The Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony ...

316
Daiva Račiūnaitė -Vyčinienė
always conform to the concept of modern canon as a form of polyphonic music). It could be said that the
principle of initial imitating (repeating after, mimicking the elder, the knowledgeable one, right on the spot)
is one of the most universal means for learning any sort of activity (speaking, working, dancing, singing,
playing music and the like).
Many ethnomusicologists consider canon to be one of the oldest forms of polyphony. It is noticeable that
this especially rare phenomenon of folk music is found in China, Africa, Indonesia and Oceania. It is believed
that archaic forms of polyphony had once been more widespread but later localised in regions that were
distanced from the influence of Europe. What is especially surprising is that all the geographically isolated
areas can be said to be united in terms of common polyphonic principles. <strong>The</strong>se, according to P. Collaer, allow
a consideration that the formation process for music-sound consciousness occurred in similar stages among
different nations (Collaer, 1960: 52).
Nonetheless, it is odd that the canon (imitative) principles became concentrated specifically in the
polyphonic traditions of Lithuania and Ainu—nations which are very distant from one another. Additionally
there was an outlook of professionalism for the performance of polyphonic songs in both traditions—
not anyone was able (had the skills) to engage in this art. Actually, in the Lithuanian tradition, there are
descriptions recorded that “in older times, only the sutartinės rang everywhere” and “the fields resounded
in sutartinės ”. <strong>The</strong>se seemingly claim that the sutartinės were generally widespread (sung by everyone).
Nonetheless, the singers themselves tell that only the members of the same family or close neighbours who
had started singing together since adolescence engaged in singing together. <strong>The</strong> main methods of singing - by
two, by three or by four - bear testimony of the special efforts made at reaching concord in small groups.
Apparently the same can be said about the Ainu tradition. According to Forlivesi, “to sing the five little Ainu
polyphonies I found on the NHK recording, the performers need an adequate training and proficiency; not
everybody is up to that task. That musical genre disproves the common idea that Ainu music can be generally
sung by anybody: instead it advocates the theory that the Ainu acknowledged music skilfulness and education”
(Forlivesi, 2004: 82).
What is especially important is that the principles of imitation in the Lithuanian and Ainu musical
traditions not only encompass the spheres of primordial poetic and archaic musical thought but also consider
the conception of space. Canon (imitation) not only becomes the predominate form of music but also a part
of the attitude on the world. In both traditions, it relates to singing (and dancing) in a circle, repeating short,
rhythmic-melodic motifs and a state of being in a certain state of mind, a unique sort of meditation 32 . More than
once, I have referred to the meditative effect of the sutartinės as being related to the East. But, after all, can the
Ainu be typical “Easterners”? As such, where does such a commonality, such a spiritual kinship come from?
Finally I would like to present one more mysterious similarity between Lithuanian and Ainu customs.
While we were engaged in the fieldwork to collect folklore in Lithuania, in Žemaitija [Samogitia], we recorded
an incredibly strange, incomprehensible fragment of a song. <strong>The</strong> last lines of the text clearly associate with the
archaic Ainu custom of the ritualistic killing of a bear (fig. 16). A bear’s head (skull) was squeezed between
two stakes (fig. 17). One question comes up. How did such words find their way into a Lithuanian song? Could
there have been a similar custom in Lithuania at one time?
Plauk’ meškeli ‘Swim bear cub (the she-cub swims)
Per jūreles ‘Over seas,’
Lendres laužydama ‘Breaking reeds,’