BASHKIR KUBYZ

«Unlike the kurai, the kubyz is a female and children's musical instrument: I have never seen men who not only play the kubyz, but also know how to extract sounds from it. Moreover, in a number of cases I witnessed a somewhat disdainful attitude of adult men towards kubyz. It is possible that this came from some ancient remnants: I could not identify this. It is necessary to take into account the specific conditions in which the Bashkir woman found herself after accepting Islam (this process began in the 10th century and continued almost until the 19th century inclusive). Deprived of male society, remote from it in everyday life, locked in the society of women and children, having no right to speak loudly, sing or laugh, she nevertheless had to find ways to her native art. The quiet and gentle sound of kubyz is barely audible in the female half of the kosh or in the room; one can sing softly and dance softly to its sounds; on the other hand, the instrument is so small that storage or instant concealment (it can be squeezed in a fist) are not difficult. In that way the public purpose of the kubyz as a musical instrument for women and children was established for a long time. Kubyz, in contrast to the kurai, is not used for performing widely sung plays – ozon-kyuy, apparently because it is difficult: it is used for performing simple, unpretentious tunes, mainly of a dance character, i.e. biyu-kyuy».

Lev Nikolaevich Lebedinsky
musicologist, folklorist

This happened in those times when the Bashkirs were engaged in cattle breeding. One rich cattleman's shepherd died, and his son named Bikbai left an orphan. Years passed, and Bikbai became a strong guy, admired by everyone who knew and saw him. Rich cattleman trusted him to herd his best horses. On fine days boys and girls often adorned their horses, saddled them with the best saddles and rode out to the wide open space where kymyzlyk grew rapidly. These trips turned into a true celebration of youth. Guys and girls organized different games, sang, danced, played the kurai. And Bikbai, who had a variety of abilities, showed special agility in these games.

One day he made for himself kubyz from the wood of maple and learned to play dance melodies on it. When the youth went to the field, they sang and danced to the kubyz. It was then that Bikbai's instrument was called «kubyz», because guys and girls went to kymyzlyk.

Rich cattleman had two daughters – Gulyuzum and Gulsum. Both of them loved Bikbai and asked him to make kubyz for them. Bikbai played his instrument for them, but did not make kubyz.

Seeing Bikbai's abilities, rich cattleman from time to time took Bikbai with him to the city market. The fact that Bikbai goes to the market with the rich cattleman, communicates with his daughters irritated other girls. And therefore, during the trips, they sang, encouraging the guy:

Don't shoot that hare,
There is no blood in it, dear.
Don't fall in love with that guy
– He is not rich, dear.

Eh, if only there was a smooth floor for the great dance
That would spread out.
And if only there was a glass table
That majestically would rested on that floor.
And if only there were the ringing bowls
That would stand on that glass table;
Well, and if only there was delicious fish
That would lie in those ringing bowls;
If only there was a knife made of ringing steel
To cut those fish.

One day Bikbai was invited to iyiyn. While he was playing the kubyz and all the girls were dancing to his music, the eldest daughter of the rich cattleman Gulyuzum looked at him intently. Bikbai also liked this girl. As a gesture of goodwill he presented her with his kubyz. Youngest daughter of rich cattleman saw all this and her soul flared with burning jealousy. She returned home and told her mother everything. Mother told abouit it her husband and he flew into a rage. And they decided to banish Bikbai from their home. They called the shepherd to them and he said that it was not he who made the kubyz, but an old man named Bikbau, from whom he learned to play the instrument. From that time the song that is played on kubyz and which is widely distributed among the people began to be called the «Song of Bikbau».

Another Bashkir legend tells how a young woman won the heart of a guy by playing kubyz: «…As soon as she was left alone Yaukhar threw back the veil from her face, pulled out kumyz from behind her necklace and began to play a tune on it. The guy, hiding in the bushes, froze in amazement before her beauty and extraordinary playing on the instrument».