Sitting "under the mouth"

• Main Author: Harris, Robin Gail
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: uga 2012
• Subjects: Epic; Epos; Ethnomusicology; Manas; Masterpiece; Neocolonialism; Olonkho; Oral tradition; P’ansori; Post-Soviet; Revitalization; Russia; Safeguarding; Sakha; Siberia; Sustainability; UNESCO; Yakutia
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10724/27977; http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/uga_etd/harris_robin_g_201205_phd

The Sakha epic tradition, olonkho, features the longest and most complex epic tales of all the Siberian peoples. In its most traditional form, olonkho is a solo genre comprised of both dramatic narrative poetry and unaccompanied song alternating throughout the extensive, multiple-evening performance of the work. This work explores the current revival of interest in olonkho, examining what led to its decline during the Soviet era as well as the factors currently playing a role in its revitalization. It addresses the transformations of olonkho in the 21st century and identifies keys for its long-term sustainability. These four areas—attenuation, revitalization, transformation, and sustainability—are the primary research categories. In order to more effectively posit potential future directions for olonkho, I trace olonkho performance practice historically, exploring the ways it interacted with the contextual milieu of each time period, beginning with those times immediately before and during Soviet power. The research questions are organized around the elements of time, place, and event. The event parameter is further divided into three areas of inquiry: the performers, audiences, and content of the olonkho tradition. The literature addressing these themes is drawn, not just from the discipline of ethnomusicology, but also from anthropology, comparative literature, culture studies, musicology, performance theory, post-Soviet and post-colonial studies, area studies, and sociolinguistic models. Data collection in the field largely relied on ethnographic interviews, documented in first person accounts, both in the text and the accompanying DVD. Conclusions from the research indicate that audience reception for olonkho is still weak, however, a strong revitalization effort by the Sakha Republic’s government and its educational institutions is beginning to strengthen audience appreciation for olonkho. While people’s response to “sitting under the mouth” is undeniably different than it was a century ago, if Sakha people will focus on vigorous transmission and innovation during this period of revitalization, it will help to bolster viability of the genre, giving hope that olonkho will survive to be enjoyed by future generations. PhD School of Music Music Jean Kidula Jean Kidula Susan Thomas Elena Krasnostchekova David Haas Adrian Childs