The Structure and the Music of the Circassian (Adyghes) Funeral Rite “Psyheg’e” (“Lamentation under Water”)
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Abstract
The article is devoted to a special Circassian (Adyghe) ceremonial rite, the “Psyheg’e” (the “Lamentation under
Water”), dealing with the search for the soul of the deceased. It presents the most typical and representative for the
Circassian (Adyghe) instrumental tradition, where one of the chief functions is played by the historical musical
instrument, the kamyl. The instrument was endowed with sacred power, possessing divine origin and interlaying the
boundary between the human primary ancestors and deities. The authors accentuate within the rite a triad: the subject
(the instrumental tune) – the recipient (the protector or deity) – the object (the person with whom the misfortune
occurred). The interaction of the indicated components stipulated the structure of the rite as a peculiar system, which
is examined in the article. All three of its levels have been accentuated – A – kamyl’apsha, who performs the ritual
melody of addressing, B – the protector of the rite, the goddess of the waters of Psyho-Guasha and the god of the
soul Psat’ha, C – the drowned man for whose sake the protecting goddess is add ressed.
The ritualistic tune “Psyheg’e” possesses a set of archaic peculiarities connected by a compositional structure
and manner of performance. It is based on movable intonational stereotypes with a reliance on the sacred and imagebearing
mono-programmatic qualities. No less important a role is played by the mono-formula type of instrumental
variant development.
The attempt of reconstruction of the structure of the rite “Psyheg’e” has been undertaken for the first time. In its
analysis the interaction of myth, music and the word is traced out.
Keywords: musical folklore of the Circassians (Adyghes), “Psyheg’e,” the ceremonial rite of search for the soul of
the deceased, “Lamentation under Water,” kamyl.
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