Researcher
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Yerevan
Yerevan, Armenia
ORCID: 0000-0001-8824-527X
madatyanlusine@yandex.ru

A Cognitive Reflection on Time (with Special Reference to Armenian and Irish Folktales)

A folktale is a distinct narrative genre characterized by a set of formal and thematic features, among which temporal structure holds particular significance. In folktales, time can accelerate or slow down depending on the narrative’s aim.

This study offers a comparative analysis of temporal features, focusing on Armenian and Irish ATU 470-type folktales. These tales differ in their depiction of time in two realms: the otherworld, where time typically flows more slowly, and the folktale’s real world, where time follows a more “cyclic” pattern.

Methodologically, the research employs comparative narrative analysis, cognitive approaches, and close textual reading to examine thematic and structural representations of time across the two traditions. In both Armenian and Irish folktales, time is often expressed through vague and non-specific terms. Precise numerical reference to time appears only in the contrast between the temporal flows of the folktale real world and the otherworld.

Another shared narrative feature is the distortion of time in the otherworld, where it moves differently than in the folktale’s real world. This phenomenon can be seen as a folkloric parallel to modern scientific theories of time dilation between Earth and space, influenced by gravity and spacecraft speed. Folktales anticipate such insights, suggesting that human imagination has long intuitively grasped complex temporal concepts. Folklore thus becomes a medium for conveying simple yet profound truths about time, life, and existence.

Despite these similarities, ATU 470-type folktales from the two traditions differ in the portrayal and interpretation of the otherworld. Armenian folktales consistently depict it as a horizontal, timeless, and immortal realm, often narrated in the present tense, indicating Armenians’ inclination toward preserving and recalling historical events. In contrast, Irish folktale otherworlds are often beneath the sea and narrated in the past tense, highlighting a clear temporal distinction between past and present, reflecting a precise and linear understanding of time.

Through this analysis, the research demonstrates how Armenian and Irish folktales reflect broader cultural attitudes toward time, mortality, memory, and the afterlife, providing insight into the interplay between temporal imagination and cultural worldview.

Acknowledgement: This research was conducted with the financial support of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), United States.

Keywords: temporal distortion, slow flow of time, otherworld, temporal and spatial uncertainty, theory of relativity, folktale, human imagination, immortal, cultural perception of time, horizontal location