Cheers and Shouts in Adyghe Rituals
By Alla Sokolova
Amongst Caucasus people the Adyghes have
a reputation of very reserved, patient, collected people. They are such in
everyday life. The situation is changed cardinally at moments of the rite or
ritual dance. The funs, outcries and remarks aside dancing youth or
musicians become the normal space of the dance circle. The main loudmouth of
the rite is hatiyako (chief, leading). Hedistinguishes himself from people
by shouts and special behaviors. He can whoop only cheers: "_-_-_-_-_!", "A-ya-ya-yay"
etc. Such cheers divert and encourage all people. He can force the public to
slam in palm: "Agur, agur, agur!"- “Palm, palm, palm!” Typical is also to
encourage dancing people with exclamations: "Good lad!", "Show your heels!",
"Turn around, do not let anybody over dance yourself!" etc. Herewith the
name of the dancer is identified.
The shouts inside a circle, sounds of music instruments (particularly sounds
of idiophones) mark the protected space. Outside this space is a darkness
and chaos. Within a dancing circle is an order and strictness.
Kabardinka Academic Dance Ensemble - Tleperiph
The semantic significance of outcries in a dance circle is revealed in
comparing them with traditional performance of the ritual songs and
geographical conditions of residence of the people. The mountains, in which
the Adyghe ethnic culture was formed, have created the feeling of importance
and aesthetic ideal of the top, summit. The peak of the mountain is a
desired purpose and this top is reached by a few. But before those who have
entered on tops, such types and prospects are opened, which give birth to
the feeling of the delight, joys caused by the vicinity to the God. This
signifies that a ritual shout is a state of high joy pleasing to the Gods
during socially important events.
The comparative analysis of outcries and instrumental tunes also brings us
to more complete understanding of the semantic contents of dance tunes. The
highest sound in traditional dance melodies forms the culmination of the
folk melody. Sometimes performers continue playing (hover) a high sound for
some time. This is perceived by dancers as the sign of the increase in
velocity of the dance performance. So when a dancer tells the musician to
play quicker the harmonist merely plays a long, continued sound in high
register.
The shouts and music are elements of one system. At the same time the shouts
and music belong to the common ethnic picture of the world.
XX European Seminar in Ethnomusicology
(ESEM)
29 September - 3 October 2004
Venice
Music As Medicine: The Adyghe's Case
By Alla N. Sokolova
One Specific
Line of Circassian (Adyghe) Instrumental
Music
By Alla Sokolova
The Adyghe Harmonica in the Context of Ethnic Music Culture
By Alla Sokolova
Adyghe Traditional polyphony and its transformation in modern conditions
By Alla Sokolova / PDF
Pkhachich, Adyghe (Circassian) Clappers
By Alla Sokolova
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