Chuvash literature

Chuvash literature () — consists of literature written in the Chuvash language, regardless of the ethnic origin of the authors or the place of publication. This term applies to fictional works, but does not include folklore.

History
The Chuvash language is the only surviving member of the Oghur or Bulgar branch of the Turkic group of languages. Therefore, Chuvash literature begins with ancient Turkic literature.

The history of the Chuvash literature begins when texts in the Chuvash language first appear in historical sources. The oldest known Chuvash texts appear on the gravestones left by the Volga Bulgars in the 13th and 14th centuries in the Middle Volga region, during the reign of the Golden Horde. Most of the epitaphs on the tombstones were written in Oghur languages, of which Chuvash is the only extant member. However, these epitaphs cannot be considered full-fledged literary works. However, the Chuvash language of the Golden Horde is forever cemented in time. Sometimes in plain text, you can find a certain artistry. For example, in some instance there is plot development.

The ancient Turkic literature
Modern people have learned about ancient Turkic literature mainly by studying the monuments of ancient Turkic runic writing, Manichean writing and ancient Uyghur writing.

The role of Volga Bulgars culture in the Chuvash literature
Literature created in the Chuvash language dates back to medieval Oghur language. This is the principal value of the culture of the Chuvash Volga Bulgars in the literature. Aside from the aforementioned epitaphs, there are no surviving texts in the Oghur language. However, medieval translations of Oghur literature were completed, often based directly on the Oghur sources. Yaqub ibn Numan, who lived in the 11th century, authored the pseudo-historical work "History of Bulgar", but this work has not survived. Abu Hámid al-Garnáti  met with the ibn Numan and wrote a work based on "History of Bulgar". This work alludes to the animosity between the Bulgars and the Khazars, another ethnic group in Central Asia, as well as a narrative about how the Bulgars converted to Islam. Much of these historical events are presented by al-Garnáti in a mythologized form. He includes characters that are similar to characters in modern Chuvash folklore such as Ulyp, a giant and a legendary hero.

8th century - Early 19th century

Aside from the epitaphs of gravestones during the Golden Horde period (13th-14th centuries), more artistic texts in the Chuvash languages began to appear in the 18th century, with the emergence of the Chuvash alphabet. For example, one poem by an anonymous in 1767 praised Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia:
Пелмастапар абирь тя минь барас парня,
Сана, чиберь патша, пора-мырынь Ання,
Jоратнышан пире. Пелмаста мар хальчен
Тора, хужу сюльда. Пельзан и дах чечень.
Памалых сяванжен, нимень сjок чон анчах, —
Парня вырня полдар вулда аппинь санах!

Translation: We do not know what to give / You, beautiful queen, universal mother, for the love of us. Did not know until now / Goddess, which is in heaven. It turns out she is very elegant. / We have nothing significant except our souls - / May they be a gift to you!

More than 10 similar Chuvash poems, mostly with unknown authors, have been identified. One of them, witten in 1795 and dedicated to archbishop Ambrose, is usually attributed to Nikita Bichurin (1777-1853). E.I. Rozhanski (1741-1801), one of the founders of the original Chuvash alphabet, also wrote literature in Chuvash. For example, he translated "Short Catechezis" into the Chuvash language in 1800. This was the first book published in the Chuvash language. Another piece of Chuvash literature called "Chvash Aber Boldymyr", perhaps authored by V.I. Lebedev, dates to the same period (1852).

Late 19th century 
The current new Chuvash alphabet (based on the Russian alphabet) was created in the early 1870s by IY Yakovlev, a great educator and social activist. During these years, there were works in the Chuvash language using this new alphabet. The highest achievement of the Chuvash literature of this period may be a poem by Mikhail Fedorov "Arzuri" (1848-1904). It is written in 1884, spread among the population in the lists. It was published much later than the first time - in 1908. During these years, Ignatius Ivanov (1848-1885) also wrote works of literature. He is best known as the author of a cycle of short stories entitled "How to live Chuvash"
Some of his creations have been published in the primer by I. Ya. Yakovlev, alongside many other works of the Chuvash literature.

Bayonet 19th to 20th centuries (1886-1903 biennium) 
The formal (conditional) the starting point of this period can be considered 1986, when Ivan Yurkin (1863-1943) wrote his first short story, he began his literary career. He became a very large figure in the Chuvash culture and, in particular, in the realm of literature. Yurkin's major works of literature include "Wealth" and "The man is full, but his eyes were hungry", and he was also known as a journalist and an active defender of the traditional religion of the Chuvash, that is, he was its apologist.

Chuvash literature of the 20th century 
See also :Category:Chuvash writers

References

Literature 
 «Чăваш литературин антологийĕ», составители: Д. В. Гордеев, Ю. А. Силэм. Шупашкар, 2003.  .
 Виталий Родионов, «Чăваш литератури. XVIII—XIX ĕмĕрсем», Чебоксары, 2006. .
 Юхма Мишши, "Авалхи чăвашсем, Чебоксары, 1996.

External links 
 История развития чувашской литературы/ The history of the Chuvash literature
 Культурное наследие Чувашии. Писатели/ Cultural heritage Chuvashia. Writers

Category:Chuvashia
Category:European literature