The time of creation, as well as the genesis of the epic, have not been precisely established. One of the initiators of the study Manas, the Kazakh writer M. Auezov (1897–1961), based on the central episode dedicated to the campaign against the Uighurs, put forward a hypothesis according to which the epic was created no earlier than 840. It reflected the events of the 9th and 10th centuries, that is, the period of “Kyrgyz great power” when the Kirghiz were a numerous and powerful people (some historical sources state that at that time they had from 80 thousand to 400 thousand soldiers (Genghis Khan, who created an invincible state, had 125 thousand soldiers).
Episode Chon-kazat (long march) tells about the struggle with a strong eastern state (Mongol-Chinese or Mongol-Turkic), within which the city of Beijin was located, separated from the Kyrgyz state by forty or - in another version - ninety days of travel.
Based on the fact that in 840 the Kirghiz conquered the Uighur kingdom and took its central city of Bei-Tin, M. Auezov suggested that the conqueror of this city, who died in 847, is Manas. The first songs of the poem about Manas, whoever he was by origin, were created in the year of the death of this historical hero, as custom required. The reservation is important, because from that era not a single proper name of commanders or azho (then the name of the Kirghiz khans) has survived. Therefore, perhaps, the name of the hero was different and only a later nickname remained for posterity (the name of a deity from the shamanic pantheon or from Manichaeism, which was then widespread in Central Asia).
Just as the vigilante poet from Words about Igor's regiment sang another historical campaign, the warriors of Manas sang the events in which they took part. Chief among them is Yrymandyn-yrchi-uul (or Jaisan-yrchi, that is, the prince-poet), an associate of Manas. He is a fighter-hero, and therefore the obligatory dream that the narrators see before performing the epic can be interpreted symbolically - they participate in a feast, etc., as if also ranked among the choros, companions of Manas. Thus, "Chon-kazat" was created either during the years of the campaign itself, or immediately after it.
The main core of the epic, which is characterized by many historical layers, was formed in the 15th-18th centuries.
Collection, study and publication of the epic.
First entries Manas, namely the excerpt Wake for Koketei, published in 1856 by the Kazakh educator and ethnographer Chokan Valikhanov (1835–1865). The publication was published in Russian and in prose translation.
The Russian orientalist-Turkologist Vasily Vasilievich Radlov (1837–1918) also collected fragments of the epic in 1862 and 1869. These notes were published in Kyrgyz in Russian transcription in 1885. Full version Manas, according to some estimates, has about 600 thousand poetic lines. There are records of about two dozen options Manas. The Kyrgyz writers Kubanychbek Malikov (1911–1978), Aaly Tokombaev (1904–1988) and Tugelbai Sydykbekov (1912–?) took part in the codification of various versions of this grandiose epic.
The fate of the epic in the 19th–20th centuries dramatic. Its study, as well as publication in the Kyrgyz language, as well as Russian translations, were largely determined by political and purely opportunistic circumstances. Before the revolution of 1917, to promote the epic, in which, according to the poet S. Lipkin, one of the translators Manas into Russian, “the desire of the people scattered by the enslavers to unite” was embodied, was not relevant. Later, when the ideals of Soviet internationalism began to assert themselves, an active interest in the cultural heritage of the times of the “strong national state” was interpreted as bourgeois or even feudal nationalism (the fact that in Manase touched upon the acute problems of relations between the Kyrgyz and the Chinese, while the USSR and China had close and difficult relations).
Nevertheless, through the efforts of enthusiasts, as well as within the framework of national policy events, the epic was recorded and promoted. In the early 1920s. The Turkestan scientific commission, and later the Kyrgyz People's Commissariat of Education, took steps to record the epic (the teacher Mugalib Abdurakhmanov, specially sent for this, participated in the work).
Later, in the mid-1930s, a closed competition was announced, the winners of which were given the opportunity to translate the central episode of the epic long march(about 30 thousand poetic lines). The poets S. Klychkov (1889–1937), V. Kazin (1898–1981), G. Shengeli (1894–1956) participated in the competition. The winners were L. Penkovsky (1894-1971), M. Tarlovsky (1902-1952) and S. Lipkin (1911-2003). According to the latter, L. Penkovsky determined the sound Manas for the Russian audience, he set the tone and music of the verse, which was then used by the translators of other fragments. He also solved many issues related to the difficult selection of verbal means to convey the epic in translation.
At first, the situation turned out well: an evening was held in Moscow dedicated to Manas, as well as modern Kyrgyz poetry and music, (written based on the second part of the epic Semetey first Kyrgyz opera Aichurek composers V. Vlasov, A. Maldybaev and V. Fere was staged on April 12, 1939 in Frunze, on May 26, 1939 it was shown in Moscow, and on June 1, 1939 it was demonstrated at the Bolshoi Theater during the Decade of Kyrgyz Art and Literature). However, over time, the situation has changed. The finished translation was never published before the Great Patriotic War: neither the capital's ideologists nor local party leaders were willing to take responsibility for such a delicate matter. A new period of political repressions began in the country, meanwhile, the events described in Manase, are difficult to interpret in terms of politics. Narrators not only give different names to foreign conquerors (for example, Konurbai, the main opponent of Manas, is called a Chinese in one version of the epic, and a Kalmyk in another), but Muslim motifs are also strong in the epic. At the same time, it is characteristic that no matter who acts as foreign conquerors, the storytellers always call the enemies “faithless”, that is, worshiping idols.
The situation partly improved after the Great Patriotic War. In 1946, a Russian translation of the central fragment of the epic was released, the premiere of the opera Manas composers V. Vlasov, A. Maldybaev and V. Fere took place on March 3, 1946 in Frunze, in 1947 a book by S. Lipkin created based on the epic appeared Manas the Magnanimous addressed to a children's audience.
In July 1952, a conference was held in Frunze devoted to the study Manas, and in 1960 a reprint of the Russian translation was published (the fragments translated by M. Tarlovsky were not included in the book). Subsequently, valuable, but few studies on the epic that appeared did not change the state of affairs.
The existence of the epic.
decisive role in life Manas are played by storytellers-improvisers, performers, thanks to whom it has been preserved. There are fundamental differences between them. If the yrchis performed only small fragments or episodes, and possible insertions did not merge with the general text (experts could easily recognize them), then the jomokchi remembered the whole epic by heart, the versions they performed were distinguished by their originality, which made it possible to easily distinguish one jomokchu from another. Leading Researcher Manas M. Auezov proposed an exact formula for various types of performance: "Jomokchu is aed, while yrchi are related to ancient Greek rhapsodes." Yrchi, singing an epic for a week or ten days, is not a real manaschi, that is, a performer Manas. The great jomokchu Sagymbay Orozbakov could perform Manas within three months, and the full version would take six months if performed nightly.
The special position of the storyteller, the universal respect and honor that he was shown everywhere, are associated with the myth of the singer, familiar to many epic traditions. The singer was not only marked by heaven, he was specially called. In a dream, Manas appeared to him, accompanied by forty warriors, and said that the chosen one should glorify his exploits. Sometimes, for various reasons, the future manaschi refused to fulfill his appointment, and then he was pursued by illnesses and various kinds of misfortunes. This continued until the manaschi obeyed the command of Manas and then he could perform a gigantic verse text as a keepsake.
Often execution Manas acted as a kind of healing, the epic was performed in case of illnesses of people and even domestic animals, during difficult childbirth, etc. Thus, a legend has been preserved that one of the most famous manaschi of the 19th century. Keldybek sang Manas at the request of a manap (large feudal lord), whose wife could not get pregnant. After miraculous singing in due time, a son was born in this family.
Based on the different performances of the epic, M. Auezov singles out the Naryn and Karakol (Przheval) schools of storytellers, noting that such a division is based on his own observations and the experience of the listener.
Different manaschi had their own range of favorite topics, some preferred heroic and military scenes, others were interested in life and customs. Despite the fact that the plot core, collisions, ups and downs of the fates of the heroes were similar, and their characteristics were repeated, the secondary scenes, episodic characters, motivations for actions, and the order of events differed. Sometimes whole cycles telling about major events differed. However, according to M. Auezov, one can “talk about the presence of an approximately constant, canonical text in individual songs”, which, however, is not yet possible to establish. As the old people recall, the narrators usually began the narration from the birth of Manas, then followed by stories about Almambet, Koshoi, Dzholoi, among the main episodes of the epic - Wake for Koketei And long march.
As for coincidences (up to the names of minor characters), they pointed to plot borrowing, and not at all to the fact that the text was memorized by one jomokchu while performing another. And although different Jomokchu had similar passages, the narrators certainly claimed that their text was independent.
Among the recurring elements are epithets attached to some names, common rhymes, and even some common places (for example, the story of the campaign to Beijing). Since, in addition to the performer, many verses were known to the widest audience of listeners, it can be assumed that the jomokchi memorized them, so that when performing the epic, if necessary, they could enter into the text the successful fragments of already developed chapters.
The division of the text directly depended on its execution. So the episodes were divided into parts, each of which was performed during one evening. The epic was rarely performed in full, because it was very expensive. Manap (ruler), who invited the singer, called the listeners according to his own understanding.
The most famous manaschi.
The oldest narrators of the epic are unknown, and there are several reasons for this. The poet acts only in the role of conveying what is already known to the listeners to a certain extent. This oral tale, as M. Auezov notes, "is always conducted on behalf of an anonymous narrator." At the same time, “violation of the epic tranquility, even by the introduction of lyrical outpourings, is tantamount to violating the laws of the genre, a stable canonical tradition.” The problem of authorship, irrelevant at a certain stage of culture, was also removed by faith in the heavenly inspiration of the singer.
The first known Jomokchu, Keldybek from the Asyk clan, was born at the end of the 18th century. The legend says: the power of his singing was such that a hurricane suddenly swooped in and unknown horsemen appeared with it, that is, Manas and his associates, the earth trembled from the clatter of horse hooves. The yurt in which the Jomokchu was sung also trembled. According to other legends that existed until the second half of the 20th century, Keldybek was endowed with a miraculous word that commanded both nature and the spirits of ancestors (who were always personally present during singing).
His contemporary Balyk lived in the middle of the 19th century. and, possibly, studied with Keldybek (no biographical information about him has been preserved). Naimanbai, the son of Balyk, also gained fame. It is necessary to note an important pattern: despite assurances that the singing of the epic is inspired from above, there is also a line of inheritance - from father to son (as in this case), or from older brother to younger (for example, from Ali-Sher to Sagymbay). M. Auezov compared such inheritance with the continuity characteristic of the poets of Ancient Greece, as well as for the performers of the Karelian-Finnish runes and Russian storytellers of the Olonets province. In addition to the above-mentioned storytellers, Akylbek, Tynybek, Dikambay lived almost at the same time.
From the manaschi of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. two figures stand out. Sagymbay Orozbakov (1867–1930), who belonged to the Naryn school, was at first a ryrchi, performed at feasts and festivities, but, having seen, in his own words, a “significant dream”, he became a Jomokchu. From his words, the first complete recording was made Manas- about 250 thousand poems (work began in 1922). His version of the epic is distinguished by large-scale battle scenes and vivid imagery. It is characteristic that the singer calls his first and last name in each cycle.
Sayakbay Karalaev (1894–1970), a representative of the Karakol school, knew by heart the entire epic trilogy, which includes Manas, Semetey, Seitek, an extremely rare fact. All parts of the epic were recorded from his words (work began in 1931). As S. Lipkin recalls, he performed Manas every time in a new way.
Among other manaschi worthy of mention: Isaak Shaibekov, Ibrai, Zhenizhok, Eshmambet, Natsmanbai, Soltobai, Esenaman.
Main epic heroes.
The image of the bogatyr Khan Manas is the central image of the epic, all events and characters are grouped around him. Semetey, the son of Manas, and Seitek, the grandson of Manas, are those who are worthy of the glory of their fathers, who continue their exploits.
Of interest is the song about the childhood of Manas. Traditionally folklore, in terms of its artistic merits, it is one of the most valuable in the epic.
A childless couple prays fervently to heaven for a son. The spirits of the ancestors are also interested in his birth, and the prophet Muhammad left Aikhojo, his contemporary, and forty saints to wait for this event to protect the child (40 and 44 are sacred numbers in the Turkic epic).
Even in childhood, Manas becomes a hero, he recruits comrades-in-arms, who later become kyrk-choro, his forty faithful combatants. He protects his relatives and guards property and territory belonging to close families from enemy raids. He decides that in the future he must gather scattered tribes and restore the power of the Kirghiz.
Manas, like many heroes of the ancient Turkic epic, is invulnerable. This magical feature from the hero is transferred to his battle clothes, a silk olpok who does not take fire and who is not afraid of either an ax, or an arrow, or a cannonball. Only during the morning prayer, when the hero prays without weapons and combat attire, Konurbai, at the instigation of a traitor, was able to mortally wound Manas with a poisoned weapon.
The mention of the hero's religiosity is characteristic. No wonder there are versions of the epic in which Manas and some of his heroes go on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Manas is not just an indispensable participant in all episodes Manas with the exception of Songs about the Cyclops, his image is revealed in the struggle, in clashes, in speeches and monologues, his appearance is described in detail. And if, according to the researcher, the hero's reactions - anger, joy or rage - are like a change of masks, then "these stylistic properties express the ideal of frozen grandeur, alien to dynamics, approved by repeated repetition, mechanical insertions in the same expressions" (M .Auezov).
The many-sided environment of Manas complements his image. Other figures are placed around him symmetrically and carefully - these are friends, advisers, servants, khans. The four wives of Manas, permitted by Sharia, embody the ideal of family happiness. Among them stands out the image of his beloved wife, perspicacious, determined and patient Kanykey. In this complex static picture, the owner's horse Akkula also takes its place (the names of the horses of all the major heroes are known).
The Chinese prince Almambet, the “blood brother” of Manas, is equal to him in skill, prowess and strength. During the campaign against Beijing, he commands the troops. In addition, he possesses secret knowledge, for example, he knows how to speak the weather, etc., and therefore enters into action when it is impossible to defeat enemies with the help of strength and courage. Almambet is married to Aruuk, Kanykei's closest friend. The brothers experience all major life events together, get married at the same time, die together. The image of Almambet is tragic. Raised in the Muslim faith, he fights on the side of the Kyrgyz against his fellow tribesmen, but some Kyrgyz warriors do not trust him, and former tribesmen hate him. Religious duty for him is higher than other feelings, including consanguinity.
An important role in the epic is played by kyrk-choro, 40 warriors of Manas. The elder heroes Bakai and Koshoi are not only associates, but also constant advisers to Manas. They take care of his fame, well-being, make sure that nothing provokes the wrath of Manas. Among the other heroes are Chubak and Sfrgak, among the khans are Kokcho and Jamgyrchi. Every positive hero is remarkable for the fact that he renders a service to Manas or demonstrates loyalty to him.
Enemies (mostly Chinese and Kalmyks) set off the image of Manas in their own way. The most characteristic are the greedy and treacherous Konurbai from Beijin and the Kalmyk Joloy, a glutton, a giant endowed with extraordinary physical strength.
Content, plot schemes and main themes of the epic.
IN Manase it is not difficult to find archaic plot schemes characteristic of various national epics (the fight against monsters, one of the oldest epic characters, the giant Joloy, etc.). At the same time, Kanykei (heroic matchmaking for a warrior maiden) is presented, rather, not as an Amazon, but as a rebellious girl, for whom a huge dowry must be paid. Magical feats are performed not by the main character, but by the hero Almambet, with whom Manas fraternized (in such a replacement, the ideas of a magical assistant were embodied). According to V.M. Zhirmunsky, the images of the epic sovereign and the most powerful hero merge in the image of Manas, which is unusually rare in the archaic epic. At the same time, Manas does not lose the features of a cultural hero, he frees the land from monsters, gathers the Kyrgyz people. There are exaggerated descriptions of the appearance of the heroes, banquet treats, and hunting game. All of the above indicates the transition from the archaic to the historical-romantic type of epic.
The following topics can be singled out as the main ones: “The birth and childhood of Manas” (elements of the miraculous occupy a considerable place here); "Cazaty" (campaigns, which are given the largest place in the epic); "Arrival of Almambet"; "Marriage to Kanykey"; "Wake for Koketey"; “Episode with kyozkomans” (relatives who feel envy and enmity towards Manas and exterminate each other); "The Tale of the Cyclops"; "Pilgrimage to Mecca" (in many respects similar to the Cossacks), "Conspiracy of the Seven Khans" (introduction to the "Long March", which tells about the temporary split among the subordinates of Manas). Each event, starting with the birth of Manas and ending with his marriage and the birth of his son, is marked by the device of a large "toi", accompanied by games.
In the version of Sagymbay Orozbakov, by agreement with the singer, the scribes broke the entire recorded text into separate cycles, or songs (there are ten in total). At the same time, each song, in fact, is a complete episode, therefore M. Auezov likens the work of this singer to the work of a kind of editor of ancient epic vaults, which combines and organizes the material that has come down to him.
Kazata.
Hikes (cazats) take in Manase main place. In Sagymbay Orozbakov, one can find the following conventional scheme: the Kyrgyz lead a rich and happy life in their country, when, after a short break, there is a reason for a new campaign. The whole campaign is built according to a well-known scheme, although each specific performance is somewhat different from the other.
Kazats begin with gatherings: khans arrive with their warriors, heroes, leaders of clans, friends and constant associates of Manas. When describing the path, emphasis is placed on its difficulties (deserts, mountains, streams), the terrain, climate, flora and fauna are described in detail, and this is done with exaggeration and some fantastic elements. Animals acting as heralds of the enemy, people-sorcerers (ayars), doo-cyclops hinder the advance of troops. When it is not possible to defeat enemies in a fair fight with the help of strength and courage, as Manas's associates do, then Almambet, who owns witchcraft secrets, comes into play.
Opponents meet Manas with countless hordes. Before mass battles, fights take place in which minor heroes participate with varying success. Then the main duel begins, where Manas participates from the Kyrgyz, and some worthy khan from the enemies. Such a duel ends with the victory of Manas, and then the actual battle begins, where the central figures are Manas, Almambet and kyrk-choro. After that, battles begin in the fortress or near the city walls. As an indispensable finale - bringing gifts to the winners by the vanquished. Trophies are shared, everything ends either in a truce, when the infidels convert to Islam, or in the marriage (sometimes matchmaking) of Manas or his closest friends to the daughter of a former enemy. This is how the three wives of Manas were “acquired”.
Sayakbay Karalaev's "Chon-kazat" exhausts the theme of campaigns, in his version the event framework is expanded, and the number of cycles is less.
"Marriage to Kanykey".
Almambet believes that he does not yet have a worthy girlfriend. These wives are military trophies, and, according to tribal custom, one should also have a “legitimate” wife, who was taken in accordance with all the rules (her parents chose her, a dowry was paid for her). Therefore, Almambet insists that Manas get married.
Manas sends his father Bai-Dzhanyp to woo Kanykey, the daughter of Khan Temir. He, after a long search, finds the city where the bride lives. There should be a conspiracy with the promotion of mutual conditions. When the father of Manas returns, the hero himself sets off with gifts and retinue.
A solemn meeting follows, but Kanykei does not favor the groom. Manas breaks into the palace, beats the servants, insults the bride's retinue. He is seized with passion, to which the bride first responds with feigned coldness, and then wounds Manas with a dagger. The conflict was settled by the mother of the bride, but reconciliation did not come.
On the wedding night, Manas awaits the arrival of Kanykei until morning - this is how the bride takes revenge. Enraged Manas orders to exterminate Khan Temir, his daughter and the entire population of the city. He himself exterminates people and destroys the city. Defenseless and submissive Kanykei offers peace to Manas.
But the bride and forty of her friends are faced with the reciprocal pretense of Manas. He invites his friends to arrange races and take as a prize the girl whose horse stops at the yurt. The hero himself arrives last, when all the yurts, except for the one where Kanykei is located, are occupied. A new test follows: the blindfolded girls must choose a mate. The couples are the same. Now, at the suggestion of Kanykei, the men are blindfolded, but again the same couples are formed.
In all cases, Almambet and his fiancee Aruuke, who wants to marry a Kyrgyz, are offended. She calls the groom "Kalmyk" (stranger), after a magical transformation she becomes a terrible black slave, and Almambet, horrified, not knowing that she is the daughter of a peri, always gets only her.
Manas, about to avenge the refusal of his brother, declares war. The girl agrees to marry.
"Wake for Koketei".
This theme is like a separate poem. Koketey, one of the hero's senior associates, bequeathed to his son to arrange a commemoration for himself (“ash”).
A messenger, traveling around various kingdoms, convenes guests, while threatening that those who do not come to the call will be defeated. Khans come to "ash" together with their troops, as if they are going on a campaign. In addition to friends, there are also opponents, for example, Joloy and Konurbai.
The last to appear is Manas, who was expected for many days, postponing the wake. The hero figured out Konurbay's plan, which he wanted to frighten the Kirghiz by taking away the horse from Bokmurun (meanwhile, they already wanted to give him a horse). Then Manas starts beating Konurbay's people. Frightened, he apologizes and gives the hero gifts.
Games and competitions follow. In archery at a gold ingot suspended on a pole, Manas wins. In other competitions, be it a wrestling or a tournament (each competition is the plot of a separate song), Manas and his choro are the winners. In the races, their horses come first. In the belt wrestling, the old man Koshoi wins, having defeated the giant Joloy.
In the end, they test whose horse will come first and tear down the banner of Koketey - this is a matter of honor and glory of the clan that put up the horse. During the competition, the horse is affected in a variety of ways, and the enemy’s horses are killed and maimed, for which ambushes are arranged. In a similar way, Almambet slays Konurbai's horse, but he, having dealt with the organizers of the "ash", forcibly takes away the prize.
Enraged Manas rushes in pursuit of Konurbai, exterminates his people, and Konurbai himself flees. Joloy, who, upon returning, boasts to his wife of his valor and violence against the Kyrgyz, the heroes beat him right at his house.
Artistic features of the epic.
Orientalist V.V. Radlov argued that Manas not inferior in its artistic merit Iliad.
The epic is characterized by a rich imagery, a variety of stylistic coloring, while Manas absorbed folk sayings accumulated by tradition, winged words, proverbs and sayings.
Variants of all narrators differ in a single rhythm, the verse is seven-eight-syllable, there are consonant endings of verses, alliterations, assonances, and rhyme "figures as a final repetition of the same combinations - morphological and all others" (M. Auezov).
Foreign borrowings can be found, in particular, the influence of the Iranian book epic or Chagatai literature. Many motives coinciding with the motives Shahnameh(for example, Bai-Dzhanyp, the father of Manas, outlived his son, but died at the hands of his grandson), and in Tale of the Cyclops used "wandering" motifs, similar to Odyssey.
The characters of the characters are presented, for the most part, in actions or speeches, and not in the author's descriptions. A lot of space is given to the comic and funny. So, in the Wake of Coquetey, the singer jokingly describes the refusal of the heroes of European peoples - the British, the Germans - from participating in the tournament. Jokes are also allowed against Manas.
Sometimes the verbal skirmishes are rude, and some of the paintings are naturalistic (which is lost in translation).
Pictures of nature are presented only as concrete pictures, and not as lyrical descriptions. At the same time, the style Manas sustained in heroic tones, while the style Semetey more lyrical.
Other parts of the epic trilogy.
The epic about Manas is, according to V.M. Zhirmunsky, a classic example of biographical and genealogical cyclization. The life and deeds of the protagonist unite the epic into a single whole, the links of which are also parts Semetey(the story of the son of Manas) and Seitek(narration about his grandson).
Semetey was fed by a female argali (mountain sheep). Subsequently, having matured, he gets himself a bride - the daughter of the Afghan Khan Ai-Churek (in Kyrgyz, “churek” means “chirok”, “female duck”), who becomes the faithful wife of the hero.
According to folk legend, Semetey and some other heroes of the epic did not die, but left people. They live in India, on the Aral Island, or in the Kara-Chungur cave. Together with the hero - his war horse, white gyrfalcon and faithful dog, who, like him, are immortal.
Parts of the epic trilogy, dedicated to the son and grandson of Manas, are largely brought to life by the great love of the people for the central hero of the epic.
Editions:
Manas. M., 1946
Manas. Episodes from the Kyrgyz folk epic. M., 1960.
Berenice Vesnina
Literature:
Auezov M. . - In the book: Auezov M. Thoughts from different years. Alma-Ata, 1959
Kyrgyz heroic epic "Manas". M., 1961
Kerimzhanova B. Semetey and Seitek. Frunze, 1961
Zhirmunsky V.M. Folk heroic epic. M. - L., 1962
Kydyrbaeva R.Z. Genesis of the epic "Manas". Frunze, Ilim, 1980
Bernshtam A.N. The era of the emergence of the Kyrgyz epic "Manas" // Encyclopedic phenomenon of the epic "Manas", Bishkek, 1995
The Kyrgyz people have gone through a long and difficult path of historical development and formation. The Kyrgyz ethnic group at one time was lucky to create its own written language, where the national spirit was manifested, the peak of the state national association was reflected in the form of the Kyrgyz great power. But history turned out to be ruthless to such high achievements of our people. Subsequent historical events, which led to the defeat of the Kyrgyz Kaganate and the destruction of most of the population, caused the loss of the original writing of the Kyrgyz people in antiquity.
It seemed that such a people had to leave the historical arena, go into oblivion, becoming one of the many ethnic groups that ceased to exist, lost their historical and genetic memory.
But contrary to such a traditional course of things, the Kyrgyz people were endowed with a unique gift - to transmit exclusively orally the experience accumulated by previous generations. Word-of-mouth transmission has proven to be not only viable and sustainable, but surprisingly fruitful and effective. It was the oral folk art of the Kyrgyz that provided the world treasury of intangible cultural heritage with the brightest example of unique folklore works represented by a wide variety of genres. The monumental epic "Manas" rightfully became the pinnacle of this creativity.
The epic "Manas" ("Manas. Semetey. Seitek") has a thousand-year history, is a trilogy. The work is built on the principle of genealogical cyclization, which has developed into a single heroic epic not just a family saga, but the finest poetic narrative about the life and struggle of the nomadic Kyrgyz people for independence, the establishment of their statehood, the peculiarities of the worldview, existence, culture, education and all other aspects of life.
In the history of world literature, epics were completed only under the conditions of the established political, economic and ideological statehood, which the Kyrgyz ethnos had in ancient times. The proof of this is that the epics of other Siberian peoples, with whom the Kyrgyz lived in direct interaction, did not reach the level of epic generalization, precisely because of their lack of an established state structure. The epics of these peoples remained at the stage of separate legends, not connected by a single storyline and the main character.
In this sense, the Manas epic is a unique product of the spiritual activity of the Kyrgyz people. Its uniqueness lies in its viability, in the way of conveying the entire set of elements, from the plot and the figurative system of characters to detailing. And also in the ability, up to the present day, to continuously reproduce the reproduction of valuable knowledge and traditions embedded in the legend.
The narration of the epic includes all aspects of the life of the Kyrgyz people, their worldview, ideas about the world around them. It reflects the heroic and tragic history of the people, defining the stages of its development. Accurate sketches of the ethnic composition of both the Kyrgyz people and other ethnic groups that lived with them in close contact are given. The epic provides us with the richest idea of the economy, life, customs, relations with the environment. From it we get the idea of the ancient Kyrgyz about geography, religion, medicine, philosophy, ethics and aesthetics. The epic "Manas", according to the exact definition of Ch.Valikhanov, is indeed an encyclopedia of all aspects of the life of the Kyrgyz people.
In addition, "Manas" shows us an unsurpassed artistic level of mastery of the word, which was created by the people over a long period, passed down from century to century, from generation to generation, absorbing ever new storylines, layering with new ideological layers, but, with this, miraculously preserving the unchanged and imperishable content of the epic. The main idea of the Manas epic, which unites it into a single whole, is the struggle of the people for their independence. This goal was preserved and led through all the troubles, hardships, preserving the very spirit of the people, their faith in the best, preserving the very genotype of the Kyrgyz. This fact gives us the right to believe that the epic contains the most important ideological component of the self-identification of the Kyrgyz people.
The epic Manas, due to its epic scope, has reached a volume that exceeds all known epics of the world. Transmitted by archaic epic verse (short syllabic verse, seven or eight syllables, with emphasis on the last syllable) and, unlike most Turkic verses, entirely poetic.
The oral existence of the epic for many centuries was under the threat of extinction with the advent of civilization, which violated the traditional way of life of the nomadic Kyrgyz people. The written fixation of the epic turned out to be vital and extremely necessary in order to transfer the oral tale to paper and give it a second life, already in the form of a book. In the middle of the 19th century, this important step was taken by two scientists - Ch. Valikhanov and V. Radlov. They recorded episodes of the epic for the first time. From this moment, a new page in the existence of the Manas epic begins, which marked the beginning of the period of its deep scientific research.
The study of the epic can be conditionally divided into three stages. The first is pre-revolutionary, which marked the beginning of the recording and study of the epic. The second is post-revolutionary, which laid the fundamental foundations of Manas studies. This period turned out to be the most tragic - almost everyone who was somehow involved in the research and promotion of Manas was subjected to repression during the period of Soviet totalitarianism. Among these outstanding figures of science were K. Tynystanov and E. Polivanov. The most important contribution to the science of the epic was made by T. Zholdoshev, T. Baidzhiev, Z. Bektenov, K. Rakhmatullin. In the formation of the science of "Manas" great merit belongs to the largest scientists V. Zhirmunsky, M. Auezov, B. Yunusaliev, A. Bernshtam, P. Berkov, S. Abramzon, folklorists - M. Bogdanova, A. Petrosyan and many others.
In Soviet times, active work began on recording the epic. The beginning of this work was laid by the teacher Kayum Miftakov, who in 1922 began to write down the version of Sagymbay Orozbakov. This work was continued by Ybraim Abdrakhmanov, who carried out a grandiose work in its scope on the written fixation of "Manas" from various storytellers. His efforts in ordering and storing these manuscripts are invaluable.
Currently, there are 35 recorded versions of the epic "Manas", they differ in the degree of their completeness. The full versions include those texts that were written down from the storytellers S. Orozbakov, S. Karalaev, Sh. Yrysmendeev, Togolok Moldo, B. Sazanov, M. Muslimkulov, Y. Abdrakhmanov, M. Chokmorov. Despite the many variants, "Manas" is a single work, which is held together by a common ideological orientation, the integrity of the storyline, themes and heroic images.
In modern conditions, the epic is becoming increasingly important, being an ideological unifying factor of Kyrgyz identity and independence in the post-Soviet era, in an increasingly globalized world. The opening of the monument to Manas on the central square of Ala-Too and the adoption of the Law on the epic "Manas" on June 28, 2011 are evidence of the ideological unity of the people for the purpose of its development and prosperity.
Uniting the Kirghiz. "Manas" is included in the UNESCO list of masterpieces of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind, as well as in the Guinness Book of Records as the most voluminous epic in the world.
Parts and narrators[ | ]
The epic consists of 5 parts, actually "Manas", "Semetey", "Seitek". The main content of the epic is the exploits of Manas.
Versions (1867-1930) and Sayakbai Karalaev (1911-1971) are considered to be classical. From Sagymbay, in the 1920s, researchers recorded only a part about Manas itself (about 19 thousand lines); from Sayakbay the whole trilogy was recorded (937 thousand lines).
In addition, researchers recognize the most significant records of the part about Manas made from the storytellers Togolok Moldo (1860-1942), Moldobasan Musulmankulov (1884-1961), Shapak Rysmendeev (1858-1956), Bagysh Sazanov (1818-1918), Ibraim Abdyrakhmanov ( 1888-1960), Mambet Chokmorov (1846-1932)
The most famous Xinjiang storyteller Dzhyusyup Mamai (Kyrgyz.)(Jusup Mamai) - his version of the 8 parts of the epic occupies about 200 thousand lines and was published in 18 volumes in Urumqi (1984-2007).
For a comparative assessment of the volume of epics, it is important to keep in mind the poetic size: basically, “Manas” is composed of 7- and 8-complex syllabic verses, however, in the version of Sagymbay Orozbakov, there are 4-, 5-, and 6-complex verses that are close to rhymed prose, and in Sayakbay Karalaev's variant, there are more lines from 9-complex to 12-complex.
The history of the epic [ | ]
Tradition traces the emergence of the epic to the legendary era, calling the first performer the comrade-in-arms of Manas himself - Yrchi-uul, the son of Yraman, who sang the hero's exploits at his funeral; the songs-lamentations that existed separately among the people were united into one epic by the legendary singer Toktogul (the Kyrgyz of the first half of the 20th century believed that he lived 500 years ago). Other storytellers are also known in tradition, as well as the names of many manaschi of the 19th century, whose work has not been recorded.
Modern scientists have not come to a consensus about the time of the epic. Hypotheses were put forward that its basis is connected with the events of the history of the Kirghiz of the 9th century. V. M. Zhirmunsky believed that the historical background of the work as a whole corresponds to the conditions of the 15th-18th centuries, although it contains more ancient ideas.
The first mention of the epic dates back to the 16th century. They are contained in the semi-fantastic work Majmu at-Tawarikh, where Manas is shown as a historical person acting together with the real-life Tokhtamysh, Khorezmshah Muhammad, etc.
Manas enters into an unequal battle with the Uyghurs and wins. In this battle, Batyr Koshoy, the khan of the Kirghiz tribe of Katagans, provides him with invaluable help. One of the defeated Uighur rulers, Kaiypdan, gives Manas his daughter Karaberyk, who herself expresses her desire to become the wife of a batyr.
At the suggestion of Koshoy, Manas decides to return to the people the native lands of Ala-Too, captured by the opponents of the Kirghiz. Having gathered an army, he enters the battle and wins. The Kyrgyz decide to migrate from Altai to their ancestral lands. Manas with his clan is located near the sacred black mountains.
The old enemy of the Kirghiz - the Chinese Khan Alooke, decides to stop the expansion of the Kirghiz and begins to prepare for the campaign. Upon learning of this, Manas urgently goes on a campaign with his forty warriors. He easily disperses the army of enemies and captures the headquarters of Khan Alooke. Seeing the determination and courage of the hero Manas, Alooke decides to make peace with the Kirghiz and, in recognition of his humility, gives Manas his son Booke.
At this time, on the southern borders, the confrontation between the Kyrgyz clans and the Afghan Khan Shoruk intensified. Gathering an army, Manas enters the battle. The defeated Afghan ruler enters into a diplomatic marriage alliance with the Kirghiz, marrying his daughter to Manas and sending her forty servants along with her.
A separate plot branch of the epic tells the story of the hero Almambet. It covers events from the moment of his birth to his coming to Manas. Almambet's father Sooronduk was one of the major Chinese commanders. For a long time he was childless, and, having reached adulthood, he finally finds a son. from childhood, he comprehends sciences, masters the art of magic and witchcraft, studies at the school "Dragon Teaching" (in the Kyrgyz language "Azhydaardyn okuusu"), children from noble families study with him, but it turns out to be the best among them in learning, and later grows into a brave warrior. Reasonableness, honesty, courage make him famous. At a young age, Almambet becomes the successor of his father, leading all the troops of the Chinese army. One day, while hunting, he meets Khan Kekcho, who calls him to the light and leave witchcraft. Returning home, Almambet calls on his relatives to convert to a new faith. Neither parents nor relatives even want to listen to Almambet. Sooronduk orders the arrest of his son, who renounced the "faith of his ancestors." Having escaped from the Chinese, Almambet takes refuge at Kekcho. The generosity, reasonableness and justice of Almambet contribute to strengthening his fame. But the horsemen of Khan Kokcho are jealous of the new close associate of their ruler. They start up a false rumor about the proximity of Almambet and the wife of Khan Kekche Akerchek. Unable to bear the slander, Almambet leaves Kokcho.
And so the hero accidentally meets Manas, who went hunting with his forty horsemen. Manas has long heard about Almambet and therefore meets him with honors, arranges a feast in his honor. Manas and Almambet become brothers.
And since Manas married Akylai and Karaberyk in order to make peace, the hero asks his father Zhakyp to find a wife for him. After a long search, Zhakyp arrives at Khan Atemir in Bukhara, where he liked the daughter of Khan Sanirabig. Zhakyp wooed her, paid a rich ransom-kalym, and Manas, according to all the rules, took Sanirabigu as his wife. The Kirghiz call the wife of Manas the name Kanykey, which means "married to the khan." Forty zhigits of Manas marry forty girls who came with Kanykey. Almambet marries the daughter of the patron saint of wild mountain animals, Aruuke.
Having learned about Manas, relatives who were in exile far to the north decide to return to him. These are the children of Zhakyp's elder brother - Usen, who lived for many years among a foreign people, took wives from Kalmaks and forgot the customs and customs of their ancestors. Among the Kalmaks they were called Kezkamans.
At this time, Manas is forced to go to the aid of the batyr Koshoy. The Afghan Khan Tulkyu, taking advantage of the absence of Koshoi, raids the Katagan tribe and kills the son of the Kirghiz hero. But Tulkyu's younger brother, Akun, decides to avoid bloodshed and settles the feud between the Kyrgyz and the Afghans. Tulkyu pleads guilty, pays a ransom for the murder of his son Koshoy and cedes his throne to Akun. Manas and Akun conclude a friendship agreement and agree that their children, if they have a boy and a girl, will be engaged. In addition, the son of the Kirghiz Khan Kyokotey (who settled in Tashkent after the expulsion of Panus), Bokmurun expresses a desire to marry the daughter of Tulkyu named Kanyshay. On the advice of Manas, Bakai goes with the matchmaking to Tulkyu and performs all the prescribed rites.
During the absence of Manas, the Kyozkamans arrive. gladly meets her husband's relatives, gifts them, according to custom, with everything necessary for housekeeping. Returning from the campaign, Manas arranges a feast in honor of his relatives. He gives them land, cattle and various utensils. Despite such a warm welcome, the envious Kezkamans conspire against Manas. They decide to poison the batyr, take the throne and take possession of all the property of Manas. The Kyozkamans find a convenient time to lure the batyr and his retinue to visit. Returning after the next campaign, Manas gladly accepted the invitation. Poison is mixed into the food of the batyr and his warriors. The surviving Manas soldered all his combatants and returned to headquarters. Kezkamans are looking for those responsible for the failure, a quarrel breaks out between them, they all use knives and die.
The glorious Kirghiz Khan Kyokotey, having reached old age, leaves the white world. Leaving his son Bokmurun a will with instructions on how to perform a burial and how to arrange all posthumous rites, he also bequeathed to seek advice from Manas. After burying Kyokotey, Bokmurun has been preparing for three years to arrange a feast. Manas takes over the entire management of the feast of Kyokotey. Numerous guests from the most distant countries arrive for the feast. Bokmurun puts up rich prizes for the winners of various competitions. A number of Kyrgyz elders and khans of individual clans express dissatisfaction with the fact that Manas single-handedly manages the feast. They gather a council and decide to openly state their demands. But the conspirators are pacified by the elder Koshoy. He persuades them not to start quarrels in front of numerous guests, among whom there are old enemies of the Kirghiz, and promises the conspirators to pacify Manas after the feast.
A year later, the conspirators demand from Koshoy that he lead their embassy to Manas and help them remove the wayward ruler. Koshoy, citing his age, refuses to be led by the conspirators. Then they decide to send messengers to Manas to notify that all the noble heads of the Kirghiz clans are going to visit him as guests. Their plan was to come to Manas with a large group, force him to make some mistake in the ritual of hospitality, start a quarrel and then put forward demands to renounce the title of khan. Manas agrees to receive noble guests with all their numerous retinue. Arriving guests are greeted by forty warriors and all the arrivals are accommodated in their yurt and villages. Seeing such a unity of the combatants and making sure of the steadfastness of the power of Manas, the Kyrgyz khans understand that they are in an awkward situation. When asked by Manas about the purpose of their arrival, no one dares to answer anything intelligible. Then Manas informs them that the news of a campaign being prepared against the Kirghiz has reached him. The Chinese khan Konurbai, holding a grudge for previous defeats, gathers an army of many thousands in order to subjugate the Kirghiz again. Manas calls on the Kirghiz khans to preempt the enemy and go on a campaign themselves, with the combined forces to defeat the enemy on his territory and stop all attempts to conquer the Kirghiz. The khans are forced to accept Manas' proposal. Bakai is elected Khan of all the Kirghiz for the period of the great campaign, and Almambet becomes the chief commander of the Kirghiz army. He leads them to the capital of the Chinese, Beijing.
After a long and difficult journey, the Kyrgyz army reaches the borders of the Chinese state. Leaving the army on a halt, Almambet, Syrgak, Chubak and Manas set off for reconnaissance. Having penetrated deep into the territory of the enemy, they steal numerous herds. Chinese detachments rush in pursuit of the hijackers. A battle ensues, the Kirghiz manage to smash and disperse the many thousands of enemy troops. According to the epic, Manas with his army (Tyumen) captures Beijing (“Beezhin” is translated from the Kyrgyz language as “bad mare”) and rules for six months. The Chinese pay tribute to them and declare their desire to make peace. Manas generously decides to spare Konurbay and the rest of the Chinese nobles. But Konurbay could not accept defeat and one by one kills the best Kyrgyz batyrs. Dying, Chewback and. Having secretly penetrated the military headquarters of Manas, Konurbay inflicts a mortal wound on the hero, hitting him in the back with a spear, when the unarmed batyr performed the morning prayer namaz. Returning to his homeland, Manas cannot recover from his wound and dies. buries a hero The tragic ending of the first part of the trilogy achieves realistic authenticity. Manas' dying testament speaks of tribal strife, the weakening of the power of the Kyrgyz people united by Manas. The birth of the son of Manas - Semetey already predetermines the revenge for the defeat of his father in the future. Thus arose the second poem, ideologically and plotly connected with the first part, dedicated to the biography and exploits of the son of Manas and his associates, who repeat the heroism of their fathers and achieve victory over foreign invaders.
Less than forty days after the death of Manas, Zhakyp begins to demand that Kanykey be given as a wife to one of Manas' half-brothers. Manas is replaced by his half-brother Kobesh, who oppresses and seeks to destroy the baby Semetey. Kanykei is forced to flee with the baby to her relatives. Semetey grows, not knowing about his origin. Having reached the age of sixteen, he learns that he is the son of Manas and expresses a desire to return to his people. He returns to Talas, where his father's headquarters was located. The enemies of Manas, among whom were the half-brothers Abyke and Kobesh, as well as the warriors who betrayed him, die at the hands of Semetey. Batyr marries Aichurek, with whom he was engaged before birth, according to the promise of Manas. He raids Chinese territory and kills Konurbai in single combat, avenging him for the death of his father. Semetey is betrayed by Kanchoro, who has entered into an agreement with the enemy Kyyas. Having received a mortal wound from Kyyas, Semetey suddenly disappears. His devoted comrade-in-arms Kyulchoro is captured, and Aichurek becomes the prey of enemies. The traitor Kanchoro becomes Khan. Aichurek is expecting Semetey's child, but no one knows about it.
The heroic poem "Semetey" is the most frequently performed cycle of the trilogy. The courageous heroes of the poem also become victims of injustice, but the perpetrators of their death are not foreign invaders, but internal enemies.
The third part of "Manas" - "Seytek" is devoted to the epic story about the struggle against internal enemies. It tells about the bogatyr Seitek, the grandson of Manas, and is a logical continuation of the previous parts. In this part, there is the same ideological basis associated with the desire to preserve the unity of the people, get rid of external and internal enemies and achieve a peaceful life. The plot basis of the Seitek epic is the following events: the upbringing of Seitek in the camp of the enemies of his father, who does not know about his origin, Seitek's maturation and the disclosure of the secret of his origin, the expulsion of enemies and the return of Semetey to his people, the unification of the people and the onset of peaceful life. The images of Semetey and Seitek reflect the desire of the people to preserve the legends about Manas in the heroic life of his descendants.
Manasology [ | ]
1000th anniversary of the epic [ | ]
The Kyrgyz people have the right to be proud of the richness and diversity of oral poetic creativity, the peak of which is the epic Manas. Unlike the epics of many other nations, "Manas" is composed from beginning to end in verse, which once again testifies to the special respect of the Kyrgyz for the art of versification. manas kyrgyz ethnic
The epic consists of half a million poetic lines and exceeds in volume all known world epics: twenty times the Iliad and the Odyssey, five times the Shahnameh, more than two times the Mahabharata.
The grandiosity of the epic "Manas" is one of the distinguishing features of the epic creativity of the Kyrgyz. It is explained by a number of significant circumstances, and, above all, by the uniqueness of the history of the people. The Kyrgyz, being one of the most ancient peoples of Central Asia, throughout their centuries-old history were attacked by the powerful conquerors of Asia: the Khitan (Kara-Kitai) at the end of the 10th century, the Mongols in the 13th century, the Dzungars (Kalmyks) in the 16th-18th centuries. Under their blows, many state associations and tribal unions fell, they exterminated entire peoples, their names disappeared from the pages of history. Only the strength of resistance, perseverance and heroism could save the Kyrgyz from complete annihilation. Each battle abounded with feats. Courage and heroism became the subject of worship, the theme of chanting. Hence the heroic character of the Kyrgyz epic poems and the Manas epic.
As one of the oldest Kyrgyz epics, "Manas" is the most complete and broadest artistic representation of the centuries-old struggle of the Kyrgyz people for their independence, for justice and a happy life.
In the absence of recorded history and written literature, the epic reflected the life of the Kyrgyz people, their ethnic composition, economy, way of life, customs, mores, aesthetic tastes, ethical norms, their judgments about human virtues and vices, ideas about nature, religious prejudices, language.
To the epic as to the most popular work, independent fairy tales, legends, epics, and poems similar in ideological content were gradually attracted. There is reason to assume that such episodes of the epic as "Commemoration for Koketey", "The Story of Almambet" and others once existed as independent works.
Many Central Asian peoples have common epics: Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Karakalpaks - "Alpamysh", Kazakhs, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Tajiks - "Ker-Ogly", etc. "Manas" exists only among the Kyrgyz. Since the presence or absence of common epics is associated with the commonality or absence of cultural, historical and geographical conditions during the period of the emergence and existence of epics, it can be concluded that the formation of the epic among the Kyrgyz took place in different geographical and historical conditions than in Central Asia. The events that tell about the most ancient periods in the history of the Kyrgyz people confirm this. So, in the epic, some characteristic features of the ancient social formation - military democracy (the equality of members of the squad in the distribution of military trophies, the election of military leaders-khans, etc.) can be traced.
The names of localities, the names of peoples and tribes, and the proper names of people are of an archaic nature. The structure of the epic verse is also archaic. By the way, the antiquity of the epic is confirmed by the historical information contained in Majmu at-Tavarikh, a written monument of the beginning of the 16th century, where the story of the heroic deeds of young Manas is considered in connection with the events of the second half of the 14th century.
It is possible that it was originally created and existed in the form of a small prose tale about the heroic deeds of people who heroically saved the people from extermination. Gradually, talented storytellers turned it into an epic song, which then, through the efforts of each generation, grew into a large poem that included new historical events, new characters, becoming more and more complicated in its plot construction.
The gradual development of the epic led to its cyclization. Each generation of bogatyrs: Manas, his son Semetey, grandson Seytek - are dedicated to plot-related poems. The first part of the trilogy is dedicated to the legendary Manas, the central figure of the epic. It is based on real events from the earlier history of the Kyrgyz - from the period of military democracy to the patriarchal-feudal society. The described events took place mainly on the territory from the Yenisei through the Altai, Khangai to Central Asia. Therefore, we can say that the first part of the epic covers almost the entire centuries-old pre-Tienshan history of the people.
It must be assumed that initially the epic existed without cyclization, but had a tragic ending - in the final of the "Long March" almost all positive heroes die in an unequal battle. The treacherous Konurbay mortally wounds Manas. But the listeners did not want to put up with such an ending. Then the second part of the poem was created, dedicated to describing the life and exploits of the second generation of heroes - the son of Manas Semetey and his associates, who repeat the exploits of their fathers and achieve victory over foreign invaders.
The historical background of the poem "Semetey" corresponds approximately to the period of the Dzungarian invasion (XVI-XVIII centuries). The action takes place within Central Asia. Favorite heroes also fall victim to injustice; however, the culprits of their death are not foreign invaders, but internal enemies - traitors, usurpers who have become despots of their people.
Life demanded the continuation of the struggle with internal enemies. This is the subject of the third part of the trilogy - the poem "Seytek". This is where the restoration of justice and freedom comes to an end. It is in this, in the lofty noble goal - the defense of the homeland from foreign invaders and the deliverance of the people from the yoke of despots - that is the main idea of the Manas trilogy.
The first part of the trilogy - the poem "Manas" - begins with a description of the terrible national disaster that resulted from the treacherous attack of the Chinese, led by Alooke Khan, on the country of the Kyrgyz. The people are dispersed to different parts of the world, ruined, plundered, enduring all sorts of humiliations. At such a critical moment, in the family of the elderly and childless Dzhakip, exiled from his native places to the distant Altai to hostile Kalmyks, an extraordinary child is born, who grows by leaps and bounds, pouring with supernatural strength. The quickly spreading news of the birth of a hero horrifies both the Kalmyks, who mocked the Kyrgyz in Altai, and the Chinese, who expelled the Kyrgyz from their native land of Ala-Too. In order to deal with the future formidable enemy, the Chinese and Kalmyks undertake repeated attacks, but they are successfully repelled by the squad of young Manas, who rallied loyal comrades around him (“kyrk choro” - forty warriors). The invasion of the aggressors forces the Kyrgyz tribes to unite around the hero Manas, who is elected leader of the 40-tribal Kyrgyz people.
The return of the Altai Kyrgyz to their homeland is associated with numerous wars, where the main role is assigned to the beloved hero - Manas. The Kyrgyz again occupy their lands in the Tien Shan and Alai as a result of the victory over the troops of Tekes Khan, who blocked the path from Altai to Ala-Too; Akhunbeshim Khan, who took possession of the Chui and Issyk-Kul valleys; Alooke Khan, who expelled the Kyrgyz from Ala-Too and Alay; Shooruk Khan - a native of Afghanistan. The most difficult and longest was the war against the Chinese troops led by Konurbai (“Long March”), from where Manas returns mortally wounded.
The entire first part of the epic is a description of small and large wars (campaigns). Of course, it also contains episodes that tell about peaceful life.
The most peaceful, it would seem, should be the episode "Marriage to Kanykey", however, here the heroic style of narration is strictly maintained. Manas arrives to the bride, accompanied by his squad. Manas's failure to observe the traditional custom when meeting with the bride causes feigned coldness on her part, and the rudeness of the groom makes her inflict a wound on him. The behavior of the bride brings Manas out of patience. He orders the combatants to attack the city, to punish all its inhabitants, especially the bride and her parents. Warriors are ready to attack. But the sage Bakai offers the combatants to create only the appearance of an invasion.
Relatives of Manas - kyozkamans - do not care about the interests of the people. Blind envy pushes them to crime: they conspire, poison Manas and seize power in Talas. Only the wise Kanykei was able to heal Manas. He restores order in Talas and punishes the intruders.
The heroic style is also strictly maintained in the episode "Wake for Koketei". This style corresponds to the scenes of the arrival at the commemoration of khans of different peoples and tribes with their numerous troops; belt wrestling (kuresh) between the illustrious heroes Koshoi and Joloy, defending the honor of their people. Manas emerged victorious in the jamba (gold ingot) shooting tournament, which required high skill of a warrior. The contest between Manas and Konurbay at the peaks was essentially a single combat between the leaders of the two hostile sides. The chagrin of the defeated Konurbay is boundless, and he secretly prepares his army to plunder the Kyrgyz.
At the end of the commemoration, the most interesting and popular sport is arranged - horse racing. And here, despite the barriers and obstacles arranged by Konurbay, Manas's Akkula comes first to the finish line. Unable to bear the shame of defeat in all competitions, the Chinese and Kalmyks, led by Konurbai, Dzholoi and Alooke, rob the Kyrgyz and steal herds.
The episode "The Great March" on the Chinese capital of Beijing, in comparison with the episodes of other campaigns, is the largest in volume and the most valuable in artistic terms. Here the heroes find themselves in various conditions of a long campaign and fierce battles, where their stamina, devotion, courage are tested, positive and negative character traits are exposed. Nature, its fauna and flora are colorfully presented; the episode is not devoid of fantasy and elements of mythology. The battle scenes are distinguished by the refinement and perfection of the verse. The main characters are in the spotlight: Manas and his closest assistants - Almambet, Syrgak, Chubak, Bakai. Their war horses, fabulous weapons, have their due role, but in the end, victory is on the side of those who have powerful physical strength. The opponents of Manas are no less strong, but they are insidious and treacherous, sometimes gaining the upper hand in single combat. In the end, they are defeated. The capital of the Chinese, Beijing, has been conquered. According to the version of S. Karalaev, the Kyrgyz achieved a complete victory at the cost of the lives of many of the best heroes - Almambet, Syrgak, Chubak, and Manas himself returns seriously wounded to Talas, where he soon dies.
Kanykei, who remained a widow with a baby Semetey, erects a mausoleum for her husband. This ends the first part of the epic. From beginning to end, the heroic style is strictly sustained in it, which corresponds to the main idea of the poem - the struggle for the unification of the Kyrgyz tribes, for their independence and freedom.
In the early stages of the development of society, in the era when the epic arose, wars were very destructive, so many peoples and tribes, quite numerous and strong, completely disappeared over time. And, if the Kyrgyz have survived as a people for more than two thousand years, despite constant clashes with the Uighurs, the Chinese, the Genghis Khan hordes, the Jungars, this is due to their solidarity, courage and love of freedom. The chanting of courage and courage in the struggle for freedom and independence corresponded to the spirit of the people. This is what can explain the heroic pathos of the epic, its centuries-old existence, its popularity.
The death of a beloved hero, the tragic end of the poem did not suit the listeners. The legend should have continued, especially since there was a reason for this: the main rival of Manas, the insidious instigator of all bloody clashes, Konurbay, escaped in the "Long March" by flight.
The beginning of the poem "Semetey" is tragic. Power is usurped by envious relatives Abyke and Köbösh, who destroy everything that reminds of Manas, care only about their well-being, and rob the people. The fate of the surviving heroes of the first part of the trilogy is pitiful: the sage Bakai is turned into a slave, the grandmother of Chiyyrdy - the mother of Manas and Kanykey, disguised as beggars, run to Kanykey's parents, saving the life of Semetey. His childhood passes with his mother's brother in the kingdom of Temir Khan, unaware of his parents and homeland. The childhood years of Semetheus are less rich in exploits than the childhood years of Manas, but he is strong enough, he learns the art of fighting and winning. At the age of fourteen, the future hero learns about his parents and his native people, suffering under the yoke of usurpers.
Returning to Talas, Semetey, with the help of the people, cracked down on his opponents and seized power. He again unites the disparate tribes and establishes peace. There is a slight respite.
Envious Semetey: his distant relative Chinkozho and his friend Toltoy - decided to attack the capital of Akhun Khan in order to take possession of his daughter, the beautiful Aichurek, before whose birth, father and Manas declared themselves matchmakers. Enemies besieged the city, Akhun Khan was forced to ask for a two-month period to prepare the bride. Meanwhile, Aichurek, having turned into a white swan, flies around all over the world in search of a worthy groom who would punish the rapists who brought suffering to the inhabitants of her city. From the height of heaven, she examines the famous heroes of all peoples and lands, assessing each with female observation. But there is no hero more beautiful and stronger than Semetey, there is no place on earth more picturesque than Talas. To captivate her lover, she kidnaps his beloved white gyrfalcon Akshumkar.
The description of the meeting of the bride and groom is replete with ethnographic details. Scenes of youth games are full of jokes, enthusiasm and humor. However, in order to become spouses, love alone is not enough: you need to defeat the rapist who demands the hand of Aichurek.
A long and stubborn struggle with an innumerable enemy army ends with the victory of Semetey. Again, feasts, games, wedding ceremonies are arranged in front of the audience.
Semetey won the hand of the charming Aichurek. A quiet peaceful life began. But the ethical norms of the time require the new generation of heroes to take revenge on those who are guilty of the unjust death of their fathers.
Semetey's campaign against Beijin and the fight against the treacherous Konurbay, who was also preparing to attack the Kyrgyz, in many respects resembles not only the plot, but also the details of the "Long March" from the first part of the trilogy. Neither the fabulous physical strength possessed by Semetey and his closest associate Kulchoro, nor magic - nothing could defeat the invulnerable Konurbai. In the end, the Chinese hero was defeated, succumbing to the cunning of Kulchoro.
After returning to Talas, Semetey himself, in the fight against the envious Kyyaz Khan, becomes a victim of treason on the part of Kanchoro, who was angered at him. The traitors become rulers. Aichurek was forcibly taken away by Kyyaz Khan: they were shackled and shared the fate of the slaves Kanykey, Bakai, Kulchoro.
Such a sad ending of the poem "Semetey" did not correspond to the national spirit, and over time a third genealogical cycle is created - a poem about Seytek, the grandson of Manas. Its main theme is the struggle of heroes against internal enemies - traitors and despots, who have seized power in a dishonest way and ruthlessly oppress the people.
In Talas, the Kyrgyz languish under the yoke of the traitor Kanchoro and yearn for liberation, and in another kingdom, in the country of Kyyaz Khan, Seitek is born - the future hero of the poem. Clever Aichurek manages to save the child by cunning from Kyyaz Khan's attempts to kill him. Seitek, who grew up among shepherds, learns about his family tree, about his homeland, the fate of his parents and true friends. Seiteku manages to cure the paralyzed hero Kulchoro. With him, he makes a trip to Talas and, with the support of the people, overthrows Kanchoro. So, the traitor and despot is punished, freedom is returned to the people, justice has triumphed.
It would seem that this should be the end of the epic. However, it has a different continuation for different storytellers.
S. Karalaev, from whom all three parts of the epic are recorded, the son of Dzhelmoguz attacks the Kyrgyz.
According to the narrator Sh. Rysmendeev, who also dictated all three parts of the epic, it is not the mythological Sarybai who makes a trip to Talas, but a very real figure - the son of the famous Konurbai named Kuyaly. The plot scheme of each cycle outlined above is typical for all known variants of the epic and constitutes its main plot. However, comparing the variants recorded from the words of different narrators, it is easy to notice some thematic and plot discrepancies.
So, only the narrator Sagymbay Orozbakov has Manas's trips to the North and West, Chubak's pilgrimage to Mecca - only Sayakbay Karalayev. Sometimes the well-known motive for the unification of the Kyrgyz tribes is replaced by the motive for the unification of the Turkic tribes. In the epic "Manas" traces of the ancient Tengrian beliefs of the Kyrgyz can be traced. So, the main characters before the campaigns swear, worshiping heaven and earth.
Who will change the oath, Let the clear sky punish him, Let the land Covered with vegetation punish him.
Sometimes the object of worship is a military weapon or fire:
Let Akkelte's bullet punish, Let the fuse of the wick punish.
Of course, Islam also found its reflection, although the Islamization of the epic has, it must be said, a superficial character, it is noticeable most of all in the motivations for actions. Thus, one of the main reasons for Almambet's departure from China was his acceptance of Islam.
Of course, Islamic motifs were introduced into the Manas epic by storytellers of later centuries.
In any case, positive characters: Manas, Almambet, Bakai, Kanykey, Syrgak, Chubak, Semetey, Seitek, Kulchoro - are endowed with the features of real heroes - boundless devotion to their people, stamina, endurance, courage. resourcefulness, readiness to sacrifice life in the interests of the motherland. These immortal qualities of a patriot are manifested by the heroes not in words, but in deeds and actions in various situations, under the most tragic circumstances.
The heroic epic "Manas" is also precious because the events described in it have a real basis. They reflect the history of the formation of the Kyrgyz people from clans and tribes, as evidenced by the lines transmitted by Manas:
I made a cow out of white deer. From the mixed tribes he made a people.
The events that decided the fate of the Kyrgyz people were vividly reflected in the epic. The mysterious names of people, names of cities, countries, peoples found in it reflect certain events of various stages in the history of the people. The central battle episode "The Great March" on Beijin recalls the victory of the Kyrgyz in the 9th century. over the Uighurs with the capture of their cities, including Beitin (or Bei-zhen), returned back only at the end of the 10th century.
If we take into account the rethinking of events and names characteristic of oral folk art, then the main enemies of the Kyrgyz people named in the epic by the Chinese, then by the Kalmyks: Alooke,
Joloy, Esenkhan - are most likely prototypes of real personalities whose names are found in the annals. For example, Esenkhan (Esentaiji in Kalmyk) led the Dzungarian (Kalmyk) army in the 15th century. Alyaku led the Dzungar invasion in the 17th century, and Blue (the initial Kyrgyz "j" corresponds to "e" in other Turkic languages) was the leader of the Kidan (Kara-Chinese) troops - tribes of Mongolian origin, moving from Northern China and defeating the Kyrgyz state at the end. X century, and then conquered all of Central and Central Asia from the Yenisei to Talas in the XII century.
In direct connection with the names of individuals, one should also consider the names of the peoples that appear in the epic as invaders (China, Kalmak, Manchu). Bloody clashes with them are forever preserved in the memory of the Kyrgyz.
On the other hand, many peoples and tribes were named with whom the Kyrgyz were in friendly relations and jointly opposed the invaders and oppressors. The epic mentions Oirots, shoulder straps, Noiguts, Katagans, Kipchaks, Argyns, Dzhedigers and others as allies, later included in the ethnic groups of Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Mongols, Tajiks.
It must be assumed that the positive characters of the epic also have their prototypes, whose names the people carefully preserved in the epic, which replaced written literature and annals for many centuries. There are many fantastic characters in "Manas": the "mountain-shifting" giant Madykan; similar to the Cyclops in Homer's Odyssey, the one-eyed Mulgun, who has only one weak spot - the pupil; sentinel animals; winged tulpar horses speaking human. Many miracles take place here: the transformation of Aichurek into a swan, the change in the weather at the request of Almambet, etc., hyperbolism is sustained: a myriad of troops can move without a halt for 40 days; hundreds of thousands of heads of cattle can be driven as a bride price, and in addition to them, countless wild animals; one hero can cope with hundreds and even thousands of enemy soldiers, etc. However, fantasy and hyperbolism serve as an artistic means for creating immortal images of real people who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of their people. The listeners of the epic find true pleasure not in its fantasy, but in the vitality and realism of the ideas and aspirations of the heroes.
Manas in the first part of the trilogy is a collective image. He is endowed with all the features of an ideal hero, the leader of the troops of the people's squad. All the compositional elements of the epic are subordinated to the outline of his image: the situation, motives, intrigues, etc. The names of the most powerful and terrible animals serve as epithets for him: arstan (lion), wild boar (leopard), syrttan (hyena), kyokdzhal (grey-maned wolf). Despite the later desire of the narrators to give the image of Manas some features of the feudal ruler - khan, in the main thematically and plot-related episodes he remains a truly folk hero, deserving love and glory for his bravery and courage in the fight against the enemies of the motherland. In all clashes with the enemy army, victory is ensured by the personal participation of Manas as an ordinary warrior-hero. Genuine Manas is not jealous of power, therefore, in the great campaign against Beijin, he passes the baton of the commander-in-chief to the sage Bakai, and then to the hero Almambet.
Secondary characters in the epic serve as if to enhance the image of the main character. The greatness of Manas is supported by his legendary companions - forty warriors ("kyrk choro"). The most famous of them are the wise elders-bogatyrs Koshoy and Bakai, the youth: Almambet, Chubak, Syrgak, etc. They are also distinguished by their powerful physical strength and courage, soldered by friendship and mutual assistance in battle. For each of them, Manas is an ideal, honor and glory, his name serves as their battle cry.
Each of the characters is endowed with certain qualities. Manas is the owner of incomparable physical strength, cold-blooded, great strategist; Bakai is a sage and hero, the best adviser of Manas. Almambet is a Chinese by origin, an extraordinary hero, the owner of the secrets of nature. Syrgak is equal in strength to Almambet, brave, hardy, dexterous. The Manasov squad "kyrk choro" is capable of hitting any numerically superior enemy. The characterization of negative characters also serves to exalt the protagonist. The image of Manas is opposed by the image of his main opponent - Konurbay, strong, but treacherous and envious. Joloy is unsophisticated, but has inexhaustible power.
There are also unforgettable images of women in the epic. The main character's wife, Kanykei, is especially charming. She is not only a mother who brings up honesty and boundless love for the motherland in her son, but also a selfless woman who is ready to make sacrifices in the name of the interests of the people. She is a hard worker, a skilled craftswoman, under whose guidance the women sewed impenetrable equipment for their warriors. She heals Manas from a mortal wound, saves him when he, wounded by a traitor, was left alone on the battlefield. She is the wise adviser of Manas.
There is much in common between the characters of the first and second generations. The image of Semetey as a hero compared to the image of Manas is less colorful, but his love for the Motherland, patriotism are recreated very colorfully. Here are the experiences of a young man separated from his people, and his struggle with foreign invaders, and mortal battles with traitors to the motherland. In "Semetey" the image of grandmother Chiyyrda - the mother of Manas, the image of the old sage Bakai continues to develop. At the same time, new types of heroes appear. Aichurek, with her romanticism and patriotism, is opposed by Chachikey, an ambitious traitor. The image of Kulchoro in many ways resembles the image of his father Almambet. Kulchoro is opposed to the touchy and selfish Kanchoro, who becomes a traitor and traitor. At the end of the second and beginning of the third poem, he appears as a usurper, despot, ruthless oppressor of the people. In the poem Seitek, the image of Kulchoro resembles the familiar image of the sage Bakai: he is both a powerful hero and a wise adviser of Seitek.
The protagonist of the third part of the trilogy - Seitek acts as a defender of the people from oppressors and despots, a fighter for justice. He seeks the unification of the Kyrgyz tribes, with his help a peaceful life begins.
At the end of the poem, the favorite heroes of the epic: Bakai, Kanykei, Semetey, Aichurek and Kulchoro - say goodbye to people and become invisible. Together with them, the white gyrfalcon Akshumkar, the dog Kumayik, the indefatigable horse of Semetey - Titoru disappear, beloved by Manas. In this regard, there is a legend among the people that they all still live, roam the earth, sometimes appear to the chosen ones, recalling the exploits of the fabulous heroes Manas and Semetey. This legend is a poetic embodiment of the people's belief in the immortality of the beloved characters of the Manas epic.
The epic "Manas", unlike the Tibetan epic "Gesariada", the Mongolian epic "Dzhangar", tells not about one hero, but about eight generations of one family.
The epic "Manas" is dedicated to the Kyrgyz hero and khan named Manas. The Kirghiz are representatives of one of the small nationalities of China. They live compactly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in northwestern China. Passing from generation to generation the stories about their son Semetey and his grandson Seitek, the Kyrgyz singer-performers preserved the folk wisdom of these stories, enriched the epic, making this work a literary masterpiece with national specifics. They say that "Manas" was created not even by inspired poets, but God himself gave it to people. They say that often, when waking up, the singer-performers of "Manas" acquired the ability to learn thousands of poetic lines. This is not generally believed, but the Manas-loving Kyrgyz firmly believe in this legend.
Manas is the legendary folk hero of the Kyrgyz, the embodiment of strength, courage and wisdom. The epic tells how representatives of eight generations of the Manas family led the Kyrgyz in the struggle for freedom and happiness. The whole epic includes eight parts, many of which are named after the main characters: Manas, Semetey, Seitek, Somubelek, Chegatai, etc. Each chapter of the epic represents a separate story and tells about one of the generations of heroes. But all parts are connected into a single whole, according to the principle of cyclization. The epic consists of 210 thousand lines, in which there are 20 million words.
"Manas" is characterized by a monumental depiction of heroes and epic paintings. In addition to the main character Manas and his descendants, there are more than 100 characters in the ancient epic, including wise elders who support Manas, his close associates, dishonorable traitors, notorious villains, etc. In addition, battle scenes are widely represented in Manas, there are many descriptions of wars and battles.
By tradition, the successors of the folk epic "Manas" are called "manaschi". In the last millennium, no one has ever been able to perform the full version of the epic. Until the unique storyteller Dzhusuf Mamai appeared.
85-year-old Dzhusuf Mamai is called the "living Homer". Throughout his life, he collected materials about Manas. In 1940, he performed chants based on the Manas epic for seven evenings, after which he became incredibly popular among the Kyrgyz. In 1984-1995 in China, cassettes with eight parts of "Manas" performed by Dzhusuf Mamai were released. Of the three Chinese epics, only "Manas" was performed by one person.
To date, Manas has already been published in Chinese, and its most notable parts have been translated into English, French, German and Japanese.
The great Kyrgyz folk epic "Manas" is widely distributed among the Kyrgyz and is widely known in the world. It is noteworthy that 1995 was declared the Year of Manas by UNESCO.
