Eurasian Studies Balkans, Anatolia, Iran, Caucasus and Central Asia Studies Notebooks

Series | Eurasian Studies
Edited book | Armenia, Caucasus, and Central Asia
Chapter | Sayat Nova: tra le pause di quiete e le crisi di una creazione

Sayat Nova: tra le pause di quiete e le crisi di una creazione

Abstract

Sayat Nova (1712?-1795?), the ‘singer’ par excellence of the Transcaucasian peoples and ashuq (lover), follows the hard path of Love of the ashuq/lovers towards the Beloved (or towards the Lord, God, in a sufi, mystical approach). Being based in Tbilisi/Tiflis, siege of the court of the Georgian rulers, he composes in three languages (Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian). However, in his trilingual collections (defter) of songs, we can hear and feel only one discourse, or mantıq, that is a logic used and applied by the ashuq/gusan. The evidence of a continuity, in a unique environment/muhit, between Sayat Nova, the medieval Armenian tradition, the Muslim sufi poets and the Christian Masters is clear enough. Sayat Nova organises and recomposes a common way of expression between traditions that are not very different from each other.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: March 15, 2019 | Accepted: April 17, 2019 | Published Oct. 17, 2019 | Language: it

Keywords DefterMuhitArmenianMantìqSayat NovaAshuq-gusanGeorgianAzerbaijani


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