Azerbaijani folklore is the folk tradition of Azerbaijanis which has developed throughout the centuries.
Azerbaijani folklore is embodied explicitly in a large collection of narratives and implicitly in representational arts, such as vase painting and votive gifts.[1]
Sources of Azerbaijani folklore
National Azerbaijani folklore samples followed by eposes such as Kitabi-Dede Gorgud, Gurbani, Koroglu, Shah Ismayil, Abbas and Gulgaz and Asli and Kerem, tales, bayatys, holavars, lullabies, anecdotes, riddles, proverbs and aphorisms.[2] Azerbaijani myths mainly based on the heroism and wisdom of a human being, which demonstrated in epics such as Epic of Köroğlu, Book of Dede Korkut and Əsli və Kərəm.[3][4][5]
Köroǧlu
The story of Köroǧlu (lit. son of the blind) begins with his father’s loss of sight.[6] The feudal lord Hasan Khan blinds his stable manager Ali Kişi for a trivial offense by plucking out his eyes. . Köroǧlu character is supported by several historical evidence. In the late 16th century, the historical Köroǧlu was a leader of jelali rebellion, which broke out Azerbaijan in the border area between Persia and Turkey. Regarding to the Turkish scholar, Pertev Naili Boratov, Turkish sultan ordered to catch the leader of jelali called Köroǧlu (Rushan by name) during the 1580s.[7]
Book of Dede Korkut
The character of Korkut is a white-bearded old man who is the narrative of the tale and guardian of the epic tradition. The book of Dede Korkut is known to the modern world from the two manuscripts belong to the late 16th century.[7]
Baba-I Amir
Baba-I Amir was a comic character in Azerbaijani folklore.[8]
Bayati
“Bayati” is a short and ancient Azeri folk poetry containing four lines with seven syllable in each. They represent human feelings in a poetic form. Several forms of this genre differ from one another according to their telling form and subject. For instance, bayati-baglama, bayati deyishme (competition in saying bayati), vesfi-hal (praising), petting, holavar (labor poems).[9] In these verses, ancient medical cures are mostly emphasized such as water-mint, spearmint, chamomile and basil that used as a treatment.[10]
Ashik poetry
Ashik poetry is known as an ancient folk poetic performance in Caucasus. Poet-singers called ashiks narrated ancient tales and legends with stringed instrument kobuz in Azerbaijan. This way folk tales such as Köroǧlu and The Book of Dede Korkut preserved until today.[11] Köroǧlu heroic dastan is the most famous Azerbaijani ashik epic and narrated by the third person, who is an ashik himself. Basic story spread from the origin place where supposed Anatolia or Azerbaijan into Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan by changing its content and character at every stage.[12] In the Middle East ashiks regarded as a poet, singer, composer or musician. In Azerbaijani, the meaning of ashik is the lover of nature and life and accepted as a creator of national folk music and poetry.[13]
Supernatural beings
- Meshe Adam (Azerbaijani: Meşə Adam), sometimes known as Ağac Kişi (literally tree man or forest man) is according to Azerbaijani and Karachay mythology a spirit, who lives in mountainous forests.[14] It often represented in the form of hairy creatures of both sexes, being an ape with a human face and a sharp odor. It was believed that during their search for food, they go under cover to the gardens and orchards during the night, while wearing discarded human clothes. According to some researchers, the Meshe Adam is a variant of the legend of the snowman.[15]
- Gulyabani (Azerbaijani: Qulyabani)(Persian:Ghoul-e-biabani :Monster of desert )is an evil spirit, who lives in the desert and cemeteries. According to Azerbaijani and Turkish researchers, Gulyabani's main occupation was scaring night travellers, while they had features of a werewolf at night. They also love riding horses, while mixing horses mane. According to the legend, Gulyabani will work for humans, if someone can penetrate with needle their collar. But at the same time they will serve all the orders of master as vice versa. In the western regions of Azerbaijan, Gulyabani often identified as malicious spirit of water Ardov.[16]
- Tepegoz (Azerbaijani: Tepegöz) is an Azerbaijani mythical creature similar to the cyclops Polyphemus.[17][18]
Relations with other cultures
Azerbaijani folklore derives elements from Persian mythology & Turkic mythology.[19]
See also
References
- ^ Yeni ədəbiyyat tariximizin ilk cildləri Archived July 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Template:Az icon
- ^ Ismaely, Iraj (2012). Modern Azerbaijanian Prose. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 9781466946026.
- ^ “Koroğlu”ya ümumtürk məhəbbəti
- ^ Азербайджанская литература 5-18 вв. Template:Ru icon
- ^ "Mother-of-All-Books": Dada Gorgud
- ^ Hasan Javadi, "KÖROĞLU i. LITERARY TRADITION" in Encyclopedia Iranica
- ^ a b Chadwick, Nora K.; Zhirmunsky, Victor; Zhirmunskiĭ, Viktor Maksimovich (2010-06-03). Oral Epics of Central Asia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521148283.
- ^ Rhyne, George N. (2000). The Supplement to the Modern Encyclopedia of Russian, Soviet and Eurasian History: Avicenna - Bashkin, Matvei Semenovich. Academic International Press. ISBN 9780875691428.
- ^ "Azerbaijan". www.azerbaijan.az. Retrieved 2018-04-29.
- ^ Ălăkbărov, Fărid (2006). Azerbaijan: Medieval Manuscripts, History of Medicine, Medicinal Plants. Nurlan.
- ^ Moisenko, Rena (1949). Realist music: 25 Soviet composers. Meridian Books.
- ^ Mitchell, Colin P. (2011-03-03). New Perspectives on Safavid Iran: Empire and Society. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781136991943.
- ^ Viltis. International Institute of Wisconsin. 1982.
- ^ Мифы народов мира. Энциклопедия. Т.1. «Советская энциклопедия», 1991. ISBN 5-85270-016-9
- ^ Кавказская мифология/Азербайджанская мифология — Агач Киши
- ^ Кавказская мифология/Азербайджанская мифология — гюль-ябани Template:Ru icon
- ^ C. S. Mundy (1956). "Polyphemus and Tepegöz". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 18 (2): 279–302. doi:10.1017/s0041977x00106858. JSTOR 609984.
- ^ Təpəgöz Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Template:Az icon
- ^ Anaz Radio Voice of South Azerbaijan: Folklor Archived March 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Template:Az icon