YAMANTAU

“YAMANTAU” (“Ominous mountain”, “The evil mountain”),    Bashkir      ethnic      song, uzun-kuy. It was registered by N.D. Shunkarov from Mugalim Mirkhaydarov in 1960 in Askarovo village, Abzelilovskiy District BASSR and published in the “Bashkir ethnic art. Songs.” collection (1st book, 1974). The song is philosophical. “Y.” origin is connected with the events happened in the 18th c. in Verkhneuralskiy District when a landowner from Moscow stole lands and the Yamantau mountain from the Bashkirs. According to the legend, a dzhigit tried to oppose the injustice of the tsar authorities but did not find support and in desperation left for the mountains, where he composed the song called “Y.” The song has a small range (octave), irregular beat, lack of intra-syllabic chants and ornamentation. Quart descending leaps and second intonations make the melody epic; the variations of the main chant help to reach the dramatic climax. The song is based on a major pentatonic with the seventh degree.

G.Сh. Khamitova