Azerbaijani folk tales

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The Azerbaijani folk tales originated in the 6th to 7th centuries BC. In these folk tales one can notice on the one hand the influence of the culture of the medieval Orient , on the other hand Greco-Hellenic, Caucasian-Albanian influences. The transformation of the ancient Indian and Arabic folklore motifs can also be recognized. "It is no coincidence that Azerbaijani researchers, such as MHTahmasib, believe that they themselves can detect medical characteristics in some of the fairy-tale materials recorded only recently." The Azerbaijani folk tales, which have been handed down from generation to generation for centuries, have an important educational significance. They also have a great place in the culture of Azerbaijan . These folk tales tell of the Azerbaijani imagination, of the belief in the victory of good and the hope of compensatory justice.

First collections

The first written collections and publications of Azerbaijani fairy tales date from the 1920s. The Azerbaijani fairy tale researcher Himmət Əlizadə made the first comprehensive edition . In 1936, the other fairy tale researcher in Azerbaijan, Hənəfi Zeynallı , brought out another collection. An edition of the original texts in five volumes (1959–1964) is thanks to the initiative of Məmmədhüseyn Təhmasib , which was published under the name “Azərbaycan nağılları”.

Fairy tale types

Azerbaijani folk tales can mainly be classified as " animal tales ", " magic tales " and " swank and social tales".

Animal fairy tales

The number of animal tales is relatively small in Azerbaijani folklore. According to the people involved, they are divided into two groups:

  • Fairy tales in which the characters are animals
  • Fairy tales in which people and animals appear at the same time

These fairy tales are short, instructive, and astute. The animals are endowed with human characteristics and their relationships to one another are based on the model of the human world. In the animal tales, the social situation is expressed in allegorical form, weak animals stand against the stronger. These fairy tales thus reflect contrasts between the common people and the rulers. Here the fairy tale can take on satirical traits. For this group, among the Azerbaijani fairy tales, one can name “The old lion” (Qoca aslan) and “The clever fox” (Hiyləgər tülkü). Azerbaijani folk tales aim to teach a moral lesson.

The most common animals in Azerbaijani folk tales are cunning foxes, silly bears, bad wolves, snakes and roosters. Most common is the figure of the sly fox.

Magic fairy tale

In the Azerbaijani magical fairy tales, the emphasis is on fantastic elements. The happiness in such fairy tales consists in salvation, which is the characteristic motif of this genre.

“The dead Mehemmed” (Ölü Məhəmməd), “The hunter Pirim” (Ovçu Pirim), “The secret of the city of Benidasch” (Bənidaş şəhərinin sirri), “Bachtijar” (Bəxtiyar) are some examples of Azerbaijani magical tales.

The heroes of the magical fairy tales often come from the middle and lower classes. These heroes are sent to the underworld , to the afterlife, behind mountains and forests, so that they can fetch enchanted fruits and flowers from there.

Shepherds or farmers always help the characters in these fairy tales. The hero is always invincible. Cowardice, faint-heartedness, helplessness are alien to him. He's an optimist. Neither seven-headed dives (monsters) nor dragons, which spew flames and have fantastic powers, can frighten him. The hero overcomes all difficulties and obstacles, destroys all magical and secret locks, takes revenge on cruel despots.

In Azerbaijani magical tales, the hero is a kind-hearted, courageous, guiltless, clever or naive, skillful, persevering, hard-working man who takes up the fight with evil and achieves his goal after numerous adventures and battles with supernatural and cruel forces, natural disasters and villains .

In these fairy tales, the hero reaches his goal through heroic deeds as well as through magical objects such as a wonderful stone, a magic sword or magical horsehair.

Male strength and female beauty are the two main ideals of the Azerbaijani fairy tale. Often the beauty of women is so great that the man cannot stand the sight of the beautiful woman, that he can hardly stand on his feet or even falls senseless.

Staggering and social tales

These fairy tales are also very common in Azerbaijan. They are divided into two groups:

  • Fairy tales about married couples and their everyday worries
  • Fairy tales about the struggle of poor people against the rich. This includes the fairy tale character Keçəl (bald head)

These fairy tales differ from the magic fairy tales in their connection with the life and everyday life of the people.

They reflect feudal conditions. In these fairy tales there are some indications of a class-based differentiation (shepherd, hunter, fisherman, Padischah, Kadi, merchant, etc.) and the unlawful situation of the people. The positive heroes are poor people from the people. Their opponents are padishahs, khans, merchants, kadis, etc. The heroes of these fairy tales - shrewd bald heads, shepherds, shoemakers, cap makers, tailors, etc. - use their intelligence and quick-wittedness in difficult times and defeat the rulers and the rich. Justice, bravery, love for the homeland, mercy, honesty, etc. are preached in these fairy tales.

In contrast to some other oriental fairy tales and the patriarchal consciousness that predominates in them , women in Azerbaijani fairy tales are portrayed as courageous characters. Often they are full members of the family, advisors to the man. Like the hero, the woman can also go on adventure abroad. She has great courage, steadfastness and strength of character. She too can fight the yoke and injustice. Dressed in men's clothing, she takes part in the fight against enemies and deals them merciless blows. We can use “Hassan Kara's story” as an example. Here the heroine of the fairy tale Günesch Chatun fights as a warrior and kills the bridegroom's enemies.

In other fairy tale variants a different image of women is shown. In the fairy tales “Achmed's wise wife” and “Schükufe chanum” an ideal image of the wise and patient wife that has been handed down for centuries is described. The reader sees how the woman achieves her goal with her cleverness.

In some Azerbaijani social and swan tales, the hero's laziness and cowardice are at the beginning: "Hambal Ahmed", "Hachnasar" and "Lazy Ahmed" are examples of this. The beginning of the fairy tale "Hachnasar" is z. B. of the hero's cowardice: “It was a woman, she had a cowardly man named Hachnasar. This man was so cowardly that he didn't go out of the house. ”Or in the fairy tale“ Lazy Ahmed ”his mother says of him:“ He never goes out on the street and always says: give me food, make sure that I myself don't get cold. ”In these fairy tales, Hachnasar and Ahmed transform themselves into courageous and hardworking people in the next section. In these fairy tales, the positive quality of the hero does not arise directly, but in a roundabout way.

Translations into German

The first translation of the Azerbaijani folk tales into German by Alfred Hermann and Martin Schwind was published in 1951 under the title "The Princess of Samarkand". Other Azerbaijani folk tales that have been translated into German are "The Rooster and the Padischah" (Edition Holz und Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin 1977) and "Die versteinerte Stadt" (Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin, published in 1964, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1984). 32 fairy tales recorded from the vernacular were included in these collections. They were taken from the aforementioned five-volume edition "Azərbaycan nağılları" by MHTahmasib. Further translations from Azerbaijani were included in the book "Caucasian Fairy Tales" in 1978 ("Achmed and the Mermaids", "From the Princess and the Apprentice Goldsmith", "Jasamen and Shamil", "The Daughter of Shah Anuzhirvan"). In 1980 another book was published in Munich under the title "Caucasian Fairy Tales". Among them were three Azerbaijani fairy tales - "The Clever Merchant's Wife", "The Bearded Goat", "The Princess of Samarkand". In the book “Sun Daughter” the Azerbaijani fairy tales “Ibrahim”, “The fairy tale of orphan boys”, “The merchant's daughter and the seven brothers” were published.

In October 2007 "Folk Tales from Azerbaijan" were published in Berlin. This is the first German-language collection of Azerbaijani folk tales in this form in the Federal Republic of Germany. 17 folk tales and a fable by Abdulla Şaiq “The fox on the pilgrimage” have been included in this collection.

Some German translations of Azerbaijani fairy tales are literally accurate, others are free renditions. Nevertheless, the content of the original text was retained in the free translations.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Meyers Neues Lexikon, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 412
  2. ↑ Encyclopedia of Fairy Tales , 1977, Vol. 1, p. 862
  3. ↑ Khanim Zairova in: Mardan Aghayev and Ruslana Suleymanova "Yearbook for Azerbaijan Research 2007", Berlin 2007, p. 122
  4. ↑ Khanim Zairova in: Mardan Aghayev and Ruslana Suleymanova “Yearbook for Azerbaijan Research 2007”, Berlin 2007, p. 125
  5. ↑ Azərbaycan nağılları, Baku, 1962, vol. 3, p. 172
  6. ^ "Sun Daughter", Progress Publishing House, Moscow 1971

Bibliography

  • Liliane Grimm: Folk tales from Azerbaijan . Berlin 2007.
  • Alfred Hermann and Martin Schwind: The Princess of Samarkand - fairy tales from Azerbaijan and Armenia . Cologne 1951.
  • H. Achmed Schmiede : The Rooster and the Padischah - Folk Tales from Azerbaijan . Berlin 1977.
  • H. Achmed Schmiede: The petrified city. Azerbaijani fairy tales. Berlin, published in 1964, editions - 1975, 1978, 1980, 1984.
  • Zuzana Novakova: Caucasian fairy tales. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan . Hanau 1978.

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