A LOOK AT FOLKLORE IN THE PRESS OF THE NATIONAL AWAKENING PERIOD: THE POSITION OF THE "EKINCHI" NEWSPAPER

Abstract

The newspaper “Ekinchi” (1875–1877) was the first example of our national press, and played an important role in the protection and promotion of folklore. Published based on the enlightening views of Hasan bey Zardabi, the newspaper pre-sented the spiritual heritage of the people – epics, fairy tales, anecdotes, bayati, folk songs and proverbs – indirectly, despite censorship and the limited possibilities of the time. The mention of examples such as the epic “Koroglu”, the stories of Rustam Zal, and the anecdotes of Molla Nasreddin in the newspaper awakened the memory of readers and strengthened their sense of national identity. The examples of bayati and boyati sent by readers reflected traditions such as folk help and social solidarity. Although Zardabi sometimes criticized songs with poor artistic quality, he emp-hasized the power of folklore to unite and educate the people. In just 57 issues of "Ekinchi", about a hundred proverbs and sayings were published, through which the values of science, unity, morality and hard work were promoted. Thus, "Ekinchi" created an important stage for folklore studies in the 19th century Azerbaijani press, presenting folklore not only as a subject, but also as a means of expressing and transmitting national and spiritual values.