Tajikistan-Gurghuli, Traditional Epic

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Script
I do research on Haqnazar Kabut’s Gurughli. These are Gurghuli volumes, including Haqnazar Kabut’s, Zamirov Talbi’s, Qurbonali Rajab’s and others’. Personally I transcribed Haqnazar Kabut’s Gurghuli while I stayed at his home. I collected 30 heroic epics in these 3 volumes. The process of collecting and transcribing the epics was indeed interesting. In the daytime we transcribed the epics and in the evenings we visited different parties and weddings and especially Gurghulikhona (the guest house where Gurghuli was performed in the presence of local people), where he could perform the whole night. People also remained and listened to the performance. We intended to compile and publish a book.
Folk epic performance is one of the ancient Tajik musical genres. This genre developed into Gurghuli folk epic in 18 century. It is reported that there was an epic hero called Gurzod or Puri Gur in Bukhara in 12 century.
There are a lot of Iranian folk epic elements in Gurghuli. For instance, when you consider the legend of Sughdonshoh (his daughter Zarina), “The fight between Avaz and Sughdonshoh”, Devi Safed (White Demon) is there, which is a popular Sogdian myth. The dominant view is that Gurghuli is a Turkish folk epic. My finding is that this is a symbiotic, mixed cultural heritage of Iranian and Turkish peoples.
First of all, we should note that the motive of Gurghuli legends is about a person who was born in a grave. The Gurghuli narrators define the name of the main character as “Gurghuli”, which is constructed from two roots: “gur” meaning “grave” and “ghul” meaning “giant”. So, Gurghuli means a stout person who was born in a grave.
When we say that the hero was born in a grave, we should not judge it as taken for granted. It is rather a kind of mythical model. The grave as a birthplace derives from the ancient beliefs. In the era of Mithraism, Mithra was born in the underground world or in cave.
Gurghuli lived in Chambuli Maston and Chambuli Maston was his homeland. When he grew up he became the king of his homeland.
Gurghuli is a hero who was born in a grave and when he grew up he became the king. It resembles the model or traditional character of the mythological kings, such as Kaykovus, who do not perform heroic acts. In the Tajik version, Gurghuli is a king who only reigns. But when you read the Turkish-Azeri epic, Kyuroghlu is a robber, a leader of robbers who plunder caravans and steal girls. There Avaz is his subject, his cup-bearer. It is said that Avazkhon is most famous in Chambul Our king says he is Karimkhon’s son. When Karim Qassob (Butcher)’s wife gave birth to a child, the king Gurghuli was his guest. Karim Qassob gave the newborn child to him but Gurghuli didn’t return it. Gurghuli hadn’t child. He stole and brought the Karim Qassob’s son right after his birth to his homeland – Chambuli Maston. He named the child Avaz. Later Nurali – Avaz’s son heard this from a guest but he didn’t believe.
According to the Tajik folk epic of Gurghuli, none of heroes had attacked other countries. All of them are defenders of Chambuli Maston.The people praise their heroism in the battlefield, goat-snatching and wrestling.
In these folk epic series the main character is Avaz. His name is Avaz but he has almost the same mission as Rustam had in “Shohnoma”. Avaz’s mission is to defend his homeland, Chambuli Maston.
Avaz is a hero, who is Karim Qassob (butcher)’s son and who was brought from another country and trained by Gurghuli. The epic tells the heroic deeds of Avaz and of his songs – Nurali and Sherali.
They call me an orphan
Today we are young
Your father is our brother
My name is Sh(u)k(u)rkhon
Nurali says today, dear uncle
Ishoq, won’t you go to Chambuli Maston?
Enemy does not let us alone.
You’ll be a guard instead of me. He said.
You’ll protect Zoysulton
I’ll tell the situation of Shohon to the world
To my father and he stayed here
Avaz is a hero created by people. He shares the characteristics of other legendary and folktale heroes, including Robin Hood and Hotami Toy. He helps the poor and defends his homeland, i.e. Chambuli Maston from the enemies and invaders.
It is believed that Avaz himself founded a town called Balkhubon. Azizbek Ziyoev claims that this town is Baljuvon. But we don’t know to what extent it is true.
Chambuli Maston is an imagined or fairy land; thereby Tajik people expressed the eternal heroism in the image of Avaz who defended their homeland against the foreign invaders.
Here the message is to defend the homeland from foreign invasions and to construct cities and civilizations.
One of the innate features of the Tajik folk epic of Gurghuli is that the narrator performs it with stringed instruments, such as dutor (a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute), dumbra or small dutor.