The Aytis Genre in Karakalpak Folkloristics: Its Types and Classification

The article examines aytıs, one of the best-developed genres of Karakalpak oral creativity,from the standpoint of folkloristics. It analyses scholarly definitions of the term, the place of thegenre in folklore and written literature, its internal types (the aytıs of sheshens, or orators; the girlboyaytıs, also called juwap; and the aytıs of poets) and the classificatory features of each. Thethree kinds of juwap (simple juwap, juwap of permission and aytıs juwap) are described, and theaytıs of poets is illustrated with well-documented examples: Ájiniyaz and Qız Meńesh, Berdaq andÓtesh, Qulımbet and Ábiwbákir, and Sadıq and Ram. The article also shows the improvisationalnature of aytıs, its dependence on a particular situation and its change in response to the demandsof the age. Its results may be used in preparing teaching and methodological literature infolkloristics and in teaching the aytıs genre in higher education.