Tavern keeping

Meyhanacılık is an oral performance art based on the principle of several individuals spontaneously reciting poetry, either in syllabic or aruz meter, accompanied by rhythm, using a selected or provided rhyme (foot). In meyhane settings, satire and humor are emphasized. The opening two lines of each piece are repeated by the audience as a refrain.

The performer’s ability to “improvise on a randomly assigned rhyme, adhering to specific metrical rules and patterns” is the defining characteristic of the tradition.

Meyhana is one of the important genres of Azerbaijani oral folk literature. It encompasses both rivayetli forms—where a single performer recites—and müşaareli performances—in which at least two performers engage in a dialogue, contest, or exchange format. Performances may occur with or without musical accompaniment. The genre does not fundamentally rely on the saz; rhythm is typically maintained through hand and finger movements.

Geographically, it remains a living tradition, especially around Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, with Mashtağa being the most prominent center. In terms of content, its scope has expanded over time, and nearly every subject of human concern has become a theme of meyhana.

Etymology and Meaning

The compound term “meyhane/meyxane” derives from Persian “mey” (wine, intoxicant) and “hane” (house, place of dwelling). Dictionaries define it as “a place where intoxicants are consumed or sold.”

In Sufism, meyhane is a metaphor for “the place where the wine of God is served”; it symbolizes the dergah or tekke. Here, “mey” represents divine love, and the “saki” (wine-bearer) symbolizes the spiritual guide who radiates the love and light of God.

The concept also conveys “mey = word, hane = space,” thus meaning “assembly of words.” The similarity between “mey” and “söz” (word)—both having the power to intoxicate—and the role of music in both reinforce this metaphorical interpretation.

History

Meyhanacılık draws upon a much older oral tradition in terms of form and performance logic. Its roots extend back to shamanic, kam, and ozan practices. In shamanic contexts, the recitation of speech accompanied by melody and repetition formed the nucleus of the earliest religious-literary chants. It is believed that this shamanic tradition gradually evolved into the ozan-âşık art, and that meyhanacılık, with its fusion of speech and music, is nourished by this long lineage.

It is also noted that the improvisational recitations around Ahmed Yesevi in the 12th century represent another historical anchor along this continuum. Because meyhana was performed extemporaneously, early examples were not written down; therefore, written records only become prominent in the 19th century.

Among the earliest known performers are Hacı Ali Kerem (1792–1873), Mirze Mehemmed Hüseynelioğlu (1799–1890), Hacı Emi (1802–1885), and Mirze Bağır (1810–1882).

Some ethnographers note that the tradition is based on an ancestral lineage of at least 550 to 600 years, a view that underscores the antiquity of its oral origins compared to its written history.

Historically, meyhanacılık has been concentrated around Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. Mashtağa, in particular, is regarded as an “origin center” due to the frequency of performances and the lineage of masters. Local narratives frequently repeat the emphasis: “Meyhana first occurred in Mashtağa; therefore, it is considered our origin.”

There are shared features between âşık contests and meyhana, such as multivoiced speech and discipline of meter and rhyme. The main difference lies in the use of the saz as the primary accompaniment in âşık performance, whereas in meyhana, rhythm is most often maintained through hand and finger strikes. This proximity supports the view that meyhana’s origins lie in the ozan-âşık tradition.

From the late 19th century, and especially during the years of the Second World War, meyhana adopted a strong mobilization discourse intertwined with themes of war and politics; master performers recited meyhanas on battlefields and public squares, fulfilling moral and propagandistic functions.

In the Republican period and after in Azerbaijan, meyhana became widespread through radio and television programs, stage performances, and ceremonies, entering urban entertainment and gathering culture, and spreading beyond the Absheron region.

With the proliferation of audiovisual recordings in the 20th century, the repertoire was rapidly documented; in the internet age, meyhana has reached international audiences through programs outside Azerbaijan and multilingual performances (in Turkish, Persian, and Russian).

Originally shaped within a Sufi/mystical framework, meyhana has gradually broadened its scope, embracing a wide spectrum of themes ranging from social and political issues to everyday life.

Performance Forms: Rivayetli and Müşaareli

Meyhanas are performed in two ways:

1- Rivayetli Meyhana: Performed by a single meyhanacı,

2- Müşaareli Meyhana: A collective recitation occurring in dialogue, contest, or exchange formats involving at least two performers. This distinction remains actively preserved along the Absheron tradition.

The sub-forms of müşaareli meyhana are as follows:

• Karşılaşma: A general term similar to the “imtihan” in saz poetry; the aim is often to “mat” or defeat the opponent.

• Atışma: Relies on satire and humor; the performer seeks to place the opponent in a difficult position, but the primary goal is not to “mat” them as in karşılaşma. Nevertheless, performers strive to outperform their rival and gain audience approval.

• Deyişme: A conversational form of müşaa re involving reciprocal questions, answers, and explanations; there is no intent to defeat the opponent.

Müşaareli meyhanas can be performed using any or all of these three forms. Sometimes a karşılaşma aims to overpower the opponent; at other times, an atışma seeks to amuse the audience; and at other times, a deyişme unfolds in a more scholarly or conversational tone.

In müşaareli meyhana, quick wit, cleverness, and satirical skill are the primary qualities that draw the audience to the performer. Gatherings can last for hours, sometimes until dawn; in this prolonged flow, repetition of speech is considered a flaw, and performers who repeat themselves may be criticized within the meyhana setting.

In this context, the performance logic of meyhanacılık operates across a flexible spectrum—from solo rivayetli narration to multivoiced müşaareli dialogue. The aim, context, and relationship established with the audience determine which sub-form dominates.

Poetic Structure

Meyhanas can be recited in syllabic or aruz meter; improvisation is fitted within these metrical frameworks. The performance begins with a rhyme or foot provided by the audience or gathering; the meyhanacı then constructs a poem on the spot, adhering to specific rules. The opening two rhyming lines are presented at the beginning of each meyhana and are repeated by the audience as a refrain (vagire) after every stanza. Thus, as the stanzas progress, the gathering participates in the rhythmic and auditory unity of the structure.

The rhyme scheme typically follows the pattern: a a ; b b b a ; a a ; v v v a ; a a ; q q q a ; a a.

The genre is defined as “a metrically structured musical poetry performed with rhythm maintained by hand strikes”; performances are often unaccompanied, and the rhythm reinforces the internal meter of the recitation. In practice, the number of stanzas and poetic form may vary; for example, a modern analysis of a meyhana may reveal an aruz meter with a structure of five to six stanzas. Such examples demonstrate that improvisation can be sustained within a fixed framework but with varying lengths.

In prolonged gatherings, repetition of speech is considered a fault; performers who repeat themselves may be criticized within the meyhana setting. This norm preserves the poetic principle of originality in improvisation.