KUZYIKURPYAS AND MAYANKHYLU

KUZYIKURPYAS AND MAYANKHYLU (Kuzyikurpyas menen Mayankhylu), a monumental epic work of Bashkir literature. Written in a combined poetic and prosaic form. Recorded by G.Salyam from Ummugulsum Galimova, his mother, in Derevnya Taskino of Chelyab. Obl. in 1938. The plot is based on the love story between Kuzyykurpyas and Mayankhylu, which ended with their tragic death. Main characters' fathers announce their newborn children groom and bride in order to strengthen friendship between the tribes. After the death of his friend, Mayankhylu’s father moves to another nomad camp because he does not want his daughter to be married to the orphaned Kuzyykurpyas. Years later, the main character learns about his announced bride and starts his journey in search for her. Kuzyykurpyas finds his beloved, but some cruel people kill him. Mayanhyla kills herself by plunging a knife into herself. About 40 other known versions of the epic are recorded on the terr. of the RB, Kurgan, Orenb., Samara, Saratov, Chelyab. and other oblasts by K.Mergen, F.A.Nadrshina, M.M.Sagitov et al. These versions are stored in the Scientific Archive of the UFSRC RAS, in the Khusainova Arabic manuscripts and oldprinted books collection of the Institute of History, Language and Literature, and in BSU folklore collection. Fragments of the epic are performed in the khalmak-kyuy style; various musical renditions were notated by K.Yu.Rakhimov. T.S.Belyayev created Kuz-Kurpyach, a Bashkir Story written in the Bashkir language by One Kuraych and translated into Russian in the Valleys of the Rifeyskiye Mountains in 1809 (Kazan, 1812) using the plot of one of the epic's variants recorded by an unknown sesen. In T.S.Belyav's lit. work the clans unification and enlargement motive is more pronounced and the accession of Bashkortostan to Russia is positively estimated. The text is translated into the Bashk. language by B.Bikbay and N. Idelbay. The epic exists in the folklore of different Turkic cultures.