A traditional Kyrgyz Manaschi performing part of the epic poem at a yurt camp in Karakol

The Epic of Manas is a traditional epic poem of the Kyrgyz people. Karakol ( Kyrgyz: Каракол formerly Przhevalsk, is a city of about 75000 near the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, about An epic is a lengthy Narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation The Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirgiz, Kirghiz) are a Turkic Ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. Manas is the name of the epic's hero. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and One particular recording of the orally transmitted poem, with close to half a million lines, is twenty times longer than Homer's Odyssey and Iliad combined, or about twice as long as the Mahabharata. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient It is a work recounting the exploits of Manas and his descendants and followers. Battles against Kitay and Kalmak enemies form a central theme in the epic. Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" and an alternative name for China in English Kalmyk redirects here for the breed of cattle see Kalmyk (cattle. Although the epic is mentioned as early as the 15th century, it was not set down in written form until 1885. The year 1885 in literature involved some significant new books Different opinions abound regarding the origin of the epic: the 7th—10th centuries, the 11th and 12th centuries, and the 15th through 18th centuries.

The epic is the classic centerpiece of Kyrgyz literature, and parts of it are often recited at Kyrgyz festivities. It is recited by specialists in the epic, called Manaschi. A Manaschi is a traditional reciter of the Epic of Manas, the centrepiece of Kyrgyz literature These Manaschis are usually called to their profession in a dream. In this dream, they meet Manas or other characters from the epic, who tell them to become Manas narrators. If they do not obey, they fall ill or are crippled. Manaschis tell the tale in a melodic chant that should not be accompanied by musical instruments.

Kyrgyzstan has many Manaschis. Narrators who know all three episodes of the epic (the tales of Manas, of his son Semetei and of his grandson Seitek) can acquire the status of Great Manaschi. Great Manaschis of the 20th century are Sagimbai Orozbakov, Sayakbai Karalaev, Shaabai Azizov (in the picture), Kaba Atabekov, Seidene Moldokova and Yusup Mamai. A revered Manaschi who recently visited the United Kingdom is Rysbek Jumabaev. Rysbek Jumabaev is a revered Manaschi (reciter of the Kyrgyz epic Manas) Urkash Mambetaliev, the Manaschi of the Bishkek Philharmonic, also travels through Europe. A younger Manaschi, Talantaaly Bakchiev, combines narrating with being a Manas scholar.

There are more than 65 written versions of parts of the epic. An English translation of the version of Sagimbai Orozbakov by Walter May was published in 1995, in commemoration of the presumed 1000th anniversary of Manas' birth, and re-issued in two volumes in 2004. Arthur Hatto has made English translations of the Manas tales recorded by Chokan Valikhanov and Wilhelm Radloff in the 19th century. Shokan Valikhanov (Шоқан Уәлиханов Russian Чокан Чингисович Валиханов 1835-1865 was the first Kazakh scholar ethnographer and historian Vasily Vasilievich Radlov or Friedrich Wilhelm Radloff (Васи́лий Васи́льевич Ра́длов – May 12, 1918) was a German

Manas is said to have been buried in the Ala Too mountains in Talas oblast in northwestern Kyrgyzstan (Talas Alatau). Alatau or Ala Too (Алатау Алатау Ала-Тоо meaning "motley mountain" in Turkic languages, is a generic name for a number of Mountain Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан A mausoleum some 40 km east of the town of Talas is believed to house his remains and is a popular destination for Kyrgyz travelers. A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons Traditional Kyrgyz horsemanship games are held there every summer since 1995. An inscription on the mausoleum states, however, that it is dedicated to ". . . the most famous of women, Kenizek-Khatun, the daughter of the emir Abuka". Legend has it that Kanikey, Manas' widow, ordered this inscription in an effort to confuse her husband's enemies and prevent a defiling of his grave. The building, known as "Manastin Khumbuzu" or "The Ghumbez of Manas," was probably erected in 1334. On the grounds is a museum dedicated to Manas and his legend.

A minor planet 3349 Manas discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1979 is named after the epic poem. Minor planet is a term used since the 19th century to describe objects such as Asteroids that are in Orbit around the Sun but are not Planets 3349 Manas (1979 FH2 is a Main-belt Asteroid discovered on March 23, 1979 by N The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Nikolay Stepanovich Chernykh (Николай Степанович Черных ( October 6 1931 – May 26, 2004) was a Soviet and ^[1]. Numerous places in Kyrgyzstan are named after Manas, including the international airport in Bishkek. Manas International Airport is the main international airport in Kyrgyzstan located 25 km (16 mi north-northwest of the capital Bishkek.

References

• Manas. Translated by Walter May. Rarity, Bishkek, 2004. ISBN 9967-424-17-6
• Levin, Theodore. Where the Rivers and Mountains Sing. The Spirit of Manas. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006
• Manas 1000. Theses of the international scientific symposium devoted to the 'Manas' epos Millenial [sic] Anniversary. Bishkek, 1995.
• S. Mussajew. The Epos Manas. Bishkek, 1994
• Traditions of Heroic and Epic Poetry (2 vols. ), under the general editorship of A. T. Hatto, The Modern Humanities Research Association, London, 1980.
• The Memorial Feast for Kokotoy-Khan, A. T. Hatto, 1977, Oxford University Press
• The Manas of Wilhelm Radloff, A. T. Hatto, 1990, Otto Harrassowitz

See also

• Music of Kyrgyzstan

External links

• "Manas", Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative, Texas Tech University, 2000-2007
• In-depth site on Manas with translated sections of the epic
• Manas
• Manas: The Kyrgyz Odysseys, Moses, and Washington Article examining the place of Manas in Kyrgyz mythology and national identity. Kyrgyz music is Nomadic and rural and is closely related to Turkmen and Kazakh folk forms.