The present article is the first to consider the onomasticon of the Sart-Kalmyk version of the Jangar epic on the basis of the methodology developed by O. D. Surikova (2020). The authors of the article propose a systematization of the onomasticon of the epic that includes giving the etymology of onyms, indicating their frequency, and revealing variants of their own names in other versions of the epic Jangar and folklore samples of the Sart-Kalmyks. The study uses a complex method of linguistic analysis, including a descriptive method, methods of contextual, comparative and statistical analysis. The material for the analysis was the text of the manuscript Jangar, written down in 1929 by A. V. Burdukov from Bakhi Sarpekov (born 1872) in the Chelpek villag, Issyk-Kul region, Kyrgyzstan. The published songs of the Kalmyk and Xinjiang Oirat versions of the Jangar epic, lexicographic sources, as well as the authors’ personal field notes were used as an additional material. As a result of text processing, three groups of proper names were identified: toponyms, anthroponyms, and hyponyms. The most frequent in the Sart-Kalmyk version of the epic were Buddhist anthroponyms, the fact can be obviously associated with the strong influence of Buddhism on this archaic genre – the epic. The presence of the names of the water bodies Ili and Tekes indicate the historical homeland of the Sart Kalmyks – Dzungaria. In general, the study of their own names, extracted by the authors of the article from the text of the manuscript of A. V. Burdukov is useful from the point of view of linguo-geography and helps to identify patterns of nomination processes in the Sart-Kalmyk language.

   In the olonkho, the main component in the structure of the concept “BOGATYR AS AN IDEAL PERSON” is “BOGATYR”, because the universalia of the ideal man is represented primarily through the image of a bogatyr. However, in Sakha (Yakut) traditional consciousness the image of a bogatyr is inseparably connected with his bogatyr horse.

   The purpose of this study was to determine the content of the mental unit “HORSE” in the culture of the Sakha people as a component of the structure of the concept “BOGATYR AS AN IDEAL PERSON”, which translates the features of the national character and national identity of the Sakha people.
   The material for the study was the early texts of T. V. Zakharov – Cheebiy’s olonkho “Ala Bulkun” (1906) and K. G. Orosin’s “Nyurgun Bootur the Swift” (1895). Early olonkho texts translate worldview, values and ethical norms and define national character. They manifest the ideology and aspirations of ancient Yakuts in the era of formation and development of epic consciousness. Systematic and descriptive methods were used in the study. As a result of the study, it was found that the description of the bogatyr’s horse in the examined early texts of olonkho was much larger and longer than in most of the later texts. The analysis showed that in the early texts of the olonkho the image of the horse was described in a very colorful and detailed manner, it appeared strong, loyal to the master-bogatyr, and also had magical properties. This content of the cultural universalism “HORSE” had developed over the centuries. The meaning of the image of a horse consolidated in the early texts of olonkho has found its development in the texts of modern olonkho. The horse is one of the comprehensive images, through the prism of which one can get closer to the understanding of the Sakha national character.

   The author of this paper will examine the role of both improvisation and memorisation in the oral performances of the Altai epics. In order to do this, initially the author will describe for the reader the Altai epics, their plots, the values that they reinforce, the singer and his instrument. Then, based on a discussion about the context in which the epic is performed and the poetic features of the epics, this paper will explore the theory that the epic teller is not repeating an exact text but is improvising and composing throughout the performance of the epic, producing a different version each time. The author bases her research in particular on several personal interviews with oral epic singers in the Altai Republic. One of these interviews was with Anatoly Turlunov from the Kosh-Agach district, who is a famous performer of the epic in the Altai Republic and now teaches throat singing. The second was with Nikolai Sergetkishov, a young epic singer living in Gorno-Altaisk, who is trying to revive the tradition of epic storytelling. The final interviews were with Aydin Kurmanov, also a famous epic singer in the Altai Republic, who received many awards for his performances, and Yuri Chendeev, a musician who created his own Altai musical ensemble, and currently teaches music.