THE BEAR AND THE HERO: PARALLELS IN KOREAN AND LATVIAN EPICS

Comparative research of Latvian and Korean literature is a new field. It would be quite logical to consider the epic paradigm at the very outset. The epic hero, the environment, the events, the poetics of the epics tell a great deal about a nation. To talk about the epic in a comparative aspect today is a relevant and appropriate occasion, because the Latvian reader has the first opportunity to look into the of Korean epics, since the celebration of the 30^th anniversary of Latvian-Korean diplomatic relations has been marked by publishing of selected Korean fairy tales with the support of the Korean Embassy. This paper will examine the parallels of Latvian and Korean epic tradition in the context of bear mythologeme.