalmyk ethnic identity.
Institution: Kalmyk State University
Language: English
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7222942002