On Folklore

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.