Global Journal of Human-Social Science, A: Arts and Humanities, Volume 22 Issue 5

in Turkmenistan are called Akhal yoly, Dashoguz yoly, Lebap yoly, Balkan yoly and Mary yoly . The main performing schools of epic storytelling in Turkmenistan are the Dashoguz and Mary . The stylistic features of each school appear in the instrumentation, repertoire, melody and genre varieties of the performed works. The stylistic diversity of the art of Turkmen storytellers is given by the manner of performing the epic, which is different for each school. Dashoguz yoly (northern region of Turkmenistan) is the main center of dessan performance. It focuses a lot of stylistic directions, each of which is original and unique. The repertoire of the Dashoguz dessanches includes the chapters (shaha) of the “Gorogly” epic, as well as a number of love-fantastic dessans. The founder of Mary yoly (the second branch of epic storytelling, located on the southeastern of Turkmenistan) – is considered Gurt Yakubov (1929- 1985). Unlike the repertoire of the Dashoguz dessanches, the genre of legend with music, as well as religious and philosophical tales is especially popular in Mary. In the past, Dashoguz storytellers performed up to 44 chapters of the Gorogly epic. Indicative in this respect is the pedigree of the narrator Palvan-bagshy “The skill of the singer and the performance of many branches of the “Gorogly” epic was taught by his father Ata-bagshy (or Hoja-bagshy , 1866-1929) from the Hoja clan. He, in turn, inherited this art from his father, the head of the school of storytellers “Gorogly” Atanazar- bagshy , who is the son of Koch-bagshy. Palvan-bagshy was illiterate, but from him in 1937 the epic “Gorogly” was recorded. It was one of the most complete and artistically perfect versions of the “Gorogly” epic. [6, 10-11]. At present, modern dessanches no longer perform the entire cycle, most often the chapters “The Birth of Gorogly”, “Harmandali”, “Bezirgen”, “Arap Reihan”, “The Marriages of Gorogly” are performed. The plots underlying these legends are dynamic and understandable to the modern listener. This suggests that the traditions of dessan performance passing from generation to generation are being adjusted based on the modern needs of listeners. In addition to the repertoire, a distinctive feature of local bagshy schools is the set of melodies that epic singers use as the basis of their songs. The songs in the dessans are not fixed melodically, that is, when performing them, the dessanchy independently chooses melodies for them. Each direction characterizes a certain complex of melodic tunes. More than a hundred melodies-themes have been recorded in Dashoguz, the most popular of which are “Sandyk”, “Yashylbash”, “Yylgailar”, “Kasym Han”, “Baba Gambar” and others. Popular tunes in the Mary region are “Zohrejan”, “Tuniderya”, “Chykdym guller”, “Novai” and others. In characterizing the style of local schools, an important point is the manner of recitation of prose sections. Throughout the legend, the bagshy-dessanchy use various types of speech intonation: declamatory, melodious and spoken [20, 264]. The performers of the Dashoguz school are characterized by an energetic, “spoken” recitation of prose sections and a mobile, “screaming” manner of singing songs. An important role in the songs of the Dashoguz dessanchy is played by the gyja k 3 Modern bagshy-dessanchy continue the traditions laid down by ancient ozans. Researchers call the art of Turkmen storytellers a one-man theater. The narrative is based on the general laws of drama: exposition, plot, development, climax, denouement. Most often, storytellers perform at weddings and other holidays, when the audience is in high spirits. Depending on the degree of interest shown by the listeners, the bagshy is free to stretch or shorten the epic narrative. The choice of plot and the detailed processing of individual episodes are also guided by the , which saturates the melodic line with melismas. The juicy timbre of the gyjak, as it were, competes with the voice of the bagshy, introducing an element of competition into the song. The manner of speaking of the storytellers of the Mary school is characterized by slowness and melodiousness, both in the prose and in the song sections of the dessans. The dessanches use the dutar as an accompanying instrument, without the participation of the gijak. For centuries, the art of Turkmen bagshy has been passed down orally from generation to generation. The status of a professional obliged folk singers to create songs of such a quality that the listener would receive aesthetic satisfaction. In striving for this, the skill of the bagshy was constantly improved in terms of means of musical expression, poetic language, and performance. The style of each epic storyteller is deeply individual, and, at the same time, is firmly connected with tradition. The tradition of succession occupies an important place in the culture of Turkmen epic storytelling. In order to earn the right to be called bagshy, each novice musician was hired as a student ( shagirt ) to a venerable mentor ( halypa ) and for several years, while the training lasted, was next to the teacher, lived in his house, accompanied him on trips. The Turkmens have a proverb: “If the student does not surpass his mentor, the craft will disappear”. This wise saying is the essence of mentoring. Before blessing the pupil, the mentor, in the presence of the elders, arranged a kind of examination of skill. And only upon completion of the test, the young bagshy received the long-awaited blessing of the mentor – Ak pata . 3 Gyjak – a three-string bowed musical instrument. Volume XXII Issue V Version I 14 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 © 2022 Global Journals A Turkmen Epos: Origin and Modern Conditions