Folklore Traditions of Perm (Gaina) Bashkirs (a Case Study of Expeditionary Materials)

Abstract

The Gaina Bashkirs are an ethnic group of the Bashkir people basically inhabiting the Tol (Tulva) River Valley, a left tributary of the Kama, within the boundaries of Bardymsky District where they constitute one of the autochthonous populations of the region. The region is vivid and multifaceted; a number of monographs and collections of scientific works have been published. Several expeditions and surveys have been organized to collect somewhat factual materials.
In the 21st century, two academic expeditions have been conducted by researchers of the Institute of History, Language and Literature of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the RAS. In 2006, the goals of a complex expedition – which involved linguists, ethnographers and folklorists – included not only collecting activities, studies of folklore poetic patterns and linguistic materials, but also anthropological and craniological research. In 2013, folklore specialists of the Institute organized another expedition to Perm Krai.
Analysis of the collected materials shows a significant depletion and reduction in the genre structure of folklore patterns. A number of traditional forms of folklore – such as epic genres and oral fairy-tale traditions – are becoming extinct gradually. So, epic texts and fairy tales were recorded from informants in a fragmentary form, in the form of retelling.
The first folklore research expedition arrived in the Gaina in 1963. Thus, the time gap between the first expedition and the last one is more than 50 years. During the period, the population (and the country in general) had experienced some essential transformations, both in terms of socium, economy, culture, and science. Still, the expedition proved fruitful enough, the participants recorded quite number of multi-genre works of Bashkir folklore. The latter included both some newly discovered patterns and new versions of the already recorded oral texts. The folklore collecting activities involved over 50 informants, the bulk of the group being individuals aged 35 to 90.
As a result, bright samples of lingering and short lullabies, takmaks were recorded. For the repertory of Gaina Bashkirs is characterized by the abundance of such poetic genres as baits and munazhats. In the region, a number of social and historical baits with dramatic storylines have been discovered. Widespread are munazhats (religious hymns). For example, materials of folklore expeditions attest to the current revival of this unique musical lyric-epic genre, and its existence both in written and oral forms. The materials also include stories about villages, toponymic legends. Interesting information about spiritual hosts has been recorded. The Gaininians have their local features of wedding rites. A distinctive feature of Gainin folklore is the spread of numerous marriage divinations for young women.
A rich layer of Perm folk arts is also composed of small folklore genres, namely: zaklichki, verdicts, riddles, proverbs, sayings.
Consequently, despite the current extinction (decline) of some traditional genres (epic patterns, fairy tales, wedding laments), folk rites, songs, baits, munazhats, traditional games and paremic genres still do exist. The vivid field materials collected by folklorists show the steady preservation of Bashkir folk arts in the region.