The Legend of Korkyt The name of Korkyt is well known among many Turkic nationalities in various interpretations and versions of his legend. In the Kazakh version Korkyt is a legendary father of music, a creator of songs on the Earth. It was said in the legend that Korkyt from his youth could not reconcile himself to the transience of human life. Thus he decided to strive against inevitable death. Suffering from his thoughts and dreaming of immortality, Korkyt left people. But he saw death everywhere: in the woods he saw a decayed and fallen tree which told him about its death and inevitable death of Korkyt; in the steppe feather-grass, fading in the sun, told him the same, and even strong mountains told him about their expected destruction, also reminding him about his own death. Seeing and hearing all this, Korkyt in his torments made of a shygai tree the first kobyz, strung and played it, unburdening his agonising thoughts and feelings. He put his heart and soul into those melodies and the wonderful music of kobyz sounded all over the world and people admired and loved that music. Since that time Korkyt’s melodies and kobyz created by him were spread all over the world, while the name of Korkyt became unfading in the sounds of kobyz and in the people’s hearts.
M.Auezov, Thoughts of Different Years, Alma-Ata. 1961. (Fragments)