Musical Instruments and Music in Hungarian Folk Tales

Abstract

The musicality of spoken language and the speech-like character of music represent a borderline case, in the research of which linguistics and musicology meet. For the question is to what e2atent intonation can be looked upon ae a linguistic phenomenon and at which point it becomes qualitatively different, i.e. m¢sic. To investigate such peripheries is an ungreatful task for musicology since, instead of approaching real melodies from the genetical, stylistic, formal or generic angles, the researcher must be content with analyzing melodies which are unmelodious in the musical sense and inartistic in the aesthetic sense. In investigating this sphere, a significant task is conferred upon folklore too. For the sphere mentioned above includes all the declaimed tes:ts, be they nursery rhymes or greetings in rhyme preented ceremoniously, indicating the elevated character of events and feasts, just to mention a few examples. It is a well-known fact that the strong intonation, rhythmical lining of declaimed verses or rhyming prose preserve musical beginnings and indicate a kind of common musical ancient past in the tradition of every people. To some extent this holds true for folk tales too, whose presentation also includes an intonation different from that of everyday speech. Naturally, this intonation is at the same time dependent upon the given language dialect as well as the individual range and register of voice of the performer, also representing his or her individual tone dynamics. It is definitely different from everyday speech since its aim is to arouse attention. Thus strong declamation, the changing of different shades of tone serve the purpose of emphasizing the turning points of the plot and at the same time become the possible means of arousing a,ttention and maintaining interest continuously. After what has been said so far, it would seem purposeful to examine our folk tales from the point of view of intonation. Still, this is not the subject of my venture. For no matter how much folk tales overreach everyday speech, it is primarily a spoken language which, of course, possesses certain musical elements. However, our folk tales have a more hidden musical layer which does