Lullaby in Kalmyk lyrics: 20th - 21st centuries

The article examines literary lullabies by Kalmyk 20th - and 21st century poets in the aspect of folklore tradition and its transformation. Kalmyk literary lullabies have never been subject or object of any special research, and there is no published anthology. The paper introduces into scientific discourse 15 texts by 11 poets. The work reveals certain ties between literary lullabies and folklore ones in terms of plot patterns, dream fable, motifs, system of characters, structure, images and style. Poetics of titles in many poems manifests the genre archetype - ‘The Cradle Song’ (Kalm. Саатулын дун, Ɵлгǝн дун), focuses on the addressee - ‘To the Child’ (Kalm. Нилх үрнд). The influence of the era can be traced in somewhat political contexts of literary lullabies of the 1930s - 1940s, and even 1960s, abundant in Soviet myths about the Big Family, archetypes of Father, Mother, and Hero. Evolution of the genre from public towards private aspects was communicating the idea of expected happy future for children in their Motherland, devoted labor for the latter’s cause constituting the ideological basis of becoming a truly patriotic citizen. The human and natural worlds depicted manifest the ethnic worldview and beliefs. Literary lullabies involve elements of well-wishing yӧrӓls, spells, protective magic, counting-out rhymes, and used to maintain the Kalmyk versification tradition. Russian translations of some Kalmyk poetic lullabies to a certain extent agree with original texts, a few of them have been set to music.