International Journal Of Literature And Languages
43
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue04 2025
PAGE NO.
43-45
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue04-12
Ancient Written Sources of The Ode Genre
Djangabaeva Hurliman Shingisbay qizi
Doctoral candidate at Nukus state pedagogical institute named after Ajiniyaz, Uzbekistan
Received:
23 February 2025;
Accepted:
19 March 2025;
Published:
22 April 2025
Abstract:
The article discusses one of the important issues of contemporary Karakalpak literary studies: the ode
genre, its artistic oral and written sources, and the importance of written and oral sources in the development of
ode genre. The article also discusses about the ancient origins of the ode genre through literary and artistic texts,
plot structures, and descriptive narratives found in written heritage common to Turkic peoples, such as the
“Orxon
-
Enisey” inscriptions, the epic of “Qorqit ata”, and the “Muhabbatnama”. It discusses the issues of
considering these works as the earliest written sources in the formation of the Karakalpak ode genre.
Keywords:
Description, ode, descriptive exposition, enthusiastic description, literary relations, praise song,
written sources.
Introduction:
Description is one of the oldest genres in
the history of lyric poetry, and it has traditionally been
aimed at praising kings, heroes, or exceptional acts of
bravery. As an example of the earliest forms of
description, one can cite the poems of Pindar in ancient
Greece. “The festive odes (Dj.H: in our opinion,
description) created by Pindar (518-442 BC), who
glorified the winners of sports competitions, laid the
foundation for the emergence of the term “ode” due to
their widespread popularity” [1.251]. Examples of this
genre can also be found in the heroic verses of the
Greek
poet Homer’s “Iliad”. By the time of the Western
Renaissance, talented figures like Dante and F. Schiller
had made significant contributions to the development
of this genre. In Russian classical literature, M.
Lomonosov and G.R. Derzhavin were masters of the
ode genre. Examples from ancient Greek literature,
such as the odes of Pindar and Horace, are considered
the roots and ancient sources of the ode genre in
Western literature. Which literary heritage can be cited
as the ancient source and origin of the praise genre in
the literature of Turkic peoples, including Karakalpak
literature? We will discuss this issue in our article.
In Uzbek literary studies, this genre, known as ode, is
considered to have taken shape during the medieval
Renaissance period in Eastern literature. It primarily
originated from the 7th century onwards, coinciding
with the flourishing of Persian-Tajik literature and the
beginning of Islamic culture’s formation in the East.
“Ode” (Arabic
- purpose, intention) is a genre in
classical lyric poetry; a poem composed to praise a
person (ruler, honored person, hero), significant event,
nature, and similar subjects, expressing their high
virtues and distinctive qualities. In Eastern classical
literature, there are excellent examples of the ode
genre in the works of poets such as Nasir Xisraw,
Unsuriy, Anvariy, Haqaniy, Daqiqiy, Rudakiy, Saqqaniy,
Lutfiy, Jamiy, Gadaiy, and Navoiy [2.384].
In Karakalpak literary studies, it is crucial to define the
objects of the genre’s depiction, including which types
of characters are depicted and described. The earliest
specialized scholarly perspectives on this genre in
Karakalpak literary studies belong to Q. Ayimbetov and
Q. Jarimbetov. Q. Ayimbetov suggests that the origins
of the ode genre in Karakalpak literature can be traced
back to folklore: “The praise genre of literature is
considered a staple repertoire of storytellers, fondly
recited and read aloud. A distinctive feature of
Karakalpak oral literature is the long-standing tradition
of praising an eloquent speaker who excels among the
people, a leader who governs the people, a swift runner
who outpaces the flag, a wrestler who triumphs in
combat, and a beauty who emerges from the
community” [3.149]. After expressing this view, he
proceeds to provide excerpts from folk songs and
heroic epics containing praise songs. However, there is
a difference between praise and descriptions in folklore
works and descriptive poems in written literature, in
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
44
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
their portrayal and artistic language. Descriptions in
folklore works depict heroes, beauties, heroes’ horses,
and places, and according to the requirements of
folklore poetics, they only describe the state and
appearance of the hero or related objects and actions.
Unlike an ode or qasida with a specific purpose of
celebrating a famous person of the time and glorifying
events related to their history, folklore descriptions are
not written by a poet with ceremonial intent. Even in
folk songs, they are sung with general descriptions,
narratives, and common characterizations. They do not
display a creative stance. In the formation of
Karakalpak praise poetry as a genre, folklore works
serve to a certain extent as spiritual and moral
nourishment. Although the influence of epics on people
and poets through the performance of bards and
storytellers is considered a rich source of praise poetry,
it is more appropriate to rely on other heritage and the
ancient written monuments of Turkic peoples as its
reliable written sources.
Written heritage such as “Orxon
-
Enisey”, “Qorqit Ata”
“Muhabbatnama” and “Devani Lugat at
-
Turk”, which
are considered common monuments for all Turkic
peoples, contains the shared literature of the common
tribes
of
that
era.
As
Academician
M.
Nurmuhammedov noted: “Along with other Turkic
-
speaking peoples, the Karakalpak people are
considered the heirs of ancient common Turkic written
monuments” [4.63]. In light of this, we can
consider
these literary legacies as ancient written sources of the
panegyric genre in Karakalpak literature. The works of
Eastern literary classics such as Hafiz, Saadiy, Jamiy,
Navoiy, and Fizuliy had a particular influence on the
formation of description as a genre in the creative
works of 19th-century classical poets. However, while
the genre qasida of Eastern classics were similar in
content, they differed significantly from the Karakalpak
“description” in form and structure. There are two
types of qasida: a philosophical qasida free from
excessive praise and ostentation, and a qasida with its
own unique ornamentation. Additionally, qasida is
sometimes categorized into types based on their
content, such as “bahoriya”, “madhiya”, “faxriya”,
“xazoniya”, “hajviya”, “xoliya”, “ishqiya”, and “faxriya”
[2.385]. Another major difference between the qasida
and description is that the qasida is written in the aruz
meter, which is foreign to the Karakalpak language. Due
to these characteristics, we consider the qasida of
Eastern classics not as a written source of description,
but rather as an influential literary phenomenon.
The Orxon-Enisey inscriptions should be noted as the
oldest written source in history. “The materials of the
ancient Turkic script, or the Orxon-Enisey monuments,
considered the oldest written records of Turkic
languages that have reached us, are valuable sources
for studying the history of the Karakalpak language, as
well as the history of the Karakalpak people
themselves” [5.60]. These writ
ten monuments are
dedicated to the ancient Turkic rulers Bilge, Qultegin,
and their vizier Toni Kok, and they recount the
activities, statesmanship, social roles, and heroic deeds
of these figures. The writing style resembles an
intermediate form of poetry (prose poetry). Similar to
contemporary descriptions, there are lines consisting
of elevated praise and accolades, where the
personalities and actions of the main characters are
described to a certain extent. For example:
Created with divine majesty
Turk Bilge Khagan.
I ascended the throne,
Listen to my words in full.
All my growing children,
My united horde, my people,
On my right are the glorious rulers,
On my left are the tarkhans and others.
The thirty-nine Oguz rulers and their people. [6.8].
Regarding the descriptive lines in the Orxon-Enisey
written monuments, folklorist scholar K. Palimbetov, in
his monograph “The Book of Qorqit Ata and Karakalpak
Epics” compares the poetics of the “Alpamis” epic with
the songs of Qorqit Ata, stating: “We understan
d that
the sources of singing about the hero’s courageous
actions in battle with such an elevated spirit originate
from the Orxon-
Enisey inscriptions” [7.73]. He then
provides the following example:
Qultegin, riding the Azman horse,
Set off for battle.
He pierced six warriors,
And struck down seven with his sword.
For the second time at Qushlagaq
We fought with the Ediz people.
Qultegin, riding Az Karaker,
Went into battle [8.19].
In the epic, the hero’s actions and conduct in battle are
depicted through artistic verses. It is possible to analyze
other descriptive narratives related to the heroic deeds
of Qultegin and Bilke Qagan, which praise the heroes’
bravery, political acumen, and their role as key figures
in statecraft. All of these narratives are valuable as they
aim to portray and extol the heroes.
Another written monument containing elements of the
descriptive genre is the songs of Qorqit Ata. These
works, consisting of 12 epic poems, contain artistic
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
45
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
lines celebrating and praising the actions and heroism
of heroes, similar to Karakalpak heroic epics. Regarding
the connection of this literary monument to our
folklore and literature, folklorist scholar S. Bakhadirova
states: “Comparing the written monument “Kitabi
dedem Qorqit” with the contemporary
folklore of each
nation will lead to significant discoveries in science.
Firstly, this text is valuable because it was recorded in
the 15th century and is the oldest monument in the
Turkic language. By comparing this written monument
with contemporary folklore, we witness common
motifs and plots shared by all Turkic-speaking peoples
of the Middle Ages” [9.4]. In these epics, although the
descriptions of the heroes’ actions and deeds are not
identical to current descriptions, we can observe
characteristics of the descriptive genre. For example, in
the dialogue between Qazanbek and Orazbek in the
fourth poem, there are the following lines:
I’ll mount my black horse,
I’ll ride to and fro,
The black-hearted infidels,
No matter how many there are,
With unyielding black steel,
I’ll strike their slender necks,
I’ll cut off their heads,
Fighting while in motion,
I’ll wreak havoc on the infidels [7.75].
In the poem, the hero’s actions and heroic deeds are
narrated from the first-person perspective; typically, in
a characterization, the person is described from the
third-
person perspective. However, due to the poem’s
descriptive method, its focus on praising the hero, and
its performance by Qorqit Jiraw, it can be considered
one of the earliest examples of characterization.
In the work “Muhabbatnama” by Xorezmiy, who lived
at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th
centuries, one can see remarkable examples of the
descriptive genre. Although the work is about love, its
first part is dedicated to praising King Mahmud
Xojabek. For example:
Illuminating the night is a divine act,
Muhammad Xojabek is fortune’s bird.
I said: composing poetry is a poet’s th
rone,
Dedicating it to a ruler like you is my blessing.
Oh, mighty lion of Qonirat,
I’ve acknowledged none but you.
Your joy is the mountain of my heart,
Muhammad Xojabek
–
life’s foundation.
One of the rulers who nourished the people,
The brother of the renowned ruler Janibek [10.122-
123].
In terms of poetic structure and meter, it corresponds
closely with the descriptions of our classical poets.
Regarding artistic techniques, it evokes the descriptive
style found in Karakalpak heroic epics. Considering the
work’s historical, cultural, and linguistic characteristics,
it is appropriate to view it as a source for Karakalpak
interpretation.
The
opening
section
of
“Muhabbatnama” consists of remarkable lines of
praise. The poet artfully portrays the ruler’s cha
racter
through both his socio-political activities and his vigor
and strength.
In summary, we have discussed in this article which
literary works can be considered as artistic written
sources of the genre of description, which has
developed as an independent genre since the second
half of the 19th century. The “Orxon
-
Enisey”
inscriptions, “Qorqit Ata” and “Muhabbatnama” which
we have used as examples, are written monuments
shared by Turkic peoples and are also considered a
heritage for the Karakalpak people. This is because
these written legacies are historically connected to our
people's history and are linguistically harmonious with
the Karakalpak language. Therefore, they can also serve
as a source for our literature.
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