Dzud and Natural Disasters in Kazakh Epic as a Unique Adaptation Tool

Abstract

This article systematically examines the depiction of natural disasters in traditional Kazakh epic poetry and analyzes their role in nomadic adaptation strategies. The research draws upon major epic cycles such as " Kobylandy Batyr " (29 versions), "Er Targyn", "Alpamys Batyr", "Kambar Batyr", and "Edige Batyr" analyzing the mythological, symbolic, and practical dimensions of drought, aridity, floods, and other natural disasters. The Kazakh epic tradition transforms natural disasters into multifaceted narrative and cultural tools: they test heroic characters, mark cosmic transitions, strengthen social solidarity, and encode ecological knowledge for nomadic societies. Through textual analysis, ethnographic contextualization, and comparative methodology, the article demonstrates that natural disaster motifs in Kazakh epic represent a complex cultural mechanism for processing collective trauma, preserving ecological memory, and transmitting survival strategies across generations. The dzud phenomenon — the most dangerous natural disaster in nomadic Eurasia — occupies a central place in epics and serves as a marker of the heroic ideal, community stability, and humanity's capacity to resist natural forces. The 2023-2025 dzud phenomenon in Mongolia, which caused 8.1 million livestock deaths, gives new significance to studying adaptation strategies in epics and opens possibilities for integrating traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary sustainability discourse.