On the myths, legends, and traditions of Tuva in terms of metalinguistics; [О мифах, легендах и преданиях Тувы с позиций металингвистики]

This paper focuses on mythopoetic representations that predetermined the originality of Tuvan culture and became the source of an authentic oral folk tradition. The lack of metalinguistic studies of Tuvan folklore makes it relevant to address the non-fairytale genres, particularly myths, legends, and traditions that have not yet been analyzed from this perspective. Thus, the original features of Tuvan folklore, rooted in mythopoetic ideas about the world and existence, could be revealed. Tuvan mythopoetic representations were considered by examining the folklore records of non-fairytale genres that authentically reflect the archaic image of the world. The undertaken analysis of the genre, figurative-semantic, and axiological nature of myths, legends, and traditions allowed their evolution and the ongoing process of desacralization to be traced. This process is found to be less pronounced in the Tuvan oral and poetic tradition, emphasizing its historical and cultural originality and uniqueness. The sacred image of the world was not rethought and devalued but was attributed by the “cognizing consciousness” (G. G. Shpet) to the spiritual roots of Tuvan culture. It is Tuvan folk storytellers who absorbed centuries-old spiritual experience and made the distant world of mythopoetics accessible to national and world culture. This paper draws a conclusion about the promising prospects of using the metalinguistic research paradigm that involves an interdisciplinary consideration of Tuvan non-fairy tale prose. © 2023 Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Philology. All rights reserved.