Narrative and lyrics in the younger epic of the Adygs (Circassian)

The article is devoted to establishing the nature of the evolution of the epic and its relationship to lyrical poetry in the Adyghe (Circassian) folklore. The relevance of the topic is due to the scientific significance of determining the nature of the interaction between the folk epic and lyrical poetry. To date, this issue has not been the subject of a special study based on the folklore of the Adyghe people, which makes this work scientifically significant and innovative. The purpose of the study is to identify the patterns of transformations that occur in heroic songs and tales during the evolution of the genre. The main objectives are to study the actual material in a diachronic perspective, to establish specific changes and their nature as a result of the interaction between the attributes of epic and lyric poetry, and to identify the general trend of development in the light of the history of verbal art. The main method of study is historical and comparative, with the use of structural-semantic analysis and statistical research. The object of analysis is the authentic recordings of samples of the archaic epic about the Nart heroes and the cycles of songs and legends of the historical and heroic epic. The analysis of the texts reveals that the third-person narrative, which is the main principle of storytelling in epic works, can be interspersed with fragments of a meditative, emotional, and evaluative nature, even in the most ancient examples. This suggests that lyrical motifs may have been present in epic poetry from the beginning. When comparing works belonging to the oldest tales with songs and legends of later origin, it is established that as the genre evolves, attention to the inner world of the hero, to the individual perception of reality, and interest in individual characteristics of perception and psychological motivation of actions increase. As a result, songs with a dominant lyrical content appear within the poetics of the heroic epic. Further evolution contributes to the progressive advancement of meditative, love, philosophical, and everyday lyrics to the center of the genre system of folklore. The canons of traditional song existence are transformed, including the form of performance, the structure of the poetic text, vocabulary, and melodies. These observations help to establish the main stages of the evolution of verbal and musical art in the folklore of the Adyghe people, from its origins to the emergence of artistically developed genres, types, and styles.

1. Naloev Z. Heroic songs of magnificence and lamentations of the Adyghe people. In: Gippius EV. (ed.) Folk songs and instrumental tunes of the Adyghe people. Vol. 3, Part 1. Moscow: Sovetskii Compozitor Publ.; 1986:5–34 (in Russian).

2. Pashtova MM. Circassian (Adyghe) folk lyrics. Traditional non-ritual genres. Maikop: Z.V. Pashtov Publ.; 2009:262 (in Russian).

3. Unarokova RB. Song culture of the Adyghe people (aesthetic and informational aspect). Moscow: IWLA RAS Publ.; 2004:216 (in Russian).

4. Gutov AM. Adyghe (Circassian) Folk lyrics: on the issue of genesis and evolution. Bulletin of Adyghe State University, series “Philology and Art Criticism”. 2022;2(297):179–185 (in Russian).

5. Borev YuB. Aesthetics. Third ed. Moscow: Publ. House of Political Literature; 1981:400 (in Russian).

6. Propp VYa. Russian heroic epic. Moscow: State Publ. House of Fine literature; 1958:604 (in Russian).

7. Homer. Iliad. Translated by N.I. Gnedich. Moscow: State Publ. House of Fine literature; 1960:436 (in Russian).

8. Gippius EV. (ed.) Folk songs and instrumental tunes of the Adyghe. Vol. 3. Moscow: Sovetskii Compozitor Publ.; 1981:231 (in Adyghe and Russian).

9. Ginzburg LYa. On lyrics. Leningrad: Sovetskii Pisatel Publ.; 1974:408 (in Russian).

10. Anikin VP. Theory of Folklore. Moscow: Moscow State University Publ.; 2004:432 (in Russian).

11. Talpa ME. Folklore before the 16th century. The Nart Epic. General Observations. Kabardinian Folklore. Moscow, Leningrad: Academia Publ.; 1936:618 (in Russian).

12. Gadagatl AM. The heroic epic “Narts” and its genesis. Krasnodar Book Publ. House; 1967:423 (in Russian).

13. Alieva AI. The Adyghe heroic epic. Fairy tale. Textual criticism. Typology. Semantics. Poetics. Moscow: IMWA RAS Publ.; 2019:736 (in Russian).

14. Kravtsov NI. The art of psychological depiction in Russian folk poetry. In: Kravtsov NI. (ed.) Folklore as the Art of words psychological depiction in Russian folk poetry. Moscow: Moscow State University Publ. House; 1969:3–16 (in Russian).

15. Kravtsov NI. Historical Poetics of folklore (principles and problems). In: Gatsak VM., Balandin AI. (eds.) Problems of the historical poetics of folklore: Proceedings of the All-Union Scientific Conference. Moscow: IWL of USSR Academy of Sciences Publ.; 1977:6–13 (in Russian).

16. Steblin-Kamensky MI. The World of the Saga. The formation of literature. Leningrad: Nauka Publ.; 1984:245 (in Russian).

17. Gatsak VM. The Eastern romance heroic epic. Moscow: Nauka Publ.; 1967:472 (in Russian).

18. Gippius EV. (ed.) Folk songs and instrumental tunes of the Adyghe. Vol. 3, Part 2. Moscow: Sovetskii Compozitor Publ.; 1990:488 (in Adyghe and Russian).

19. Naloyev ZM. From the history of Adyghe culture. Nalchik: Elbrus Publ.; 1978:192 (in Russian).

20. Gippius EV. (ed.) Folk songs and instrumental tunes of the Adyghe. Vol. 4, Parts 1–2. Nalchik: IHR KBSC RAS Publ.; 2018:530 (in Adyghe and Russian).