October 20, 2025

The plot “Didona’s trick” (AT 2000*2400) in the South Ural: the history of collecting and some characteristics of functioning

Puntos clave

The narrative structure of 'Didona’s trick' reflects both historical legends and mythological themes, with the trickster central to its appeal.
Analysis of texts from the 19th to 21st century shows changing historical names and ethnographic details, indicating a dynamic storytelling tradition.
Comparison of various versions highlights the influence of narrator interpretations, enhancing the plot's relevance to audiences across time.
Themes of social idealism and a 'golden age' are present, linking contemporary narratives to past cultural aspirations.

Resumen

The article claims to identify some specific features of functioning of the archaic plot “Didona’s trick” in Bashkir folk narrative tradition. Comparison study of the texts that were written down by folklorists in the end of 19th – the beginning of 21st century shows that the plot was not only the text itself but also a “common place” in many texts about the past. The stability of the narrative structure that saves general motifs of a mythological plot and also of later historical legends of different countries and religions is based on the main character (a trickster)’s tricks which is known from a tale. The dynamics of changes in word skin: changes of historical names and appearance of ethnographic details, – is a result of narrator’s interpretations of old events and of choosing narrative methods that are important to make the story more convincing. In some texts one can find social and utopian ideas of the past “golden age”

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