Using Phylogenetic Analysis for Tale Type Identification (Ob Ugric Narratives)

The study aims to identify the fairy tale types associated with Imi Khily, an important figure in Ob Ugric folklore. This tale character is associated with a deity from the highest pantheon of the Khanty people, which researchers link to Iranian influence on Ob Ugric mythology. We examined 21 texts in the Khanty language, including both myths and fary tales. By applying phylogenetic analysis and the principle of maximum parsimony to a corpus of texts, four primary tale types were identified within the narrative cycle studied: Myth of the Celestial Hunt, Tereshechka, The Hero Wins a Bride, and Death of the Father Avenged. Subsequent analysis revealed that these four narrative types can be divided into two main branches: religious and fairy tales, with narratives dealing with the theme of defeating giants being classified under the ancestral evolutionary lines of the fairy tale branch.