Ukrainian Epic and Historical Song: Folklore in Context. By Natalie Kononenko,. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2019. xvi, 330 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $85.00, hard bound.

Ukrainian Epic and Historical Song: Folklore in Context. By Natalie Kononenko. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2019. xvi, 330 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $85.00, hard bound.

In her innovative volume Natalie Kononenko examines the beginnings and development into prominence of Ukrainian-sung epic poems known as dumy (dumas), which originated in the fourteenth century and came to prominence during the kozak (Cossack) era in the seventeenth century. The performers, known as lirnyky or kobzari, derived their designation from the instrument used to accompany them, the multi-stringed lira or kobzar (later known as bandura). The author examines the early influence of ballads and laments on the oral composition and singing of these songs, which were about the daily lives of ordinary folk and their special achievements. In addition, they celebrated kozak military exploits, rebellion against tyranny, and daily kozak life. Initially performed by sighted bards,...