ABSTRACT
The melodic system of Nenets song shows all the characteristics of a symbolic system revealing the psycho-social nature of intelligence. Reflecting the dual mechanism of intelligence working as the brain/culture correlation, the musical tradition of the Nenets constitutes a dynamic yet stereotypical system conditioned by culture, society, and individuals. The inner polyfunctionality of musical sign provides Nenets melodies with different layers of meaning which have been revealed through a series of contextual analyses. Every single Nenets melody is a microcosm of all the enlisted functions and qualities of musical thought, and every single Nenets melody is a testimony to the validity of the people’s ideas about music. A diversified knowledge about an essential component of song comes from different disciplines. The melody-paradigm of song is the source for a limitless number of word substitutions. Nenets song is governed by melody, which is a manifestation of thought because it is a structure, an order imposed on a subjective emotional experience.
