ИЗВЕСТИЯ СОИГСИ

Mythological songs-prayers play an important role in the oral folk art of the Ossetians. Songs-prayers were performed on holidays, at a feast table, at weddings, on the road. The origins of mythological prayer songs go back to traditional table prayer and differ only in the presence of rhythm and rhyme in the text. In mythological songs-prayers it is possible to single out a special category of songs that sound both as hymns and as prayers, differing from the latter by an unfolding plot and finished composition. The semiosis of the narrative of mythological songs-prayers has never been an object of scientific research, which did not allow one to unequivocally determine their place in the narratologic analysis of texts. In investigating mythological songs it is necessary, first of all, to distinguish their "morphology", structure, in order to more presicely isolate meaningful significant components. The description of the principles of communication of mythological narratives is based on the delineation of plot structures and the differentiation of the semiosis of motives. Depending on the direction of the genre strategy, mythological songs of the Ossetians are divided into prayer, calendar-ritual, ritual, incantatory and etiological. In turn, prayer songs on formal grounds can be divided into songs-hymns (plotless) and plot. Songs-spells are attached to prayer songs. Prayer songs are distinguished from spell songs by a detailed plot and composition, as well as volume. The element of the plot / spell is present in the semantics and prayer songs. Mythological song originally played the role of plot / spell. Subsequently, the mythological song has evolved from utilitarian thinking to mythological images appealing to mythological images as an artistic device.

Keywords: mythological songs of Ossetians, semiosis, narrative, songs-hymns, songs-prayers, conspiracy, incantations, prayer songs, celestials, zades, duags.

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