Candidate of Philological Sciences, Udmurt Institute of History, Language and Literature of the Ural Branch of the RAS, Izhevsk, Russia [email protected]
Abstract. The article gives brief description of the Udmurt stringed bow musical instruments on the basis of published materials of the XIX-XXI centuries. In connection with the active period of the revival of some of them, issues of performance are touched upon. The main attention is paid to stringed bow instrument kubyz, namely: terminology of details. In contrast to the previous articles the emphasis is placed on the name connected with one element of the Udmurt women’s suit – ayshet (an apron). The symbolism of the apron in the traditional culture is associated primarily with the feminine, represents the woman, fertility. From this point of view another perspective on ideas of playing the kubyz that is considered exclusively male instrument is offered.
Keywords: the Udmurts, traditional musical instruments, chordophones, a stringed bow instrument, terminology, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic symbols, an apron, performance.