Literary adventures of a Mexican in Ukraine (to the questionabout the attribution of a popular work).

Abstract

The purpose of the proposed investigation involves establishing the author of a popular Ukrainian poetic work in which the main character is a Mexican.

Methods and techniques. To achieve this goal, general scientific methods were applied: analysis, synthesis, induction and literary methods: cultural-historical, biographical, textological, as well as the method of intertextuality. The totality of the listed methods constituted the methodology of the conducted research. The research evidence base was built on primary sources.

The results of the work made it possible to identify one of the representatives of an
ancient foreign family, who became the protagonist of a popular poem known to every Ukrainian since childhood. H.  Cherkaska announced that it had found the father of our hero – V. Aleksandrov. We analyzed his poem «Song about the Pumpkin» and refuted this opinion, pointing out the spread of an unreliable message in the information space. We found out the connection of Olena Pchilka to a Mexican based on the publication of the poem «Pumpkin Family». We discovered the absence of scientific materials about folklore records, in which the character carries out his family mission, goes around his relatives and is interested in their existence. We looked at the title and structure of song lyrics about pumpkins with the corresponding plot.

Conclusions. The pumpkin is the main character of the Ukrainian folk song, which
has two types of life. It belongs to the genre of written poetry, that is why it is read, memorized, recited and performed  theatrically, in addition, it is an independent vocal-musical work, sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The existing melodic versions of the song «Pumpkin’s walking in the garden», representing the unity of national and regional poetry, appeared at the time when the formation of Ukrainian musical
ethnography took place. They represent the unity of general poetic and regional
components.

There are three precedents related to a Mexican who responsibly approaches his
family duty. The name of the real author of «Pumpkin’s walking in the garden» is lost in the darkness of centuries, since the text was not recorded in writing by folklorists who began their activities only in the 50s and 60s of the 19th century. The pumpkin was glorified by the Ukrainian people, who preserved in oral form over the centuries the imagery of their thought, embodied in a humorous word that entertained and educated. Inspired by the theme of the folk work, V. Aleksandrov wrote the poem «Song about the Pumpkin» and used the first six lines of the poem in the beginning with a difference noticeable to the attentive reader. The text «Pumpkin Family» probably belongs to the folklore records of Olena
Pchilka, which had no comments at the time of publication. The study of this fact requires
additional sources, which may appear after the «Collection of works by Olena Pchilka» is
published. All the listed works have the right to exist in the Ukrainian cultural space, subject to clarity in their reproduction. Instead, the inconsistency of names and texts was recorded.

The revealed distribution in the information environment of the reasoning of H. Cherkaska about V. Aleksandrov as the author of the poem «Pumpkin’s walking in the garden» is unfounded.