Narrative of Cossack Spirit: Folk Song «Oh, in the Mountain the Reapers Are Reaping» and its Re-Singing «#МОСКАЛЬ_НЕКРАСІВИЙ» by Jerry Heil

The relevance of this study lies in identifying how military discourse of Ukraine appears in song texts from different historical periods and analyzing them within the context of its modern state-building. The aim is to compare the narrative of the Cossack spirit through two songs: the historical folk song “Oh on the Mountain and the Reapers Reap” and its modern reinterpretation “#MOSKAL_NEKRASIVYI” by Ukrainian pop singer Jerry Heil. The study uses Kenneth Burke's theory of symbolic social interaction, focusing on key narrative elements: act, scene, agency, agent, and purpose. These elements are first explained literally and then generalized to reflect the rhetoric of military life. In both songs, the primary act is preparation for a possible battle. The agents and the settings consistently emphasize strength and readiness for an impending fight. The purpose is to reveal the enduring essence of Ukrainians, centered on the anticipation of the war. The modern reinterpretation closely follows the plot of the folk song but celebrates the bravery of “modern Cossacks”, referencing contemporary Ukrainian political figures. Since the song is officially “dedicated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, this can be viewed as a media-driven substitution of concepts. The analysis examines agency in both historical and modern contexts, focusing on the relationship between characters and their environment. Differences in agents lead to differences in the scene. The Cossack spirit is presented as a communal reflection on Ukraine’s current war time. In modern media, promoting such narratives requires both broad and specific imagery. Therefore, the concept of modern Ukrainians as "Cossacks" is emphasized. Future research should explore what features of modern Ukrainians are identified as Cossack’s ones and what reasons are for assigning non-military people a Cossack characterization.