BABSAK  AND  KUSYAK

“BABSAK  AND  KUSYAK”  (“Bаbsak menen Kusyak”) is a monumental epic work of Bashkir literature. There are two known versions – Kypsakskaya (Kusyak­biy) and Burzyanskaya (Babsak­biy and Karakulumbet­biy), which differ by giving opposite characteristics of the events and the moral judgement for Babsak­biy and Karakulumbet. The Kypsak version was first recorded (according to other data, compiled based on Karagay­Kypsak Clan Shezhere) by S.M. Mukhametkulov in Derevnya Verkhne­Itkulovo of Orsky Uyezd of Orenb. Gub. (now Selo Itkulovo 2nd of Baymaksky Raion) in 1916. Written in a combined poetic and prosaic form. Variants of the Kypsakskaya version (Kissa­and Kusyak­biy, Kypsak and Kusyak,etc)wererecordedbyM.A.Burangulov, M.M. Sagitov, G. Salam et al. The Burzyanskaya version was first recorded by A. Karnay in Selo Starosubkhangulovo of Burzyansky Raion in 1939. Spread in a prosaic form. Variants of the Burzyanskaya version (Masim­khan, Tuygunbiy, etc) were recorded by G. Amiri, G. Salyam, N.D. Shunkarov et al. The epic depicts the internecine struggle between the Burzyan and Kypsak tribes during the lives of two generations. The work describes the life of the Bashk. tribes under the Masim Khan leadership, their union in the struggle against the huge, hitherto unprecedented beast that attacked the khan’s camp. According to the Kypsak version, Babsak kills the beast while Karakulumbet tries to prove that it was he who had committed a  heroic  dead.  Having  no  success,  he  kills Babsak. According to the Burzyanskaya version, Karakulumbet is the winner in fight with the beast. Further description of events in both versions is the same: after the Babsak murder and the extermination of Kypsaks Karakulumbet marries Babsak’s pregnant wife. Kusyak, the Babsak’s grown son, takes revenge for his father by killing Karakulumbet and destroying his entire clan. The Burzyan tribe revives due to the boy, who survived. The idea behind both versions is the same: inter­tribal struggle condemnation and the call for the Bashk. tribes unification. About 30 versions of the epic are stored in the Scientific Archive of the UFSRC RAS.