tilTiltanymTiltanym2411-60762709-135XИнститут языкознания имени А.Байтурсынулы КН МОН РК10.55491/2411-6076-2025-2-126-139til-1919Research ArticleПРИКЛАДНОЕ ЯЗЫКОЗНАНИЕAPPLIED LINGUISTICSДвойственность женских образов в ирландской мифологии: корпусный анализ женских мифологемThe Dual Faces of Femininity in Irish Mythology: a Corpus Analysis of Female Mythologemeshttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8913-6067ЕрсултановаГ.YersultanovaG.

Гаухар Ерсултанова, доктор философии (PhD), постдокторант

г. Алматы

Gaukhar Yersultanova, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), postdoctoral fellow

Almaty

 

gyersultanova@gmail.comhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4448-2414СейдалиеваГ.SeidaliyevaG.

Гулдана Сейдалиева, доктор философии (PhD), ассоциированный профессор

г. Алматы

Guldana Seidaliyeva, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Associate Professor

Almaty

g.seidalieva@abaiuniversity.edu.kzhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5013-4398БайсыдыкИ.BaissydykI.

Индира Байсыдык, доктор философии (PhD)

г. Алматы

Indira  Baissydyk, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Almaty

i.baissydyk@gmail.comКазахский национальный педагогический университет имени АбаяКазахстанAbai Kazakh National Pedagogical UniversityKazakhstan20250807202502126139Copyright © Ерсултанова Г., Сейдалиева Г., Байсыдык И., 20252025Ерсултанова Г., Сейдалиева Г., Байсыдык И.Yersultanova G., Seidaliyeva G., Baissydyk I.Данная работа распространяется под лицензией Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://www.tiltanym.kz/jour/article/view/1919

В данном исследовании изучаются дуалистические представления женственности в ирландской мифологии посредством корпусного анализа выдающихся женских мифологических фигур. Категоризируя женские мифологемы в соответствии с положительными и отрицательными архетипами, исследование изучает их историческое значение, лингвистическую эволюцию и постоянную актуальность в современном культурном дискурсе. Используя Google Ngram Viewer и Sketch Engine, исследование количественно отслеживает частоту и семантические сдвиги негативно оформленных фигур, таких как Банши, Ведьма, Кайлех Беара и Морриган, в сопоставлении с их позитивно оформленными аналогами: Айне, Сидхе, Этаин и Эйрмид. Результаты раскрывают нюансированный ландшафт, в котором определенные мифологемы подверглись восстановлению и переосмыслению в феминистских и неоязыческих контекстах. Напротив, другие остаются культурно маргинализированными или отнесенными к нишевым сферам влияния. Исследование подчеркивает динамическое взаимодействие между языком, мифологией и гендерной идентичностью, проливая свет на то, как мифологические архетипы адаптируются к меняющимся культурным дискурсам и отражают меняющиеся общественные ценности. 

This study investigates the dualistic representations of femininity in Irish mythology through a corpus-based analysis of prominent female mythological figures. By categorizing female mythologemes according to positive and negative archetypes, the research examines their historical significance, linguistic evolution, and ongoing relevance within contemporary cultural discourse. Employing Google Ngram Viewer and Sketch Engine, the study quantitatively tracks the frequency and semantic shifts of negatively framed figures, such as the Banshee, Witch, Cailleach Beara, and Morrigan, in juxtaposition with their positively framed counterparts: Áine, the Sidhe, Étaín, and Airmid. The findings reveal a nuanced landscape wherein certain mythologemes have undergone reclamation and reinterpretation within feminist and neo-pagan contexts. In contrast, others remain culturally marginalized or relegated to niche spheres of influence. The study underscores the dynamic interplay between language, mythology, and gender identity, illuminating how mythological archetypes adapt to evolving cultural discourses and reflect shifting societal values.  

мифологемыирландская мифологияирландский фольклорженственностькорпусная лингвистикаженские образыmythologemesIrish mythologyIrish Folklorefemininitycorpus linguisticsfemale figuresReferencesAbdallah, M.A. (2013) A method and system for implementing recovery from speculative forwarding miss-predictions / errors resulting from load store reordering and optimization. (in English)Abdallah, M.A. (2013) A method and system for implementing recovery from speculative forwarding miss-predictions / errors resulting from load store reordering and optimization. (in English)Almeida, F.J., Obeng, P. (2020) Siddi marriage: Re-signifying contract, transactions, and identities. South Asian History and Culture. https://doi.org/10.1080/19472498.2020.1831722 (in English)Almeida, F.J., Obeng, P. (2020) Siddi marriage: Re-signifying contract, transactions, and identities. South Asian History and Culture. https://doi.org/10.1080/19472498.2020.1831722 (in English)Angela, R.I. (2017) A “New Irish Woman” emerges: Subverting femininity in Maeve Kelly’s A Life of Her Own. Journal of Irish Studies. P. 104-114 (in English)Angela, R.I. (2017) A “New Irish Woman” emerges: Subverting femininity in Maeve Kelly’s A Life of Her Own. Journal of Irish Studies. P. 104-114 (in English)Beck, N. (2009) Goddesses in Celtic religion: Cult and mythology – A comparative study of ancient Ireland, Britain, and Gaul. (in English)Beck, N. (2009) Goddesses in Celtic religion: Cult and mythology – A comparative study of ancient Ireland, Britain, and Gaul. (in English)Besse, M. (2011) Familie, Genealogie und Ursprungsmythen in der älteren deutschen Literatur. (in English)Besse, M. (2011) Familie, Genealogie und Ursprungsmythen in der älteren deutschen Literatur. (in English)Butler, J. (2008) Symbolic and social roles of women in death rituals in traditional Irish society. Women, Pain and Death: Rituals and Everyday Life on the Margins of Europe and Beyond. P. 108-121. (in English)Butler, J. (2008) Symbolic and social roles of women in death rituals in traditional Irish society. Women, Pain and Death: Rituals and Everyday Life on the Margins of Europe and Beyond. P. 108-121. (in English)Cooke, M. (2016) Gender in mythology: The role of mythological women in cultural traditions. Oxford University Press. (in English)Cooke, M. (2016) Gender in mythology: The role of mythological women in cultural traditions. Oxford University Press. (in English)Davey, M.E. (2010) “She had to start thinking like a man”: Women writing bodies in contemporary Northern Irish fiction. Journal of Irish Studies. https://doi.org/10.24162/EI2010-2261 (in English)Davey, M.E. (2010) “She had to start thinking like a man”: Women writing bodies in contemporary Northern Irish fiction. Journal of Irish Studies. https://doi.org/10.24162/EI2010-2261 (in English)Ellis, P. (1994) The Chronicles of the Celts: New tellings of their myths and legends. (in English)Ellis, P. (1994) The Chronicles of the Celts: New tellings of their myths and legends. (in English)Elsley, S.J. (2012) Images of the witch in nineteenth-century culture. (in English)Elsley, S.J. (2012) Images of the witch in nineteenth-century culture. (in English)Fairclough, N. (1992) Discourse and social change. Polity Press. (in English)Fairclough, N. (1992) Discourse and social change. Polity Press. (in English)Kadeřávková, T. (2022) Depictions of female sovereignty in Irish mythology. Filozoficko-přírodovědecká fakulta. (in English)Kadeřávková, T. (2022) Depictions of female sovereignty in Irish mythology. Filozoficko-přírodovědecká fakulta. (in English)Karaseva, A.A. (2023) Linguistic and cultural features of nominating negative female images in epics.Filologiâ i Kulʹtura. (in English)Karaseva, A.A. (2023) Linguistic and cultural features of nominating negative female images in epics.Filologiâ i Kulʹtura. (in English)Kelly, E.P. (2022) Áine. Journal of Irish Mythology, 18(3). P. 42-59. (in English)Kelly, E.P. (2022) Áine. Journal of Irish Mythology, 18(3). P. 42-59. (in English)Kenna, R., Thompson, C., Carmody, I., Dwyer, B., Curley, D., McCarthy, M., Bowes, N., MacCarron, P., Platini, T., Yose, J. (2023) The extraordinary story of Sinann – the inspirational figure who gave her name to Ireland’s longest river – and how she arose as one of Ireland’s resilient female icons. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2308.02544 (in English)Kenna, R., Thompson, C., Carmody, I., Dwyer, B., Curley, D., McCarthy, M., Bowes, N., MacCarron, P., Platini, T., Yose, J. (2023) The extraordinary story of Sinann – the inspirational figure who gave her name to Ireland’s longest river – and how she arose as one of Ireland’s resilient female icons. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2308.02544 (in English)Kodumal, J., Aiken, A. (2005) Banshee: A scalable constraint-based analysis toolkit. (in English)Kodumal, J., Aiken, A. (2005) Banshee: A scalable constraint-based analysis toolkit. (in English)Kravets, O., Maclaran, P., Stevens, L. (2020) Reclaiming the crone: Reimagining old age and feminine power. Advances in Consumer Research, 48. P. 1106-1111. (in English)Kravets, O., Maclaran, P., Stevens, L. (2020) Reclaiming the crone: Reimagining old age and feminine power. Advances in Consumer Research, 48. P. 1106-1111. (in English)Lai, M. (2011) Mythological representations of women in Celtic narratives. University of Edinburgh Press. (in English)Lai, M. (2011) Mythological representations of women in Celtic narratives. University of Edinburgh Press. (in English)Lévi-Strauss, C. (1994) Myth and meaning. Routledge. (in English)Lévi-Strauss, C. (1994) Myth and meaning. Routledge. (in English)Loomis, R.S. (1945) Morgain La Fee and the Celtic goddesses. Speculum, 20(2). P. 183-203. (in English)Loomis, R.S. (1945) Morgain La Fee and the Celtic goddesses. Speculum, 20(2). P. 183-203. (in English)Lotman, Y. (1970) The structure of the artistic text. University of Michigan Press. (in English)Lotman, Y. (1970) The structure of the artistic text. University of Michigan Press. (in English)Lysaght, P. (1996) The Banshee: The Irish supernatural death-messenger. (in English)Lysaght, P. (1996) The Banshee: The Irish supernatural death-messenger. (in English)Magoulick, M.J. (2022) The goddess myth in contemporary literature and popular culture: A feminist critique. University Press of Mississippi. (in English)Magoulick, M.J. (2022) The goddess myth in contemporary literature and popular culture: A feminist critique. University Press of Mississippi. (in English)Malone, L. (2024) Old faces, new perspectives: A critical examination of the mother and crone in Cartoon Saloon’s Irish folklore trilogy. Quarterly Review of Film and Video. P. 1-17. (in English) McDonald, R. (2005) Irish literature: Tradition and modernity. (in English)Malone, L. (2024) Old faces, new perspectives: A critical examination of the mother and crone in Cartoon Saloon’s Irish folklore trilogy. Quarterly Review of Film and Video. P. 1-17. (in English) McDonald, R. (2005) Irish literature: Tradition and modernity. (in English)Müller, K. (2023) Corpus linguistics and mythology: A computational approach to cultural narratives. Cambridge University Press. (in English)Müller, K. (2023) Corpus linguistics and mythology: A computational approach to cultural narratives. Cambridge University Press. (in English)Nuttall, D. (1998) Witch and priest juxtaposed: Two figures from Irish tradition. Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore, (9). P. 34-40. (in English)Nuttall, D. (1998) Witch and priest juxtaposed: Two figures from Irish tradition. Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore, (9). P. 34-40. (in English)O’Donoghue, M.V. (2016) Fios na mban: The role of women in death and burial customs in post-famine Ireland. (in English)O’Donoghue, M.V. (2016) Fios na mban: The role of women in death and burial customs in post-famine Ireland. (in English)O’Donohue, J. (1997) Anam Cara: A book of Celtic wisdom. (in English)O’Donohue, J. (1997) Anam Cara: A book of Celtic wisdom. (in English)Ocampo-Gooding, S.I. (2012) The Sheela-na-gig: An inspirational figure for contemporary Irish art. (in English)Ocampo-Gooding, S.I. (2012) The Sheela-na-gig: An inspirational figure for contemporary Irish art. (in English)Radulescu, A. (2014) Archetypal feminine figures in fairy tales: A study in archetypal psychology. Journal of Research in Gender Studies. (in English)Radulescu, A. (2014) Archetypal feminine figures in fairy tales: A study in archetypal psychology. Journal of Research in Gender Studies. (in English)Rubert, M. (2012) Linguistic and cultural transmission in Irish mythology. Dublin University Press. (in English)Rubert, M. (2012) Linguistic and cultural transmission in Irish mythology. Dublin University Press. (in English)Sarabi, Z., Killian, E., Blanco, E., Palmer, A. (2019) A corpus of negations and their underlying positive interpretations. Joint Conference on Lexical and Number Processing. (in English)Sarabi, Z., Killian, E., Blanco, E., Palmer, A. (2019) A corpus of negations and their underlying positive interpretations. Joint Conference on Lexical and Number Processing. (in English)Selivanova, O., Rubert, M., Müller, K. (2023) Linguistic patterns in mythological storytelling: A cognitive-semiotic approach. Cambridge University Press. (in English)Selivanova, O., Rubert, M., Müller, K. (2023) Linguistic patterns in mythological storytelling: A cognitive-semiotic approach. Cambridge University Press. (in English)Shufelt, C.A. (2007) Something wicked this way comes: Constructing the witch in contemporary American popular culture. (in English)Shufelt, C.A. (2007) Something wicked this way comes: Constructing the witch in contemporary American popular culture. (in English)Šefčíková, B.K. (2021) Ireland as a woman: Female depictions of Ireland in nationalist literature. (in English)Šefčíková, B.K. (2021) Ireland as a woman: Female depictions of Ireland in nationalist literature. (in English)White, H. (2024) Reimagining the witch: Contemporary narratives of feminine power and resistance. Oxford University Press. (in English)White, H. (2024) Reimagining the witch: Contemporary narratives of feminine power and resistance. Oxford University Press. (in English)Woodfield, J. (2011) Morrigan: Goddess of war, fate, and sovereignty in Irish mythology. (in English)Woodfield, J. (2011) Morrigan: Goddess of war, fate, and sovereignty in Irish mythology. (in English)Xianglin, L. (2010) Mythological gender constructs in early European and Asian folklore. Oxford University Press. (in English)Xianglin, L. (2010) Mythological gender constructs in early European and Asian folklore. Oxford University Press. (in English)

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.