The epic "Edige batyr": typology of the existing turkic versions

Abstract

Edige is a major figure who appeared on the stage of history in the second half of the 14th century, when the Golden Horde weakened and the rulers competing for the khanate clashed, during the decline of a once powerful state. He was a famous dancer and a brave hero who held the reins of the country. Not only the Kazakhs, but also the Turks, Kyrgyz, Karakalpak, Uzbek, Turkmen, Tatar, Nogai, Bashkir peoples honor him as our „heroic ancestor“. This situation shows that at one time these peoples were called "Nogayli" and were a whole country under one roof.
         The main goal of the article is to compare the national versions of the song "Edige batyr" which has a great place in the literature of not only the Kazakh people, but also the Turkic peoples, which has a special place in the golden fund of world literature, and by comparing it with the epics and general historical heritage of other peoples.  to identify their common features and similarities.  As a result, to prove that it is not a historical poem, but a genre between a heroic poem and a historical poem, and that the poem is a common heritage of the Turkic peoples.  Typological comparisons are made and it is shown that among the Turks, the Kazakh, Nogai, Karakalpak, and Tatar versions of the plot have more typological similarities.  To clarify that all national versions have mythical and fairy-tale scenes and episodes, and that they are given a lot of space in Karakalpak, Bashkir, and Tatar versions.

Keywords: folklore, epic, typology, variant, manuscript, national version, Golden Horde.