STYLE MARKERS IN MARI PRAYERS

Natalia Glukhova¹*, Tatiana Vladykina², Valerii Maksimov³, and Galina Kadykova^4
1Prof. Dr., Mari State University, The Russian Federation, gluhnatalia@mail.ru
²Prof. Dr., Udmurt Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, The Russian Federation, tgvladykina@mail.ru
³Assist. Prof. Dr., Mari State University, The Russian Federation, sernur@rambler.ru
⁴Assist. Prof. Dr., Mari State University, The Russian Federation, kadukova_galina@mail.ru
*Corresponding author

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to define markers of style and their functions in Mari prayers of the traditional religion. This goal dictates the choice of methods. A linguostylistic analysis of the language levels of the text, which hasn't been applied to the Mari folklore texts before, is used here. The outcomes of componential and contextual analyses are also shown in the article. The linguostylistic description and the componential analysis yield some additional results which reveal semantic classifications of the lexis of the analyzed prayers as well. These semantic classifications showed the selectivity of this genre of Mari folklore. A prayer is a solemn ritual request for something for those who pray, for their relatives, people of the community. It is an appeal to Gods for their divine protection from any evil. At the same time a prayer is a certain formula, a fixed, practically unchangeable text which contains these requests, appeals, petitions. Like any other text, it is composed according to certain rules and regularities. It has quite obvious communicative goals. When worshippers address themselves to Gods, praying is a reasonable act for them because they address creatures who are like themselves (in their opinion), but much more powerful. When worshippers appeal to the souls of their deceased relatives, it is nothing else than an attempt to continue the communication with them. In both cases it is relevant to convince "the interlocutors" of the frankness of the feelings and the compelling necessity of the petitions and requests. The goals of the worshippers are: 1) to receive a certain amount of good; 2) to be safely protected from evil. The aims are formulated in the texts by expressive means and stylistic devices forming style markers in Mari ethnic prayers.

Keywords: Mari ethnic prayer, linguostylistic analysis, text, formula, communicative goals