THE RIVER KAYALA AS AN ARTISTIC METAPHOR IN THE POETICS OF “THE TALE OF IGOR’S CAMPAIGN”

THE RIVER KAYALA AS AN ARTISTIC METAPHOR IN THE POETICS OF “THE TALE OF IGOR’S CAMPAIGN”

Author:  Chang Yukai 1, Ma Jingyang 2

Affiliation:  1Peking University, 2 China University of Petroleum

Abstract:  This study examines the linguistic and poetic construction of the toponym the River Kayala in the medieval Slavic epic “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”. Its primary objective is to demonstrate how this key image functions as a sophisticated artistic metaphor.
The analysis employs an interdisciplinary methodology, integrating textual linguistics and literary analysis to investigate the interplay between the phrase’s grammatical structure, its etymological connection to the verb kayati (to repent), and its contextual semantics. The research establishes that the metaphor is systematically built through a triad of linguistic mechanisms: the structural irregularity of the phrase itself, its potent etymological linkage, and its strategic placement in locative contexts that chart a symbolic progression from military catastrophe towards spiritual purification and potential renewal. Consequently, the study posits that grammatical form and contextual deployment act as primary, complementary tools for metaphorization within the poem’s unique poetics. These findings contribute to Slavic literary studies and linguistic poetics, providing an analytical model for deciphering complex symbolic topoi in medieval texts.
The study concludes that the River Kayala transcends a mere geographical reference, evolving into a dynamic, multi-layered metaphor for a spiritual journey, thereby highlighting the instrumental role of grammar in artistic meaning-making.

Keywords:  The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, the River Kayala, artistic metaphor, poetics, grammatical structure, toponym, semantics.

Acknowledgments:  The research is financially supported by the Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation, project No. GZC20240054 at Peking University.

For citation:  Chang, Yukai, & Ma, Jingyang. (2026). The RIVER KAYALA as an artistic metaphor in the poetics of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”. Voprosy Kognitivnoy Lingvistiki, 2, 121-127 (In Russ.).

Pages:  121-127