Abstract
The article represents experience of reconstructing the image of maid-virago in medieval history of Turkic history and culture based on the sources, relating to both traditional history and a system of oral and folk arts significant site. The image of a maid-virago as a lover of liberty, possessing incredible strength, strong character, ascending to ancient sources of matriarchy era is common for these epic legends. The image of a maid-virago well prevailed in medieval literature traditions, but Turkic peculiarity of this type was the influence of generic relations that determined its specificity. Alongside with that, realistic features, reflecting real position of Turkic woman can be seen in legends heroines. The summary of this problematic investigation is provided in this article. The Author analyses images of mothers, sisters, beloved women of heroes based on a wide range of Turkic folk material. Special attention is paid to the image of a maid-virago in folk legends and eposes. This problematic is poorly investigates nowadays and requires for further researches.
Introduction. Perception of a woman within the framework culture of nomadic medieval ages was specified by the peculiarities of the World picture. A sociocultural model, where images of mother, sister and wife, belonging to a symbolic space of the ideal, are interrelated and balanced within the image of a maid-virago, represents inclusion of a woman into social order of Turkic medieval society. The principal thing is that the combination of these images allowed for including a woman into sociocultural relations.
Alongside with that, it is critical for creating a full image of a woman in Turkic world history to investigate the image of a maid-virago, explained in the best folk literature works.
Problems of heroic epos of Turkic people are considered in works by V.Zhirmunskiy. Images of mothers, sister, and beloved women of heroes were investigated based on a wide range of folk material. “Epos of Central Asian people, occurred under the conditions of nomadic lifethe Scientist said,often represents a hero`s wife as the equal to him, clever and fearless adviser and helpmate. Such features are specific, for example, for Kanykei in “Manas”, Kortkaa wife of kypchak hero Koblandy, Burla-khatuna wife of oguz hero Salor-Kazanand many others heroes-wives of Central Asian epos”[1, p.250 ].
A maid-virago in heroic fairy tale is represented a “famous woman-hero”, sounded by her strength. In hero fairy-tale, a maid-virago fights against many fiancés while waiting for “intended man”. Fights of a maid-virago with heroes are represented with the help of mythic features. “In mythological pictures of fights, maid-virago fights against heroes. Maid-virago and hero defeat each other by turns. For example, hero-main Kan-Kys (“Tsarmaid”) in one of Turkic-mongolian fairy tales has been fighting against the hero for seven years and wins the finale, that she fights for seven years with his swore brother and wins, and then she fights again with the finale and the hero defeats her and she becomes his wife” [1, p. 257].
The due with a maid-virago, a daughter of Alyp Karakus giant fairytale bird is mentioned in Kazakh heroic fairy-tale “Talaspai-Mergen” among many others moments of epic biography of this hero. “When meeting, the maid lets fly to the hero from bow and then proposes him to fight. I will marry you if you win. The fight lasts for three days, Talaspai wins and a maid becomes his wife and then here leases prisoners from her house”. [2, p. 63]
More archaic plot of marriage contests between and fiancé and fiancée, batyr maid, is used much rare in batyr fairy-tales of Turkic people from typological point of view despite on the fact that the character of a maid-virago has a wide-spread occurrence not only in fairy-tales but in heroic epos (Oguz stories of Korkut cycle, “Alpamysh”, “Manas”, some folk tales of Kazakh-Nogai cycle, such as “Koblandy batyr” etc.) Fragments of ancient plot have a character of folklore anachronisms of fairy-tale character; one or two from three batyr contests are usually kept; defeated beauty always becomes a winner`s wife. [1, p. 365].
We should pay attention to the legend about Alpamysh. The character of his beloved woman Barchin corresponds with Alpamysh batyr character. In Kungrat version, Barchin is not afairy maid-virago, fighting against her fiancés, as in “Bamsi-beirek” or Bashkir fairy tale, but she still has somefeatures of physical power and bravery, ascending to old legend. Not without reason Fazyl calls her heroine a “batyr maid” (“alyp kyz”); heundoubtedly follows an ancient tradition in episodical description of steppe beauty image: “when she became full age, each her shoulder was fifteen arshins wide. Barchin tells Kalmyk batyrs, treating to force her, that she is stronger than they are. When rapist Kukamon catches her with hair, she has a strangle on him, lifts, throws to the air and having stroked down to the ground, steps to his chest with her knee so his mouth and nose are bleeding heavily. The kalmyk, who looked to her yurta tells batyrs that Uzbek`s daughter killed Kukamon” [3, p. 56].
Barchin is represented as a heroic girl, full of recognition of personal dignity, ready to fight for her love and happiness. [1, p. 238].
Moral firmness and brevity of a wife are represented mainly during difficult busy days in the absence of a husband, when she finds out about captivity or apparent death, under the reign of an enemy-winner or insidious relatives, threatening her with violence and dishonor in eposes of Central Asian people. Central Asian heroically epos, in accordance with real conditions of nomads`off-duty life, in many cases put batyr`s wife towards such trials, which are met by Barchin as well as other abovementioned epos heroines [4, p. 47].
There is one more female character alongside with Barchin –Alpamysh`s sister Kaldyrgach, who possesses only bravery feature and firmness to compassion, combined with heart-piercing love to the brother born the same year. It is Kaldyrgach who made Alpamys to help his bride elect in spite of his father’s prohibition, threatening to laugh him down if he leaves his fiancée in deep waters. She and old man Kultai help him to select and kit the horse and see off to far and dangerous way. She supports Barchin and her rebellion to Ultan`sharassments, believes in Alpamysh coming back and is the closest participant of his celebration [4, p. 245].
Friendship between brother and sister is one of the most widespread topics of Turkic medieval eposes: brother and sister grow up together in single camp, sister is brother`s companion and helpmate, she gives him advices, shields from danger, delivers from captivity and revives her brother killed by subtile enemies [1, p. 136].
Kyrgyz epic “Manas” takes a special place in the richest treasury of Turkic epic art. By its grandiose scale, this epos exceeds all known monuments of world epic art. The character of maid-virago Saikal is very interesting in this epos, correlating with similar characters of Turik-Mongol people, such as “Alpamysh”, “Talaspai-Mergen”Kazakh epos, “Nuurgun Bootur the Violent”-Yakut olonkho, “Altyn-Parkyn”khakkas epos. The most ancient versions of these eposes are ascending to common folklore traditions, because in all these poems the hero gets a fiancée when fighting against maid-virago [5, p. 15].
The image of woman in Kyrgys epos celebrates not beauty but moral criteria, appeared during the life of nomadic-breeders. Female beauty is identified with courage, dexterity, mastery and only then with visual appeal. A woman in the epos is not only mother and mistress. She is a brave virago. Kanykei, Manas wife, wears chain mail during difficult time, gathers tight plaits to the helmet and ride a tulpar towards her enemy. Kanykei is a handywoman at peaceful time. In one of the chapters it is said that Manas wife did not sleep at night and made trousers for single combat made of special leather of wild goats: “skin of wild goats was fumed in coppertanks, hardened with apple bark, rumpled, spanned and felted by ninety mistresses for nine days without a let-up and did not grudge their teeth when aligning nodes”[5, p. 17].
Considering the image of a maid-virago, we shall pay attention to “Koblandy-batyr” epic novel, which contains a high ideal directivity and perfection of artistic form. The main companion of Koblandy is Kortkahis wife and adviser. All researchers are consistent in evaluating Kortka as wise, humane, faithful, loving, beautiful and honest friend of Koblandy.
M.Auezov wrote about Kortka: «…Kortka, Koblandy`s wife, symbolizes deepness, wisdom, friend`s love, care, ability to foresee and eliminate difficulties and disasters, waiting for her husband…» [6, p. 172 ].
In this epos we can trace an image of Kortka as follows. First, we shall point out its beauty, tenderness, kindness; secondlyher wisdom and mind; thirdly – Kortka is represented as fearless, decided and persistent in achieving the set aim. Kortka appears as maid-batyr, companion-in-arms and wife of Koblandy, helping him toget out from the dungeon. When she lived in her parents` house, she said that she would become a wife of a batyr, who would protect the state and nation from enemies. She acts the same during pre-wedding trials: having defined Koblandy as such batyr, she is quick to involve his into trials and she is ready to select him if he wins. So, Kortka is a woman, corresponding to her destination to be wife and faithful friend of Koblandy-batyr[7, p. 122].
Another wife of KoblandyKarlyga is one more bright female image. In this epos, she appears in the profile of batyr, fighting alongside with other batyrs, sometimes as a tender and loving wife, sometimes as a tragic image, full of anxiety and revenge. But in any case, she is clever, proud and goal oriented woman, able toprotect both herself and her love. She helps Koblandy to run from imprisonment, and then he is in danger, she sacrifices her father and brother. “When the batyr leaves her, she throws to him and then to his son with a guard pin” [7, p. 45].
The main advantages of Karlyga character are her merit as a batyr. On the other side, deep humanity and readiness to help her friend in time of need bring her and Koblandy together. It is approved by description of batyr coming back from Kobykty and kypchaks release from Alshagyr`s pressure.
Talking about militancy Turkic women epic "The Book of Dede Korkut" tells the story of the feats of arms Burla Khatun wife Kazan Khan: "Forty slender maidens horses landed, black stallion lead told, she sat astride, with a sword girded, and [in search of his son] went ... Ms. Burla Tall black banner of the infidels sword sliced, trampled into the ground " [8, p. 108].
Representation of a maid-virago as a lover of liberty, possessing incredible power, strong character, ascending to ancient sources of matriarchy, is common for these epic novels.
Conclusion. The highest image of a woman as beloved one is commonly used in particular in Kazakh culture. In Kazakh eposes beloved woman, wife symbolizes the sense and aim of human life. Notes on special freedom of Kazakh women, their independence and openness to anything new are common for itineraries of all travelers of that time. This freedom is especially seen when comparing with neighboring eastern settled farmers cultures. “Yer minezdi” (“possessing virile character”) is an expression, where traditional culture positively evaluates characterful woman, who expresses her opinion with respect to important issues openly and in the public, defending its opinion, acting in accordance with her position, unfeigned and not paltry woman, ready to go to the end.
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