Narrative Art In The Hezhen Epic Yimakan

Yimakan is the Hezhen oral epic passed down from generation to generation. It features with extensive content and ethnic narrative style. It is no exaggeration to say that its narrative art is the key to open the gate to the Hezhen culture. In this thesis, seven texts of the Hezhen epic Yimakan sang by the great singer GE Desheng are analyzed by applying the narratology, oral poetic and eco-cultural theory. The interdisciplinary study of narrative art in Yimakan is focused on the narrator and characters, time and space in seven texts above.This thesis consists of the introduction, body and conclusion, in which the body part includes four chapters.The introduction explains the research object and background of the topic. The Hezhen natural environment, fishing and hunting life and production mode as well as shamanistic beliefs are geographical characteristics and cultural space in which Yimakan is created. The literature review outlines the collection record, semantic analysis and genres of the Yimakan, and recent discussions on text and singer research of the Yimakan are also sorted. The significance of the topic and research methods are determined through literature review and a comprehensive consideration.The chapter one discusses the role of the narrator of Yimakan in the process of the evolution of the epic transmission and performance. The relationship and residential geographical distribution among three generations of singers presented an overview of epic singers. Then GE Desheng is taken as an example to seek the characteristics of epic singer in folk life and epic performance contexts. Combined with the specific texts, narrative perspectives and communication, testimony, comments, and other various functions assumed by the narrator in narrative event are discussed.In chapter two, another narrative element:the characters are compared. Compared with images in epics sang by other singers, male and female heroes in seven epics sang by GE Desheng are introduced and the formulaic narration are analyzed. Then this chapter discusses the male as a hero, leader and shaman of the tribe and female changing into Kuoli (condor) to act as an assistant of males.The time issues of Yimakan texts that include the sequence of story time and narrative time, narrative rhythm and narrative frequency are presented in chapter three. Because growth life of epic hero serves as the main narrative line, the story time and narrative time of Yimakan remains the same chronological order. The analepsis and prolepsis in Yimakan reflects the chronological disorder, which is an important narrative discourse and strategy of narrators. At the same time, the length of time, speed and frequency control in seven epic texts can uncover GE Desheng’s superb singing and narrative skills.Four kinds of typical physical space such as huotong, houses and caves, the underworld and dream as mental space are investigated from the perspective of space narratology in the chapter four. Five kinds of space in Yimakan shifts frequently and a series of wars, metamorphosis, deformation, getting shaman spells, and religious rituals and other major events take place in theses sites. And then the deep relationship between space and the expression of epic is explored by analyzing the narrative function of two space categories, namely space participate in and affect the narrative.The conclusion summarizes the implications and the missing in this study and future research plans. Due to the limited conditions and efforts, certain unresolved problems only can be addressed in the future.