FOLK LAUGHTER IN SEYID AZIM SHIRVANI’S STORIES: THE IMAGE OF MOLLA NASREDDIN

Abstract

In the second half of the 19th century the process of renewal that took place in Azerbaijani social and artistic thought gained broader scope in the personality and creative work of Seyid Azim Shirvani.The creative style and distinctive personal manner of this prominent artist constitute a special stage in the history of our literature.The uniqueness of Seyid Azim Shirvani’s creative work lies in his ability to keep pace with the demands of his era, respond to the wishes and aspirations of the people, artistically express ideas that could not be stated openly and draw upon folklore, particularly folk anecdotes.The folk anecdotes that occupy a prominent place in the stories of the distinguished writer, especially the embodiment of the literary image of Molla Nasreddin, further enhance the impact and expressive power of these narratives.The manifestation of the image of Molla Nasreddin in the stories, and their resemblance to anecdotes associated with him, appears in two forms:

I Examples that recall Molla Nasreddin anecdoteswith only minor changes made to the plot: “The story of the muezzin”, “The arab and the She-Camel”, “The qazvinian”, “The poet and the wealthy man”, “A shorttale”, “The painter (ornamenter)”, “The governor of hamadan” and others.

II Consequently, examples that contain Molla Nasreddin anecdotes and, in a certain sense, resemble their content: “The Incident of the “hammal” (the Porter)”, “The Cross-eyed story”, “The Barber and the hodja”, “The Shah and the elegant one”, “The Traveler and the miser”, “A short tale” and other.

Life stories filled with contradictions and real events, viewed through a Molla Nasreddin like perspective have always guided the beloved artist’s creativity and made him even more cherished by the people. His agreement with the famous anecdotal hero Molla Nasreddin, sharing the same way of thinking, was evident not only in his creative work but also in real life. Because Seyid Azim Shirvani was greatly loved and gained fame among his people as the last poet of the old world and the first poet of the new.