“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” →