Universal images in the epic poetry of Eurasian peoples: A typological analysis

Abstract

This article focuses on a central challenge in modern humanities: defining and categorizing universal images within the epic heritage of Eurasian peoples. The research is necessitated by the need for a transition from the fragmented study of national epics to an integrative understanding of them as a unified, dynamically developing intercultural space. In the context of globalization and active cultural dialogue, identifying the common mythopoetic and historical–cultural foundations that link oral traditions of different nations is vital for understanding the mechanisms of civilizational identity formation. Despite numerous studies of individual epic texts, the comparative analysis of invariant structures at the pan-Eurasian level is still lacking, requiring the development of an appropriate methodological toolkit. The article aims to develop a typological classification of universal images in the epic tradition of Eurasian peoples and to identify their role in the structure of epic narratives. The study focuses on the epic creativity of Eurasia, analyzing the system of universal images, motifs, and spatial models. The methodological framework relies on an integrative approach combining comparative–historical, structural–typological, and mythopoeic methods of analysis. This approach enables the identification and comparison of invariant elements across various epic traditions to establish their typological similarity. The main findings include systematization and detailed analysis of the functions performed by universal images. Five such functions are identified and described: structuring, mediating, plot-forming, integrating, and adaptively transformational. The study establishes that the uniqueness of each epic tradition lies not so much in the singularity of its set of universals, but in the specifics of their axiological hierarchy and narrative strategy, which opens up new avenues for further research in this field.