A Xibe Love-Song among the Altai-Oirats?

A Xibe Love-Song among the Altai-Oirats?

Birtalan Ágnes

35th Meeting of the PIAC, Taipei 1992

There is a very unique lovesong in B. Ja. Vladimirtsov’s collection of folk-poetry, collected at the beginning of this century, which does not have any Mongolian parallels. The motifs and the structure of this song is very similar to a Xibe song gathered in the Ili area also at the beginning of this century. I try to find out what is the connection between the two songs. Is the Oirat folksong originated from the Xibe one? What is the cultural background of the two songs?