2026/2027
Фольклор ассирийцев в России и за ее пределами
Статус:
Дисциплина общефакультетского пула
Кто читает:
Институт классического Востока и античности
Где читается:
Факультет гуманитарных наук
Когда читается:
4 модуль
Охват аудитории:
для своего кампуса
Преподаватели:
Лявданский Алексей Кимович
Язык:
английский
Кредиты:
3
Контактные часы:
36
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Assyrians are representatives of Christian communities primarily belonging to the Assyrian Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church, and other denominations. They are predominantly speakers of North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic (NENA) dialects, which are frequently referred to as the "Assyrian language" by their speakers. For centuries, their ancestral homelands have spanned territories in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Today, the Assyrian diaspora is dispersed globally, with significant communities in the Caucasus, Russia, Western Europe, the USA, and Australia.
Despite its richness, the oral tradition of Assyrian communities remains underrepresented in general folkloristic studies. While linguists have collected numerous texts during fieldwork, many of these remain unpublished or have yet to enter broad scholarly circulation. This course introduces a selection of unpublished texts recorded during recent linguistic expeditions in Russia, Armenia, and Georgia.
The primary focus of the course is verbal folklore, including:
Narrative Genres: Fairy tales, folktales, and the heroic cycle of Qateene.
Minor Genres: Anecdotes, songs, proverbs, and magic charms.
Customary folklore is explored through the study of traditional feasts and their associated rituals, such as fortune-telling songs and winter farewell ceremony. These phenomena are analyzed within the framework of a typological study of global oral traditions. Narrative texts are examined to identify universal motifs and plots alongside their specific regional manifestations. Furthermore, a cross-cultural comparison of feasts and rituals aims to illuminate their social logic and their vital role in fostering social cohesion and cultural identity within these communities.