SAK-SUK

“SAK-SUK”, bayt. The variants of “S­S.” were registered by L.A. Afanasyeva, S.A. Galin, L.A. Mavlutova, F.A. Nadrshina, I.G. Petrov, R.S. Suleymanov, G.F. Trofimov, V.G. Tsvetkov, N.D. Shunkarov as well as by the students of Tatar­Russian institute of Bashkir State University and others. Some of them were first published in the books such as “Bashkir ethnic art. Bayts” (1978) by Shunkarov and “Tatar ethnic art. Bayts” (1983). Bayt is epic and dramatic. It is one of the most popular pieces of Bashkir, Tatar, Chuvash musical folklore. Sak and Suk are birds, which have been looking for each other for their whole life but fail. The plot of “S.­S.” – is a family household drama. A mother is angry with her sons as they cannot be kind to each other. She wishes them to turn into birds (Sak and Suk). The curse comes true and the brothers leave home forever. The lyrics are their monologue. “S.­S.” chant has a square structure and rather small range (of twelfth), its melody is a declamatory chanting. The mode of the bayt is major pentatonic. The melody is descending. There is a movie based on the bayt. It is called “Ese” (“Let the wind to carry my words away...”; director – A.Y. Askarov; “Bashkortostan” movie studio, OOO “Studia Arkaim production”, 2015). Certain Chuvash poets and folklorists such as V. Akhun (V.O. Maksimov) and G. Yumart (G.F. Trofimov) referred to the “S.­S.” plot in their works.

L.A. Afanasyeva, G.A. Ishkinina