Ritual and extemporaneous incantations of dzheguako
in the context of the ceremonial culture of Adyghes
(within the scope of corpus research of the Adyghe language)

The collaborative team of the authors of the Adyghe State University created a folklore
subcorpus of the Adyghe linguistic corpus, comprising more than 3000 words and word
combinations drawn from archival sources and expeditionary materials recorded in the
Republic of Adyghea and among the Circassians of Turkey. The Adyghe ritual incantations
used in various ritual situations, weddings, and clan and family festivals, have been compiled
into a separate collection. Here we consider two poetic forms of musically intoned and non-
toned genres of the ritual folklore of the Adyghes: dzhegoklo tepch”ekher “ritual incantations
of dzheguako” and dzheguako kladzhekher “extemporaneous invocation of dzheguako.” The
formulas of ritual incantations are found to feature at least five thematic clichés. The
invocations are systematized according to several criteria: by the addressee, semantic content,
and structure (verbal and musical) by the concordance with the folk tune. The paper describes
the subethnic differences in using invocations and their names. The semantic and construction
formulas are identified, allowing non-intonated and musical-poetic exclamations to be
transmitted to a new generation. The materials of the folklore sub-corpus of the linguistic
corpus of the Adyghe language allowed new terms and concepts to be introduced into folklore
studies: tepch”ekher “ritual incantation, ritual appeal to participants of the ceremony”;
kladzhekher “improvisational invocations and appeals”; kledzheguakh’ “final coda of wedding
ceremony”; k1ekuuakh’ (Bzhedughe, literally: “accompany with shouts”) “short rhythmic
verbal cues, humorous remarks.” High ideals of traditional culture, especially the etiquette
norms of interaction in the society, manifest themselves through dzhegoklo tepch”ekher and
kladzhekher.