ALL
magical
ICH Elements 14
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Blessings ‘Alkysh’
Blessings are a specific genre of the oral folk art, which is closely linked with rituals and ceremonies of the Kyrgyz. Origins of this genre are widely presented in Kyrgyz epic heritage, musical and poetic genres of art. The most important life events such as birth, wedding, funerals and many others are continuously followed by the blessings. First of all, a blessing means recognition and incentive of an action. Traditionally, blessings are given to children from the early age on behalf of the recognized honored people, wise ‘aksakals’ (elders), and noble grandmothers, ‘baibiche’. Blessings are given in a slow manner, but solemnly. Although the image and genre expressiveness of blessings remains unchanged, today they vary in themes and contents. If early blessings had a more ritual character, at present they also carry moral, ethical and educational functions.
Kyrgyzstan -
Performing art of songs
There are various types of performed singing genres. Love songs is the most spread mass genre of singing art of the Kyrgyz. Love songs reflect not only moral and aesthetic worldview of the people, but love of native land as well. Their lyrics are often built on comparisons of images of nature and a loved one. They praise the beauty of surrounding world and motherland. Edification-songs represent other genre of the Kyrgyz folk singing. They reflect philosophical views about human character, family relations, society and peace, and contain catchwords and conclusions about natural phenomena. They are often sung during celebrations of important life events. Lyrical songs may be performed without accompaniment or with accompaniment of komuz or accordion. They sound more often without accompaniment during traditional and family celebrations of so called oturush, and sherine, as well as during folk song contests such as sarmerden and yr kese (singing chalice). No repertoire of folk singers (yrchy) is complete without lyrical songs. Ceremonial songs of the Kyrgyz, first of all, are connected with celebrations of various events. They have a solemn character and are performed with musical accompaniment. So, for example, toi bashtar (wedding song or feast song) marks the beginning of a wedding celebration or jubilee celebration, and jar-jar is the song of a greeting of groom and bride. There are ceremonial songs that are performed without musical accompaniment. It concerns the lamentation song performed by the bride’s mother at a dramatic moment of the wedding, when the bride leaves her parents’ house; or the lullabies that are performed during of the ceremony of encradling the newborn child. A vivid expression of the epic beginning of Kyrgyz folklore is demonstrated in lamentation songs performed at funerals. Songs of bakhshi and dervishes are other well preserved song genres of the Kyrgyz. They are performed in the form of melodic recitatives at praising and appealing to the God, and at purification rituals. Contemplation song is one of the genres of lyrical traditions of the Kyrgyz. They are built on folk philosophy, teaching, and artistic representation of the reality, which are transmitted from generation to generation. They comprise moral principles and ethno- pedagogical views of the nation in them. Similar to the other folk song traditions, contemplation songs are presented in rhythmic and poetic form.
Kyrgyzstan -
Traditional knowledge related to the technique of metalworking and jewelry
Art metal processing works made by masters found in museum funds of Kyrgyzstan and those that are passed from generation to generation shows that the Kyrgyz possessed metal processing techniques from the ancient times. The Kyrgyz metalwork masters are named as ‘usta’ or ‘zergher’. Distinct features of different techniques of metalworking can be observed in the works of the Kyrgyz masters, such as forging, molding, appliqueing, notching metal with silver, engraving, minting, pattern plating, pelleting, fretwork and black finishing. Silver is the most common metal used by the Kyrgyz. Masterpieces distinct to the Kyrgyz jewelry making have been created with a help of simple tools used in metalworking. The kit of jeweler’s main instruments included an anvil, hammers for different purposes, dies, stamps, chisels, puncheons, mandrels, cutters, poin-tools, etc. Motives of the ornaments used in jewelry and metal works are very diverse. Of a particular interest are the Kyrgyz traditions of metalworking expressed in details of the horse equipment. They are richly decorated with metal braces covering joints of belts made by embossing technique and notching. Kyrgyz jewelers broadly used the technique of denting, that is coating notched iron plates with silver. Such coated plates of different size and forms were then used to embellish harness elements, man’s belts, knives, fire stones, trunks, cases for dishes, etc. Quite often jewelry articles were framed with granules. This technique was primarily used in woman’s adornments, such as ear-rings, rings, seal-rings, bracelets, and etc. Like formerly, granulation was combined with filigreeing and incrustation. Community of craftspeople metalworking was a purely masculine craft, but women zergers are also known.
Kyrgyzstan -
Blacksmithing
Blacksmith business is one of the oldest folk crafts in Uzbekistan. For many centuries, the country has been one of the largest centers of craft production, including the art of metalworking. In Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent, Kokand, Margilan and other places there are unique workshops where knowledge is transferred from generation to generation, from master to student. Thus, ancient traditions are preserved, and the family of hereditary masters continues. At the blacksmith’s shop, the oven, qura, supa, ura, chupkunda; and instruments sandons, bosqon, hammers, bulls, eaves, mills, and others are used. Hammersmiths make various things such as hoes, mowers, tesha and other household items, doors, gratings etc.
Uzbekistan -
Alla (Lullaby)
Alla (Lullaby) is a song performed by a mother or babysitter when pumping a child; a special lyrical genre popular in folk poetry. It is one of the oldest genres of folklore.
Uzbekistan -
Ging Tshogling Cham: Wrathful War Dance
One of the most entertaining mask dances is the Ging Tsholing Cham, where most of the audience, especially the children, are captivated by the intensifying drum beats and the fighting scene of the Cham ritual dance. The mask dance is also called Tro-ging, a local name, because it provides an entertaining presentation and performance for the audience. Ging represents the wrathful appearance of celestial beings, daka and dakinis; those dances are performed by laymen called Boecham pa. Whereas Tshogling is the emanation of guardian deities of Dharma protectors, including the Four Kings of the cardinal points and the Eight Classes of Gods and Goddesses; these roles are usually performed by Tsun cham pa monks. According to literary sources, the mask dance was introduced by Terton, treasure revealer, Pema Lingpa (1450-1521) after he saw the performance at Zangdok Pelri, the copper-colored mountain and spiritual realm of Guru Padmasambhava. Pema Lingpa, who was one of the fortunate incarnate beings of Guru Padmasambhava, met his enlightened master several times: when he predicted the future, when he gave him the list of treasures to be discovered in disguise, when he guided him to the sites to be discovered, and as he often invited him into his realm during meditation states and in dreams. On one such occasion, in the magnificent palace of Rang-jung Trulpai Phodrang, self-formed palace, he saw the Root Master manifesting in Ja-lue rainbow body or wisdom body, from which millions of his forms emerged, filling the three realms of the universe, which is beyond our imagination. Among the magical representations, the enlightened sages of India and Tibet sit in the right row and the scholars sit in the left row. In between them sit the 108 treasure discoverers, who are incarnations of Guru Padmasambhava and his 25 chief disciples. A cloud of gods and goddesses transformed into one hundred Dampa Rigja Protective Deities– forty-two peaceful forms, and fifty-eight in Ging wrathful appearance–they made various sensuous offerings, including the performance of Dorji-lugar Vajra Dances, dancing upon the air, rejoicing in the participation in the preaching of the coinage doctrine. Outside the entrance gate of the Four Directions are thousands of warriors from the Pho-jued and Mo-jued male and female classes of protecting deities, the Eight Classes of Gods and Goddesses, led by the kings of the Four Directions Tshoglings, who are getting ready to overcome obstacles to the sacred teachings. In the war scene between the Gings and the Tshoglings, the aggressive characters of the Tshoglings, and the drum beats of the Gings arouse a sense of fear in the obstacles and samaya oath breakers, guiding them to follow the righteous path of humanity. A similar performance was originally introduced by Guru Padmasambhava to aid Tibet’s King Thrisong Detsen (c. 755-797 or 804 AD). Padmasambhava used his supernatural powers at the great Samye Monastery in Tibet, he manifested in the form of Ging and Tshogling, producing an immense positive force to fight and subdue the evil spirits that hindered the construction of the monastery. With the obstacles overcome, the site became an important part of establishing the teachings of the Buddha in the region. After seeing the spectacular performance and realizing its benefits for the liberation of sentient beings, Pema Lingpa introduced the sacred mask dance to Jigten me-yul the human world, first at Korphu Temple, one of his seats in Trongsa, central Bhutan. There is still a saying that goes, "If you are not sure about the choreographies of Ging Tsholing or Tro-ging, you should visit Korphu Drub." Korphu Drub is the annual mask dance festival that coincides with the temple's dedication ceremony. Due to the importance of the dance, this mask dance was later introduced in most Tshechu, Rabney, Mewang, Mani, Drub, Drubchen (native names for the annual mask dance festival) of forts, monasteries and temples by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) who unified Bhutan as a country, the successive spiritual leaders of the Je Khenpo as well as the temporary leaders of the Druk Desi - these spiritual masters and far-sighted monarchs.
Bhutan -
Spring celebration, Hıdrellez
“Hıdrellez” is a compound name derived from “Hıdır” and “İlyas”. They are believed to be sacred figures who meet each other once in a year on May 6th and are considered to be the protectors of earth and water as well as helpers of individuals, families and communities in need of them. May 6th is accepted and celebrated as Spring Day, awakening of nature. According to the beliefs of some communities a year is divided into two seasons in accordance with the visibility and invisibility of the star Pleiades that cannot be observed from May 6th until November. The element is maintained today, various ceremonies and rituals connected to the nature are performed providing well-being, fertility and prosperity of family and community, protecting livestock and crops for the upcoming year. On the evening of May 5th, young people gather in a house and prepare one storage pot made of clay in which there are some herbs and water, where each participant put different small personal object called “nishan” inside with some wish for the following year. Covered with red cloth the pot is left under a rose bush, and left during the night. Before sunrise on May 6th, the courtyard of a house is cleaned and in the middle a bonfire is lit. It is believed that as higher the fire goes, the more productive the upcoming year will be. Young people jump over the fire and go in the nearest green field or forest where they collect different herbs and green plants. They put swings up on a fertile tree and while swinging sing Hıdrellez songs. After that the young people go to the garden, where they have put the pot and proceed to the ritual called “Martufal”: A young girl, whose parents are alive, mixes the nishans inside the pot and picks them out one by one. The picked nishan is shown to the people around, while giving it to its owner they sing a quatrain called “Mani”. Each nishan is considered to be magical and each mani should bring luck and good health to its owner. After the Martufal the participants have family lunch, the celebration continues all day with wrestling games called “Pelivan” and dancing festivities organized by the local communities.
Macedonia,Turkey 2017 -
Orteke, traditional performing art in Kazakhstan: dance, puppet and music
It is an indigenous Kazakh performing art that combines theater, music, and puppetry. Some people say orteke is a street theatre, others might claim it is a musical instrument, some would see it as a decorative art, and children perceive it as a toy and use for entertainment. Orteke represents a simultaneous ensemble of music performance on Kazakh traditional two-stringed instrument dombyra and a hopping dance of a wooden puppet. Fixed on a surface of a traditional drum (daulpaz) by a metal rod a flexible wooden figure of teke (a mountain goat) is connected to the fingers of a musician by one or several threads. Flexible head and joints of a puppet are connected to the pulling string. As the musician strikes his/her fingers playing dombyra, the puppet starts hopping in sync with the beat set by an artist. The figure turns alive making amusing dancing movements and tapping a rhythmic beat on a firm skin surface of a drum.Some masters of genre can play with 3 and more puppets at the same time. Sound of dombra, audience public in anticipation, leather surface as flat as the steppe itself, and a small wooden figure of a mountain goat, tied to the puppeteer musician by a single thread, began to beat out the rhythm with its tiny hooves. This action, fascinating with its magical simplicity, is known among the Kazakh people as "Orteke", which is fancied by both children and adults.
Kazakhstan 2022 -
Naqqoshlik (ornament-making) art
Naqqoshlik is drawing an ornament - a pattern built on rhythmic alternation and a combination of geometric or graphic elements, performed by means of painting, drawing, sculpture or embroidery. Uzbek national patterns have their own names, going back in history. Traditional Uzbek ornament is found in decorative art embroideries, in wood carvings, in paintings on clay and ceramics, on Uzbek fabrics, on buildings. At the heart of the ornament is a picture of simple things. For example, knives are designed to protect, a flowering garden is a symbol of fertility and agriculture. Each flower carries information: a scarlet poppy - the image of an innocent girl, a tulip - a symbol of purity, a rose - peace and beauty, wildflowers - a young man. Often, a different meaning was embedded in the image of flowers. For example, they believed that they carried healing power and health. The ornament creates a vector image in which a magical meaning is laid, reflecting the course of human life. This is an oriental vector style with geometric patterns. Geometric patterns have abstract forms: - zigzag lines - circles - polyhedra - stars - ornamental motifs - meander - human figures - stylized inscriptions. Ethnic patterns are folklore images, folk motifs in which a creative union of religion and culture is concluded. They carry a semantic and ritual load.
Uzbekistan -
Main Puteri
Main Puteri, also referred to as Main Teghi in the Kelantanese dialect, is one of the authentic arts found in the state of Kelantan. This performance is one of the most popular traditional healing methods of the Kelantan-Pattani Malay community since the olden days. It is admittedly difficult to separate the ‘performing art’ and ‘medical ritual’ aspects in Main Teghi due to the close ties between the two elements. There are many versions about the origin of Main Teghi as source of information. However, since there are no accurate records thus oral sources are the only ones available. In terms of performance, there are interesting elements in Main Teghi that are a combined elements of acting, singing, dancing, miming and music; apart from Islamic, magical and ritual elements. Tok Teghi, the leader of the group, acts as a medium to connect the patient with the summoned spirits. During this process Tok Teghi keeps changing characters; becoming fierce and ferocious, a senile elder, a disabled youth, speaking nasally and various other characters to portray the pain shouldered by the patient. It is believed that there are more than 50 songs in a Main Teghi performance, but now not even 10 are still being performed. Among those commonly performed are entitled Kijang Mas, Mengulit, Pendekar, Cik Muda, Cik Kojo, Menora and Abe. Main Puteri was recognised as a National Heritage in 2012.
Malaysia -
Eunsan Byeolsinje (Village Ritual of Eunsan)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Eunsan Byeolsinje is a shamanic rite held to honor the guardian deity of Eunsan Village at the village shrine in Eunsan-myeon, Buyeo-gun. The rite is connected with a legend about a severe epidemic that led to the loss of many lives and with the strange dream of an elderly village leader. In his dream he met a Baekje general who had been killed during a battle fought to protect Baekje and was asked to bury the general and his men in a sunny place in exchange for a ‘magical intervention’ to repel the epidemic. Upon awakening from the dream, he visited the place mentioned by the general in the dream and found many bones scattered there. The village people collected and buried them in an auspicious site and performed an exorcism to console their spirits. The burial was followed by the end of the epidemic which, in turn, led the villagers to hold rites to honor their heroic deaths. The tradition gradually developed into the festival event of Eunsan Byeolsinje, which was initially held for about fifteen days between January and February once every three years. As the date of the rite approaches, the village elders select those who will officiate over the event and assign military titles such as General, Colonel, Lieutenant, and Private to the designated officiants. In addition, the chief officiant is requested to use the utmost care in preparing the sacrificial offerings and to preserve the ritual venue from any signs of impurity or evil by, for example, covering the well to be used in the rite with a straw mat, and by encircling the venue with an “evil-repelling rope” and scattering yellow and black grains of sand around it. The villagers then cut down trees to support the village guardian poles and make paper flowers to offer to the village guardian, and hold pieces of white paper in their mouths as they move to the shrine as a symbolic action to repel evil spirits. The main part of the rite usually starts in the evening and ends at dawn with the process of erecting the village guardian pole and praying for the safety and prosperity of the village.
South Korea -
Tussau kessu – Kazakh family rite
Tussau kessu (kaz."Tussay kessu") is one of the most common traditions and customs among the Kazakh nation, which has ethnographic features. This custom is considered one of the most significant events in the child's life. The origin of the custom is associated with magical belief in the hidden strength of the fetters that hold back unstable steps of a toddler. And if they are cut, then the toddler begins to walk confidently. This belief is found among many people of the world. In particular, it has been preserved to this day among the people of Central Asia. There is another belief, that if toddler takes his first steps and reached the family not stumbling then he would be very capable. The main purpose of giveaways is association of aul neighbors, relatives, friend around the principles of humanity and respect. Gifts are also given to the toddler. If he is a boy, then a horse might be given as a gift.
Kazakhstan