Article

Name: Semantics of the phytonym sugon (onion) in Udmurt song folklore: a case study of indigenous and migrant local traditions

Authors: N. V. Anisimov, I. V. Pchelovodova

Udmurt Institute of History, Language and Literature, Udmurt Federal Research Center of the UrB RAS, Izhevsk, Russian Federation; Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, Estonia

In the section Песенный фольклор

Abstract:

A vegetable garden has been an indispensable feature of the traditional Udmurt household. The cultivation of crops and fruits in this area forms an integral part of the daily existence of a community, symbolizing established social structures. Garden produce is entirely allocated to household consumption. In addition to their nutritional value, garden plants are essential in observance of calendar and family traditions. These elements are manifest in Udmurt folklore, serving as expressions of individual emotional states. The phytonym sugon (onion) is most frequently used in ritual or non-ritual songs. This paper aims to explore the symbolic meaning of the image of this phytonym in the context of song genre and local traditions: Siberian, peripheral-southern, and autochthonous. The symbolism of sugon in Udmurt culture varies depending on the song genre. In recruitment songs, sugon embodies youthful vigor and physical prowess, representing a slender physique and boundless energy while simultaneously conveying the sorrow of parting. In calendar and non-ritual lyrics, sugon emphasizes the transience of life and youth. Its flavor is vividly portrayed in guest tunes. Sugon is most commonly found in autochthonous and geographically similar southern Udmurt traditions. However, it is rarely found in Siberian and indigenous northern Udmurt cultures. A detailed exploration of Udmurt folklore exposes the profound importance of the onion as a fundamental aspect of the Udmurt belief system. Its symbolic importance within this culture underscores the depth and richness of Udmurt ethnographic heritage.

Keywords: Udmurts, migration tradition, autochthonous tradition, song folklore, ritual tunes, non-ritual songs, images, semantics, onion

Bibliography:

Anisimov N. V., Pchelovodova I. V. Pesni zakamskikh udmurtov [Songs of the Trans-Kama Udmurts]. Izhevsk, 2024, iss. 1, 544 p. (Udmurtskiy fol’klor [Udmurt folklore]). (In Russ., In Udm.)

Anisimov N. V., Vershinina E. B., Pchelovodova I. V. Tigyrmenskie melodii: pesni tigyrmenskikh udmurtov Kiyasovskogo rayona Udmurtskoy Respubliki [Tigyrmen melodies: songs of the Tigyrmen Udmurts of the Kiyasovsky district of the Udmurt Republic]. Izhevsk, Resp. Dom nar. tvorchestva – Dom molodezhi, 2011, 96 p. (In Russ., In Udm.)

Borisov T. K. Syulmy bӧrde, syulmy kyrӟa: Kyrӟan”es, vyzhykyl”es, stat’yaos, tode vaen”es, esseos, stsenariyes, kylbur”es [The soul cries, the soul sings: Songs, fairy tales, articles, memories, essays, scripts, poems]. L. S. Nyan’kina, M. S. Petrova (Comps.). Izhevsk, Udmurtiya, 2015, 224 p. (In Russ., In Udm.)

Churakova R. A. Pesni yuzhnykh udmurtov [Songs of the Southern Udmurts]. Izhevsk, Udmurtskiy institut istorii, yazyka i literatury UrO RAN, 1999, iss. 2, 159 p. (Udmurtskiy fol’klor [Udmurt folklore]). (In Russ., In Udm.)

Nurieva I. M. Pesni zavyatskikh udmurtov [Songs of the Zavyat Udmurts]. Izhevsk, Udmurtskiy institut istorii, yazyka i literatury UrO RAN, 1995, iss. 1, 232 p. (Udmurtskiy fol’klor [Udmurt folklore]). (In Russ., In Udm.)

Nurieva I. M. Pesni zavyatskikh udmurtov [Songs of the Zavyat Udmurts]. Izhevsk, Udmurtskiy institut istorii, yazyka i literatury UrO RAN, 2004, iss. 2, 332 p. (Udmurtskiy fol’klor [Udmurt folklore]). (In Russ., In Udm.)

Ogorod v prostranstvennoi modeli traditsionnoi kul’tury [Vegetable garden in the spatial model of traditional culture]. Electronic resource. URL: https://www.ruthenia.ru/folklore/folklorelaboratory/sna_2.htm (accessed 05.09.2024). (In Russ.)

Pchelovodova I. V., Anisimov N. V. Pesni yuzhnykh udmurtov [Songs of the Southern Udmurts]. 2nd ed., rev. and enl. Izhevsk-Tartu, Nauchnoe izd. ELM,2020, iss. 4, 376 p. (Udmurtskiy fol’klor [Udmurt folklore]). (In Russ., In Udm.)

Vershinina E. B., Vladykina T. G. Pesni yuzhnykh udmurtov [Songs of the southern Udmurts]. Izhevsk, IPTs “Malotirazhka”, 2014, iss. 3, 384 p. (Udmurtskiy fol’klor [Udmurt folklore]). (In Russ., In Udm.)