Translate the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas – or rather its Chinese “version” – into English?

I was recently approached with a kind offer to take part in a huge project: Translation into English of the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas that comprises over 200,000 lines of verse. The team, I was assured, would include native speakers of Kyrgyz and Chinese; my role would simply be to polish the English text. I have done … Continue reading Translate the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas – or rather its Chinese “version” – into English? →

What We’re Reading Now: Reichl’s “Turkic Oral Epic Poetry”

“One of the most fascinating aspects of shamanism for the student of epic poetry is the initiation of the shaman through sickness and dreams,” writes Karl Reichl in his Turkic Oral Epic Poetry. “These visions are paralleled by the initiation which epic singers experience in many traditions.” The recollections of Džanïbay Kodžekov, a Kyrgyz singer: One day … Continue reading What We’re Reading Now: Reichl’s “Turkic Oral Epic Poetry” →

“Manaschi”: Enigmatic Adages in Hamid Ismailov’s new Novel

Just finished Hamid Ismailov's new novel Manaschi, about a conflicted half-Kyrgyz, half-Tajik man who feels increasingly fated to become a reciter of the ancient Kyrgyz epic poem, Manas. It's an oddly compelling tale in which Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Chinese laborers --- newcomers to the village which straddles Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan --- eventually come to blows in ways … Continue reading “Manaschi”: Enigmatic Adages in Hamid Ismailov’s new Novel →

Dastan: Ornate Oral History among the Peoples of Central Asia

As I begin to delve into various forms of Altaic story-telling, I am looking for clear and memorable definitions and descriptions. The quotes below are excerpted from H.B. Paksoy's Dastan Genre in Central Asia Ornate Oral History Dastan (jir, ir, chorchok) is ornate oral history, common among the peoples of Central Asia. It conveys the revered … Continue reading Dastan: Ornate Oral History among the Peoples of Central Asia →

Multilingual Links: Turkic Oral Epics, Hikâye and Folk Songs

Turkish Hikâye & Aşık Hikâye: Turkish Folk Romance as Performance Art A list of 20th-century Aşık Based in Turkey The Epic of Manas (玛纳斯史诗) 《玛纳斯》史诗歌手研究 A Telling Tradition: Preliminary Comments on the Epic of Manas (1856-2018) Manas recitations (video) & transcripts in Kyrgyz Talantaaly Bakchiev Doolot Sydykov Legend of Manas (prose translation) Manasqi Jusup Mamay … Continue reading Multilingual Links: Turkic Oral Epics, Hikâye and Folk Songs →

A list of 20th-century Aşık Based in Turkey

Below is a list of 20th-century Aşık cited by Ilhan Basgöz in his seminal work, Hikâye: Turkish Folk Romance as Performance Art. Aşık Aziz Aydın Ilhami Demir (1932-87) Adem Efkari (1898-1980) Ishak Kemali (1913-77) Behçet Mahir Sabit Müdami (1918-68) Ali Izzet Özkan Üzeyir Pünhani (1917-98) Yaşar Reyhani (1930-) Mevlüt Ihsani Şafak (1928-) Davut Sutlari Aşık Sümmani Şerif Taşlıova … Continue reading A list of 20th-century Aşık Based in Turkey →

The Epic of Manas (玛纳斯史诗): A Multilingual Guide to Related Links

《玛纳斯史诗》 The Epic of Manas A Multilingual Guide to Related Links Non-Han Oral Epics 《中国史诗》(Chinese) Comprehensive 591-page study of China’s oral epics by scholars Lang Ying (朗樱) and J. Rincindorji (仁钦道尔吉). Dedicates 40 pages to Manas, including synopsis, Kyrgyz oral storytelling tradition, and manasqi. The Manas Epic The Kyrgyz Epic Manas Selections translated, introduced and … Continue reading The Epic of Manas (玛纳斯史诗): A Multilingual Guide to Related Links →

“Manas” Onstage: Ongoing Moves to Sinicize China’s Three Great Oral Epics

A large-scale, colourful rendition of the Kyrgyz epic Manas (玛纳斯史诗) was staged March 22-23 in Beijing’s ultra-modern Poly Theater. This performance came just two days after the newly anointed President Xi Jinping, speaking at the People’s Congress, cited two of the three great oral epics of non-Han peoples, Manas and the Tibetan-language King Gesar. While … Continue reading “Manas” Onstage: Ongoing Moves to Sinicize China’s Three Great Oral Epics →

Under Threat: ‘Meige’ (梅葛), Creation Epic of the Yi People of Southwest China

In Fading Tones: The Slow Demise of Yunnan's Epic Songs, Matthew Walsh does a fine job of introducing meige (梅葛), the creation tale of Yunnan's Yi people (彝族), via on-the-ground research in Mayou village in Yao'an (姚安马游), interviews with master storytellers, and several short but moving audio clips of the saga as it is still sung: … Continue reading Under Threat: ‘Meige’ (梅葛), Creation Epic of the Yi People of Southwest China →

Jusup Mamay, Manaschi: A Rehabilitated Rightist and his Turkic Epic

A while back I stumbled upon a short Chinese news item about a newly discovered handwritten manuscript of the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas (玛纳斯史诗). This centuries-old trilogy in verse recounts the exploits of the legendary hero Manas, and his son and grandson in their struggle to resist external enemies and unite the Kyrgyz people. Along … Continue reading Jusup Mamay, Manaschi: A Rehabilitated Rightist and his Turkic Epic →