Time passed, and the old wounds slowly healed, You endured much oppression, many pains concealed. Every inch of your soil now has flower-beds revealed, May you ever bloom and prosper, garden and meadow blessed, My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!
Your snowy peaks embraced the sunlight’s gentle ray, Because of you, Fitrat and Cholpon’s names were cleared today, Hearts have found where dreams and hopes can once again stay. You are the balm for aching hearts, the cure for all distress, My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!
Your fields drank not water, but my nation’s blood, I deem, My people, in dark times, lived in sorrow’s endless stream. My people, who in hope, awaited freedom’s dream. Oh, my motherland, may your head be safe, hard as stone, My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!
May your harvest overflow, your blessings never cease, I would use your sacred herbs to grant my eyesight peace. I’d kiss your cheek to honor you, but you have no cheek’s release. May your name be a great epic, in every tongue increased, My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!
Your brave, courageous son stands with a mountain’s might, His loyalty to you is an oath of solemn height. Blessed indeed is he who’s born within your light. Stay safe forever, oh you ancient Land of Turan, My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!
Not for nothing are you called the Motherland so dear, I lived all these years, your sorrows mine to bear. I’ve not thanked you enough for your bread and salt to share. Please forgive my faults, whether they were wrong or right, My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!
Behold today, this wondrous, radiant day has come, The glorious day your independence was won. Congratulations on this blessed, triumphant one! Live for millennia, my free and blooming Gulistan, My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!
Travel is a multidimensional experience with profound implications for personality development, cognitive flexibility, and worldview formation. From a linguistic perspective, travel exposes individuals to new languages, dialects, and communicative practices, fostering metalinguistic awareness, intercultural competence, and adaptive personality traits. This article examines how immersive travel experiences influence cognitive schemas, pragmatic understanding, and cross-cultural perceptions, arguing that language acts as a central mediator in the interplay between culture, cognition, and personality. Drawing upon research in sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and intercultural communication, this study demonstrates that travel is a transformative mechanism that reshapes individuals’ perspectives on both themselves and the world.
The relationship between language, thought, and culture has long been a focal point in linguistic and cognitive research. Travel, defined as intentional movement across geographical, cultural, and linguistic boundaries, provides a rich context for investigating this interplay. While psychology emphasizes the role of travel in shaping traits such as openness, resilience, and empathy (McCrae & Costa, 1997), linguistics and sociocultural research underscore its role in enhancing communicative competence, pragmatic awareness, and intercultural understanding (Kramsch, 1998; Byram, 1997).
Travelers encounter novel linguistic environments, requiring them to negotiate meaning, interpret nonverbal cues, and adapt communication strategies. These experiences contribute to both personality growth and worldview expansion. From a linguistic perspective, travel is not simply exposure to foreign words; it is a dynamic process of cultural and cognitive engagement.
Language is the primary tool through which travelers interact with new environments. Exposure to foreign languages and dialects enhances linguistic competence, promotes cognitive flexibility, and fosters metalinguistic awareness. According to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, cognitive development is inseparable from social interaction (Vygotsky, 1978). In the context of travel, authentic interactions with native speakers provide opportunities for language learning, problem-solving, and perspective-taking.
Research in psycholinguistics shows that multilingual exposure enhances executive functioning and mental adaptability (Bialystok, 2011). For example, a traveler navigating daily life in a country with multiple regional dialects must constantly adjust vocabulary, intonation, and register to communicate effectively. This process not only improves linguistic skill but also fosters patience, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to interpret ambiguous situations, qualities closely linked to personality development.
Encountering diverse dialects and registers cultivates sociolinguistic sensitivity. Labov (2001) emphasizes that exposure to dialectal variation promotes metalinguistic reflection, enabling individuals to analyze how language reflects social norms, identity, and power structures. Consider a traveler in Italy who interacts with speakers of Sicilian, Neapolitan, and standard Italian. Successfully navigating these variations requires not only linguistic skill but also social awareness and adaptive communication strategies, strengthening personality traits such as resilience and social intelligence.
Travel often catalyzes personality growth by placing individuals in unfamiliar and challenging environments. Psychologists have identified several traits, openness to experience, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and tolerance for ambiguity, that are particularly influenced by cross-cultural exposure (McCrae & Costa, 1997; Leung et al., 2008).
Immersion in new cultures encourages curiosity, a willingness to explore, and receptiveness to novel ideas. Travelers who engage with local languages, cuisine, customs, and social norms develop an expansive perspective on human diversity. Linguistic encounters, such as negotiating meaning in a foreign market or interpreting idiomatic expressions, enhance cognitive engagement and stimulate reflective thinking.
Language mediates emotional understanding. Cross-cultural interactions require travelers to interpret tone, context, and cultural conventions accurately. Misunderstandings, while sometimes humorous, also develop patience, perspective-taking, and empathy. For instance, a traveler in Japan may learn to recognize the subtle politeness levels embedded in language, fostering sensitivity to social hierarchies and emotional nuance.
Travel inherently involves challenges, navigating unfamiliar public transport, misunderstanding local signage, or negotiating social norms. These experiences cultivate resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Linguistic engagement acts as a cognitive scaffolding in these situations: translating meaning, interpreting idioms, and negotiating interactions all contribute to flexible thinking and self-efficacy.
Byram (1997) introduces the concept of intercultural communicative competence (ICC), emphasizing the ability to interpret, negotiate, and act appropriately across cultures. Travel provides a practical laboratory for developing ICC, requiring travelers to decode cultural norms embedded in language, gestures, and social context.
Consider a traveler in Morocco learning Darija Arabic. Beyond vocabulary acquisition, understanding the pragmatic use of honorifics, polite requests, and indirect speech illuminates local social hierarchies and values. Through these linguistic engagements, travelers internalize cultural patterns, which influence their worldview and ethical perceptions.
Interpreting speech acts in unfamiliar contexts fosters perspective-taking. A traveler who misinterprets a joke in another language and seeks clarification develops metacognitive awareness of cultural relativity. Over time, repeated exposure to such situations broadens the traveler’s understanding of moral, social, and communicative diversity.
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, or linguistic relativity, posits that language shapes thought and perception (Whorf, 1956). Travelers immersed in multilingual environments often report shifts in perception and cognition. For example, the use of gender-neutral pronouns in Swedish may influence one’s conceptualization of gender roles, while the nuanced expressions of respect in Japanese may alter perceptions of hierarchy and politeness.
Experiences with foreign languages can restructure cognitive schemas. For instance, mastering tonal distinctions in Mandarin Chinese requires heightened auditory attention and phonological awareness, which may enhance overall cognitive processing. Similarly, exposure to languages with distinct syntactic structures, such as German or Turkish, encourages alternative problem-solving approaches and abstract reasoning.
Travel influences not only external worldviews but also internal self-concept. Linguistic immersion and intercultural encounters provide opportunities for self-reflection and identity reconstruction.
When travelers engage with unfamiliar languages and cultural norms, they often confront assumptions about their own beliefs and values. This reflective process contributes to a more nuanced self-concept, increased tolerance for diversity, and openness to alternative perspectives.
Long-term travel or study-abroad programs provide intense linguistic and cultural exposure, often resulting in transformative personality changes. Research by Paige et al. (2004) indicates that immersive experiences enhance global-mindedness, cross-cultural empathy, and adaptability, core traits associated with mature personality development.
Understanding the relationship between travel, language, and personality has significant implications for educational programs, language learning, and global competence development.
Travel represents a powerful mechanism for shaping personality, worldview, and cognitive flexibility. Linguistic exposure during travel enhances communicative competence, fosters metalinguistic awareness, and encourages pragmatic sensitivity. Cognitive, emotional, and social skills are simultaneously cultivated, contributing to resilience, empathy, and openness. From a linguistic perspective, language is both the medium and the catalyst of transformative travel experiences. By navigating new linguistic and cultural landscapes, individuals reconstruct their cognitive schemas, expand their moral and social understanding, and develop enriched worldviews. Future research should employ longitudinal and cross-cultural studies to examine the enduring effects of travel on personality, cognitive processes, and intercultural competence.
References
Bialystok, E. (2011). Reshaping the mind: The benefits of bilingualism. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65(4), 229–235.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Multilingual Matters.
Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and Culture. Oxford University Press.
Labov, W. (2001). Principles of Linguistic Change: Social Factors. Blackwell.
Leung, A. K.-Y., Maddux, W. W., Galinsky, A. D., & Chiu, C.-Y. (2008). Multicultural experience enhances creativity: The when and how. American Psychologist, 63(3), 169–181.
pencilling notes on a lung black cigarette packet-
our Winston, wronged for a woman and sin
rewrote history on scrolls thought down tubes
that came to him
in the Ministry of Truth Of Fools
where conscience learns to lie within.
not like today
the smug-sly haves say and look away
so sure
there’s nothing wrong with wanting more,
or drown their sorrows
downing bootleg gin
knowing tomorrows
truth is paper thin
.
at home
in sensory
perception
with tapped and tracked phone
the Thought Police arrest me
in the corridors of affection-
where dictators wear, red then blue, reversible coats
in collapsing houses, all self-made
and self-paid
smarmy scrotes-
now the Round Table
of real red politics
is only fable
on the pyre of ghostly heretics.
they are rubbing out
all the contusions
and solitary doubt,
with confusions
and illusions
through wired media
defined in their secret encyclopaedia-
where summit and boardroom and conclave
engineer us from birth to grave.
like the birds,
i will have to eat
the firethorn
berries that ripen but sleep
to keep
the words
of revolution
alive and warm
this winter, with resolution
gathering us, to its lantern in the bleak,
to be reborn and speak.
THE PORTAL IN THE WOODS
Seeing somnambulist sunrise
Through open window
Touch your face
After love rides
On moon tides
In ebb and flow
At tantric pace-
Love resides
Tasted
No asides
Wasted
Spices of the flesh
Soaking rooms in Marrakesh
How I ate your truffle in Zanzibar
While you smoked my long cigar.
Back home-
Tribes of bloods
And druids roam
Seeking out the overgrown
Portal in the woods
Where we hondfast
In this present of the past
Dance chanting
In stone bone circles
Like ooparts
Practicing
Magical arts
Settling
What chaos hurtles-
Reconnecting rhythms
In living and dead
To those algorithms
In nature’s head.
We are rustic-
Romantic
In land and sky
The air fire water
To warriors who slaughter
If Us or Them must die.
We wake
For clambake
Pleasure
In a cauldron lake
Of limbs together
Then cut sods of peat
From the bog under our feet
Exposing the pasts
That never last.
CUBIST GHETTOS
I think
To shrink
The distance
Of resistance
Inside self
To all else-
Knowing
Showing
Vulnerability
In the mystery
Leaves what is closed
Openly exposed-
To explanation
Under examination
When there isn’t one
That hasn’t gone
Until roof floor and sky door
Are no more-
Only roulette rubbles
Of drone troubles
Imprisoning
Reasoning
In cubist ghettos
Wearing jazz stilettos-
Flashing flamingo legs
To pink paradise Harlem heads
While new trees grow up mute
And ripen with strange fruit
Some whites too this time
A drowned boy, me and mine.
THE HEAD IN HIS FEDORA HAT
a lonely man,
cigarette,
rain
and music
is a poem
moving,
not knowing-
a caravan,
whose journey does not expect
to go back
and explain
how everyone’s ruts
have the same
blood and vein.
the head in his fedora hat
bows to no one’s grip,
brim tilted into the borderless
plain
so his outlaw wit
can confess
and remain
a storyteller,
that hobo fella
listening like a barfly
for a while
and slow-winged butterfly
whose smile
they can’t close the shutters on
or stop talking about
when he walks out
and is gone.
whisky and tequila
and a woman, who loves to feel ya
inside
and outside
her
when ya move
and live as one,
brings you closer
in simplistic
unmaterialistic
grooved
muse Babylon.
this is so,
when he stands with hopes head,
arms and legs
all aflow
in her Galadriel glow
with mithril breath kisses
condensing sensed wishes
of reality and dream
felt and seen
under that
fedora hat
inhaling smoke
as he sang and spoke
stranger fella
storyteller.
Strider Marcus Jones – is a poet, law graduate and former civil servant from Salford, England with proud Celtic roots in Ireland and Wales. He is the editor and publisher of Lothlorien Poetry Journal https://lothlorienpoetryjournal.blogspot.com/. A member of The Poetry Society, nominated for the Pushcart Prize x4 and Best of the Net x3, his five published books of poetry https://stridermarcusjonespoetry.wordpress.com/ reveal a maverick, moving between cities, playing his saxophone in smoky rooms.
“GO HOME!” I heard shouted by a biker as he sped past. I was bewildered. I was north of Chicago, visiting the continental Bahá’í House of Worship for North America in Wilmette, Illinois. Located on a ridge of land beside Lake Michigan, it can be seen from some distance. With its ribbed dome rising over the tree tops, it is a distinctive feature of the North Shore. It is a unique structure which attracts visitors from all over the world. All are welcome.
It is my spiritual home and has been for over half a century. I was not raised Bahá’í, no one is automatically Bahá’í. That is a choice each person must make for themselves. It was my choice as a young man out of high school on my own. I had been raised in a conventional Christian church in an unconventional family. My father’s mother was devout, so much so that, living on the farm next to ours, she began to come to our place every Sunday morning as soon as I was old enough to go, and would take me to Sunday School, then the church service afterwards. I was too young to put on my own pants, Dad had to hold them for me to step into, so I may have been just two or three. The sermons were long and boring, so Granma entertained me with quiet games. I eventually learned to sit still. As more children came into the family, they were added in the car too. Sunday mornings were the only times our parents had alone.
Granma taught Sunday School while we attended our classes. She had been a founding member of the church. Actually, I should say, her husband, son and brothers had been founding members, women were not allowed to vote or serve on the church board. Granma was one of the most active members of that church, yet she regretted that never once in her ninety-seven years of life had she been elected to head any of the many organizations or committees she belonged to there. She belonged to lots of community neighborhood organizations and had been elected president of them all at one time or another, more often than once, but not at her church.
Even though I was recruited for the ministry, I had my own reasons for finding another spiritual home. I never accepted the idea that everyone other than members of that church were going to Hell. I always thought God was bigger than that. Bahá’í scriptures teach that the Creator of the Universe (God) has provided Messengers/Saviors to all peoples, so none is left out. No one is condemned due to geography or time of birth. When I found the Bahá’í Faith, I embraced it immediately.
The Bahá’í Faith is as different from the belief system of that church, as the church building is from a Bahá’í House of Worship. For one thing, in a Bahá’í House of Worship, no preaching or weddings or funerals are undertaken. There is nothing in the edifice to separate people: no images, items or symbols – there are none at all. In this one, but not all, there are some brief quotations from Bahá’í scriptures around the top of the walls, in English because that is the dominant language in North America. No rituals or ceremonies are performed in this house of worship, because Bahá’ís have none to perform. With none of that, there is no altar to perform in front of. Likewise, there is no pulpit for preaching, because preaching is forbidden, as is collection of money. With no rituals, ceremonies or preaching, there is no clergy, no priest to perform these actions. There are brief worship services consisting of readings from the world’s religious scriptures, not just Bahá’í. There is no commentary on the scripture. The purpose of the building is for meditation and prayer. Though it is five hundred miles from my home, I try to go once a year just to keep in touch. There are few of them around the world because more effort, and money, has gone into providing schools in places where governments can’t. There are close to a thousand of them.
Not only is the building open to the public, but Bahá’ís consider each House of Worship they build as a gift to mankind. These structures are places where people can take a break from the world around them and pray and meditate. Anyone may enter as long as they are quietly respectful of others. It is a peaceful, quiet place for meditation and prayer for each soul.
Bahá’ís have erected Houses of Worship on each continent and more are being built. All are similar with no distractions for the worshiper, yet each is very different regarding the style of its construction. Some, in tropical climates, are open to the air. All reflect in some way the culture in which they are built. The one in New Delhi, India is in the form of a lotus blossom, often referred to as the Lotus Temple, and has been used by others to represent the entire country.
Gardens surround the nine-sided buildings (they all have nine sides, in a circular shape, that is the major architectural requirement). The gardens serve as a transition space before entering for worship. In Wilmette, a circling bench is a feature of each of the nine gardens. One does not have to go inside to pray. Each garden has a fountain in a pool to help mask surrounding noises, but they cannot obscure them all. Some of these gardens are next to a major street that nearly encircles the structure. I was in one of those gardens when a motorcycle passed by and words were shouted into the air.
“BAHÁ’ÍS GO HOME!”
The biker had rapidly passed before I could process the words. They were not words I had expected to hear. I had actually never heard them before in my presence. Then I reflected.
‘Yes, in a few days I’ll be going home, back to Kansas, but I’m sure that’s not what he meant. I could conceivably ‘go home’ to the home of my ancestors. Several came from Germany, some came from Ireland, but one of those was really Scottish, yet there are others. But part of me IS home! My Native American ancestry IS home!’
That led to a new train of thought.
‘You sir, are more likely the invader. My Native people have been here since some last ice age. Your people may well have come since then; why don’t YOU go ‘home?’
Of course, I couldn’t say any of it, and what would have been the point if I had?
Is this a slight bit of the rejection my German ancestors felt when they settled in the part of Kansas where I grew up and now live, when they tried to build a new life here in the 1860s? They were resented because they tried to make a living by the way they knew from home – making apple cider. They made two kinds: hard and soft. It was the hard cider that was objectionable, associated with drunkeness and unseemly behavior. I don’t know what all else.
After a century here, my family is well respected here (someone must have liked the cider), so this rejection was a bit startling and slightly amusing. He drove on past with no more than venting whatever he needed to express.
I thought what an impossibility it is to send people “home” when our only true “home” is planet Earth – and we are ALL home, wherever on Earth we happen to live. And, some people have little choice where that may be.
The shouter undoubtedly assumed that members of the Bahá’í Faith had come to this country from somewhere else, when that’s only partially true. The first Bahá’ís in America were born here before they knew of the religion. In fact, most Bahá’ís at this time in every country are people who were born there and learned about the religion, then adopted it as adults. The shouter was unaware that one is not born a Bahá’í. A person can be born into a Bahá’í family, with Bahá’í parents, but to be a member of the Bahá’í community must be a conscious choice sometime later in life, usually after age fifteen. One can’t make that decision for anyone else. Parents can’t make that decision for their children.
The Bahá’í Faith is based on the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, a member of nineteenth century Persian aristocracy who spent the last forty years of His life as an exile and prisoner due to His teaching such things as there being a Messenger of God after Muhammad, the equality of women and men, and that the human race is one race. He gained nothing for His efforts. He lost all of his possessions and all worldly status. His entire family were prisoners and two sons died under those conditions. He gained nothing and lost everything, but He did not give up.
Today, millions of people around the planet read and study His words and use them to improve their lives, their families and their communities. They are demonstrating His teachings that: “The earth is one country, and mankind its citizens.” The human race is at “home” on planet Earth. We are ALL home; we ALL belong HERE, on Earth!
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LEGENDS IN FOLK THOUGHT AND WORLD VIEW
Rahmonkulova Gulsevar Samidovna
1st year student of the Faculty of Uzbek Language and Literature of the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi
Annotation. This article analyzes the role and significance of legends and legends in folk thought and worldview. The scientific basis of the fact that these genres of folk oral art have played an incomparable role in shaping people’s views on nature, society, goodness and evil, life and death is highlighted. Also, the figurative expression of folk thought, philosophical layers in the relationship between nature and man, artistic interpretation of values such as selflessness, faith, love and goodness are analyzed in the examples of the Kashkadarya oasis “Legend of the Creation of Kashkadarya” and “Legend of the Girl Kashka”. This establishes the role of myths and legends in the formation of national historical memory, understanding of spiritual identity, and national worldview.
Keywords: Folk oral art, myth, legend, folk thought, worldview, Kashkadarya, faith, devotion, historical memory, national values.
Folk oral creativity is one of the oldest and most natural forms of human thought. The history, spirituality, life experience, aspirations, religious and moral views, and ways of perceiving the world of every nation are primarily embodied in samples of oral creativity. In particular, myths and legends are genres that hold incomparable importance in the formation of folk thinking and in expressing its worldview. They have served to help humans understand the world, explain natural phenomena, and express attitudes toward concepts such as life and death, good and evil, loyalty and selflessness. In this regard, myths and legends are not only products of artistic thinking but also unique sources that embody the nation’s social, spiritual, and philosophical worldview.
Numerous examples among myths and legends clearly demonstrate how deep and figurative folk thinking is. For instance, ancient myths and legends related to the Kashkadarya oasis are vivid examples of such folk thinking. In the “Legend about the Creation of Kashkadarya,” the emergence of water is depicted as a source of life, embodying the people’s desire to live in harmony with nature and their religious views. According to the legend, in ancient times, the Kashkadarya region consisted of vast deserts and dry plains, where life was full of suffering due to the lack of water. At that time, a kind old saint living among the mountains, seeing the plight of the people, prays to God for mercy, and by God’s grace, a powerful spring bursts forth from the earth’s bosom. This spring flows through the valley, restoring life. The people call this water “kashka,” meaning white, clear water, and name it the Kashka River. Based on this event, the entire region is called Kashkadarya.
This legend reveals important aspects of folk thinking. First, natural phenomena are linked to divine power. That is, in the folk worldview, water is perceived as God’s mercy and a source of life. Second, the legend expresses the people’s sense of goodness and gratitude: people regard the appearance of water as God’s mercy and treat it with respect. Third, the metaphorical (symbolic) form of folk thinking is clearly evident in the legend: the word “kashka” signifies not just the whiteness of the water but its purity and life-giving quality. This demonstrates the artistic and semantic richness of the folk language and the ability to express deep meaning through words.
In folk legends, along with artistic fabrication, moral and educational ideas are strongly expressed. The “Legend about the Origin of the Name Kashkadarya” is one such example. Through the image of a beautiful and selfless girl named Kashka, it highly expresses the people’s spiritual values, humanity, selflessness, patriotism, and ideas of love and kindness. According to the legend, drought engulfs the land, all springs dry up, and people are left in despair. At that time, Kashka girl does not abandon her people and sacrifices her life to provide water for the homeland. She prays to God to save the people, saying, “Take my life, but let water flow here.” As a result, a river bursts forth from the earth’s bosom, but the girl herself merges into that river. For this reason, the people begin to call the river Kashka River and the region Kashkadarya.
This legend embodies several layers of folk thinking. First of all, it shows the people’s affection for nature and their perception of water as a symbol of life. At the same time, the legend sanctifies the image of a woman, her selflessness, and placing the people’s interests above her own life, which are important virtues in the Uzbek people’s spiritual worldview. Through the symbol of Kashka girl, the people have embodied concepts such as “selflessness,” “loyalty,” and “goodness.” Thus, in folk legends, one can see the people’s moral ideals through artistic images.
In both of these examples, we see that folk thinking is formed based on metaphorical expression, religious views, and social values. Myths and legends are historical sources that preserve various layers of the folk worldview from different periods. Through them, we learn how ancient people perceived the world, what beliefs they held, and how they understood life. In this sense, myths and legends are the people’s “oral philosophy.” They appeared before written sources but preserve deep philosophical content within them. For example, in many Uzbek myths, natural elements like water, trees, mountains, sun, and moon are depicted as symbols of vital force, blessing, and purity. This shows that folk thinking was formed in harmony with nature.
Furthermore, myths and legends express universal values such as the struggle between good and evil, the connection between humans and nature, labor, patience, and selflessness. For instance, in legends about “Koksaroy Spring” or “Aral Sea,” there lies a philosophical content warning about disasters resulting from human indifference or greed toward nature. This reveals the moral-didactic nature of folk thinking. Through their oral creativity, the people have taught lessons to generations, shaping feelings of goodness, patience, love, and respect for nature in their minds.
Another important aspect of myths and legends is that they serve as a means of preserving historical memory. Behind every legend stands a specific historical event or person. By expressing them in artistic form, the people have strived not to forget their history. For example, legends like “Bibi Seshanba,” “Girls’ Fortress,” “Chortoq Water” are connected to events in folk memory, religious beliefs, or ancient customs. All of them hold an important place in preserving folk thinking as social memory.
In today’s folklore studies, myths and legends are studied not only as artistic heritage but also as a source for researching “national identity (selfhood).” Because these genres are a unique model of folk thinking, expressing the people’s attitude toward their history, nature, and human values. By analyzing them, the people’s ancient philosophical worldview, social ideals, and aesthetic views are restored. For example, through the legend about the Kashka girl, we understand that the people depicted women not only as beauty but also as a source of life, a symbol of love and selflessness. This, in turn, shows the ancient respect of the Uzbek people for women and their sacred place in society.
In conclusion, myths and legends are one of the oldest sources expressing the historical layers of folk thinking, religious and spiritual worldview. They illuminate the stages of humanity’s artistic perception of the world and embody the people’s inner spiritual world, aspirations, beliefs, and views on life. Myths and legends are also highly valuable for modern humans because they remind us of the Uzbek people’s spiritual roots, living in harmony with nature, and values such as selflessness, goodness, and devotion to faith. Thus, myths and legends are a living bridge of folk thinking continuously extending from the past to the future.
References:
Jo‘rayev M., Saidova R. (2002). Bukhara Legends. A. Qodiriy National Heritage.
Imomov K. (1989). Myth. Essays on Uzbek Folklore. Volume II. Fan.
Uzbek Folk Myths. Uzbek Myths, Wisdoms, Legends. Ten-volume set. Volume 3. A. Qodiriy National Heritage.
Razzoqov H., Mirzayev T., Sobirov O., Imomov K. Myths and Legends.
Uzbek Folk Oral Poetic Creativity. Textbook. – T: O‘qituvchi
Rahmonkulova Gulsevar Samidovna, 1st year student of the Faculty of Uzbek Language and Literature of the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi
