Rivers of Altai in the Russian Literature of the XX–XXI Centuries: Mythopoetics and Symbolism

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of mythology and symbolism of the Altai rivers such as the Biya and the Katun in the texts of Russian literature of the XX and the beginning of the XXI century. Representation of the two variants of the legend of the Biya and Katun – love-romantic and family-clan shows the diversity of the author's meaning while reconstructing landscape images. The upper-lower, vertical-horizontal, life-death oppositions set by the mythopoetics of these hydronyms are investigated. The connection between the hydro-typologist and the Altai epos and the folklore and literary tradition in general is being traced. Materials for the study are texts of a sketch character (Choros-Gurkin, Grebenshchikov), fiction (Shishkov, Bubennov, Zalygin, Shukshin) and poetry (Kazanski, Rubszov, Bushunow, Zhilszov, etc.). The analysis of symbolism and mythology of the hydronyms in the texts allows us to speak about cosmological nature of the topographical details by representing such parallels as «river mountain», «river-sky», «river-bird». In the texts the difference between the characters and colors of the rivers are emphasized: the Katun is shown as noisy, capricious, its dull-green color is being associated with the categories of memory / oblivion, legends, the times of Scythians and Chingiztau; the Biya appears to be more calm, with light green colored waves, symbolizing eternal renewal, and love. Mythopoetic content of Altai river toponyms in Russian literature is diverse and dynamically changing during the last century and the beginning of the new century.