| Description |
Traditions of telling humorous and satirical stories about Khoja Nasreddin - a folklore character of the peoples of the Muslim East. Khoja Nasreddin is a collective image devoid of spatial and temporal boundaries. He is a connecting link in a chain of cultural phenomena that are far from each other; in the end, he constitutes a single cultural layer. The first appearance of anecdotes about Khoja Nasreddin dates back to the 10th century.
The literary character of Nasreddin is eclectic and combines in himself the image of a sage and a simpleton at the same time, an internally contradictory image of an antihero, a vagabond, a free-thinker, a rebel, a fool, a holy fool, a sly man, a rogue and even a cynical philosopher, a subtle scientist-theologian and a Sufi. He makes fun of human vices, misers, bigots, hypocrites, bribe judges, etc. |
| Social and cultural significance |
Khoja Nasreddin is character who appears in thousands of witty stories, sometimes wise, even philosophical, and sometimes such, in which he himself appears as an object for ridicule. In these stories, Khoja Nasreddin interacts with people from different spheres of life: kings, merchants, beggars, clergy. Among different peoples, it is known under different names: Khoja Nasreddin, Nasreddin-effendi, Nasarat, Mulla Nasreddin, Moshfeki. Arabs call the hero of such stories Jukha.
Apparently, the image of Khoja Nasreddin is based on a similar image of the aforementioned Juha. In the X-XI centuries, the number of his references in various sources in Arabic, Persian and Turkic is increasing.
However, in most of the humorous stories cited in this essay, the hero remains anonymous, and their plots resemble stories about Hodge Nasreddin. The tradition of stories about Hodge Nasreddin, apparently, is the result of the merger of various buildings of witty stories that were created over the centuries on the territory of a whole region.
Jokes and stories with the participation of this hero are also very popular in Uzbekistan. Films were shot, performances were staged, especially the image of Hodge Nasriddin created in the Bukhara Drama Theater. There is also a monument to him and his donkey on the banks of Labi Havuz. The significance of Nasriddin's humor and satire has grown lately due to the openness of society. Television and radio are also working to promote image and humor. It is also widely used by some shows of the group in their performances. |
| Transmission method |
The element is an integral part not only of Uzbek folklore, but also of other peoples of the East. Witty anecdotes, humorous and sometimes satirical short stories are passed from generation to generation. Also, Khoja Nasriddin is a hero of cartoons, films, performances. Particularly noteworthy is the image of this wit, created in the Bukhara Drama Theater. The topic is specially studied in educational institutions of the philological direction, specialized research institutes. Books for children, special literature are published. |
| Community |
Families, kindergartens, schools, hobby groups in culture centers, philological universities, the Institute of the Uzbek language, literature and folklore, theaters |
| Type of UNESCO List |
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List |
2022 |
