Genesis and functions of the motifs of initiation in the Crimean Tatar epic tale

The subject of this research became the examination of genesis and functions of the motif of initiation within the Crimean Tatar magic tale. The ritual of initiation is an important social institute of pre-class society, which serves as the foundation of folk tradition for the peoples of the world. The archaic forms of this motif are associated with the mythological rituals-initiations. The motif of initiation in a magic tale often become the core of the plot and compositional structure. Special attention deserves the concept of the scholar Kerim Camanaqlı, who underlined the role of mythological images in development of the storyline of Crimean Tatar tales, as well as primeval roots of these images. The methodology and theoretical framework of the study is the compilations of Crimean Tatar tales of the early XX century “Tales and Legends of Crimean Tatars” (1936) and “Tales for Children” (1939), dictionaries, scientific writings of the prominent folklorists and literary historians. The novelty consists in revelation of the fact that Crimean Tatar magic tales, containing various compositional elements in their structure, include the pair “dying – rebirth”. The indicated elements of the composition of a magic tale emerged and formed under the influence of mythological rituals. By the specific attributes, the ritual of initiation in the tales can carry different functions and forms. Poetic transformation of the motif of initiation defines the peculiarities of magic tales. The main conclusion consists in the ethnographic ritualistic archaic, which vividly manifests in the Crimean Tatar magic tale, inherent with the formation of fundamentals of the tale, its initial structure, situations, images, system of poetic language and artistic means. Mythical character somewhat alienates from previous mythologicity and comes closer to a fairy image, being included into a fairy civilization.