Фолклорни парaлeли между грузинците и южните славяни
Folklore Parallels between Georgian and South Slavic Cultures

Summary/Abstract: The article studies the parallels between Georgian and South Slavic musical folklore. The comparative analysis is concentrated on the characteristics of the vocal polyphony: 1) the bourdon polyphony. 2) the vertical coordination of voices, 3) the so-called dissonant harmony, 4) functional systems, 5) modulations. Moreover, the author studies the parallels between some musical ritual complexes. The parallels between the musical language, the ritual performance and the terminology of the prayers for rain on Saint Lasar’s Day in Georgia and the spring maiden rites in the Balkans are thoroughly analysed – the Saint Lasar’s Day rites, on the one hand, and the prayers for rain, on the other. The author’s conclusions go far beyond the description of the rites themselves: the melody type of the Balkan and the Georgian ritual songs studied in the article is exemplary for an important number of woman’s ritual songs related to the fertility theme. The conclusions concerning the relations between the Georgian musical tradition and the most ancient strata of the Balkan musical culture are further proved by anthropological data, certifying that in Balkan regions with flourishing polyphonic vocal tradition there are some well conserved strata of ancient substratum population. It is generally related to the most ancient autochthonous population on the Balkan peninsula which has, on the other hand, a genetic relationship with the most ancient population in Caucasus. That genetic relationship could serve as a base for further investigations of the musical and ethnographical parallels between the two cultures leading to principally new important conclusions.

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