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The story features of the epic «Kambar batyn
Section 7. Study of folklore
Rakysh Zhumashay Sailaukyzy, Institute of Literature and Art named for M. Auezov, Science supervisor, Candidate of Philology Research and Innovation department of manuscripts and textual criticism, E-mail: zhumashay19@mail.ru
The story features of the epic «Kambar batyr»
Abstract: The author of the article considers the story features of the epic “Kambar batyr”. The storyline of the main variants of the epic is no different. All variants are characterized by the description of the hero as a worthy hero.
Keywords: heroic epics, motive, version, text, manuscript, publication.
One of the popular heroic epics of the Kazakh people “Kambar batyr” despite numerous re-release has not been studied systematically; there were unknown or forgotten versions. Hero was lauded as a native of poor, rider. Only the version published by A. Divaev was repeatedly reprinted. In Soviet times, the texts of the epic “Kambar” distorted in scientific publications and in the popular press, the editorial changes were made.
Many values were reviewed including epic with the purchase of independence of the Republic. In the result of the painstaking work of many scientists, folklorists the Institute of Literature and Art named for M. Auezov works on the preparation and publication of the Code of Kazakh folklore “Babalar sozi”, performed in the framework of the State program “Cultural heritage”.
Decisions on political errors in the Union scale did not bypass the Kazakh epos. After the outcome of the discussion on the Kazakh epos, organized by the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR in 1953, from the great epic heritage ofthe people there were remained epics “Kambar” and “Er Targyn”. Folklore was studied according to the principle of the literature, special attention was paid to the ideological content and the theme works, the main characters were considered only on the basis of class and social status.
Early recordings of this epic were conducted in the middle of 19th century. In 1888 in Kazan was
published the first edition of the epos “Kissa-i Kambar"; it is based on the record made by Waliullah Tukhfatullin in Zaisan. In 1903 an edited version of “ Kissa-i Kambar” — “Toksan uili tobyr" was published in Kazan The ethnonym “Russian”, “Nonbeliever” in “Kissa-i Kambar" of 1888 edition was replaced by “kalmak” in Kazan edition of “Toksan uili tobyr" from 1903. In Soviet time the publication was estimated as “the product of religious content”.
The famous orientalist I. N. Berezin in the third volume, the second part of the “Turkish reader” in 1890, in St. Petersburg published one of the variants of the epic “Kambar bakhadurding zhy-ry", which has not been studied and published in the Soviet times. In a variant, prepared by Berezin, baptized Kelmembet again accepts Islam after his belief in heroism and superiority of Kambar batyr (hero) over kalmak king. In a part of series “Batyrlar” prepared by A. Divaev the fourth was published in 1922 in Arabic script in Tashkent the epic “Kambar”. Variants of the epic recorded and collected in the pre-Soviet period are not limited with the above mentioned publications, and the collection of variants was continued in Soviet period. Most of them were recorded during the folklore expeditions in different regions of Kazakhstan.
Different versions of the epic were recorded: from folk akyns (poet) and zhyrshy (folk singer-storyteller) consistently. In 1941, the Union ofKazakhstan writers,
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Section 7. Study of folklore
specially invited Shashubai Koshkarbaiuly in Almaty from Balkhash, and organized the recording of akyn’s compositions. Akyns S. Seitov and A. Tazhibayev recorded in a live performance the epic, in 1942, was published a collection of akyn works “Soile, Shasheke” In February, 1958 with the approval of the academician M. Auezov the famous zhyrau (folk singer-storyteller) Rakhmet Mazkhodzhayev was invited from Kyzylorda to the Institute and the repertoire of poet was recorded both in paper and on tape. In different years, with the efforts ofthe Institute staffs there were produced records from poets Kulzak Amangeldin and Kelimbet Sergaziev.
Scientific publication of the epic, edited by M. Auezov and N. S. Smirnova was published in 1959 [1, 253-318]. This edition was prepared by the principal investigators of this epic N. S. Smirnova and M. Gumarov. Scientific publication of the epic was prepared in two languages: Russian and Kazakh. Kazan publication from 1903 “Toksan uili tobyr”, versions by A. Divaev, Barmak, Rakhmet and a fabulous version of the epic was published in a scientific publication, 1959.
We scientifically systematized more than twenty versions of the epic and selected its six main variants — the Kazan publication 1888, publications by Berezin and Divaev, versions by Kalkai, Barmak Mukambaiuly, Shapai Kalmagambetov. The epic translations of different levels (interlinear, adequate, art) from Kazakh into Russian language were analyzed. Based on the material of this study there were published the scholarly edition of the epic and the monograph [2].
The analysis of numerous preserved in the manuscript collections of variants “Kambar” shows that plotline works comprise the same themes and motifs, that is the storyline of the main variants of the epic is no different. All variants are characterized by the description of the hero as a worthy batyr (hero). In the epic there is no motive of batyr’s miraculous birth. Only in the version by Divayev there traced some prints ofbirth and formation motif ofthe batyr. Kambar batyr, learning about the invasion of the enemy, goes camping, only after caring about food for ninety house bunch, hunts and collects the game.
There are differences in versions on the origin of hero. Kambar originates from a kind Uak by Berezin
and from a kind Argyn by Kalkai and Divayev. According to record by Bayandin, the Kambar’s father is Betege, called it that, because they found him in the bushes. By Rakhmet he is a poor rider, nursing their relatives by hunting. By Shokataev’s version, the father of the Kambar is a king, whose throne is claimed by the Nazym sulu’s (beauty) father Azimbai, and therefore he is against marriage of batyr.
Academician S. Kaskabasov has determined that the epic “Kambar batyr” consists of three stories stacked in one cycle. These are: 1) selection of a worthy bride by beauty, 2) the battle of hero with a wild predator (tiger), 3) the struggle of the hero with the enemy [3, 188]. The composition of the epic is made so that at the beginning of the epic there is described a toi (feast) during which the Nazym sulu has to choose the only one worthy of her spouse, and at the end of the epic the wedding feast of Nazym sulu and Kambar, who wins the invasion of the enemy who liberated the people of nogai and ninety house bunch from the yoke of the Kalmyks.
Such motives as a description of the Azimbai wealth, description ofbeauty of Nazym sulu, the description of the shortcomings of candidates, fees for the hero’s way, saddling of horse, running horse, the arrival of a rival on the outskirts of the village, the requirement beauties, request help from the hero, description of feast, impatience of king (ordered to arrive immediately) time, spent in transit, the distance measured by the time, the words zhaushy/messenger was given sustainably.
The reason for granting the right choice of the groom ин Nazym sulu is treated in different ways: 1) father of the bride provides the right choice, because no one can woo his daughter, fearing brothers, the wealth of the father, 2) one neighboring king offered the father that beautiful daughter could choose a husband, that is, on the advice of another king, 3) Nazym sulu herself wants to marry the beloved and father summoned all on shows. The researcher of this epic professor B. Azibaeva about the motive of the groom choice says: “This collision, when the rich and noble girl is the right choice of the groom, often is found in folklore, and in different genres it is resolved differently, which ultimately depends on the nature and specificity of the folk genre. In fairy tales, for example, it is the performance of difficult
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The story features of the epic «Kambar batyn
assignments, solving puzzling tasks, the heroic epic confrontation with challengers — contenders, with relatives, sometimes with the future father-in-law. In archaic epic possible match with the bride” [4, 125-126].
According to the custom of the ancient tribal formations in the pretender to the throne the matriarchy dominates. The aged king summons all to ensure that her daughter chose a groom. J. Frazer notes that in a patrimonial society there were taken into account personal qualities of candidates, excessive force, and extraordinary beauty, bride, marrying the king’s daughter passed the throne and govern the country, the Aryans passed the Kingdom not on the male side and on the female, that is, to the stranger who married a princess. “In folk tales of these people there varies a story about a man who came to a foreign country which wins the hand of the king’s daughter, and with her half or the whole Kingdom. It is not excluded that this is an echo of the actually existing custom” [5, 175]. Then the Kingdom passes from father to son. There was added later story of the war with the Kalmyks to the old story of the epic.
Choosing the right man for the king’s only daughter, her requirements (heroism), care of the mother for the hero’s horse, the blessing of the mother before going, echoes of the ancient customs and traditions of matriarchy present in all variants of the epic. As well as traditional Nazym’s appeal to Kambar “Kara kaska attu Kambar-ai, kara atynda zhal bar-ai” is mentioned in all variants, even in prose (fabulous) versions of the epic.
Differences in the motive of the groom choice by beauty: there is a tower built on the hill for Na-zym (Divaevs version), Nazym goes on a carriage drawn by two black horses (Tukhfatullin’s version), the candidates are before beauty, one person leads (Berezin’s version), Nazym cases out on the hill with two zhenge/daughters-in-law, father says: let the blind go first (Kalkai molda’s version). Description of the assembled candidates, including the old man, bored old woman, blind, bald,.. and so on are given with ridicule and scathing sarcasm.
Azimbai notifies all of alash people that the only daughter Nazym chooses the groom. When this message comes up to “twelve-year-old boys who
herded cattle” only Kambar remains in ignorance. The herald says, “I did not invite Kambar poor/rider because Azimbai would not marry Nazym”. It is appeared that Kambar bek Alimbai’s son had remained on crow horse in Divaev’s version. By version of Kalkai molda “Azimbai called all, did not notify sixty house argyn people (So no tidings came to the Kambar). According to the variant of Burmak Mukanbaev: the Herald says, “Kambar son of a poor man, who takes away the horses of Kalmyks, was not invited”. On the fabulous option by Berezin one old man says, “Kambar is worthy of his daughter, but he is poor”. Basically, Kambar is not invited because of his poverty. Azimbai is angry as he hear the name of Kambar. And Nazym increases passion with hearing of his name.
“The choice of the intended in the epic, as a rule, does not receive enough rationale to justify an uncompromising struggle for her. External justification may be peculiar beauty of the bride, affiliation to a particular society or locus, and the fame of her inaccessibility, many unsuccessful applicants and the difficulties of testing. Internal deal leads to the fact that the hero “knows” a bride, “this”, he must marry no matter what difficulties and obstacles”, — says B. N. Putilov [6, 87], and Nazym learns Kambar.
Kambar, knowing that beauty Nazym did not choose a groom among the numerous applicants, goes hunting near a lake at the Azimbai’s village. Kambar goes to see Nazym, to talk to her. In spite of this, having seen beauty Nazim, he doesn’t stop, passes by without talking to her. “The subtext shows us that hunt of Potyka is nothing like a metaphor for courtship, that the departure of the hero from the beginning had the character of a wedding trip and that his meeting with virgin swan is not random: Virgo is his betrothed meant to him as wife,” says B. N. Putilov [7, 12]. Kambar batyr’s hunting may be considered from this position. Each option has its own characteristics in the transmission of stories.
“Kambar batyr” is epic, in which archaic video, sung in later, historic times turning to the people were transformed and rethought. Various mythological concepts and motifs, rituals in the epic are artistic function.
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References:
1. Smirnova N. S. Basic versions of “Kambar”//Kambar batyr. Scientific edition. Ed. M. Auezov and N. S. Smirnova. - Almaty, 1959. - 253-318 p.
2. Rakysh Zh. “IKambar batyr” epic and its textology. Monograph. - Almaty, 2009. - 152 p.; Babalar sozi: 100 vol. Vol. 43: Epic of heroes. Kambar batyr/Compiler of the volume Zh.Rakysh. - Astana: Foliant, 2007. - 416 p.
3. Kaskabasov S. The phenomenon of integrity in Kazakh folklore//Zhuldyz. - 1992. - № 11. - 181-198 p.; Kaskabasov S. Zhanazyk. Annual research. - Astana: Translation, 2002. - 438-499 p.
4. Azibaeva B. U. Kazakh epic. - Almaty: Science, 1998. - 250 p.
5. Frazer J. Golden bough: The study of magic and religion/Trans. - Moscow: Politizdat, 1998. - 784 p.
6. Putilov B. N. Heroic epic and reality. - St. Petersburg: Science, 1988. - 226 p.
7. Putilov B. N. About epic subtext//Slavic folklore. - Moscow, 1972. - 3-17 p.
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