DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE
International scientific-online conference
29
TRADITIONAL MOTIFS IN THE WORK OF SHUKUR
KHOLMIRZAYEV
Nodira Yangibayeva
Teacher at Mamun University,
Hatamova Nurafshon
Rahimova Mohigul
Teachers of school No. 338 of Mirzo Ulugbek district
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15233351
Abstract:
This thesis discusses Shukur Kholmirzayev's unique style in
storytelling, the importance of traditional motifs in enhancing the artistic quality
of his works, his attitude to folklore, and his experiences from world storytelling.
In particular, a number of the writer's stories based on folklore motifs:
"Unknown Man", "Heart", "Death of a Safe Hunter", "Freedom", "Bandi Burgut",
etc., artistically capture the moments of the Hunter and the hunt, the image of
friends who went hunting. One aspect of the writer's artistic skill is revealed.
Keywords:
motif, folklorism, story within a story, plot, manner.
Introduction.
The stories and essays of the people's writer of Uzbekistan Shukur
Kholmirzayev began to be published in 1958. "White Horse" (1962), "Waves"
(1963), "Who is not among the eighteen?" (1965), as well as the stories written
by the writer during this period, are included in such collections as "Under the
Distant Stars" (1971), "Life is Eternal" (1974), "When a Heavy Stone Moves..."
(1980), "Roads, Companions" (1984), "Almond Blossomed in Winter" (1986),
"Snow Has Fallen on the Mountains" (1987). He is the author of such novels as
"The Last Stop" (1976), "The Bridge of Life" (1984), "Passenger" (1987),
"Olaboji" (1992), "Dinosaur" (Book 1, 1996). He also has dramas "Black Belt"
(1987), "Banquet" (staged in 1990).
Motif has been studied as an object of research in many disciplines,
including psychology, literature, music, fine arts, and biology. Existing
dictionaries note that the meaning of this word is a multi-meaning term, and its
lexical meaning is explained based on the words French - “tune”, “melody”; Latin
(or Greek) - “to move”. Below we will talk about the genesis of the motif and how
it acquires meaning in other disciplines. The general meaning of the word
“genesis” means emergence, origin. This term comes from the Greek word
“genesis”, which means “birth”, and is based on Latin expressions translated as
“origin”. Now the term “genesis” is used in practice in any field of activity, in
philosophy, science, and art. The genesis of the motif goes back to folk oral
creativity (this is clearly seen in the example of fairy tales and folk epics). Each
DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE
International scientific-online conference
30
folk tale is made up of a series of motifs. For example, the theft of an apple in the
garden, the brothers setting off on a journey in search of it, the hero being
pursued by his brothers, hostility, the release of slaves from the hands of giants,
their release to the earth, the elf giving an apple to a childless woman, their
children having eaten the apple, the father giving his son a horse, the horse
taking him to the place he wants, the magic flute doing what the young man says,
the ring fulfilling the hero's wishes, etc. These are the various motifs that create
the plot of the tale. "The motif creates a plot, it is an element of the plot system,"
says folklorist B.N. Putilov. The motif performs a certain function in the
structure of the system, where it has its own specific place, where its specific
content is revealed."
Motif refers to the main categories (categories) of the artistic organization
of a folklore work (text, plot, any other completed reality), as well as to folklore
as a cultural phenomenon in a broader sense. The world of folklore consists of
an infinite (but ultimately convenient for systematization and accounting) set of
motifs expressed through motifs. Motifs emdiv the inseparability of folklore
reality and folklore language, that is, the harmony of content and expression.
Since the time of A.N. Vaselovsky, who singled out the motif as an important
element of the folklore plot and created the foundations of the theory of motifs,
folklore studies have carried out many studies related to the motif. In all these
studies, the content boundary and the scope of definition of the motif as a term
(especially in fundamental and purely theoretical studies) remain contradictory.
A.N. Vaselovsky already understood the motif as the main element that makes
up the plot (the struggle between father and son is a feature of a number of epics
is the main motive of plots), then a variety of images that give life to the plot or
its important part (transformations, heroic deeds), finally, the scheme, acting as
an element in the text that performs a specific task. In literary criticism, the term
motif is used in various meanings. For example, in works of fiction, the motif is a
plot scheme (for example, the hero is kidnapped, a girl helps him; a stepmother
and a quarrelsome righteous girl; the hero rises from a lonely orphanhood to a
high position; the hero does not recognize his father, encounters him in an
emergency, etc.) or an object (for example, a mirror, an amulet), a situation (for
example, a dream, a conversation with a ghost, walking without introducing
himself), an image (a wise minister, a loyal friend, a rival) occurs in a number of
forms and is interpreted in various ways, based on the possibilities of the
writer's artistic fantasy and creative intention. For example, Karajon in
“Alpomish”, Shapur in “Farhod and Shirin”, Master Olim in “Bygone Days” are all
DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE
International scientific-online conference
31
different variants of the friend motif, which differ in their functions in the plot of
the work and their place in expressing the artistic concept. The “Russian-Uzbek
Explanatory Dictionary of Literary Terms” gives the following explanation of the
motif: “… the term motif is used in folk oral literature, in particular in the study
of large epic genres such as epics and fairy tales. For example, the motif of the
hero’s supernatural capture, the motif of the character going on a hunt or
journey, the motif of his falling into a heroic sleep, etc . The motif, the simplest
and most understandable part of the plot, is used to describe individual details .
One of the important aspects of the motif is its possessing a certain stability.
That is, the motifs are taken in a semi-finished form: the existing motifs are not
exactly the same, but are interpreted in different versions, based on the writer's
artistic imagination and creative intention, while preserving the core. According
to Academician A.N. Vaselovsky, the plot consists of a complex of motifs, a
certain motif can participate in several different plot structures. These
theoretical ideas of the scientist were confirmed in the research of the epic text,
and the essence of the term was further developed and improved by many world
scientists .
It is known that Shukur Kholmirzayev absorbed the vast experience in this
field of such great short story writers as A. Qodiriy, Cholpon, A. Qahhor, G.
Ghulom, Oybek, A. Mukhtor, who created beautiful examples of the short story
genre that emerged at the dawn of the 20th century. In addition, the writer also
studied the story-telling schools of Russian, Indian, French, English, German, and
fraternal peoples. As a result, the writer created a total of 86 short story
examples that could significantly influence the development of Uzbek short
story writing. Shukur Kholmirzayev's stories are collected in the 3rd volume of
the 5-volume "Saylanma" by the writer. The dissertation classified Shukur
Kholmirzayev's stories from a chronological point of view. Shukur
Kholmirzayev's stories created in the 60s of the 20th century;
1. Stories created in the 70s;
2. Stories created in the 80s;
3. Stories created in the 90s;
4. Stories created in the 2000s.
In the story “Unknown Man” (1960), created in the early creative stage of
Shukur Kholmirzayev, the concept of “Good Man”, which has been continuously
interpreted in Uzbek folk tales and epics, and at the same time the image of the
Hunter, who is a devotee of his profession, is clearly manifested. Sh. Doniyorova
analyzes this story as follows: The story “Unknown Man” is a compact work of
DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE
International scientific-online conference
32
only two and a half pages. We do not even have time to learn the names of the
characters. The work is built on the basis of the method of depicting a real event
in real conditions. Each means of depiction in it is convincing and serves to
reveal the goal down to the smallest detail. The writer managed to ensure that
the compact artistic form of the work does not interfere with the fulfillment of
all compositional requirements. "The unique character of both characters
depicted in the work is revealed, and these characters, which are worked out at
the level of a unique artistic type, also have their own individual characteristics.
The ideological and universal essence of the story glorifies social views." .
Indeed, as the scientist rightly noted, the story "The Stranger" is a compact
work. Only two characters participate. These are the images of the narrator-hero
and the hunter. In Uzbek folk tales and epics, the image of the Hunter and his
two different images, a merciful hunter and a cruel, ruthless hunter, and also the
image of the very sharp-shooting Hunters, are found. For example, in the tales
"The Hunter, the Kokcha and the Wise" and "The Sniper with the Wolf", which
are included in "Uzbek Folk Tales" (Volume I), the characters of the hunter are
skillfully created. In addition, in the Uzbek folk epic "Ravshan", the image of
sharp-shooting bald men such as Ersak, Tersak, Jaynoq, and Aynok is also found.
In a number of his stories, such as “Unknown Man”, “Heart”, “Death of a Safe
Hunter”, “Freedom”, “Bandi Burgut”, Shukur Kholmirzayev artistically captured
the image of the Hunter and the moments of hunting, as well as the friends who
went hunting. Of course, the Hunter, who is a strong man, a master of his
profession, and a master, depicted in the story “Unknown Man”, has a realistic
basis in life. Moreover, these stories were created in the traditional realistic
creative method. However, it is a scientific fact that the mythological genesis of
the images of the Hunter, Herder, Peasant, Old Man, and Qaria goes back to folk
oral literature. Similarly, the artistic idea of the writer’s story “Death of a Safe
Hunter” about the image of the cruel, bloodthirsty, merciless Hunter and his
punishment is typical of folk tales and epics. That is, the story “The Death of the
Hunter” (1985) was written based on the artistic concept of “A Bad Man and His
Inevitable Punishment” typical of folk oral literature. The image of a ruthless
hunter is also very common in folk tales. The tragic death of the ruthless hunter
Amon in the story and his becoming food for carrion birds fits into the artistic
solution of “the bad are punished and the good achieve their goals” typical of
folk tales and epics. Also, in the stories of the writer “The Herdsman”, “The
Owner of the Horse”, “The Village in the Barley”, “The Old Man”, “The Man”, “The
Uzbek Character”, “It Was Once…”, “The Game of Chillak”, “Xorun ar-Rashid”,
DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE
International scientific-online conference
33
“The Game of Ball”, “The Ear”, “The Uzbek Grandfather”, folklorisms are used
with great skill.
In general, traditional folklore motifs are often found in many of the
writer's works. Their involvement in the creative process and the writer's
attitude to folklore continue to be studied.
References:
1. Mirziyoyev Sh. Address to the Oliy Majlis of December 22, 2017. – Xalq soʼzi,
December 23, 2017. – No. 258 (6952)
2. From the welcoming speech of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the participants of the international conference on
“Current issues of studying and promoting Uzbek classical and modern
literature at the international level”.
3. Tomashevsky B.V. Theory of literature. Poetics. – M. Aspect Press, 1996. – C
185.
5. Ulug'ov A. Theory of literary criticism. – T.: G. G'ulom Publishing House, 2018.
– 308 p.
6. Sultan I. Theory of literary criticism. –T.: Uqutuvchi, 1984. – 272 p.
7. Umurov H. Rules of Literature. – T.: Uqutuvchi, 2002. – 208 p.
8. Quronov D. Foundations of Literature Theory. – T.: Navoi University, 2018. –
376 p.
9. Shukur Kholmirzayev. Election. Tashkent: Sharq. 2003. 477 p.
10. Uzbek Folk Tales. 3 volumes. Volume I. – Tashkent: Uqutuvchi, 2007. – P. 12-
16; This source. Sniper with a Wolf. – P. 20-24.
