Azerbaijan University of Languages held a roundtable jointly organized by the Scientific Research laboratories of Comparative Folklore and of Azerbaijani Studies on cultural aspects of “Kitabi-Dede Gorgud” and “The Song of Roland”. In the roundtable held within the framework of “East and West in the Medieval Heroic Epics” different opinions were shared due to the topic.

The Head of the Department of Azerbaijani Literature Academician Mukhtar Imanov spoke on the similar and different features of the Medieval epics and epical space -time notions, “Medieval epics are in utmost harmony with each other from the perspective of their poetic traits, mythological layers and other features. One of the most important terms of this harmony is the association of the universal heroic epos with statehood mentality.”

Further the academician underlined the similarities of between “The Song of Roland” and “Kitabi Dede Gorgud” in terms of characters, plot and mythological approach.

The Head of the Scientific Research Laboratory of Comparative Folklore and Scientific Research, Associate Professor Hamida Aliyeva provided extensive information on the composition, characters of “The Song of Roland” and its similarities with the Medieval epics. She stated that “The Song of Roland” is the greatest and most outstanding poem included into the series of “The gesture of the French King”. There are 9 different variants of the epic consisting of 4002 poems.

The roundtable continued with discussions.