SKM 2023 – scientific programme
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SOE: Fachverband Physik sozio-ökonomischer Systeme
SOE 8: Semantic Networks, Language and Culture
SOE 8.2: Talk
Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 14:15–14:30, ZEU 260
Network analysis of the Kyiv Bylyny cycle - East Slavic epic narratives — Petro Sarkanych1,2, Nazar Fedorak3,4, •Yurij Holovatch1,2,5, Pádraig MacCarron6, Joseph Yose5,2, and Ralph Kenna5,2 — 1ICMP, NAS of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine — 2L4 Collaboration Leipzig-Lorraine-Lviv-Coventry, Europe — 3Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine — 4Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv, Ukraine — 5Coventry University, Coventry, UK — 6University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
In recent times, the advent of network science permitted new quantitative approaches to literary studies [see e.g. Maths Meets Myths: Complexity-science approaches to folktales, myths, sagas, and histories. R. Kenna, M. Mac Carron, P. Mac Carron (Editors), Springer, 2016]. Here, we bring the Kyiv bylyny cycle into the field - East Slavic epic narratives originating in modern-day Ukraine. By comparing them to other prominent European epics, we identify universal and distinguishing properties of the social networks in bylyny. We analyze community structures and rank most important characters. The method allows to bolster hypotheses from humanities literature - such as the position of Prince Volodymyr - and to generate new ones. We show how the Kyiv cycle of bylyny fits very well with narrative networks from other nations - especially heroic ones. We anticipate that, besides delivering new narratological insights, this study will aid future scholars and interested public to navigate their way through Ukraine's epic story and identify its heroes [P. Sarkanych et al., Adv. Complex Syst. 25(4) (2022) 2240007].