National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Folklore institute

01/12/2025

28/07/2024

https://science.gov.az/az/news/open/29719

Zəngilan rayonunun Ağalı kəndində AMEA-nın prezidenti akademik İsa Həbibbəylinin təşəbbüsü, AMEA Rəyasət Heyətinin, Azad Həmkarlar İttifaqının, Mərkəzi Elmi Kitabxananın, Cəbrayıl, Qubadlı və Zəngilan rayonlarında Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin Xüsusi Nümayə...

05/03/2013

Tales


Azerbaijan tales
Tales are samples that cover wide life facts and events, reflecting beauties of oral speech, rich poetic mould and sizes of Azerbaijani folk prose. In other words, tale is narrating of any moment of life or life of any of one individual or wide picture of any period. Tales differ from other kinds of epic kind (e.g. anecdotes) with stable form signs. One of these signs is beginning of tales with anecdote and told in the form of poem by attracting attention of listeners.

Hamam, hamam içində,
Xəlbir saman içində,
Dəvə dəlləklik elər
Köhnə hamam içində.

Collection of Azerbaijan tales has begun at second half of the XIX century, and it is continued up to this day. To the most active collection period comes 1923-1939 years. During this period with the aid of both Azerbaijan Research Society and individually many tales had been collected and published.

Azerbaijan tales are classified as following:
1. Tale about animals (“Tülkü və qurd”, “Hiyləgər keçi”, “Çil madyan”, “Qoca aslan”, “Ovçu Pirim” etc.)
2. Magical tale (“Məlikməmməd”, “Şəms və Qəmər”, “Ağ atlı oğlan”, “Sehirli üzük” etc.)
3. Tale of family and life (“Yeddi qardaş, bir bacı”, “Usta Abdulla”, “Yetim İbrahim”, “Daşdəmirin nağılı” etc.)
4. Historical tale (“İsgəndərin buynuzu var”, “Quş dili bilən İsgəndər”, “Baftaçı Şah Abbas”, “Saleh və Valeh” etc.).

05/03/2013

Songs


Labor songs

Labor songs are art texts reflecting the labor process. Many of these texts are polished with ritual, faith, ceremony and way of life details. The following are related to labor song:

Plougher songs
The life of plougher, reaper is praised in ploughed songs, which are most ancient samples of folk poetry. These songs are those songs created directly by ploughers during the labor process. One syllable, one hemistich plougher songs in ancient times were developed and then it turned to 2-3, 2-3-4- hemistich songs. The most spread plougher songs of oral poetry is holav. Being the product of the last periods and each couplet consisting of 4 hemistiches the holav is in the form of bayati (seven):
Ala kəlim, bizə gəl,
Dağdan enib düzə gəl.
Dırnağının gözüylə
Qara düzü bəzə gəl.

Sayaçı songs
Sheep-breeding life has been praised in the songs of sayachı, which entered our oral poetry as the first labor songs of the nomad kins. The first appearance of these songs coincides with the period of domestication of the sheep. As these songs were performed during sheep shearing, during foetus, while shifting to summer pasture in mountains and etc ceremonies, so they are considered as ceremony songs, too:
Qoyunlu evlər gördüm,
Qurulu yaya bənzər.
Qoyunsuz evlər gördüm,
Qurumuş çaya bənzər.

Songs of milking
Among songs of our people related ancient time cattle-breeding, the songs of milking occupy special place. Compared to saya songs, milk yielding though was created among nomad tribes, but they were accepted easily by tribes living with sedentary life:
Dutum, dutum,
Nənəm, dutum,
Səni sağan,
Dutum, dutum,
Mənəm, dutum,
Bacım, dutum.

Hunter songs
Hunter songs concerning to more ancient times always were formed in connection with that profession, and entered in our oral poetry with exclaimed, call words. Hunter songs have been accompanied with music played on wineskin (blister), pipe, and whistle in some cases:
Ova gedən,
Ovun tuş.
Ovun olsun
Maral, quş...

Fisher songs
Fisher songs take special place among labor songs, too. It is assumed that these songs were formed at primary development stage like in poetic thoughts of peoples lived around the seas and rivers, as it was described in songs of oral poetry of world peoples. In all fisher songs refrain “Yahu" is kept. Example:
Yahu
Röyyama girdi,
Yahu
Sirrimi bildi
Yahu
Dəryalara
Tor atdım,
Üzümə güldü
Yahu...

Silkworm breeder songs
Silkworm breeder songs sometimes are known among people with name of songs of kümçü (cocoon). These songs mainly praise cocoon, its important, its importance, protecting of cocoon from the evil eye:
Çıxdı qızım
Tərəcəyə
Büküb qoydum
Bələcəyə.
Naz-naz olsun.
Yarpağı
Az-az olsun.

Songs hana
Songs related to weaving and carpet-making take important place among labor songs. Hana songs are songs sung during making a loop. First hana song reached us as following:
Asma gül,
Basma gül,
Gülüm xınalı
Döşü minalı!

Ceremony songs
These songs known under the name of ceremony songs are divided into two parts:
1) Songs of season ceremony
2) Songs of ceremony of way of life

1. Songs of season ceremony
Among these songs thee raining of the rain, rising of the sun, blow of the wind, faith to fire, water, wind and “Pre-Novruz songs” (“Chilla songs”, “Songs of last Wednesday of year”, etc) occupy special places). Examples:
Gün çıx, gün çıx,
Kəhər atı min çıx.
A yel baba, yel baba,
Qurban sənə, gəl baba.
Taxılımız yerdə qaldı
Yaxamız əldə qaldı.
Əkin yerim qalmadı,
Dərin almanı, dərin,
Dərdim alma qalmadı,
Sərin almanı, sərin.
Böyük Çillə
Boyu bir belə...
Gəldi elə
Gülə-gülə,
Getdi gülə-gülə
Ağ gülünü də,
Göstərdi.

Songs of ceremony of way of life
Songs of ceremony of way of life are songs related to daily way of life of the people in our oral poetry. These songs had been formed in connection with the most important events happening in the life of the man.

Songs childbirth I connected with
The traditional picture of childlessness has been idolized in the folk, and different songs were created by people about childbirth:
Sancıları gələr-gedər,
Atalar gülər gedər,
Nənələr nənni qoyar
Nəvəsin bələr gedər

Wedding songs
Wedding songs comprises the majority of the songs of ceremony of way of life. As wedding passes in various stages (from engagement till wedding) each stage has its specific songs. Different ceremony and faiths had been reflected in these songs. Examples:
Qızılgülün dəstəsiyəm, yar-yar,
Bacıların bəstəsiyəm, yar-yar.
Qonşu məni xəbər alsa, yar-yar,
Deyin yarın xəstəsiyəm, yar-yar.

Dərmişəm şirin narı
Şirin deyərlər yarı.
Hamıdan şirin olar
Kiçik qardaşın yarı.
Mourning songs
Among songs of ceremony of way of life the mourning songs are wide spread samples. Spread. They have spread among people with names of yugh, yughlama and aghi, and was appeared in relation with sorrow, condolence of the people:
Sarı gül...
Sarı qönçə, sarı gül.
Bilsəydin solalısan,
Aşmayaydın barı gül!

05/03/2013

Azerbaijani eposes


Epos is one of the biggest and the most ancient examples of the art of thinking of the Azerbaijan Turks. Epos in reality has been a product of creative work of ashug-ozan, is appearance of the epic thought of the Turkish people and it is the basic factor connecting the creative work ashugs with folklore. Lyrical presentation makes a unity with by epic tahkiya, prose in eposes. Namely, therefore epos is not just considered as epic, but epical-lyric genre.

Eposes are divided into two types according to general theme:
1.Eposes of heroism (alpliq)

It is talked in heroism eposes about heroes fighting for freedom of the country, people. "Kitabi Dada Qorqud", "Koroglu", "Qachaq Nabi", "Qaçaq Karam", "Sattarkhan" etc. They are heroism eposes.

2.Love eposes
Love eposes are built on love adventure of the heroes. Eposes like “Asli and Karam", "Tahir and Zohra", "Abbas and Gulgaz", "Shah İsmayıl" etc. are most beautiful examples of love eposes.
It is necessary to note that motives of one type of epos can be given in other epos. For example, if epos of "Shah İsmayıl" is a love epos, but there are enough motives of heroisms here. Or enough motives of loves are observed in the "Koroglu" epos.
Type of both eposes is in Azerbaijan epos art is formed on the basis of specific composition. So, differently from heroism eposes, love eposes, as a rule, have begun with three masterpieces in literatures, finish with duvaqqapma. End of the epos of love ends not with duvaqqapma, but with fjahanname. As at the beginning of the tales, aravalli is used at the beginning of the eposes.

05/03/2013

Azerbaijan folk-lore is area of creative work being a part of common Turkic oral literature and reflecting in self highest spiritual moral values of the Azerbaijani Turks, the most leading inclinations of ethic and aesthetic thoughts. Habits of the Azerbaijani Turks, ceremonies, beliefs and faiths, historical knight morals, patriotism and love to land, parents, and dismal lyrical senses were described in this creative work fully and in specific form.
Folklore of Azerbaijani Turks was formed at base of different genres (lyrical, epic and dramatic) and has been divided into types according to the same styles.
The first stage of recording of Azerbaijani folk-lore covers 1830-1900 years. During this period the first examples of the folklore of the Caucasian nations, Azerbaijani Turks had been reflected in newspapers of "Vedomosti", "Tiflisskiye vedomosti", "Novoe obazreniye", "Kafkazskiy vestnik", "Kafkaz”, and SMOMPK collections, which began publishing since 70-es of XIX century.
The first national press organ “Ekinchi”, which began publishing since 1875 and later on “Kaskul” newspapers had continued this case decently.
Basic stage of gathering samples of Azerbaijani folklore in mass form covers years 1900-1920. During these period activities of Eynali Sultanov and Mahmudbey Mahmudbeyov in the field of collecting, publication and research of oral samples of folklore can be considered as first steps of our folklore studies. Notable literary critic Firudin bey Kocherli had been included in the history of our folklore not just as a collector but a founder of Azerbaijani folklore studies. Hanafi Zeynalli that had special contributions in collecting, publication and analyzing of folklore samples, is considered as one of researchers classifying for the first time oral literature during those years (an author of books “Azerbaijani proverbs and sayings” (1926), “Azerbaijani riddles” (1928)”.
One of persons that studied theory of folklore, introducing the most modern research methods in Azerbaijani folklore studies of that time was Amin Abid. A.Abid is one of the authors of scientific lectures on folk songs, bayatis, ashug poems, syllabic rhythms, derived forms of Turkic seven syllabic poems, rhythm, repeating of similar sounds, alliteration, division and other poetic forms.
Researcher Vali Khuluflu systematically engaged in collecting and publication of our folklore samples during 20-30-es. He published a book of "El aşıqları" (Folk ashugs) in 1927 and for the first time "Koroglu" epos (second publication in 1929) in Azerbaijan. Contributions of Salman Mumtaz and Hummat Alizade in the field of collection of Azerbaijani folklore samples can be marked particularly. S.Mümtaz had published in 1927 and 1928 the book “El shairleri” (People poets), and recorded best samples of poems, bayatis and proverbs of Gurbani, Sari Ashug. In 1929 H.Alizade had published “Ashuglar’ collection in two volumes and published fourteen sections and over fifty separate branches of “Koroglu” epos from repertoire of Azerbaijani ashugs.
Names of H.Arasly, M.H.Tahmasib, M.Seyidov, X.Koroglu, A.Akhundov, V.Valiyev, M.Hakimov, P.Efendiyev, A.Nabiyev etc could be noted particularly for their roles in development of our folklore studies since WWII till our date.

05/03/2013

http://www.advantour.com/azerbaijan/traditions/dances.htm

Azerbaijani dance rituals. The history of dancing art of Azerbaijan traces its roots back to ancient times. The first dances were ceremonial and hunting ones. The dances "samani", "khydir ilyas", "kosa-kosa". "godu-godu" and others have been known from time immemorial.

05/03/2013

http://www.advantour.com/azerbaijan/traditions/wedding.htm

Information about wedding traditions in Azerbaijanю The most densely packed with national rituals and ceremonies were and still are the wedding ceremonies.

05/03/2013

Wedding traditions in Azerbaijan

The most densely packed with national rituals and ceremonies were and still are the wedding ceremonies. They begin with …
Preliminary notification

The relatives of the groom send one of their lot to the girl's house. His mission is to tell about the groom's intention of wooing. It often happens that the girl's relatives do not give their consent. In that case the most respected representative groom's family member is sent to obtain the girl's parents' consent.
Prior Wooing

Under the custom the first to come to the girl's house are two women - the groom's mother and one of his close relatives. As soon as the women come to agreement, it is time for the meeting of both families' heads.

The groom's father comes to the bride's house with three respected people. With all their behavior they try to communicate their intentions.

The girl's father does not give his consent at first. He should talk this over with his daughter. When the girl is asked she keeps silent. It is the sign of her consent. However, the final consent is not yet given. It is given only during proper wooin
Wooing

The father of the groom invites his close relatives to his house. They together come to common decision on wooing. The girls from the groom's part meet the future bride and find out about decision. Then they inform her mother on the wooing date.

The bride and her family have a council. The matchmakers come to on the appointed day. If the girl is against this marriage they get a refusal. If isn't, they take some time to consider it. After a while the relatives of the groom come to the girl's home again. This time the girl's family gives their consent.

On day of the big wooing the matchmakers come to the bride's house. They are invited to sit on the best seats at the table. The girl's relatives are present too, but the bride and her mother are not - on this day the bride has to stay away. The father of the groom on у more time asks for the girl's family answer. "Let Allah bless them", - they answer. Everyone sitting at the table say "Amen". Then the new relatives congratulate each other.

The sister of the girl brings in tea. Sometime the dinner is served. After the matchmakers have left the sisters of the bride go to the bride congratulate her and take her back home.
Engagement

After the wooing within a month the relatives of the groom should come to the girl's house for engagement ceremony.
On this day 25-30 people gather together: the bride's friends, her peers. They all sit down around of the bride. Then the relatives of the groom come bringing a ring, a kerchief and sweets. The sister of the groom, his brother, sister-in-law or the father put a ring on the bride's finger, cover her shoulders with the kerchief; then they treat the bride with one half of the sweets, the other they give to the groom Then the feast begins.

As soon as the groom's family has left then it is time for the hen-party. The bride take turns putting her right hand on a head of each of her unmarried friends, letting them to try on her ring. They say that the girl who is the first to try the ring will be the next one to get married.

Then the bride's friends leave carrying away the sweets.

05/03/2013