Monument to Vladimir Bereghwn

Monument to Vladimir Bereghwn

Бэрэгъун Владимир

Адыгэ джэгуакIуэшуэ

Hopefully this humble attempt at erecting monuments to the great men and women of Circassian culture would go some way in filling the gaping gaps in the presentation of Circassian culture and folklore to a world audience. 

Vladimir Bereghwn

Vladimir Bereghwn (Бэрэгъун Владимир) (1939-1998), Honoured Cultural Worker of the Russian Federation and People’s Artist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, was one of the best singers of the 1970s and 80s in Circassia. Although he recorded many fine and memorable traditional and modern songs, his powerful operatic voice was best suited for ancient anthems. He documented and recorded a number of Pantheonic chants, including ‘Mezgwasche’ («МЭЗГУАЩЭ»; ‘Forest-Lady’). His wide Nart repertoire included an emotive rendering of ‘Nartizch Wered’ («НАРТЫЖЬ УЭРЭД»; ‘Song of the Ancient Narts’), which causes tingling sensations in the back of one’s head, ‘Ashemez yi Pshinalhe’ («АШЭМЭЗ И ПШЫНАЛЪЭ»; ‘Ashemez’s Melody’), ‘Bedinoqwe yi Pshinalhe’ («БЭДЫНОКЪУЭ И ПШЫНАЛЪЭ»; ‘Bedinoqwe’s Melody’), ‘Sosriqwe Maf’e Qeih’ («СОСРЫКЪУЭ МАФIЭ КЪЕХЬ»; ‘Sosriqwe Fetches Fire’), and many others. His heroic/historical repertory included ‘Senjeley yi Wered’ («СЭНДЖЭЛЕЙ И УЭРЭД»; ‘The Song of Prince Sanjalay’), in which he evokes the heroism of the mediæval prince-warrior. 

Бэрэгъун Владимир

Бэрэгъун Владимир (1939-1998) адыгэ уэрэджыIакIуэ цIэрыIуэхуэм я нэхъыщхьэу еплъытэ хъунущ. Абы и макъ гъуэзэджэ лъэщгуэрэм удихьэхауэ уодаIуэ. Абы игъэзэщIат пасэрей нарт уэрэд зыбжанэ, псалъэм папщIэ «АШЭМЭЗ И ПШЫНАЛЪЭ», «НАРТЫЖЬ УЭРЭД», «БЭДЫНОКЪУЭ И ПШЫНАЛЪЭ», «СОСРЫКЪУЭ МАФIЭ КЪЕХЬ» жыхуиIэ уэрэдхэр. ЛIыхъужьыгъэ теухуа уэрэд куэд зыгъэзэщIа Бэрэгъуным, псалъэм папщIэ Пщы Сэнджэлей (Жылэгъуэт Идар и къуэ Къанкъылыш и къуэщ) зи гугъу ещI уэрэдым «СЭНДЖЭЛЕЙ И УЭРЭД».

The art of Bereghwn shall be divided into musical genres. This project will take some time to complete.

2.  Anthems of the Nart Epos

a-  Bedinoqwe’s Melody (Бэдынокъуэ и пшыналъэ; Bedinoqwe yi Pshinalhe)

Bedinoqwe was the son of Bedin and a Nart female warrior who fought the Chint (generic term for the enemies of the Narts) incognita in men’s war costume. Bedin and his wife lived on the bank of the Don River. Whilst a Nart was being hosted by Bedin, the sound of Bedinoqwe crying was heard from his mother’s womb as she brought in the food table. The Nart was freaked out, and he hurried to the Narts and relayed what had transpired in Bedin’s guest-house. The  Narts fell into great consternation and they resolved to murder the child the moment it would be born a male. When Bedinoqwe came to the world, the Narts kidnapped him from his parents house, but they did not have the heart to kill him, seeing how extraordinarily handsome he was, so they placed him in a hole in a tree and left him to his fate. He was found by the Nart gooseherd, who brought him up with his wife in the cellar so that no one amongst the Narts would know about this. When Bedinoqwe came of age, the gooseherd went to Bedinoqwe’s parents and told them that their son was still alive. Bedinoqwe became a man in full measure. He came out of the cellar and fought the Chint, as his mother did in earlier years, and he inflicted woe unto them, and then went back to the cellar. This is but one of many tales that relate the heroism and fierceness of Nart Bedinoqwe, the inimical foe of the Chint. Bedinoqwe did not wreak his vengeance on the Narts, his people, but he pursued a somewhat aloof existence. When the exotic warrior set on his campaigns on his steed, his two hounds played by his two sides and his two eagles perched on his shoulders. The sun shone on his right shoulder and snow fell on his left. He was preceded sometimes by a great conflagration and by thick mist at others, and a multitude of rooks swarmed, or wild birds soared, in his wake. His steed sprang and spun. The coals issuing from Bedinoqwe’s mouth set the sides of his path on fire… When he first joined the Narts in their white wine festival (санэхуафэ; sanexwafe) at the great palace of the Alij clan (cf. the Circassians’ reference to the Greeks as ‘Alijxer’), he was received very warmly and he partook in the dancing and merry-making. It was the Nart matron Satanay, in her infinite wisdom, who made the arrangements for the awe-inspiring hero to join Nart society so smoothly.

b-  Nart Sosriqwe’s Melody

(Нарт Сосрыкъуэ и пшыналъэ; Nart Sosriqwe yi Pshinalhe)

[Kabardian]

The words of the tale are available in A. I. Alieva and A. M. Gutova, 1979, pp 71-5 (see 'Circassian Bibliography' section of this website). The first stanza of this song is perhaps the most recognizable in the whole of the Nart repertoire.

3.  Historical/Heroic Songs and Ballads

a-  Andeimirqan (Андемыркъан; Andeimirqan )

A full account of Andeimirqan, his exploits and murder can be found in Z. Qardenghwsch’, 1969 (1970), pp 223-336. [See section 'Ziramikw Qardenghwsch'' of this website] 

b-  The Song of Andeimirqan 

(Андемыркъан и уэрэд; Andeimirqan yi Wered)

c-   The Song of Prince Sanjalay

(Сэнджэлей и уэрэд; Senjeley yi Wered)

The events of this heroic tale, which is also heard among the Shapsugh, took place most probably in the second half of the 18th century. The son of Hetx stood up to the tyranny of the vehement prince of the Daw clan. The prince’s sexual exploitation of his female slaves solicited a retaliatory response from our protagonist in the shape of forming an intimate relationship with the prince’s wife. With the prince beside himself with anger, and on hearing that the son of Hetx was on a hunting expedition in the forest with a group of men, he collected his followers and went after him. The two parties met and fought. The son of Hetx slew the prince, and in turn the prince’s attendants killed the son of Hetx.

5.  Wedding Songs and Chants  

a-  My Pug-Nosed One!

(Си Пакъ!; Siy Paq!)

Full details of this wedding banter are available in the section 'Fascinating Song: Siy Paq!' on this website.

b-   We are ushering in the bride!

(Нысэ къыдошэ!; Nise qidoshe!)

c-  ‘The wedding is upon us…’

(Нысашэ къэхъуащ...; Nisashe qex’wasch…)

 6.  Comic & Satirical Songs

a-  The Song of the Yinariqwey Conflagration

(Инарыкъуей мафIэсым и уэрэд; Yinariqwey Maf’esim yi Wered)

7.  Traditional Songs 

a-  The Dance of the New Day Sunshine

(МахуэщIэ дыгъэпсым и къафэ; Maxwesch'e Dighepsim yi Qafe)

b-  Ancient Dance

(Къафэжь; Qafezch )

The words of the song are by Peitr Qezher (Къэжэр Петр; Kazharov), the music by Vladimir Bereghwn.

8.  Classical Songs & Arias

a-  Jeriymes’s Aria from Vladimir Mole’s opera Daxenaghwe

Albums by Vladimir Bereghwn: 

• ‘Adige Nart Pshinalhexer’ («Адыгэ Нарт Пшыналъэхэр»; ‘Circassian Nart Melodies’), Melodiya, 1987. [This set of records is perhaps the best collection of Nart songs and chants]
• ‘Kabardian Folk Songs’ (Кабардинские народные песни), Melodiya, 1977? [исполняют Владимир Барагунов, Л. Бекулов, И. Художников, К. Аталиков, Хор Радио И Телевидения Кабардино-Балкария, художественный руководитель: Борис Мизов. 1. Кавказ кьуршхэр; 2. Анзор и кьуэ; 3. Мартинэ; 4. Си Пакь; 5. ДжэгуакIуэ уэрэд; 6. Уэдобнэ джабэ / обр. В. Барагунова; 7. Ашэмэз и пшынальэ; 8. Сэнджэлей]
• .......
• .......

Books by Vladimir Breghwn: 

Bereghwn (Baragunov), V. H. and He’wpe, Zh., Narodnaya instrumentalnaya muzika adigov (cherkesov) [National Instrumental Music of the Circassians], Nalchik: El’-Fa, 2005. [600 pieces]

Bereghwn (Baragunov), V. H. and Qardenghwsch’ (Kardangushev), Z. P’. (compilers), АДЫГЭ УЭРЭДХЭМРЭ ПШЫНАЛЪЭХЭМРЭ, ЯПЭРЕЙ ТХЫЛЪ. Adige Weredxemre Pshinalhexemre, Yaperey Txilh. Narodnie pesni i instrumental’nie naigrishi adigov, tom 1 [Circassian Songs and Instrumental Folk-Tunes, Vol. 1], Moscow: All-Union Book Publishing House ‘Soviet Composer’, 1980. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.circassianlibrary.org/library.php?lang=en&mn=4&sbmn=1> (accessed 11 January 2009). [Edited by E. V. Gippius. This, and the other volumes in the series, are seminal works on Circassian musical lore. Some of the collected songs and chants are very ancient indeed]

— АДЫГЭ УЭРЭДХЭМРЭ ПШЫНАЛЪЭХЭМРЭ, ЕТIУАНЭРЕЙ ТХЫЛЪ. Adige Weredxemre Pshinalhexemre, Yet’wanerey Txilh. Narodnie pesni i instrumental’nie naigrishi adigov, tom 2 [Circassian Songs and Instrumental Folk-Tunes, Vol. 2], Moscow: All-Union Book Publishing House ‘Soviet Composer’, 1981.

— АДЫГЭ УЭРЭДХЭМРЭ ПШЫНАЛЪЭХЭМРЭ, ЕЩАНЭРЕЙ ТХЫЛЪ. Adige Weredxemre Pshinalhexemre, Yeschanerey Txilh. Narodnie pesni i instrumental’nie naigrishi adigov, tom 3 [Circassian Songs and Instrumental Folk-Tunes, Vol. 3, Parts 1 and 2], Moscow: All-Union Book Publishing House ‘Soviet Composer’, 1986, 1990.