The Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony ...

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Natalia Zumbadze, Ketevan Matiashvili
Adyghean songs; points out intonational-harmonic links between Vainakh and East Georgian songs, revealed in early forms.
<strong>The</strong> author marks out the oldest forms of the common cadences between Georgian and North Caucasian (Abkhazian-Adyghean,
Ossetian, Chachan-Ingush, Dagestani). Maisuradze concludes that the closeness of intonational and harmonic elements of these
cultures on the early stages of musical thinking, typological similarity, general Caucasian musical-intonational type indicates to
the existence of general Caucasian musical culture, in the development of which Kartvelian (Georgian) tribes played substantial
role (Maisuradze, 1990);
Maia Gelashvili points out the typological similarity between the music of East Georgia and North-East Caucasian peoples, also
similar forms of polyphony (drone-based polyphony in East Georgia and North East Caucasus, parallel polyphony in West Georgia
and North-West Caucasus) (Gelashvili, 1997: 34);
Basing on the comparative study of Georgian and North Caucasian string instruments Manana Shilakadze points out the principle
similarity between their function, construction and string material, also inclusion of two instruments of different kinds in traditional
instrumental ensemble. <strong>The</strong> scholar presumes that the Khevsuretians accepted bowed instruments from the Vainakhs, and the
Rachans (boat-shaped instruments made from a whole piece of wood) from the Circassians and Karachay-Balkarains. <strong>The</strong> author
points out the intonational similarity between Tushetian instrumental pieces and Chachan and Dagestani songs with instrumental
accompaniment (Shilakadze, 2007)
3 Adyghes, who are often known in Western languages as Circassians, are the autochthonic population of the Caucasus. <strong>The</strong>
ethnonym Circassian is often used in European languages to denote all the Adyghes (the Adyghe, Circassians, Kabardians with
more ethnic divisions, where the name “Circasians” belong to one of the smaller groups). <strong>The</strong> Adyghean (Circassian) language
belongs to the Abkhazian-Adyghe group of the Caucasian languages. <strong>The</strong> Karachai (they apply to themselves the name Taulu) are
the people that emerged as a result of the intermixing of the local (Caucasian) highland tribes-Alans, Bulgarians and Qipchaks.
<strong>The</strong> Karachai-Balkarian language belongs to the Qipchakian group of the Turkish languages. Abkhazians (applying to themselves
the name Apsua), the autochthonic population of the Caucasus, are the North Caucasian people living in Southern Caucasus. <strong>The</strong>
Abkhazian language belongs to the Abkhazian-Adyghe group of the Iberian-Caucasian languages
4 Goshaghaghi - this female proper name
5 Khuzhe – this female proper name corresponds to the Georgian name Tetrua (white). Chaguna in Colchis is a diminutive-pet form
of the man’s name Chagu, Chakuna is its phonetic variant.
6 Shagirei – man’s proper name
7 Hantseguashe: hantse – wooden shovel, guashe – a female deity doll
8 Hachtuqva – an Adygheian family name (?).Besarion Nizharadze’s notice about the Svan song Kharajuqv Isgvi Lashgari is not
less interesting: the song describes a battle between the Svans and Kabardians during the reign of Tsioq Dadeshkeliani (end of the
18 th beginning of the 19 th centuries), when the governor of the Kabardians Khadajuqv was wounded (Nizharadze, 1964: 130-131),
presumably the Circassian and Svan songs are about the same person. <strong>The</strong> Svan song Khadajuqa, but without text was documented
by Dimitri Araqishvili (Arakishvili, 1950, No.26)
9 In Joseph Jordaina’s opinion, the Circassians have monophonic singing tradition and sing in unison (Jordania, 2006: 57). This
consideration is unclear to us, because the audio recordings of Circassian polyphic songs have been preserved at the archive of
Georgian Folk Music Laboratory of Tbilisi State Conservatoire since 1957 from the time of the filed expedition in Karachai-
Circassia and accecible to everyone
10 Kabardian dance of a couple, also dispersed in Karachai-Circassia. <strong>The</strong>re are two kinds of the dance – staid, smooth and dynamic
(Muzikalnaia entsiklopedia, 1981: 679)
11 Dad Iuana – Ioane’s Father. Iuana – son of Azhveipsha deity of hunting and protector of animals, to whom hunters appealed for
successful hunting. In the song he is mentioned with epithet – Dad (Grand Father) (Antelava, 2006: 38)