Epos Manas summary in Russian. Main epic heroes

The Kyrgyz people have gone through a long and difficult path of historical development and formation. The Kyrgyz ethnos 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 showed the world treasury of intangible cultural heritage 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 system. 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 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 stress 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 epic "Manas" 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 recording 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.

BISHKEK, November 18 - Sputnik. The great writer Chingiz Aitmatov called the epic "Manas" "the pinnacle of the Kyrgyz spiritual world." It is the pride of the entire Kyrgyz people. This is one of those values that provides spiritual food and ideological direction, scientists say.

Askar Medetov, Doctor of Philology, and Talantaaly Bakchiev, narrator of the Manas epic, told Sputnik about prophetic dreams, the sacred number "40", where the name Manas is still found, and other facts of the Kyrgyz epic.

1. Riddle of the storyteller

There are a lot of mysteries around who and how becomes a manaschi. It is known that almost all famous storytellers "meet" the spirits of the heroes of the epic in a dream and even in reality. Delusion haunts future manaschi until they give themselves completely to this art. This is one of the most mysterious phenomena that accompany the storytelling skill.

2. Unique syllable

The narrators of the epic use an unusual and unique motif, which is inherent only in the Manas epic. The text has a form characteristic of the Kyrgyz folk poetry. All versions of "Manas" use a poetic meter of six to seven complex syllabic syllables. In syllabic versification (from the Greek syllabe - "syllable") the length of the verse is determined only by the number of syllables, regardless of the number of stresses; verses are called 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-complex, etc. A different number of syllables is allowed in the lines.

Manaschi on stage during the III World Festival "Epos of the peoples of the world"

3. How did he get there?

The toponym Manas is widely known outside of Kyrgyzstan. In China, there is the city of Manas and the spring of the same name. On the Iberian Peninsula in Spain there is also a city whose name is consonant with the name Manas, as, indeed, in France, and in Hungary - the village of Manas.

In Korea, residents named one of the mountain peaks Manas, in neighboring Kazakhstan there is a pasture called Manas, and in Japan there is the city of Semetey.

"Manas is known throughout the Universe. Oh, how happy the Kyrgyz people who created it!" — Chingiz Aitmatov wrote these lines in his book "The Cry of the Hunter over the Abyss".

4. Sacred number "40"

In the epic "Manas", as in all epic works, there are sacred figures. The number "40" (in Kyrgyz "kyrk") has a hidden meaning, which is consonant with the name of the people "Kyrgyz" - forty tribes, forty squads, forty days (commemoration), forty girls and many other examples. In addition, the numbers "3", "5", "7", "9", "12" are also considered sacred in the epic.

The national flag of Kyrgyzstan, in the center of which is a tunduk of a Kyrgyz yurt framed by forty sunbeams

5. More than 80 versions of the legend

The main versions of the epic "Manas" are the versions of the legend according to Sayakbay Karalaev and Sagymbay Orozbakov.

Also widely known are the versions of the manaschi of Moldobasan Musulmankulov, Bagysh Sazanov, Shapak Rysmendiev, Ibraim Abdrakhmanov.

The main examples of the epic "Manas" are considered variants of the legend according to Sayakbay Karalaev and Sagymbay Orozbakov

In China, the performance of the epic by the ethnic Kyrgyz Zhusup Mamai is widespread. In addition, there is a version of Togolok Moldo, recorded by the famous Turkologist Vasily Radlov at the beginning of the 20th century.

According to various estimates, the Manas epic has more than eighty versions, which, in addition to published books, include numerous handwritten versions that are stored in the archives of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the storytellers themselves and their relatives.

6. Cultural heritage of the epic

According to the plot of "Manas" a number of musical, documentary and artistic works have been created.

In the 30s of the last century, one of the first Kyrgyz operas "Aichurek" (Manas's daughter-in-law, wife of Semetey), and then the opera "Manas" was written based on his motives. Directors Bolot Shamshiev, Evgeny Kotlov and Melis Ubukeev made scientific and publicistic films based on it. The drama "Manas-Almambet", the trilogy "Manas", "Semetey", "Seytek", the novel "Teniri Manas" were also released.

7. Prophet, savior or higher intelligence

Scientists Mukhtar Auezov and Alexander Bernshtam explained the origin of the toponym Manas based on some scientific hypotheses, said scientist Askar Medetov. According to one version, the word "Manas" is associated with the name of one of the ancient prophets, but, in his opinion, this is a very controversial issue.

"In the VI-VIII centuries of our era, in the Yenisei era, there was a Manichaean religion, which was followed by the Uighur Khanate. This religion had holy scriptures telling about the prophet Manichaeus. It spread to the territories of the Yenisei and Siberia. Auezov and Bernshtam believed that the name of the prophet gradually changed and became first Manessa, and then Manas. In their opinion, the image of the prophet gradually turned into the image of a hero and defender of the people," Medetov said.

According to another version, the name Manas consists of two words - "Man" and "As", which mean "first man" or "best man".

An interesting point of view was expressed by the philosopher and artist Nicholas Roerich, who believed that the name Manas means "higher mind".

8. More than in "War and Peace"

About 600 heroes are described in the epic "Manas", including kyrk choro (Manas' squad). The largest number of characters in the version of Sagymbay Orozbakov. The main characters of the epic are Manas, Kanykey, Bakai, Chiyirdy, Almambet, Dzhakyp, Koshoy, Aichurek, Kulchoro. Konurbai, Neskara, Kanchoro, Joloy and others are described as negative characters in the legend. More than 800 toponyms are also found in the ancient epic.

Artist G. Petrov

About 600 heroes are described in the epic "Manas", including kyrk choro (Manas' squad). Illustrations for the epic by the artist G. Petrov

For comparison, in one of the largest works of world literature - Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" - there are about 500 heroes.

9. Only numbers

The largest version of the folk epic has more than five hundred thousand lines. Scientists have recorded a version of the famous storyteller Sayakbay Karalayev, which contains 500 thousand 553 lines.

Manaschi told the trilogy "Manas", "Semetey", "Seitek", as well as legends about the descendants of the hero - batyrs Kenene, Alymsaryk and Kulansaryk.

The version of the narrator Mambet Chokmorov contains 397 thousand lines. The first part of the trilogy "Manas", written down from the lips of Sagymbay Orozbakov, includes 180 thousand lines.

Dzhusup Mamai's version contains 500 thousand lines. He spoke about the events of the time of Manas himself and up to his eighth generation.

10. The very best

There is no larger work in the world than the Manas epic, and it is rightfully considered the largest work of world literary heritage.

The text of the epic is 20 times larger than the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" of the great Homer. Five times more than the Persian epic "Shahnameh". Two and a half times superior to the ancient Indian epic "Mahabharata".

All known world legends, taken together, cannot be compared in volume with "Manas" by Sayakbay Karalayev.

11. So how old is the epic really?

When did Manas appear? There are many opinions, but if we consider that in 1995 the 1000th anniversary of the epic was celebrated, then today it is 1020 years old.

Of the various hypotheses about the time of the emergence of the epic, three can be distinguished as the most reasonable:

According to Mukhtar Auezov and Alexander Bernshtam, it appeared in the 9th century. This time is known as the Yenisei period in the history of the Kyrgyz - the emergence of the Kyrgyz great power and the era of the reign of Barsbek.
Scientist Bolot Yunusaliev believes that the epic appeared in the 9th-11th centuries during the reign of the Karakhanids. This period is marked in the history of the Kyrgyz people by the victory over the Kara-Chinese and the appearance of the Kyrgyz in the territory of Ala-Too.
According to the historian Viktor Zhirmunsky, the legend of the batyr Manas arose between the 15th and 18th centuries during the reign of the Dzungar khans.

12. Russian scientist, and a window to Europe

For the first time the epic "Manas" was published in St. Petersburg. In 1885, a version written in Cyrillic in the Kyrgyz language was published, recorded by the famous Turkologist Vasily Radlov. In the same year, part of the epic was translated into German and published in Leipzig.

Thus, the ethnographer and archaeologist Radlov was the first to present the ancient epic to Europe.

In the Soviet period, in 1925, the legend was published in the version of the narrator Tynybek. Since then, it has been published many times in various versions. The last edition published this year was a nine-volume edition by Sagymbay Orozbakov (180,000 lines). And in China, an 18-volume version of Dzhusup Mamai was published. The most voluminous version of Sayakbai Karalaev was published several times.

13. Manas Institute

Currently, the Department of Manas Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic is engaged in the study of the epic, and manuscripts are also stored there. The Institute of Manasology functions at the Kyrgyz State University named after Ishenaly Arabaev, and there is a department at the National University.

14. Do you speak English?

The largest epic in the world is of interest in many countries and has been translated into many languages. A Russian, a Chinese, an Englishman, a German, a Frenchman and a Japanese can get acquainted with the folk tale in translation.

Readers study the ancient legend in Mongolian, Czech, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Uighur, Kazakh and Uzbek languages and the language of Omar Khayyam - Farsi. Moreover, it has been translated into all the most common languages of the world, except for Arabic and Spanish.

15. World heritage

The work of Kyrgyz oral folk art is one of the masterpieces of world culture. The trilogy is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Academician B. M. Yunusaliev

(1913–1970)

KYRGYZ HEROIC EPOS "MANAS"

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.

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 reflects 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 other 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 (equality of the members of the squad in the distribution of military trophies, the election of commanders-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 out 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 Altai 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 causes pity: 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 Konurbai, who was also preparing to attack the Kyrgyz, in many ways 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 holds a grudge against 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.

The narrator Sh. Rysmendeev, who also dictated all three parts of the epic to Talas, makes a trip not to the mythological Sary-bay, but to a very real figure - the son of the famous Konurbay 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 not difficult to notice some thematic and plot discrepancies.

So, only the narrator Sagymbay Orozbakov has Manas's trips to the North and West, only Sayakbay Karalayev has Chubak's pilgrimage to Mecca. 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 earth punish him
Vegetated.

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, Kanykei, 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 Beizhen), 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 either by the Chinese or by the Kalmyks: Alooke, Joloy, Esenkhan - are most likely the 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, epaulettes, 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 subordinate 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), cablan (leopard), syrttan (hyena), kyokdzhal (grey-maned wolf). Despite the later desire of the storytellers to give the image of Manas some features of the feudal ruler - the 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 Koshoi and Bakai, the youth: Almambet, Chubak, Syrgak, etc. They are also distinguished by their powerful physical strength and courage, soldered together 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 poetic devices of the epic correspond to the heroic content and scale of its volume. Each episode, which is more often a thematic and plot-independent poem, is divided into songs-chapters. At the beginning of the chapter, we are dealing with a kind of introduction, a prelude of a semi-prosaic and recitative form (zhorgo sez), where alliteration or final rhyme is observed, but without the meter of the verse. Gradually zhorgo sez turns into a rhythmic verse, the number of syllables of which ranges from seven to nine, corresponding to the rhythm and melodious music characteristic of the epic. Each line, regardless of the fluctuation in the number of verses, is divided into two rhythmic groups, each of which has its own musical stress, which does not coincide with the expiratory stress. The first musical stress falls on the second syllable from the end of the first rhythmic group, and the second - on the first syllable of the second rhythmic group. This arrangement gives strict poetic symmetry to the entire poem. The rhythm of the verse is supported by the final rhyme, which can sometimes be replaced by the initial euphony - alliteration or assonance. Often rhymes are accompanied by alliteration or assonance. Sometimes we have a combination of all types of euphony, rarely observed in versification, along with the final rhyme, external and internal alliteration:

Kanatyn kaira kakkylap,
Kuyrugun kumga chapkylap…

The stanza has a different number of verses, most often it occurs in the form of a long tirade of the same rhyme, which provides the narrator of a grandiose work with the necessary pace of performance. Other forms of organization of verse structure (redif, anaphora, epiphora, etc.) are also used in the epic. When creating images, various artistic techniques are used. Heroes are drawn dynamically in direct actions, in struggle, in clashes with enemies.

Pictures of nature, meetings, battles, the psychological state of the characters are transmitted mainly through narration and serve as an additional means for portraiture.

A favorite technique for creating portraits is antithesis with the widespread use of epithets, including permanent ones. For example: “kan zhyttangan” - smelling of blood (Konurbay), “dan zhyttangan” - smelling of grain (to Joloy, a hint of his gluttony); “capillette sez tapkan, karatsgyda koz tapkan” (to Bakai) - who sees in the dark, finds a way out in a hopeless situation.

As for the style, along with the dominant heroic tone of presentation, there is a lyrical description of nature, and in the poem "Semetey" - love romance.

Depending on the content, common folk genre forms are also used in the epic: kereez (testament) at the beginning of the episode “Commemoration for Koketei”, armand (song-complaint about fate) of Almambet during a quarrel with Chubak in the “Great Campaign”, sanat - a song of philosophical content and etc.

Hyperbole prevails as a means of depicting characters and their actions. Hyperbolic dimensions surpass all known epic tricks. Here we are dealing with an extremely fabulous exaggeration.

The wide and always appropriate use of epithets, comparisons, metaphors, aphorisms and other expressive means of influence captivates the listener of Manas even more.

The language of the poem is accessible to the modern generation, since the epic lived on the lips of each generation. Its performers, being representatives of a certain dialect, spoke to the people in an understandable dialect.

Despite this, there is a lot of archaic in the vocabulary, which can serve as material for the restoration of ancient toponymy, ethnonymy and onomastics of the Kyrgyz people. The vocabulary of the epic reflects various changes in the cultural, economic and political relations of the Kyrgyz with other peoples. It contains many words of Iranian and Arabic origin, words common to the languages of the Central Asian peoples. The influence of the book language is also noticeable, especially in the version of Sagymbay Orozbakov, who was literate and showed a special interest in book information. The vocabulary of "Manas" is not without neologisms and Russianisms. For example: mammoth from the Russian "mammoth", ileker from the Russian "healer", zumrut from the Russian "emerald", etc. At the same time, each storyteller retains the features of his dialect.

The syntactic features of the language of the epic are associated with the grandiosity of its volume. To enhance the tempo of presentation of poetic material, as a stylistic device, long turns with stringed participial, participial and introductory sentences are widely used, sometimes in an unusual combination. Such a sentence may consist of three or more dozen lines. In the text of the epic, there are individual violations of the grammatical connection (anacoluf), which are characteristic of large oral works, caused by the need to preserve the size of the verse or rhyme.

In general, the language of the epic is expressive and figurative, rich in nuances, because the best talents of folk literature of previous eras worked on its polishing. The epic "Manas", as the largest monument, which has absorbed all the best and valuable from the verbal and speech culture of the people, has played and is playing an invaluable role in the formation of the national language, in the convergence of its dialects, in polishing grammatical norms, in enriching the vocabulary and phraseology national Kyrgyz literary language.

The historical and cultural significance of the Manas epic lies in the fact that over the centuries it has had a significant impact on the formation of aesthetic tastes and the national character of the Kyrgyz people. The epic instills in listeners (readers) love for everything beautiful, sublime, a taste for art, poetry, music, the beauty of the human spirit, hard work, heroism, courage, patriotism, loyalty to a friend, love for real life, the beauty of nature. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the Manas epic serves as a source of inspiration for the masters of the Kyrgyz Soviet art in creating works of art.

Favorite images: Manas, Kanykey, Bakai, Almambet, Semetey, Kulchoro, Aichurek, Seitek and others are immortal primarily because they have such high moral qualities as boundless love for the motherland, honesty, courage, hatred of invaders, traitors. The heroic epic "Manas", due to its high artistry, deservedly occupies a worthy place on the shelf of world masterpieces of oral folk art.

1958 (Translated from Kyrgyz)

THE LEGEND ABOUT MANAS

Hey!
The tale of ancient times
Lives today, in our days.
A story without end
The Kyrgyz people created
Inheritance to son from father
Passed from mouth to mouth.
And fiction and truth a mixture
Intertwined in unity here.
Witnesses of distant years
For a long time, it hasn't been around.
And only God knows the truth!
Years flowed like sand
The land has changed over the centuries
The lakes dried up and the seas,
And the rivers changed their course
After the genus, the genus was renewed.
Neither heat, nor wind, nor water,
Centuries of bloody years
Erase from the surface of the earth
The saying could not.
The people suffered a tale,
Through the bloody years
Like a hymn of immortality, sounded,
In the hearts of the hot bubbling,
Called for freedom and victory.
Defenders of the native land
This tale was a true friend.
Like a song hammered into granite
The people keep in their souls.
About how a thousand years ago
Kyrgyz, expelled to Siberia,
Gathered and reunited
Created a mighty kaganate,
Returned to the land of the ancestors,
On a great campaign against China
Batyrov valiant drove
Defender of the homeland Manas,
Listen to our story.

Academician B. M. Yunusaliev. (1913–1970). KYRGYZ HEROIC EPOS "MANAS"