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The Manas epic from the Kyrgyz
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Posts: 597 		  Quote Sander Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Manas epic from the Kyrgyz
    Posted: 30-Mar-2007 at 13:26
Some publicity for a not so well known epic. Some excerpts from a good artcile :
 
The monumental epic Manas is the most treasured expression of the national heritage of the Kyrgyz people. Composed and sung entirely in oral form by various singers throughout the centuries, Manas is regarded as the epitome of oral creativity. Although as yet not widely known, for want of adequate translations, Manas is considered to be one of the greatest examples of epic poetry, whose importance is not inferior to that of the Homeric epic. Thumbs%20Up
 
As nomads, the Kyrgyz had no written language. However, they excelled in oral composition, which they artistically employed in their traditional poetry and epic songs. As the internationally renowned Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov notes: "If other peoples/nations displayed their past culture and history in written literature, sculpture, architecture, theatre and art, the Kyrgyz people expressed their worldview, pride and dignity, battles and their hope for the future in epic genre." [2]
 
Today there are about sixty versions of the epic Manas recorded from various epic singers and oral poets. Its longest version, consisting of half a million (500553) poetic lines, was written down from one of the last master-manaschļ (singers of Manas) Saiakbai Karalaev (1894-1971). The epic is indeed unique in its size. It is twenty times longer than the Homeric epics Iliad (15693) and Odyssey (12110) taken together and two and a half times the length of the Indian epic Mahabharata. [4]
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The epic Manas is a trilogy, "a biographical cycle of three generations of heroes, i.e., Manas, his son Semetei and grandson Seitek." [9].
 
The Hero Manas
 
Thus Manas is one of those legendary or ideal heroes who fights against external enemies and reunites all his scattered people. Hence one of the fixed epithets in the epic describing him as "Chachļlgandļ jļinagan, chabļlgandļ kuragan (He united those who went astray and put together those who were divided).
 
Manas is not considered a historical personality. However, some scholars claim Manas as a prototype of Chingiz Khan. The great thirteenth-century Mongolian epic, The Secret History of the Mongols, tells about the origin and history of the Mongols and builds the stories around the life of Chingiz Khan and his empire. One of the episodes in The Secret History contains a traditional theme of a heroic epic song, the birth of Chingiz Khan: "At the moment when he was born, he was born holding in his right hand a clot of blood the size of a knuckle bone.Angry
 
Manas is not an ordinary man, but a hero of tremendous power and wrath. Evil%20SmileWhen filled with rage, his eyes turn red like fire and he desires to drink human blood. He is destined to conquer the world even before he is born. In addition, Manas is always accompanied and protected by the spirits of powerful animals such as a black-striped tiger. A lion is by his side, a giant black bird flies above him, and a dragon in front of him.
 
Traditionally, Turkic epic heroes, like the Mongolian heroes, were lonely. They fought with ogres or giants alone. When a hero was alone, he had to have some supernatural powers to defeat the enemy. In Manas we still see the traits of that ancient theme. Physical descriptions of Manas reflect the supernatural image of the ancient hero.
.....
 
full article :
 
 
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Posts: 2800 		  Quote Bulldog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-Mar-2007 at 14:22
There are specialist Manas readers "Manasci", its great to here the epic legends from them, they tell it with such emotion, emphasis and excitement carrying you into the world of "Manas". These Manasci's are national treasures and well respected, the state supports them and ensures this great epic continues to be a living part of society.

The main and decisive events of the history of Kirgiz Turks from ancient times till the 18-th century are the core of the plot of the epos. The epos represents different features, notions, ideas, customs and traditions of different epochs and centuries. The plot of the epos is undoubtedly influenced by significant events of the history of common ancestors of the Turkic people: the powerful state of Hunns, the Great Turkic Khaganate and the Khaganate of the Yenisei Kyrgyz, the State of Karakhanids. The heroic deeds of such historical figures as Mode Shanyu (Ogus-Khan), Bars-Bek, Buur-Khan and others are similar to the feats of many legendary heros of the epos "Manas".

 
 


Edited by Bulldog - 30-Mar-2007 at 14:22
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Posts: 63 		  Quote Sorgina Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-Apr-2007 at 06:35
Very interesting.Have you got any Audio clip Sander.
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Posts: 597 		  Quote Sander Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-Apr-2007 at 20:15
there is a sound recording in the linked article ( almost at the end ).  As the author herself says, she aint a "authentic  " Manaschi  but it might give some idea. 
 


Edited by Sander - 27-May-2007 at 21:55
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Posts: 597 		  Quote Sander Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Jun-2013 at 20:02
When this thread was made the Manas was generally associated with Kyrgyzstan  where the overwhelming majority of Kyrgyz live. There are pockets of Kyrgyz in neighbouring countries, including China. 
 
A remarkable thing happened in the meantime :
 
Since 2009, the Manas is inscribed on the Unesco list ( Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) on request ( and behalf of ) by the Republic of China. It's now claimed as one of the great epics of China Ermm. The phrase “one of the three major epics of China” is found in the Unesco decision and on many sites.
 
 
 
 
Kyrgyzstan is outraged as the following excerpts from an online article ( see link )show :  
 
…….
 
The decision has led to protests from Kyrgyz officials and poem reciters (called manaschi) alike, since the state has promoted it as an artefact of Kyrgyz nationhood. It chronicles the exploits of Manas and his descendants against the Kitay and Kalmak.
 
….
 
“We read on the UNESCO website that Manas had become one of China's three main epics and were simply shocked”, said Jypar Jeksheyev, former chairman of the Kyrgyz National Commission on UNESCO Affairs. “Neither China’s UNESCO Commission nor the Kyrgyz living in China told us”.
 
…….
 If the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas starts being considered a treasure of Chinese civilisation today, then who knows what will happen in 100 or 1,000 years"?
 
.....
 
Read the whole article here  :
 
 
 
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Posts: 480 		  Quote TITAN_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-Jun-2013 at 03:27
So when was that epic written? 
αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν
Een aristevin
“Ever to Excel“
From Homer's Iliad (8th century BC).
Motto of the University of St Andrews (founded 1410), the Edinburgh Academy (founded 1824) and others.
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Posts: 1130 		  Quote Ollios Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-Jun-2013 at 07:58
Originally posted by Sander

When this thread was made the Manas was generally associated with Kyrgyzstan  where the overwhelming majority of Kyrgyz live. There are pockets of Kyrgyz in neighbouring countries, including China. 
 
A remarkable thing happened in the meantime :
 
Since 2009, the Manas is inscribed on the Unesco list ( Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) on request ( and behalf of ) by the Republic of China. It's now claimed as one of the great epics of China Ermm. The phrase “one of the three major epics of China” is found in the Unesco decision and on many sites.

It is good to see that goverment attention of minorities' culture in China. They were accused of igoring them.

but it is also horrible. It is cultural attack. Manas belongs to Kirgiz people so it shouldn't be in Chinese list. A least as Newrouz, can be more than one countryi but I think China should give it to Kirgiz

Originally posted by TITAN_

So when was that epic written? 
It is not sure but Kırgız goverment celebrated 1000th anniversary of Manas in 1995




Edited by Ollios - 25-Jun-2013 at 08:00
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