| Abstract
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This dissertation examines Azerbaijani women poet-musicians who perform as professional bards called aşiq. The tradition, which arose in the 16th century and continues into the present, describes a traveling bard who sings epic and poetry while playing the musical instrument saz. Although the majority of performers have been men, there have been women aşiq performing in Azerbaijan at least since the 18th century, and today many women have risen to the forefront of the art. This dissertation examines women aşiq and their poetry over several centuries, contextualizing their lives and works within discussions of the history, music, poetics, and social importance of the aşiqs in Azerbaijan. Theoretical concerns addressed in the work include the interplay of oral and written literature, discourses of national and transnational identities, dynamics of cooptation and resistance in the Soviet Union, the interplay of tradition and innovation in folklore, and gender roles in Azerbaijani society. Part one, "The World of Saz and Söz," traces the origin of the aşiqs from multiple sources, including Central Asian epic traditions, the literature of Islamic mysticism, and local Caucasian folklore. Part two, "Lives and Times," focuses on the lives and works of individual performers in the 19th–20 th centuries. Part three, "Tradition and Transformation," examines the lives and works of living women aşiqs currently performing in Azerbaijan and their interaction with the changing cultural landscape. The dissertation ends with conclusions and directions for further research. This dissertation was based on two years of fieldwork in Azerbaijan. The methodology combines textual and archival research with interviews, field recordings, oral histories and participant observation.
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