IDUKAY AND MURADYM

IDUKAY AND MURADYM (Idukay menen Muradym) is a monumental epic work of Bashkir literature. Traced back to the All-Turkic epic Idige. Written in a combined poetic and prosaic form. Fragments of the epic are recorded and published by M.I.Umetbaev (1883), Kh.G.Gabitov (1923), G.F.Vildanov (1927) et al. Tale variants are also known in the recordings by A.G.Bessonov and S.F.Mirzhanova. The epic full text was discovered in Derevnya Nizhne-Ilyasovo of Buzuluksky Uyezd of Samara Gub. (Krasnogvardeysky Raion of Orenb. Gub.) in 1910 by M.A.Burangulov in the manuscript of 1762 (not preserved), according to other data, the consolidated text was compiled by Burangulov based on various versions; published in 1940 in the Ukteber magazine (No.6-8: October). I. and M. reflects the struggle of the Bashk. people for their liberation from Mongols. This struggle unfolds against the background of the internecine wars between the Golden Horde rulers. The epic is imbued with the idea of uniting the Bashkir tribes into an independent state. Idukay, the main character, embodies the people’s ideas about a just ruler. After uniting the Bashk. tribes under his rule, he start fighting for the liberation of the Urals against foreign invaders. Muradym continues his father’s work after the Idukay’s death. Khabrau-iyrau plays a role of the characters’ ideological mentor. There are two historical personalities in the epic: Satmyr-khan and Tuktamysh. About 15 versions of the epic recorded on the terr. of Bashkortostan and Orenb. Obl. are stored in the Scientific Archive of the UFSRC of RAS. The epic exists in the folklore of different national cultures.