An Epic Geography of the Oɣuz-nāmä in Uyghur Script

Absztrakt

The present paper examines the proper names occurring in the pagan Oɣuz-nāmä (PON) in the Uyghur script and attempts to match historical political formations to them. It is clear that these names belong to several temporal layers and their order of occurrence within the text does not follow a chronological order. The analysis highlights the dynamic evolution of PON’s plot. Four temporal layers were detected within the text (7–9th centuries, 10–12th centuries, 13th century, and 14–15th centuries) and the related events in PON were put on a map. It can be concluded that the text must have been written in the 15th century in the lower Volga region, in the territory of the Great Horde, and the latest temporal layer of PON’s plot was influenced by Kipchak historical tradition built upon a Mongolian substratum.