URAL-BATYR

“URAL-BATYR”, a monument of Bashkir literature, epic. The main version (has poem-prose form) was registered in 1910 by M.A. Burangulov from Gabit-sesen and K.K. Almukhametov. The prose version of “U.-b.” was registered by A.I. Kharisov. The epic shows a fantasy world where the characters have superpowers and do great or ignoble deeds. “U.-b.” dominate theme is about death, life and immortality. They naturally intermingle with the motives of good and evil. Epic composition includes several parts which tell the deeds of three generations of characters. The introductory part tells about the Universal Flood, the first people – Yanbirde and Yanbike, the birth of their sons Ural-batyr and Shulgan. The epic reflects the archaic myths based on the dualistic ideology of the ancient people. Shulgan and Ural are not twins but the,ir deeds are similar to the acts of twins from the myths and epics of other peoples. Ural-batyr and Shulgan have learnt that Death is stronger than a human so that they decide to search for a spring called Yanshishma as its water is able to make a human and nature immortal. The conflict between the brothers had begun at their parents’ home, it kept developing during their journey for the living water: the insidious Shulgan conspired with monsters and took the part of Evil and Darkness while Ural became a defender and master of Light and Good. With the help of Akbuzat and Khumay he reached the living water and granted immortality to nature. The words of the old man doomed to live forever, and the dying will of Ural-batyr tell the truth about the immortality (people are not immortal physically, but by means of their good deeds). The epic reflects the ancient ideas about the “first creation”, space model of the Universe, its structure of three parts – heaven, earth and underground (underwater) worlds, world mountain, role of cultural heroes in the world creation etc.; the anthropomorphism of the epic can be easily noticed: The Sun and the moon are wives of the master of birds called Samryu and his daughters Khumray and Aykhylu can change their appearance and look like beautiful young women; birds, animals, demons can talk like human beings. The motives of human sacrifice to the spirit of the ancestors, Nebu-Tengri and other deities are very archaic (see. Cults, Tengrianism). “Some motives and images of “U.-b.” can be noticed in other Bashkir epics (“Kara‑yurga”, “Kungyr‑buga”, “Idukay and Muradym”, “Yulay and Salavat”). “Akbuzat” epic is the logical continuation of “U.-b.”. A lot of images and motives of “U.-b.” are similar to the images and motives of the other peoples’ epics (“Avesta”, the epic about Gilgamesh and others). The typewritten epic text is in the Scientific archive of Ufa Research Center of RAS (facsimile edition was published in 2014; made by G.V. Yuldybaeva). The epic is translated into Russian, English, Abkhazian, Turkish, Chuvash, Yakut, Hebrew. The Ministry of Education of RB has been conducting the contest of “Ural-batyr” young tellers and performers competition since 1997. UNESCO Committee of RB has been conducting the International contest of the Bashkir ethnic epic “Ural-batyr” young tellers and performers. It is conducted in languages of peoples that live in RB, RF as well as in foreign languages. Bashkir puppet theatre has performed “Sesen’s song” play based on the epic, BADT has performed “Ural‑batyr” play (both were staged by G.G. Shafikov) etc.

F.A. Nadrshina