International Journal Of Literature And Languages
181
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
PAGE NO.
181-182
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue05-42
About Uzbek Folk Tales and Their Educational
Importance
Anvar Allambergenov
Senior Researcher at the Institute of Uzbek Language, Literature, and Folklore of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of
Uzbekistan, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, Uzbekistan
Received:
31 March 2025;
Accepted:
29 April 2025;
Published:
31 May 2025
Abstract:
This article discusses one of the genres of Uzbek oral folk art
—
the fairy tale. It analyzes the process of
creation and narration of fairy tales, the diversity of their themes, as well as their educational and spiritual
significance. The article highlights the impact of fairy tales on the psyche, their interpretation, and their role in
Uzbek culture. This article provides an in-depth analysis of Uzbek folk tales, one of the most important and ancient
genres of oral folk literature. Folk tales are regarded as
a vivid reflection of the people’s worldview, dreams, and
aspirations. They portray high human values such as kindness, justice, courage, friendship, loyalty, diligence,
experience, and wisdom through artistic imagery. The article examines the process of the creation and oral
transmission of tales across generations, the style of storytelling, the emotional and artistic connection between
the narrator and the audience, and the classification of tales into different thematic types
–
such as magical-
fantastic tales, animal tales, and everyday tales.
Keywords:
Fairy tale, storyteller, theme, interpretation, analysis, spirituality, introduction, conclusion.
Introduction:
Fairy tales are one of the oldest genres of
folklore, equally interesting to everyone. They describe
the people's dreams, aspirations, thoughts, and current
lifestyles. Fairy tales have undergone a long century of
improvement before reaching their current form and
content. "Folk tales are of particular importance as a
beautiful example of the art of artistic expression.
Beginning with the sentence "Once upon a time, once
there was nothing, once hungry, once full," the
listener's attention is fully drawn to the events until the
end, when the tale "reaches its goal." Questions about
what will happen next, how this event will end, occupy
the listener's mind. The reason for the vitality of fairy
tales is also determined by their artistic perfection."
Survival and perfection, of course, are not only
connected with the plot of the fairy tale. In the past, a
certain preparation was also required for storytelling.
For example, the listeners listened attentively and
carefully to the fairy tale being told, while the
storytellers entered into a mental state and mood
corresponding to the content of the fairy tale, paying
special attention to the tone of voice, facial and div
positions. Attention was also paid to the time of
storytelling, which was mainly told on long winter
nights. There are specific reasons for this, of course.
Winter days are short, and nights are long. During the
bitter cold, agricultural work is not carried out,
therefore those engaged in heavy agricultural work do
not feel the need to rest early at night due to fatigue
from work. As a result of this and many similar reasons,
fairy tales were told on winter nights. These traditions
are now preserved in a somewhat different form. Now
it is observed not only on winter nights, but also on any
nights of the season, not by a specific narrator, but by
any person, mainly by parents and grandparents, and
often by adults, addressing young children. "With the
formation of feudal relations and the improvement of
the social process in it, the principle of expressing these
social relations in fairy tales also deepened, as a result
of which everyday fairy tales began to appear based on
life fictions. Thus, fairy tales as a socio-aesthetic
phenomenon were firmly established in folk epic
creativity"[1.201]. Since fairy tales on various topics are
created against the background of social relations, life
fictions, and various events, it is advisable to study
them by dividing them into groups, taking into account
their thematic diversity. These are magical-fantastic
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
182
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
fairy tales, animal tales, and everyday tales.
In fairy tales, there is a feature not found in other
genres of oral folk art. Folk tales are the only genre that
begins with the same beginning and ends with the
same ending. The introductory part of the fairy tales
begins in the form of bor ekanda, yo'q ekan, och
ekanda, to'q ekan, bo'ri bakovul ekan, tulki yasovul
ekan, qarg'a qaqimchi ekan, chumchuq chaqimchi
ekan. "Since the lifestyle of people who lived in the
most ancient times was associated with hunting,
fishing, and similar professions, they encountered the
animal world every day, and in their mythical
imagination, creatures spoke and interacted just like
humans. Such views, beliefs, and convictions were later
expressed in animal tales. That is why the characters of
the allegorical tales about animals, animals, also spoke
and reasoned like people, and the existence of relations
between them to society is described." The following
fairy tale "The Hunter, Kokcha and the Wise Man"
contains similar beliefs. The fairy tale begins with the
description of the state of a flock of pigeons trying to
escape from the hunter's clutches. In reality, the old
pigeon's warning didn't affect the other pigeons, so the
herd falls into the hunter's trap. Here lie such calls as to
listen to the advice of elderly people who have seen
life's difficulties, to make effective use of their life
experiences, and not to repeat their mistakes.
Experience speaks its word, and Kokcha, who didn't
want to be separated from this herd of pigeons at all
costs, stays with his peers despite knowing the danger.
At this point in the fairy tale, there is also a wonderful
scene worthy of learning and studying. This is a call to
stay with one's people in any situation! It is clear that
the proverbs "The separated are eaten by a bear, the
divided are eaten by a wolf" were not created simply as
rhyming words by people who have often observed
such situations. Kokcha's decision put his life at risk,
and he fell into the hunter's trap along with other
pigeons driven by lust. He foresaw that this would
happen. And now the hunter turns to the herd of
pigeons that are rising with nets. Saying his friendship
with a mouse named Dono that in the current situation
only he would help the pigeons, they fly towards where
the mouse lives.[3.12-19]. The events of the fairy tale
continue in this way. Situations related to pigeons,
crows, deer, and turtles have educational significance
in the sense of an example for fairy tale listeners of all
ages. In it, such values as friendship, solidarity, and
unity are interpreted.
As in all fairy tales, in the tale "The Hunter, Kokcha, and
the Wise Man," good triumphs over evil. "The fairy tale
is one of the main genres of Uzbek folk prose. In the
genre of fairy tales, the historical foundations of which
are connected with the epic diffusion of ancient
mythology and archaic rituals, the noble ideas of the
Uzbek people, their unique worldview, spiritual values,
spiritual and emotional experiences, family-domestic,
religious and moral views, and artistic and aesthetic
principles are reflected. A fairy tale not only provides
artistic and aesthetic pleasure to the listener but also
serves as a means of moral-didactic and spiritual-
educational education" [2141]. Even in the information
age, when the process of globalization is rapidly
proceeding, folk tales have not lost their significance.
Today, fairy tales are widely spread among the people
not only in oral form, but also in written form in the
form of books, in the form of various images, in the
form of cartoons on video tapes, even in the form of
films, and in other similar forms.
Oral fairy tales of each people and nation help to form
a certain understanding of the history of that people,
the culture and spirituality of their ancestors, their way
of life, inner world, and values. Fairy tales are an
educational tool that promotes goodness and closely
helps a person ascend the steps of spiritual perfection
from childhood!
Uzbek folk tales, as a rich and ancient genre of oral
literature, continue to play a vital role in the spiritual,
moral, and cultural development of society. These tales
not only entertain but also educate, passing down
values such as wisdom, unity, respect for elders, and
the triumph of good over evil from generation to
generation. By analyzing tales like "The Hunter, Kokcha,
and the Wise Man," we observe how storytelling
fosters empathy, critical thinking, and moral reasoning.
In a rapidly globalizing world, preserving and studying
such tales is crucial for maintaining cultural identity and
ensuring that universal human values remain at the
heart of education and upbringing.
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