About the Skillful Mistress,
Like the Ringing Song of the People's Soul
In a small coastal village, there lived a beautiful craftswoman named Uz-ene. Her eyes were like two drops of sky. She often loved to gaze at the silvery waves of Issyk-Kul, so that later she could reproduce them on her canvas. The girl said she understood the language of water and wind, of animals and birds, and often conversed with them. Uz-ene always admired the flight of seagulls and swans, and thus she was best able to reflect their flight on fabric. Only she knew the secret of herbs, knowing where and when to gather them to prepare bright and juicy dyes for threads.
But trouble came. Suddenly, enemies stepped onto the ancestral Kyrgyz land, and along with other villagers, Uz-ene's parents and brothers were taken captive. The sorrowful beauty decided to save her loved ones at all costs. But the enemies set harsh conditions before her. In exchange for her relatives, she had to weave the most beautiful shirdak in just one night. In the morning, she brought an indescribably beautiful embroidered carpet. But the enemies did not understand the secret of the intricate patterns and asked about the meaning and purpose of the depicted designs.
Uz-ene replied:
- Those are not birds flying; it is my soul striving for freedom. Those are not marals raising their heads with branched antlers; it is I who soared over the steppe. That is not a snake coiling into a ring; it is my land burning beneath the feet of the enemies.
And then the enemies understood that the red color, the color of fiery poppies and tulips, represented burning hearts. The white color symbolized a bright hope for tomorrow. The yellow color expressed the sorrow of separation from loved ones. The black color represented the longing for the homeland.
The enraged leader ordered his servants to throw the carpet into the river, so that all the colors would wash away. But after that, only the wool settled, and the patterns became even brighter and more beautiful. Even more furious, the khan ordered the carpet to be hung under the scorching rays of the sun, so that all the colors would fade and the carpet would lose its beauty. But again, the shirdak became even more beautiful after that; the colors sparkled like the morning dawn after rain. Finally, the furious khan ordered the carpet to be thrown under the hooves of horses, so that they would trample and tear it to pieces. But even after that, the carpet only became softer and more delicate, as the fibers split.
The khan's patience came to an end, and in rage, he ordered the beautiful girl to be blinded, so that she would never be able to weave carpets and tush-kyiz again.
The khan's order was carried out immediately. The unfortunate beauty asked to be taken to the shore of the lake, where she revealed her secret of craftsmanship to forty girls from the Kyrgyz tribe. Unveiling the mysteries of the wondrous patterns, which should reflect the waves of Issyk-Kul, the flowers of Ala-Tuu, the mercy of a mother, the joy of children, and the feats of the jigits, Uz-ene jumped into the waves of Issyk-Kul.
To this day, people say that when the waves gently lap, it is the whisper of Uz-ene, who continues to reveal her secret of art.
