Community Consciousness and Gender Perspectives in Songs and Dances of the Adyghe People: Through a Comparison with Georgia

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13280
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 04030:Cultural anthropology and folklore-related
• Research Institution: National Museum of Ethnology (2022-2023); Osaka University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Hisaoka Kae 国立民族学博物館, 人類基礎理論研究部, 外来研究員 (70867168)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-11-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: アディゲ（チェルケス） / ポリフォニー(多声部合唱) / 叙事歌 / コーカサス戦争 / 伝統復興

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study is based on field research in the Adyghe Republic of the Northwest Caucasus to investigate the formation process of community awareness and gender perspectives through the songs and dances of the Adygheans(Circassian). In the post-Soviet period, in the dance companies in Maykop, folk dances from the Turkish diaspora have been incorporated into the new repertoire. In public art schools for children, old songs in the Adyghe language about the Caucasian War are taught based on old recordings and scores since the 20th century, providing opportunities to learn about their history. In addition, this study pointed out that the Adygheans have more epic songs than Georgians, and furthermore, the stylistic difference of the polyphonic singing exists between the East(Kabardians) and West(Shapsugs) . Georgians find cultural authenticity in the “peasantry” while Adygheans find it in the “nobility”. It's due to their different experiences in modernity.

Free Research Field

文化人類学・民俗学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

新型コロナウイルス感染症とウクライナ戦争のため、アディゲ共和国で長期にわたる調査を実施することができなかった。しかしジョージアに渡航し、2022年のウクライナ戦争以降、ジョージアの人文学の研究者の間で、ソ連崩壊後の対ロ関係の悪化から失われつつあったアディゲを含む北コーカサス地域とのつながりを再び強化しようとする動きが生じている状況を明らかにすることができた。