Zskoore

Zskoore is a traditional communal art form of the fictional Kheyran people, combining narrative speech, multipart vocal harmony, and percussive rhythm. Performances occur during the winter harvest festival and invite participation from people of all ages. The word zskoore is said to come from the Kheyran verb skoor, meaning to bind voices together.

Structure and performance: A zskoore event usually includes a lead storyteller, a chorus, and a drummer or drum pair. The narrative unfolds in short, rhymed stanzas with a call-and-response chorus; improvised lines are common within a fixed metrical scheme.

Content and function: Tales recount genealogies, border legends, ecological knowledge, and moral exempla. Performers weave memory and current events, using symbolic motifs such as the river, the mountain, and the drum. Improvisation is encouraged but kept within traditional themes, allowing the community to reflect on shared identity.

Origins and spread: Ethnographic sources place the origins in the highland valleys several centuries ago, transmitted through guild-like lineages that guarded repertoires. By the modern era, zskoore had grown to encompass regional variants and community schools.

Cultural significance: Zskoore functions as a vehicle for memory, social bonding, conflict mediation, and ceremonial storytelling. It also serves as a public forum for humor, critique, and intergenerational exchange.

Contemporary status: Today, several groups preserve zskoore through workshops, formal performances, and recordings. Ethnographic programs document repertoires, and local festivals showcase contemporary as well as traditional forms.