MARI  FOLKLORE

MARI  FOLKLORE in Bashkortostan has variety of genres: riddles, signs, proverbs, and idioms, fairytales about animals, magic and everyday life, bylichkas, spells and incantations as well as lore, legends, ceremonies and other songs, ethnic dramas, etc.

The study of M.f. was started in the 19th c. The collection published by Finnish scientist A. Genetz (in 1887 and 1895, the 2nd collection was published by Finnish scientist V. Porkk) includes more than 100 songs of Maris from the east of republic. In the early 20th c. H. Paasonen registered folklore texts of Mari from Birskiy district, they were published in 1939 in Helsinki. A.Aptriyev’s collection of Mari songs was published in 1908 [presumably he was from Babayevo village, Birskiy district (Kaltasinskiy district)]; it is also translated into Russian by N.F. Katanov and published, includes more than 150 songs of Eastern Mari. Materials connected with M.f. were included into Mari calendar (1907-13) which was being published by V.M. Vasilyeva. He had searched for songs of Eastern Maris since 1902, published 3 books of Mari ethnic songs; published a collection of Bashkortostan

M.f. samples in 1931 (fairytales, tales, riddles, songs). Mari researcher G.G. Karamzin [from Ishimovo village, Birskiy district (Mishkinskiy district)] registered 500 songs in Mishkinskaya and Churayevskaya parishes of Birskiy district in 1906-10, part of the songs was included into Y.Wichmann’s book in 1931. A collection including more than 300 folklore songs (with notes) of Easten and field Maris registered by Vasilyev in 1900-19 was published in Kazan in 1919. Mari researcher T.Y. Yevsevyev collected Mari ethnographic and folklore materials including Eastern folklore (fairytales, legends, proverbs, riddles, jokes, prayers, songs, ritual descriptions) which compiled 5 volumes, 3 of them were published by Finno-Ugrian Society (Helsinki) in 1983-92. Musician and composer K.A. Smirnov published his collection of Mari songs registered during the expeditions of Mari RI of national socialist culture (Yoshkar-Ola) to a number of places including Mishkinskiy and Kaltasinskiy districts BASSR in the 2nd part of the 1930’s. “Songs of Eastern Mari” collection was published in 1951. L.A. Abukayeva published “Wedding songs of Maris from Mishkinskiy district” in 2009. S.I. Ibatov prepared proverbs, idioms, riddles for publication. A.Y. Kitikov continued to study these genres in “Mari ethnic riddles” (1967), “Peculiarities of proverbs and idioms of Finno-Ugrian peoples in Volga and Ural regions” (1989) editions, etc. Fairytales were studied by Y. Yalkayn, Finnish scientists Porkk, Wichmann, Hungarian researcher E.Beke, etc. Mari RI of language, literature and history organized expeditions to RB districts, materials of which are in the scientific funds of the institute, they also were included into “Songs of Eastern Maris”, “Collection of Mari folklore: proverbs and idioms” (2004), “Collection of Mari folklore: Mari ethnic riddles” (2006) books in the 1990’s.

I,Sh. Aleksandrova, N.N.Grebenshikova