The name of the Kyrgyz folk epic. The Legend of Manas

Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic

Kyrgyz State Technical University

them. I. Razzakova

Faculty of Energy

Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences


Kyrgyz culture in the epic "Manas"


Completed by: Zhunusbekov A.Zh.

student of group NVIE-1-08

Checked by: Bakchiev T.A.


Bishkek 2010


epic manas kyrgyz tradition

Introduction

Kyrgyz culture in the Epic "Manas"

1 Marriage

2 Wake

3 Funeral

Conclusion


Introduction


Huge role in cultural life Kyrgyz played oral creativity, the shining pinnacle of which should be considered the world-famous “ocean-like” epic “Manas”. In terms of its volume and breadth of coverage of life phenomena, "Manas" has no equal among other epic monuments of the world. It has enormous literary significance and is included in the UNESCO database as one of the greatest creations of mankind.

Probably, oral poetry was known to the ancestors of the Kyrgyz since the 3rd century. BC e., when the term “Kyrgyz” became known thanks to Chinese written sources. Since then, Kyrgyz folklore has gradually formed and developed. A thousand years later, the epic "Manas" has not lost its relevance. Available theatrical performances, manaschi competitions are held. Best options The epic has been published, although it has not yet been published in full. But the most important significance of the Manas Epic is that it contains information about the culture of the Kyrgyz, i.e. about life, traditions, rituals, philosophy, language, diplomacy, military affairs, folk pedagogy and many other aspects of the life of the Kyrgyz people. Having existed for centuries in the mouths of the people, the epic, like a mirror, reflects the culture, life, and customs of the Kyrgyz, covering several centuries in its context.


1. Kyrgyz culture in the epic "Manas"


“But we are sure, as long as century follows century, as long as era follows era, as long as the Kyrgyz people (and all humanity!) are alive, the epic “Manas” will live as the shining pinnacle of the daring ancient Kyrgyz spirit...” - Chingiz Aitmatov, “Shining the pinnacle of the ancient Kyrgyz spirit"

As said earlier, the Manas epic is of great importance, but it cannot be called simply an epic, because the term "epic" cannot reflect its full meaning and meaning for the Kyrgyz people.

Touching the epic “Manas” is touching Eternity, God, for “Manas” has been a deep expression for the Kyrgyz people for many centuries national identity, the highest measure of spirituality, an invaluable cultural monument. This is a grand epic telling about the deeds of three generations of heroes: Manas, his son Semetey and grandson Seitek. Having developed over centuries, it is in bright artistic form reflected the culture, way of life, customs, history, ethnography, psychology and morals of the people and absorbed many genres of Kyrgyz folklore.

Thanks to the fact that the epic describes the entire life of Manas from birth, including his genealogy, to his death and the birth of his son and grandson, we can see the culture of the Kyrgyz people over several generations.

For example, in part material culture Types of housing, various clothes, horse equipment, food, etc. are of interest. Special attention deserves an epic message on military affairs, weapons and combat clothing. "Manas" contains extensive information on spiritual culture, folk knowledge (especially folk medicine) myths, religious beliefs, folk games and entertainment, musical instruments etc.

Thus, the epic tells about three world religions, including the Nestorian Christians, who are called Tarsa. Among the data on games reported by Manas, Kuresh wrestling and martial arts deserve attention. In the epic we have identified information about about 20 different musical instruments.


1 Marriage


The episode of the epic dedicated to the matchmaking of Manas and his marriage to Kanykey is of quite justified interest. On the advice of his friend Almambet, Manas, who already has two wives: Karaberk and Akylai, decides to marry according to the ritual and turns to his parents with a request to marry him good girl. At the same time, Manas points out that he conquered Karaberk, and Akylai was given to him as a hostage. The previous episodes of the epic describe how, having defeated the Kalmyk khan Kaiyp, Manas is captivated by the beauty of Karaberk, one of the thirty daughters of the khan, who wanted to take revenge on Manas for the death of her father and kill him. Having learned that her father remained alive, Karaberk got off her horse and bowed to the ground to Manas. On the occasion of the wedding of Manas and Karaberk, a 30-day feast was organized.

Defeated by the troops of Manas, the Afghan Khan Shooruk sent 30 hostage girls, led by his daughter Akylai, to Manas as a sign of submission. Manas brought the girls into the middle of the circle of his warriors and invited them to choose those horsemen they liked. Akylai came out first and chose Manas as her husband.

At the request of Manas, his father Dzhakyp went to look for a bride for him. Having traveled to many countries and not finding a suitable girl, Dzhakyp arrived in the country of the Tajiks. Having appreciated the qualities of the daughter of the Tajik ruler Atemir Khan, Sanirabiyga, Dzhakyp wooed the girl and, agreeing with the unprecedented size of the bride price established by her father, returned back. After the people had collected the cattle to pay the dowry, Manas, accompanied by 12 thousand horsemen and a 40 thousand-strong army, went with his father to the country of the Tajiks. Camping near the city, Manas enters the house where Sanirabiyga sleeps. During this first date with his bride, Manas quarreled with her. She slashed his hand with a dagger, and he kicked her, and she fell unconscious. Angered by the inaccessibility of the khan's daughter, Manas hit the war drum, but his father and wise old men stopping the army.

Invited to a wedding feast, Manas sat alone for two days in the yurt reserved for him, since none of the serving women dared to enter him because of his formidable appearance. In anger, Manas decides to destroy the city of Atemir Khan. To tame the anger of Manas, Sanirabiyga, as a sign of peace, goes to the dais and throws his white scarf into the wind. Taking all the blame for the quarrel upon herself, Sanirabiyga approached Manas and took the reins of his horse. Having become the bride of Manas, Sanirabiyga changes her name and takes the name Kanykey. The ritual of chachila is performed - showering the bride and groom with sweets. Forty knights of Manas are discussing which of them should marry which girl. At Manas's suggestion, horse racing is organized. The girl who is in the yurt near which the batyr’s horse stops must belong to the owner of the horse. Almambet's horse came first - he stopped at the yurt of the beautiful Aruuke - Kanykei's sister. The last to gallop was Manas's horse. Kanykei came out, took the reins of his horse and led him into her yurt. After the feast arranged by Manas and Kanykei for the warriors and girls, in order to prevent possible disagreements between them, Manas sends the boys and girls to their former places that night. The next morning, Manas blindfolded the girls and said that the girls would belong to those horsemen whom their hands touched. Blindfolded, the girls chose the same warriors who had galloped to their yurts the day before. The wedding fun and games continued for 30 days and 30 nights, after which Manas with Kanykey, Almambet and 40 knights with their wives returned to their villages.


1.2 Wake


One more interesting fact The reflection of culture is the episode of Kokotey's wake.

On the advice of Manas, Bokmurun, the young adopted son of one of Manas’s faithful comrades - the Tashkent Khan Koketey, gives the latter a magnificent funeral, and after two years - an even more grandiose funeral feast. The Karkyra valley was chosen as the place for the funeral feast, where Bokmurun resettles all his people. The epic colorfully describes the movement of a huge caravan, the head of which was distant from the tail, at a distance of three days' journey. Arriving at the place of the funeral feast, Bokmurun begins to prepare for it and sends mighty hero Jash-Aidar to notify all nations about the death of his father and invite them to the funeral feast - ash. The ambassador is ordered to announce huge prizes for the winning horses and to warn those who refuse to come that they will face severe retribution for the insult caused by refusal. The gathering of guests has begun. Manas arrives last. The funeral feast opens with large horse lists, in which about a thousand of the best horses take part. After the riders moved to the start, the rest of the people began to feast and treat themselves to meat. There are many different competitions organized. The first was shooting with the goal of knocking down an ingot of gold - jamba - suspended from a high pole. Then the foot struggle of the Kyrgyz hero Koshoi with the Kalmyk Khan Joloi. After the announced and failed fight of the Plesivians and the competition in untying the camel, a duel on horses with lances (sayysh) takes place. in which the Kalmyk hero Kongurbai and Manas himself take part. This is followed by wrestling on horseback, the goal of which is to pull and throw the opponent from the saddle. The entertainment ends with the final of the race and the distribution of prizes to the winners. The Kalmyks' attempt to forcibly take away the prizes they received causes a general battle, ending in the victory of the Kyrgyz.


1.3 Funeral


In the epic we can see how the burials took place; an example is the story of the burial of Manas. For the construction of a burial structure (gumbez-mausoleum) part building material mined outside the homeland of the deceased hero.

Kanykey, the wife of Manas, sends a caravan of 800 male camels in search of clay. The caravan traveled to many places, they searched in Andijan and Namangan, but clay was found only on Mount Kulbe. When the caravan arrived back, the wife of the deceased ordered the clay to be immersed in vats and mixed with the wool of cows and goats, and she forced sixty strong men to mix the clay with lard. Bricks form on the melted lard. So Kanykei prepared material for the construction of a grave structure. The purpose of building a gravesite in Altai and Kyrgyz legends is clear: to perpetuate the name of outstanding heroes.

However, Kanykey did not bury Manas in gumbez. She buried him secretly, at night, in a carefully carved room in the rock, so that enemy thieves would not rob the grave and desecrate the body of the deceased. At her request, the wise old man Bakai carved a statue from a poplar trunk - a wooden double of Manas. He covered it with leather, dressed it in a shroud, placed it on a tabit, and then people covered the statue with a white-woven felt. A funeral ceremony was performed and a large number of people were gathered. Among those invited were people from tribes hostile to the Kyrgyz. They behaved impudently and defiantly, started quarrels and fights. But, despite all this, the organizers of the funeral for several days generally treated all those who arrived equally, which speaks of the hospitality of the Kyrgyz people. All the gifts were distributed, the debts of Manas were returned to the people.

As soon as the fraudulent funeral ceremony was completed, enemy thieves appeared. The wife of the deceased gave them worthy of attention: gave gifts and gave away the statue. The thieves "did not see the deception." They carried the idol to the mound and lowered it to the bottom of the pit. So the thieves themselves became convinced that there was nothing to steal from Manas. This is also an example of a vivid reflection of a classic cenotaph burial in the Kyrgyz epic “Manas”.

From all that has been traced, it follows that the archaeological and ethnographic data coincide with the information in the epic about funeral rite and all this is still preserved in the memory of the people.


Conclusion


In conclusion, I want to say that the significance of the epic is enormous, in addition to the historical and literary significance, the epic is proof of the antiquity of Kyrgyz culture and its richness.

The customs I have outlined (marriage, wakes and funerals) are only a small part of what Kyrgyz culture has and what is described in the epic.

But I believe that the epic is not given due attention, even the fact that the epic was not published in full proves this. All versions of the epic must be printed in full and on different languages so that the whole world knows about the Manas Epic, like the English epic about Robin Hood.

The epic is imbued with patriotism, unity, and courage. Reading it, you are filled with a feeling of pride for your people. And every person who considers himself KYRGYZ should read it.

It is not for nothing that the epic “Manas” is alive in the hearts of the Kyrgyz people, having passed the test of time. We need to preserve and revive cultural values past, because it is our culture that distinguishes us as a separate nation. In general, the epic "Manas" should become the ideology of the Kyrgyz people, which will ensure the integrity and prosperity of Kyrgyzstan.


List of used literature


1. Abramzon S.M. "Kirghiz and their ethnogenetic and historical-cultural connections" L.: Nauka, 1971

2. Original version: // The epic "Manas" as a historical and ethnographic source. Abstracts of the international scientific symposium dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the epic "Manas". - Bishkek, 1995. - pp. 9-11

3. www.literatura.kg

4. www.wellcome.kg

5. www.google.kg


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Introduction

Kyrgyz heroic epic“Manas” - due to its ideological content and artistic qualities, occupies a special place among all the genres of oral folk art of the people. There has always been interest in the epic “Manas”, and scientific interest appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century, but we should not forget that representatives Russian science Those who visited the territory of Central Asia already in the second half of the 19th century had a certain understanding of the epic “Manas”. Since the 30s of the 20th century, the epic “Manas” has become the main material for various theories and areas of science about folk art. The desire of researchers to understand and explain the epic “Manas”, its genesis in the life of the Kyrgyz and world history gave rise to disputes, which sometimes reached the socio-political level in terms of meaning and narrow academic interests.

The Kyrgyz have about forty folk epics. Of these, the most monumental is the heroic epic “Manas”. And it is in relation to “Manas” that all other Kyrgyz epics are conventionally called “small” in Kyrgyz science, although none of them are inferior in content and form to other epics of the peoples of the world.

The creators of the epic “Manas” are the Manaschi storytellers who had phenomenal memory (although memory is not the main feature) and a divine gift. They are the keepers of the epic, passing on the text of the epic from generation to generation, from mouth to mouth. Thanks to the storytellers, the epic “Manas” developed and improved.

There are two versions of the origin of the epic. The folk version, where Jaisan is the first manaschi storyteller, and the scientific one, where three hypotheses about the era of the emergence of the epic are intertwined. Let's start with the popular version: according to some given (about the materials of Mariyam Mussa kyzy) and current folk legends, Jaisan the son of Umet (a member of the military squad, an ascetic of Manas), is the first storyteller and creator of the heroic legend about Manas: “Jaisan from the Usun tribe was born in 682, he was 12 years younger than Manas the Magnanimous himself. Jaisan's mother is Karachakh's daughter Janylcha, his father Umet was also a member of the military squad of Manas. During the great campaign, he was seriously wounded and lay unconscious for a long time; waking up from a strange sound, he begins to sing about the heroic deeds of Manas. And from that moment on he began to glorify the deeds of Manas. At the age of 54, at the dawn of his creativity, Jaisan was killed (out of envy) by the hands of his own student Yrchy, the son of Yraman, who also served Manas.” According to Maria Musa kyzy: “after the death of Jaisan, his work was continued by Yrchy. But from time to time in the history of the Kyrgyz people new Jaisans appeared, who were its embodiment and there were exactly nine of them.” And it was they and those storytellers whose names were imprinted in the people's memory who were the bearers and keepers of the great legend about Manas.

Science today knows mainly three hypotheses about the era of the epic:

1) According to M.O. Auezov and A.N. Bernshtam, the key events of Manas are associated with the period in the history of the Kyrgyz when they maintained relations with the Uyghurs.

2) B.M. Yunusaliev based on an analysis of the content of the epic, relying on individual historical facts, as well as ethnographic, linguistic and geographical information, comes to the conclusion that the basis of the epic is connected with the events of the 9th - 11th centuries, when the Kyrgyz fought against the Khitans - punishment of the Chinas.

3) V.M. Zhirmunsky believes that although the content of the epic contains a lot of materials reflecting the ancient ideas of the people, the historical layer of the epic reflects the events of the 15th - 18th centuries (according to S. Musaev).

“The current level of Manas research does not allow us to fully agree with one of the listed hypotheses, rejecting others as untenable. A deep analysis of the content of the epic leads to one indisputable conclusion: the events that make up the content of “Manas” represent many layers, indicating that the work was formed over a long period of time.”

The second period of historical and ethographic consideration of the epic “Manas” covers the period from 1922 to 1991.

The scientific study of the epic “Manas” in the Soviet era began with the works of Professor P.A. Faleva (1888-1922) - “How the Kara-Kyrgyz epic is built”, “About the Kara-Kyrgyz epic”, which were published in the first issue of the journal “Science and Education”, published in Tashkent in 1922. The author based on the recorded and published V.V. Radlov analyzes materials artistic features of this epic.

B. Soltonoev (1878-1938) is rightfully considered a Kyrgyz historian. writer and poet. He could also be called the first Kyrgyz ethnographer. An assessment has already been made of his poetic and literary heritage, his creative activity generally. B. Soltonoev should be considered the first Kyrgyz scientist who, due to his preparedness, examined the epic “Manas” and some other works, as well as the work of individual manaschi. The main part of his work is devoted to the epic “Manas”. It’s called “Manas”. This study begins with how the Kyrgyz have long been singing and not forgetting such epic poems as “Manas” and “Koshoy”, “Er Toshtuk”. Researchers distinguish these poems as individual works, while their heroes full versions are characters of the same epic.

A special place among researchers of the Manas epic belongs to the outstanding Kazakh writer, folklore expert, prominent Soviet scientist M.O. Auezov, who was actively involved in the epic from the late 20s until the end of his life. He was also in love with the epic “Manas”. His famous work - “The Kyrgyz folk heroic poem “Manas”, which was the result of many years of meticulous research, is one of the fundamental studies about Manas.”

V.V. Bartold (1869-1930) - one of the first researchers closely involved in developing the history of the Kyrgyz people, both in pre-Soviet and Soviet time. He was familiar various genres oral folk art of the Kyrgyz people. In his works, “Manas” is used as a source on various issues of the history and culture of the Kyrgyz people. V.V. Bartold is critical of the fact that in the epic “Manas” the struggle of the Kyrgyz people is depicted as a religious war, although he believed that the Kyrgyz in the 19th century, as in the 16th century, were almost completely unfamiliar with the tenets and rituals of Islam .

The merit of S.M. Abramzon (1905-1977) is well known in the study of the ethnography of the Kyrgyz people. It is perhaps difficult to name those aspects of the history and culture of the Kyrgyz that he did not touch upon. But most of all the scientist pays attention to the epic “Manas”. In his article “The Kyrgyz heroic epic “Manas””, he expresses fair dissatisfaction with the fact that “Manas” continues to remain extremely poorly studied material in ethnographic terms.

A.N. Bernshtam (1910-1959) - a prominent Soviet archaeologist, historian, ethnographer. He was one of the first among scientists to turn to the origins of Kyrgyz culture and began to draw on epic materials. In all of A.N. Bernshtam’s works on the epic “Manas”, and there are more than ten of them, the epic is considered, first of all, as a historical source.

He made the following specific conclusions:

1. This historical story about the struggle for independence of the Kyrgyz tribes, the oldest stage that dates back to 820-847;

2. The epic Manas is based on a specific historical image of the leader of the Kyrgyz people - 820-847, whose struggle was of a liberation nature.

Academician B. Dzhamgirchinov (1911-1982) is one of the first Kyrgyz professional scientists who began to use the data of Kyrgyz oral folk art in scientific developments in Soviet times.

Among Kyrgyz scientists, a special place in the study of the Manas epic belongs to professors: in the field of history B.M. Yunusaliev, in the field of folklore to R. Kadyrbaeva, E. Abdylbaev, R. Sarypbekov, S. Begaliev, Zh. Orozobekova, in the field of ethnography to I. Moldobaev, in the field of art criticism to B. Alagushev, K. Dyushaliev, A. Kaibyldaev, in the field of literary criticism K. Asanaliev and others.

B.M. Yunusaliev (1913-1970) is the author of several serious works devoted to various problems of Manas; he was one of the active initiators of the publication of the epic. As the editor-in-chief of the Kyrgyz text prepared for publication in the series “Epics of the Peoples of the USSR”, B. Yunusaliev before last days throughout his life he contributed to the solution of many issues related to the preparation of texts for publication. Such complex and responsible work as textual criticism was carried out mainly with his direct participation and under his leadership.

The epic “Manas” was subjected to a comprehensive analysis by a famous philologist, expert epic creativity peoples of the world V.M. Zhirmunsky (1891-1971). He also touched upon the question of addition time Kyrgyz epic. The scientist attributes the composition and development of the epic "Manas" to a fairly wide range of time - VI-XIX centuries, dividing this time into three periods.

The work of the storytellers of “Manas” is compared with the ancient Greek aeds in the works of the English scientist J. Thomson. The facts of the Kyrgyz epic are widely used by foreign authors on general theoretical problems of literary criticism. In 1966, at the Kyrgyzfilm film studio, on the initiative of the prominent Kyrgyz film director M. Ubukeev (1935-1996), an experimental film (“Sayakbay”) was shot based on the second part of the epic “Manas”, already on audio tape. The recording was organized by the Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR.

Conclusion

IN Soviet era About sixty versions of the epic “Manas” were recorded from different storytellers. I would like to note the efforts of those researchers who did this, because never before in the history of Manas studies has so much work been done on recording versions of the epic as was done during this period; perhaps in the future there will not be a similar case, even if there are those who want to repeat past, but it is unlikely that there will be such storytellers from whom new versions could be recorded. Of course, even in those times there were problems and shortcomings. But still, a huge amount of work has been done, which will certainly become an inexhaustible source for future scientific storytellers.

Epic "Manas"
Myths and legends of Kyrgyzstan. Oral folk art

After the death of the powerful, wise and brave Kyrgyz Khan Nogoya the old enemies of the Kyrgyz, the Chinese, taking advantage of the indecisiveness of his successors, seize the lands of the Kyrgyz and displace them from Ala-Too. Nogoi's descendants are expelled to distant lands. Those who remain fall under the cruel yoke of the invaders and become slaves. Younger son Nogoya Zhakyp expelled to Altai, and for many years forced to serve the Altai Kalmaks. By farming and working in gold mines, he manages to get rich. In adulthood, Zhakyp becomes the owner of an incalculable amount of livestock, but his soul is gnawed by resentment that fate has not given a single heir. He grieves and prays to the Almighty for pity, visits holy places and makes sacrifices. Finally, after a wonderful dream, his eldest wife conceived a child. Nine months later she gave birth to a boy. On the same day, Zhakypa is born into the herd foal, which he intends for his newborn son.

Zhakyp celebrates by throwing a big feast and naming the boy Manas. From childhood, unusual qualities manifest themselves in him; he differs from all his peers in his extraordinary physical strength, mischief and generosity. His fame spreads far beyond Altai. Kalmaks living in Altai rush to inform the Chinese Khan Esenkanu news that the rebellious Kyrgyz have acquired hero, who, while he has not yet matured, should be captured and destroyed. Esenkan sends his spies, disguised as traders, to the Kyrgyz and gives the task of capturing Manas. They catch the young hero playing ordo and try to capture him. Manas, together with his peers, captures the spies and distributes all the goods of the caravan to the common people.

The Kalmak hero's army of thousands is sent against the Kyrgyz Nescary. Having united all neighboring peoples and tribes, Manas opposes Neskara and wins brilliant victory. Having appreciated the merits of the young hero, seeing him as their protector, many Kyrgyz clans, as well as neighboring tribes of Manchus and Kalmaks, decide to unite under his leadership. Manas is elected khan.

Manas enters into an unequal battle with Uighurs and wins. In this battle, he receives invaluable assistance from the khan of the Kyrgyz tribe of Katagans, Batyr. Koshoi. One of the defeated Uyghur rulers Kayypdan gives Manas his daughter Karaberk, who herself expresses a desire to become the batyr’s wife.

At the suggestion of Koshoy, Manas decides to return to the people the native lands of Ala-Too, captured by the enemies of the Kyrgyz. Gathering an army, he enters the battle and wins. The Kyrgyz decide to migrate from Altai to their ancestral lands. Manas and his clan are located near the sacred black mountains Aziret.

The old enemy of the Kyrgyz is the Chinese Khan Alooke, decides to stop the expansion of the Kyrgyz and begins to prepare for the campaign. Having learned about this, Manas urgently sets out on a campaign with his forty warriors. He easily disperses the enemy army and captures the headquarters of Khan Alooka. Seeing the determination and courage of the hero Manas, Alooke decides to make peace with the Kyrgyz and, in recognition of his submission, gives his son to Manas Booke.

At this time, the confrontation between the Kyrgyz clans and the Afghan Khan Shoruk intensified on the southern borders. Having gathered an army, Manas enters the battle. The defeated Afghan ruler enters into a diplomatic marriage alliance with the Kyrgyz, giving away his daughter Akylai for Manas and sending forty of her servants with her.

A separate plot branch of the epic tells the story of the hero Almanbeta. It covers events from the moment of his birth to his arrival to Manas. Almanbet's father Sooronduk was one of the major Chinese commanders. For a long time he was childless, and, having reached adulthood, finally finds a son. From childhood, Almanbet comprehends science, masters the art of magic and witchcraft and becomes a brave warrior. Judgment, honesty, courage make him famous. At a young age, Almanbet becomes his father's successor, leading all the troops of the Chinese army. One day, while hunting, he meets the Kazakh Khan Kökçö, who initiates him into the secrets of Islamic doctrine. Almanbet recognizes the benefits of this faith and decides to accept Islam. Returning home, Almanbet calls on his relatives to convert to a new faith. Neither parents nor relatives want to listen to Almanbet. Sooronduk orders the arrest of his son, who abandoned the faith of his ancestors. Having escaped from the Chinese, Almanbet finds refuge with Kökçö and remains to live with the Kazakhs. Almanbet's generosity, rationality and justice contribute to the strengthening of his glory. But horsemen Khan Kökçö are jealous of the new close associate of their ruler. They spread a false rumor about the closeness of Almanbet and the wife of Khan Kökçö Akerçek. Unable to bear the slander, Almanbet leaves Kökçö.

And then the hero accidentally meets Manas, who went hunting with his forty horsemen. Manas has long heard about Almanbet and therefore greets him with honors and arranges a feast in his honor. Manas and Almanbet become twin cities.

Since Manas’s previous wives, Akylai and Karaberk, were not taken by him according to the ritual, the hero demands that his father Zhakyp fulfill his fatherly duty and find a suitable wife for him. After a long search, Zhakyp arrives at Khan Atemir in Khiva, where he liked the daughter of Khan Sanirabiga. Zhakyp wooes her, pays a rich ransom, and Manas, according to all the rules, marries Sanirabiga. The Kyrgyz name Manas's wife Kanykey, which means "married to the khan." Forty horsemen of Manas marry forty girls who arrived with Kanykey. Almanbet marries the daughter of the patron of wild mountain animals, a sorceress 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 older brother - Usena, who have lived long years among foreign people, who took wives from the Kalmaks and forgot the customs and morals 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. Afghan Khan Tulkyu, taking advantage of Koshoy's absence, raids the Katagan tribe and kills the son of a Kyrgyz hero. But Tyulkyu’s younger brother, Akun, decides to avoid bloodshed and settles the feud that broke out between the Kyrgyz and Afghans. Tyulkyu admits guilt, pays a ransom for the murder of his son Koshoy and cedes his throne to Akun. Manas and Akun enter into 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 Kyrgyz Khan Kökötöya(settled in Tashkent after the expulsion of Panus), Bokmurun expresses a desire to marry Tyulkya’s daughter named Kanyshay. On the advice of Manas, Bakai goes to Tyulky for matchmaking and performs all the required rituals.

During Manas's absence, the Közkamans arrive. Kanykei happily greets her husband's relatives and, according to custom, gifts them with everything necessary for running the household. Returning from a campaign, Manas arranges a feast in honor of his relatives. He gives them land, livestock and various utensils. Despite such a warm welcome, the envious Közkamans plot against Manas. They decide to poison the hero, take the throne and take possession of all the property of Manas. The Kezkamans find a convenient time to lure the batyr and his squad to visit. Returning after another campaign, Manas gladly accepted the invitation. Poison is mixed into the food of the hero and his warriors. Manas is saved from death patron holy spirits, who take him away from his treacherous relatives. The surviving Manas solders off all his warriors and returns to headquarters. The Közkamans are looking for those responsible for the failure, a quarrel breaks out between them, they all use knives and die.

Glorious kyrgyz khan Kökötöy, having reached old age, leaves the world. Having left his son Bokmurun a will with instructions on how to perform a burial and how to arrange all posthumous rites, he also bequeaths to seek advice from Manas. After burying Kökötöy, Bokmurun prepares for three years to organize a funeral feast. Manas takes control of Kökötöy's funeral feast into his hands. Numerous guests from the most distant countries arrive for the funeral feast. Bokmurun offers rich prizes to the winners of various competitions. A number of Kyrgyz elders and khans individual genera express dissatisfaction with the fact that Manas alone controls the process of the funeral feast. They gather a council and decide to openly express their demands. But the conspirators are pacified by Elder Koshoi. He persuades them not to start a quarrel in front of numerous guests, among whom are old enemies of the Kyrgyz, and promises the conspirators to pacify Manas after the funeral.

A year later, the conspirators demand from Koshoy that he head their embassy to Manas and help them remove the wayward ruler. Koshoi, citing his age, refuses to follow the lead of the conspirators. Then they decide to send messengers to Manas to inform him that all the noble heads of the Kyrgyz clans are going to visit him as guests. Their plan was to come to Manas in a large group, force him to make some mistake in the ritual of hospitality, start a quarrel and then make demands to renounce the title of khan. Manas agrees to receive noble guests with all their numerous retinue. Arriving guests are met by forty warriors and all arrivals are accommodated in their yurts and villages. Having seen such unity of the warriors and having become convinced of the unshakable 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 tells them that news has reached him about a campaign being prepared against the Kyrgyz. Chinese Khan Konurbay, harboring a grudge for previous defeats, gathers an army of thousands to once again subjugate the Kyrgyz. Manas calls on the Kyrgyz khans to forestall the enemy and go on a campaign themselves, with united forces to defeat the enemy on his territory and stop all attempts to conquer the Kyrgyz. The khans are forced to accept Manas's offer. Bakai is elected Khan of all Kyrgyz for the period of the great campaign, and Almanbet becomes the main commander of the Kyrgyz army. He leads them to the Chinese capital Beijing.

After going a long way and hard way, Kyrgyz army reaches the borders of the Chinese state. Leaving the army at a halt, Almanbet, Syrgak, Chubak and Manas go on reconnaissance. Having penetrated deep into enemy territory, they hijack numerous herds. Chinese troops rush in pursuit of the hijackers. A battle ensues, the Kyrgyz manage to defeat and disperse the enemy army of thousands. The Chinese pay them tribute and declare their desire to make peace. Manas generously decides to spare Konurbay and other Chinese nobles. But Konurbay could not accept defeat and one by one kills the best Kyrgyz warriors. Almanbet, Chubak and Syrgak die. Having secretly penetrated the battle headquarters of Manas, Konurbay inflicts a mortal wound on the hero, hitting him in the back with a spear when the unarmed hero was performing the ritual of morning prayer. Returning to his homeland, Manas cannot recover from his wound and dies. Kanykei buries the hero in gumbeze. The tragic ending of the first part of the trilogy achieves realistic authenticity. Manas' dying testament speaks of tribal strife and the weakening of the power of the Kyrgyz people united by Manas. Birth of son Manas - Semetey already predetermines revenge for the defeat of his father in the future. This is how the second poem arose, ideologically and plot-related to the first part, dedicated to the biography and exploits of the son of Manas Semetey and his associates, who repeat the heroism of their fathers and achieve victory over foreign invaders.

Not even forty days have passed since the death of Manas when Zhakyp begins to demand that Kanykey be given as a wife to one of Manas’s half-brothers. Manas is replaced by his half-brother Kobesh, who oppresses Kanykei and seeks to destroy the baby Semetey. Kanykei is forced to flee with the baby to her relatives. Semetey grows up unaware of its 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, to whom he was engaged even before birth, according to the promise of Manas. He raids Chinese territory and kills Konurbay in single combat, taking revenge on him for the death of his father. Semetey betrays Kanchoro, who entered into a conspiracy with the enemy Kyyas. Having received a mortal wound from Kyyas, Semetey suddenly disappears. His devoted companion Kulchoro is captured, and Aichurek becomes the prey of his enemies. The traitor Kanchoro becomes khan. Aichurek is expecting Semetey’s child, but no one knows about it.

Heroic poem "Semetey"- the most frequently performed cycle of the trilogy. The courageous heroes of the poem also become victims of injustice, but the culprits of their death are not foreign invaders, but internal enemies.

The third part of “Manas” is dedicated to the epic narrative of the struggle against internal enemies - "Seytek". It tells about the hero Seitek, grandson of Manas and is a logical continuation of the previous parts. This part contains 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. Plot basis The epic "Seytek" consists of the following events: the upbringing of Seytek in the camp of the enemies of his father, who does not know about his origin, the maturation of Seytek and the revelation 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 heroic life his descendants.

Moldobaev I.B.

Oral creativity played a huge role in the cultural life of the Kyrgyz people, the pinnacle of which should be considered the world-famous heroic epic “Manas”. Probably, oral poetry was known to the ancestors of the Kyrgyz since the 3rd century. BC e., when the term “Kyrgyz” became known thanks to Chinese written sources. Since then, Kyrgyz folklore has gradually formed and developed.

Already in beginning of XII V. The Arab author Marvazi noted the presence of improvising singers among the Kyrgyz. And 4 centuries later, in the 16th century, the Tajik-language work “Majmu at-tawarikh” (“Collected Stories”) included individual episodes from the epic “Manas”. Kyrgyz folklore is multi-genre, among which the epic “Manas” plays a prominent role. It is necessary to distinguish between 2 concepts of epic. In a narrow sense, this is actually the epic “Manas”. In a broad sense, by the epic “Manas” we mean the trilogy “Manas”, “Semetey”, “Seytek”. The epic "Manas" consists of several hundred thousand poetic lines and exceeds in volume all known epic works world, which constitutes one of its distinctive features. The development of the epic led to genealogical cyclization and continuations of the trilogy about the descendants of Seitek appeared.

“Manas” is performed by storytellers – manaschi. The first storyteller is considered to be Yramandyn yrchy uulu, one of the characters in the epic. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. entire groups and various storytelling schools of masters are known artistic word. Such outstanding manaschi as S. Orozbakov and S. Karalaev have survived to this day.

The first samples of records and studies of the epic were left to us in the middle. XIX century Ch. Valikhanov and V. Radlov. V. Radlov was the first in the world to publish the text of the trilogy of the epic “Manas” in a short thesis form in 1885 in Kyrgyz and German languages. To date, over 60 complete and incomplete versions and recordings of the epic are stored in the manuscript collections of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic. The bibliography of literature about Manas covers the period 1849-1960. Publications were added to this after 1960, although most of them are newspaper and magazine works.

The epic “Manas” has not lost its relevance in our time. There are theatrical performances and manaschi competitions are held. The best versions of the epic have been published, although it has not yet been published in full. But its significance also lies in the fact that it contains information on history, ethnography, philosophy, language, diplomacy, military affairs, folk pedagogy and many other aspects of the life of the Kyrgyz people. Let us turn only to the historical and ethnographic data of “Manas”.

The elements of the state system can be traced through the epic. "Manas" is an important source for studying issues ethnic history and ethnocultural ties of the Kyrgyz, as evidenced by more than a hundred ethnonyms mentioned in it. The names of such peoples as Shibee (Shivey), Solon, Kara Kytai, Manzhu, Naiman and others reflected in its lines speak of actual early contacts of the Kyrgyz. Judging by the epic, the Kyrgyz had ethnic and cultural relationships with the peoples of Siberia, including the Tungus-Manchu, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, Southern Urals, North Caucasus, Crimea and other adjacent territories.

“Manas” captured in its lines information about the economy and trade of the Kyrgyz people. It mentions almost all the routes of the Great Silk Road. This is supported by the epic's mention of many names of fabrics, including various silk fabrics. And torgun and tubar are directly called Chinese silk. In addition, the names of various precious stones, gold and silver items found in it are also real fact acquaintance of Kyrgyz people with the Great Road.

The epic contains extensive information about the culture of the Kyrgyz. In terms of material culture, the types of housing, various clothes, horse equipment, food, etc. are of interest. The epic’s message on military affairs, weapons and combat clothing deserves special attention. “Manas” contains extensive information on spiritual culture, folk knowledge (especially folk medicine), myths, religious beliefs, folk games and entertainment, musical instruments, etc.

Thus, the epic tells about three world religions, including the Nestorian Christians, who are called Tarsa. Among the data on games reported by Manas, Kuresh wrestling and martial arts deserve attention. In the epic we have identified information about about 20 different musical instruments.

Speaking about the time of the composition of the epic “Manas”, we are inclined to believe that it poetic text reflected in artistic form 7 periods of the history of the Kyrgyz, starting from the time the term “Kyrgyz” was mentioned and ending with the beginning of the 20th century. At the same time, the main core of the epic took shape during the period associated with the aggression of the Kara Kytays in the 10th century. Manas himself is a collective image.

Thus, the epic “Manas” tells that the Kyrgyz have passed a difficult path. Their ethnocultural history did not take place in isolation, but in close connection with Central Asian, South Siberian and other civilizations. It is the property of not only Kyrgyz, but also world epic culture.

Uniting the Kyrgyz. “Manas” is included in the list of masterpieces of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, as well as in the Guinness Book of Records as the most voluminous epic in the world.

Parts and storytellers[ | ]

The epic consists of 5 parts, actually “Manas”, “Semetey”, “Seytek”. The main content of the epic consists of the exploits of Manas.

The versions (1867-1930) and Sayakbay Karalaev (1911-1971) are considered classic. From Sagymbay, researchers in the 1920s recorded only a part about Manas itself (about 19 thousand lines); The entire trilogy (937 thousand lines) was written down from Sayakbai.

In addition, researchers recognize the most significant records of the part about Manas made by the storytellers Togolok Moldo (1860-1942), Moldobasan Musulmankulov (1884-1961), Shapak Rysmendeev (1858-1956), Bagysh Sazanov (1818-1918), Ibraim Abdyrakhmanov ( 1888-1960), Mambeta Chokmorova (1846-1932)

The most famous Xinjiang storyteller Dzyusup 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 with 7- and 8-syllable syllabic verses, but in Sagymbay Orozbakov’s version there are 4-, 5- and 6-syllable verses, close to rhymed prose, and in Sayakbai Karalaev's version there are also lines from 9-syllable to 12-syllable.

History of the epic [ | ]

Tradition traces the origin 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; combined the lament songs that existed separately among the people into one epic legendary singer Toktogul (the Kirghiz of the first half of the 20th century believed that he lived 500 years ago). Other storytellers are known to tradition, as well as the names of many 19th-century manaschi whose work was not recorded.

Modern scientists have not come to a consensus about the time of the epic. Hypotheses have been put forward that its basis is connected with the events of the history of the Kyrgyz in the 9th century. V. M. Zhirmunsky believed that historical background The work as a whole corresponds to the conditions of the XV-XVIII 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 of Majmu at-Tawarikh, where Manas is shown as a historical figure acting together with the real-life Tokhtamysh, Khorezmshah Muhammad, etc.

Manas enters into an unequal battle with the Uighurs and wins. In this battle, the khan of the Kyrgyz tribe of Katagans, Batyr Koshoi, provides him with invaluable assistance. One of the defeated Uyghur rulers, Kayypdan, gives Manas his daughter Karabyoryk, who herself expresses a desire to become the batyr’s wife.

At the suggestion of Koshoy, Manas decides to return to the people the native lands of Ala-Too, captured by the opponents of the Kyrgyz. Gathering an army, he enters the battle and wins. The Kyrgyz decide to migrate from Altai to their ancestral lands. Manas and his clan are located near the sacred black mountains.

The old enemy of the Kyrgyz, the Chinese Khan Alooke, decides to stop the expansion of the Kyrgyz and begins to prepare for the campaign. Having learned about this, Manas urgently sets out on a campaign with his forty warriors. He easily disperses the enemy army and captures the headquarters of Khan Alooka. Seeing the determination and courage of the hero Manas, Alooke decides to make peace with the Kirghiz and, in recognition of his submission, gives Manas his son Booke.

At this time, on the southern borders, the confrontation between the Kyrgyz clans and the Afghan Khan Shoruk intensified. Having gathered an army, Manas enters the battle. The defeated Afghan ruler enters into a diplomatic marriage alliance with the Kyrgyz, marrying his daughter to Manas and sending forty of her servants 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 arrival to Manas. Almambet's father Sooronduk was one of the major Chinese commanders. For a long time he was childless, and, having reached adulthood, finally finds a son. from childhood he comprehends science, 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 turns out to be the best among them in learning, and later grows into a brave warrior. Judgment, honesty, courage make him famous. At a young age, Almambet becomes his father's successor, leading all the troops of the Chinese army. One day, while hunting, he meets Khan Kökçö, who calls him to the light and to 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 abandoned the “faith of his ancestors.” Having escaped from the Chinese, Almambet finds refuge with Kökçö. Almambet's generosity, rationality and justice contribute to the strengthening of his glory. But the horsemen of Khan Kökçö are jealous of their ruler’s new confidant. They spread a false rumor about the closeness of Almambet and the wife of Khan Kökçö Akerçek. Unable to bear the slander, Almambet leaves Kökçö.

And then the hero accidentally meets Manas, who went hunting with his forty horsemen. Manas has long heard about Almambet and therefore greets him with honors and arranges a feast in his honor. Manas and Almambet become twin cities.

And since Manas married Akylai and Karabyoryk 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 has taken a liking to the daughter of Khan Sanirabiga. Zhakyp wooes her, pays a rich ransom, and Manas, according to all the rules, takes Sanirabiga as his wife. The Kirghiz call Manas's wife the name Kanykey, which means “who married the khan.” Forty horsemen of Manas marry forty girls who arrived 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 foreign people, took wives from the Kalmaks and forgot the customs and morals 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 Tyulkyu, taking advantage of Koshoy's absence, raids the Katagan tribe and kills the son of the Kyrgyz hero. But Tyulkyu’s younger brother, Akun, decides to avoid bloodshed and settles the feud that broke out between the Kyrgyz and Afghans. Tyulkyu admits guilt, pays a ransom for the murder of his son Koshoy and cedes his throne to Akun. Manas and Akun enter into 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 Kyrgyz Khan Kökötöy (who settled in Tashkent after the expulsion of Panus), Bokmurun expresses a desire to marry Tyulkyu’s daughter named Kanyshay. On the advice of Manas, Bakai goes to Tyulky for matchmaking and performs all the required rituals.

During Manas's absence, the Közkamans arrive. she happily meets her husband's relatives and, according to custom, gifts them with everything necessary for running the household. Returning from a campaign, Manas arranges a feast in honor of his relatives. He gives them land, livestock and various utensils. Despite such a warm welcome, the envious Közkamans plot against Manas. They decide to poison the hero, take the throne and take possession of all the property of Manas. The Kezkamans find a convenient time to lure the batyr and his squad to visit. Returning after another campaign, Manas gladly accepted the invitation. Poison is mixed into the food of the hero and his warriors. The surviving Manas solders off all his warriors and returns to headquarters. The Közkamans are looking for those responsible for the failure, a quarrel breaks out between them, they all use knives and die.

The glorious Kyrgyz Khan Kökötöy, having reached old age, leaves the world. Having left his son Bokmurun a will with instructions on how to perform a burial and how to arrange all posthumous rites, he also bequeaths to seek advice from Manas. After burying Kökötöy, Bokmurun prepares for three years to organize a funeral feast. Manas takes control of Kökötöy's funeral feast into his hands. Numerous guests from the most distant countries arrive for the funeral feast. Bokmurun offers rich prizes to the winners of various competitions. A number of Kyrgyz elders and khans of certain clans express dissatisfaction with the fact that Manas alone controls the course of the funeral feast. They gather a council and decide to openly express their demands. But the conspirators are pacified by Elder Koshoi. He persuades them not to start a quarrel in front of numerous guests, among whom are old enemies of the Kirghiz, and promises the conspirators to pacify Manas after the funeral feast.

A year later, the conspirators demand from Koshoy that he head their embassy to Manas and help them remove the wayward ruler. Koshoi, citing his age, refuses to follow the lead of the conspirators. Then they decide to send messengers to Manas to inform him that all the noble heads of the Kyrgyz clans are going to visit him as guests. Their plan was to come to Manas in a large group, force him to make some mistake in the ritual of hospitality, start a quarrel and then make demands to renounce the title of khan. Manas agrees to receive noble guests with all their numerous retinue. Arriving guests are met by forty warriors and all arrivals are accommodated in their yurts and villages. Having seen such unity of the warriors and having become convinced of the unshakable 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 news has reached him about a campaign being prepared against the Kirghiz. The Chinese Khan Konurbay, who harbors a grudge for previous defeats, gathers an army of thousands to once again subjugate the Kirghiz. Manas calls on the Kyrgyz khans to forestall the enemy and go on a campaign themselves, with united forces to defeat the enemy on his territory and stop all attempts to conquer the Kyrgyz. The khans are forced to accept Manas's offer. Bakai is elected Khan of all the Kyrgyz for the period of the great campaign, and Almambet becomes the main commander of the Kyrgyz army. He leads them to the Chinese capital Beijing.

Having passed a long and difficult path, the Kyrgyz army reaches the borders of the Chinese state. Leaving the army at a halt, Almambet, Syrgak, Chubak and Manas go on reconnaissance. Having penetrated deep into enemy territory, they hijack numerous herds. Chinese troops rush in pursuit of the hijackers. A battle ensues, the Kyrgyz manage to defeat and disperse the enemy army of thousands. According to the epic, Manas and his army (Tyumen) capture Beijing (“Beezhin” translated from the Kyrgyz language as “bad mare”) and rule for six months. The Chinese pay them tribute and declare their desire to make peace. Manas generously decides to spare Konurbai and the rest of the Chinese nobles. But Konurbay could not accept defeat and one by one kills the best Kyrgyz warriors. They die, Chubak and... Having secretly penetrated the battle headquarters of Manas, Konurbay inflicts a mortal wound on the hero, hitting him in the back with a spear when the unarmed hero was performing the morning prayer namaz. Returning to his homeland, Manas cannot recover from his wound and dies. buries the hero in. The tragic ending of the first part of the trilogy achieves realistic authenticity. Manas' dying testament speaks of tribal strife and the weakening of the power of the Kyrgyz people united by Manas. The birth of Manas's son, Semetey, already predetermines the future revenge for his father's defeat. This is how the second poem arose, ideologically and plot-related to 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.

Not even forty days have passed since the death of Manas when Zhakyp begins to demand that Kanykey be given as a wife to one of Manas’s 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 without knowing its 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, to whom he was engaged even before birth, according to the promise of Manas. He raids Chinese territory and kills Konurbay in single combat, taking revenge on him for the death of his father. Semetey is betrayed by Kanchoro, who entered into an agreement with the enemy Kyyas. Having received a mortal wound from Kyyas, Semetey suddenly disappears. His devoted comrade-in-arms Kulchoro is captured, and Aichurek becomes the prey of his 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 culprits of their death are not foreign invaders, but internal enemies.

The third part of "Manas" - "Seytek" - is dedicated to the epic narrative of the struggle against internal enemies. It tells the story of the hero Seitek, the grandson of Manas, and is a logical continuation of the previous parts. This part contains 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 epic “Seytek” is made up of the following events: the upbringing of Seytek in the camp of the enemies of his father, who does not know about his origin, the maturation of Seytek and the revelation 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 of Manas in the heroic life of his descendants.

Manas studies [ | ]

1000th anniversary of the epic [ | ]

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