hogörüyü

Hogörüyü is a traditional communal performance art originating in the fictional region of Aythria in central Eurasia. It blends epic storytelling, choral singing, and dance, performed by a rotating troupe in public spaces such as squares, markets, and festival grounds. The form is historically tied to seasonal cycles, rites of passage, and communal memory.

The term hogörüyü is conventionally attributed to the Hogari language, where it is said to mean "weave of voices" or "song binding." A typical hogörüyü features 6 to 14 performers, including a lead narrator and a chorus, with instrumental support from a frame drum and a fiddle-like string instrument. The performance unfolds through epic narratives interlaced with call-and-response refrains; some sections are sung, others spoken in rhythmic cadences, with improvisation allowed within a fixed epic cycle.

Context and significance. Hogörüyü serves to transmit genealogy, historical memory, and moral lessons; it also reinforces social bonds during communal gatherings. In modern times, scholars document performances and cultural heritage programs promote revival; some communities maintain living traditions while others compile recorded collections for museums. The form has influenced contemporary regional music and theater, though preservation aims to balance tradition with contemporary creativity.