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Spirited Performance Proefschrift Tilburg University Spirited performance van der Heide, N. Publication date: 2008 Link to publication in Tilburg University Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): van der Heide, N. (2008). Spirited performance: The Manas epic and society in Kyrgyztan. Rozenberg. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 25. sep. 2021 Spirited Performance The Manas epic and society in Kyrgyzstan © 2008 N. van der Heide Cover design by: Esther van Efferink Photography by: Timothy Scott Photographs of: Great Manaschï Kaba Atabekov and Manaschï Talantaalï Bakchiev All rights reserved. Save exceptions stated by the law, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system of any nature, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, included a complete or partial transcription, without the prior written permission of the author, application for which should be addressed to the author. ISBN 978 90 5170 833 2 Spirited Performance The Manas epic and society in Kyrgyzstan Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit van Tilburg op het gezag van de rector magnificus, prof.dr. F.A. van der Duyn Schouten in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van een door het college voor promoties aangewezen commissie in de aula van de Universiteit op vrijdag 6 juni 2008 om 14.15 uur door Nienke van der Heide geboren op 16 december 1970 te Amersfoort Promotor: Prof.dr. A. de Ruijter Copromotor: Dr. J.J. de Wolf I dedicate this book to the Great Manaschï Kaba Atabekov who passed away on March 29, 2008. Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................................11 A note on Spelling .................................................................................................................................13 Maps …………… .................................................................................................................................14 Introduction The Manas Epic, new access to an ancient oral tradition in a present-day context ..........................................................................................................................17 I.1 Text and Context ................................................................................................. 19 I.2 The Manas Epic in its Social Contexts ................................................................ 20 I.3 Structure of this Study ......................................................................................... 25 Chapter One Kyrgyzstan: Remarkably Unknown ....................................................................27 1.1 Kyrgyzstan introduced ......................................................................................... 27 1.1.1 Kyrgyzstan Located ..................................................................................... 28 1.1.2 History of Kyrgyzstan ................................................................................. 29 1.1.2.1 Before the Soviet Union .......................................................................... 31 1.1.2.2 The Soviet Union ..................................................................................... 37 1.1.2.3 After the Soviet Union ............................................................................. 41 1.1.3 Economy ...................................................................................................... 43 1.1.4 Social Organisation of the Kyrgyz: Family Structure and Politics ............. 49 1.1.5 Ethnicity, religion and language .................................................................. 55 1.2 Research Methodology ........................................................................................ 60 1.2.1 Background of the Research ........................................................................ 60 1.2.2 Research Questions ..................................................................................... 61 1.2.3 Research methods and information sources ................................................ 63 1.3 Social context of my fieldwork ........................................................................... 67 1.3.1 Kazïbek ........................................................................................................ 67 1.3.2 Törtkül ......................................................................................................... 75 1.3.3 Karakol ........................................................................................................ 77 1.3.4 Bishkek ........................................................................................................ 79 1.4 The story of Manas .............................................................................................. 82 1.4.1 Introduction to the plot ................................................................................ 83 1.4.2 Manas‟ Birth ................................................................................................ 86 1.4.3 Manas‟ turbulent childhood ......................................................................... 87 1.4.4 Manas becomes Khan .................................................................................. 88 1.4.5 Manas fights and falls in love ...................................................................... 88 1.4.6 Manas meets his closest friend Almambet .................................................. 90 1.4.7 Manas marries Khanikey ............................................................................. 91 1.4.8 Kökötöi‟s memorial feast ............................................................................ 92 1.4.9 The Great Campaign .................................................................................... 95 1.4.10 Manas‟ death................................................................................................ 96 7 Chapter two The Oral Performance of the Manas Epic ...........................................................99 2.1 Who are Manaschïs? .......................................................................................... 101 2.2 How to Become a Manaschï .............................................................................. 111 2.2.1 The Vocation Dream ................................................................................. 111 2.2.2 Vocation and Inspiration ........................................................................... 121 2.2.3 Apprenticeship ........................................................................................... 123 2.2.3.1 Manaschï School ................................................................................... 126 2.2.4 Comparing with Parry and Lord ................................................................ 128 2.3 Manaschïs and Energy ....................................................................................... 133 2.4 Different Manaschïs, different versions ............................................................ 137 2.5 Social Status of Manaschïs ................................................................................ 141 2.6 Audiences .......................................................................................................... 150 2.7 Is the oral performance of the Manas epic dying out? ...................................... 157 Chapter Three The Manas Published ..........................................................................................163 3.1 Publications of the Manas Epic before the Soviet Union .................................. 163 3.1.1 Majmu-at-Tavarikh .................................................................................... 163 3.1.2 Recordings by Chokan Chïngïzovich Valikhanov .................................... 167 3.1.3 Recordings by Friedrich Wilhelm Radloff ................................................ 174 3.2 Publications of the Manas During Soviet Times ............................................... 178 3.2.1 Kayum Miftakov ....................................................................................... 178 3.2.2 Ïbïrayïm Abdïrakhmanov .......................................................................... 179 3.2.3 Institutionalisation ..................................................................................... 182 3.2.4 The crisis of the Turkic epics .................................................................... 187 3.2.5 Combined version, 1958-1960 .................................................................. 194 3.2.6 The versions of Sagïmbai and Sayakbai .................................................... 197 3.2.7 Russian Translations .................................................................................
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