COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TRADITIONAL MOTIFS IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH FOLK LEGENDS

This article explores the systematisation of epic plots and motifs in world folklore, with a focus on A. A. Aarne's foundational work, the 'Index of Fairy Tale Types'. Aarne categorised folk tales according to their plot types. Building on this, Stith Thompson expanded the classification system by incorporating motifs from myths, legends, jokes, ballads and literary fairy tales. This new system organised folklore based on motifs rather than plot types. As Thompson’s index provides a comprehensive catalogue of motifs in global myths, it is the main reference for this study. The article compares plot types in Uzbek and English folk legends, highlighting the similarities and differences in their narrative structures.