LITERATURE AND FOLKLORE.
LITERATURE AND FOLKLORE. The relationship of L. and F. are complex and multifaceted. Writers applied oral ethnic art at every stage of literature development. Studying art folklore makes national literature develop in its own way. The writers use quotes and borrow ethnic styles and, moreover, understand cultural and ethical values of people and apply folklore materials in their artistic texts more intentionally. The connection of L. and f. is based on interaction of plots, fabulas, use of folklore artistic and expressive means, quotes, comparisons, etc. Interaction and multicultural peculiarities of L. and f. in Bashkortostan were studied by B.G. Akhmetshin, M.K. Idelbayev, M.G. Rakhimkullov, S.G. Safuanov, A.M. Suleymanov, I.G. Kulsarina, M.K. Nadergulov, N.A. Khubbitdinova, G.B. Khusainov, Z.Y. Sharipova, etc. A close relationship between L. and f. can be observed in oral literature. Arabic and Persian literature – Tabari’s, Rudaki’s, Firdousi’s, Gazali’s, Omar Khayam’s, Attara’s, Kazvini’s, Rumi’s, Saadi’s, Dzhami’s works were very popular. Handwritten and printed literature were very valuable and given from one generation to another. One of the ways to spread literature was to learn it by heart; there is a Bashkir lore connected with it, “Daughter of tarkhan and book about Yusuf ” lore tells about a young man who came to Egypt and learned the book about Yusuf by rote. In the late 19th c. “Parrot’s book”, “Kalila and Dimna”, “Thousand and one nights” and other Oriental literature reflecting folklore motifs was published in Kazan. Gazel, dastan, khikayat and other genres, peculiarities of compositional structure, e.g. inserted structure (“a fairytale inside of a fairytale”), were borrowed from Arabic and Persian literature.
Folklore plots, motifs and images of Bashkirs naturally filled in and enriched Russian classic literature of A.S. Pushkin, L.N. Tolstoy, N.A. Nekrasov, N.A. Ostrovskiy, S.A. Yesenin, D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak, etc. The image of Salavat Yulayev in the Peasant war of 1773–75 was used in publications of R.G. Ignatyev, M.V. Lossiyevskiy, F.D. Nefyedov, S.P. Zlobin; lore and legends – in the works of M.V. Avdeyev, L.N. Andreyev, G.P. Beloretskiy, V.V. Brusyanin, D.V. Davydov, P.I. Dobrotvorskiy, S.A. Yesenin, V.G. Korolenko, A.I. Kuprin, K.G. Paustovskiy, S.G. Rybakov, etc. Certain talesbooks, such as “Malachite casket” (1939) by P.P. Bazhov, were written based on the motifs of Bashkir folklore (“Demidov’s caftans”; both – 1939; “Gift from old mountains”, 1946 etc.), motifs of the fairytale and in “Bashkir mermaid” story by V. Dal, following novels: “House hear the Sakmak river” by D.A. Lebedyev, “Steppe” by A.M. Fyedorov, etc. “Scarlet flower” fairytale by S.T. Aksakov written in 1858 as an Appendix to “Childhood of Bagrov the Grandson” autobiography had the title “Scarlet flower” (“Story of Pelageya the Housekeeper”). It was written based on the literary variation of the very popular plot known among many peoples about “The Beauty and the Beast”; the writer heard in in his childhood from Pelageya the housekeeper. Motifs and images of Bashkir ethnic songs naturally fill in the poetics of the essays by K.M. Simonov: “In Bashkir division”, “Bashkirs” by I.V. Erenburg, “Stronger than fire” stories by I.V. Sotnikov, “Mountain pass” by I.P. Nedolin. The inseparable connection of Bashkir L. and f. with Bashkortostan peoples, use of ethnic poetry can be observed in the art of M. Akmulla, S. Babich, R.Y. Garipov, Mazhit Gafuri, K.L. Davletshina, F.N. Vukolov-Erlik, Naki Isanbet, G. Tukay, etc.; Y.A. Andrianov, A.G. Bikchentayev, M.Y. Volovik, M.A. Gafurov, A. Genatulin, Y.A. Gorukhin, K.F. Ziganshin, I.V. Sotnikov, M.A. Chvanov, S.R. Churayeva, G.G. Shafikov, R.M. Yagudinetc. The plots and epic story about Zaya-Tulyak were used in his “Golden Hair” motifs of Bashkir ethnic fairytales, lore and legends, signs, spells, songs, ceremonial folklore can be found in the “Mogusyumka and Guryanych” story by N.P. Zadornov, “Ulmesbay” poem, “Long, long childhood” story, “Taganok”, “Kidnapped girls” comedy by Mustay Karim, “Humiliated” trilogy by Z. Biisheva, etc.; there are Bashkir and Tatar motifs in “Shurale” poem by G. Tukay, “Spring” comedy by Nazhib Asanbayev, etc.; Chuvash motifs in “Narspi” poem by K.V. Ivanov, “Old Kelbuk” Y.G. Ukhsay, etc.
Many writers use traditional folklore motifs, such as miraculous birth of the hero, overcoming ordeals, making a choice, prohibitions, helper and destroyer-antagonist, etc. The structure model of ethnic bylichkas and fairytales is used in the prose of V.G. Rasputin, V.M. Shukshin, L.S. Petrushevskaya, etc. The function of hero as giver and helper is reflected by the image of Pugachev in “The Captain’s Daughter” by Pushkin, the image of a hermit is reflected by Mukhtar’s image in “Salavat Yulayev” novel by Zlobin, etc. Literature often use traditional folklore techniques and tropes, such as fixed epithets, inversion, antithesis, hyperbole, psychological and syntactic parallelism, color symbolism, affectionate diminutive affixes/suffi etc.
The connection between L. and f. is represented by performances, plays based on literature and staged in the theatres of the republic, ethnic theatres and studios by the participants of literature clubs. See also Theatre and folklore, Folklore and mass media.
I.G. Kulsarina
