The specifics of contamination and chronology of the folklore cycle

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of contamination and the chronology of genetically close plots that form folklore cycles. There are various scientific interpretations of contamination and approaches to differentiation of its types. Recognizing that contamination is an Association of stories, scientists argue about the Genesis and mechanisms, the manifestation of the psychology of creativity. On the example of fairy-tale stories about «innocently persecuted heroes», the author explores the nature of folkloric contamination, reveals signs of creative and mechanical consolidation, it contributes to the manifestation of epicism within the Russian fairy tale. Using the history of the development of the genre, the author illustrates his methodology for determining the archaic nature of the narrative elements of fairy tales about «innocently persecuted heroes» and for building a chronology of the plots of the cycle. In this regard, an important role is given to the analysis of the poetics of the fairy tale, the principles of the image of reality, and extra-folklore factors.