The Legend of the Zhetygen In ancient times there lived an old man in the aul. He had seven sons. One cold winter people were left without food because of djut (black ice and mass death of the cattle) and there came grief to the old man’s home. Death took away all his sons one after another. After the death of the elder son Kanya the grief-ridden old man gouged a piece of dry wood, strung a string on it and putting under it the support he played the kiui «Karagym» («My Beloved»). After the death of Torealym, the old father puts a second string and improvises the kiui «Kanat synar» («Broken Wing»). For the third son Zhaikeldy he composes the kiui «Kumarym («My Lovely»). To the fourth, Beken, he dedicates the kiui «Ot soner» («Extinguished Flame») For the fifth son, Khauas, he composes «Bakyt koshti»(«Happiness Lost»). For the sixth son, Zhulzar, Kun tutyldy» («The Sun Eclipsed»). After the loss of the last and youngest son, Kiyas, the old man puts a seventh string and plays the kiui «Zheti balamnan airylyp kusa boldym» («Tribulation from the Loss of Seven Sons»).
By extracting from the instrument the sounds full of colour, the performer shows the images of his children in the melodies, which differ in character. These improvised melodies received further development and they have reached us in the form of instrumental play/kiuis under the general heading «Zhetygennyn zhete kui»(«The Seven Kiuis of Zhetygen»).
The name «Zhetygen» probably consists of two words: zheti (seven) and agan, which can be decoded as «seven singing strings» or «seven songs».