Explanation of storytellers about their gift
As mentioned above, almost all storytellers associate the beginning of their creative activity with a dream vision and inspiration.
They like to mention that before the inspiration, they did not know the content of the epic, did not have the gift of a storyteller, and that both came to them only after the dream vision, in which Manas, Semetey, or someone from their companions supposedly instructed them to sing of them. They recount that this instruction in most cases was accompanied by threats and coercion. Manas or his companions allegedly threatened to inflict severe calamities upon the storyteller if their demands were not met. One can hear stories that these threats were even realized. For example, the storyteller Janabay claimed that he long refused to sing, but eventually had to comply, as Manas realized his threat and almost made him, Janabay, a cripple.
Some storytellers recounted that Manas appeared to them not only in dreams but also while awake. Sarimbay, according to eyewitness accounts, sitting in a circle of peacefully conversing people, would sometimes suddenly begin to hallucinate, saying that he saw Manas and his companions before him. And Balik claimed that he received a horse as a gift from Manas, which he showed to the listeners.
Elders who knew the storyteller Keldibek recall that he supposedly said that at the age of 17, while being a shepherd, he once fell asleep in a field near a herd and saw in a dream Manas and his companions. They told Keldibek: "We will stay with you for the night. After you, there will be some Sagymbay, we will stop with him for lunch. There will also be Tynybek, we will only meet him on the way. We will also stop for lunch with Kodym-keldy from the Cherik clan, but he will not live long. You must accept us as it is proper, with respect." Upon returning home, Keldibek supposedly told his father about his dream, who ordered him not to tell anyone about it anymore. After this incident, one day guests arrived at Keldibek's father and stayed with him for the night. That same night, Keldibek began to sing "Manas." A few days later, the young storyteller was again visited by Manas with his companions and demanded that Keldibek visit the mausoleum of Manas (the mausoleum is located in the Talas Valley, while Keldibek lived in Chuy) within three generations and make a sacrifice there. If this demand was not fulfilled, Keldibek would remain childless. From that moment, as those who remembered him said, Keldibek began to sing "Manas" in full and gained fame as a storyteller. However, he only visited the mausoleum four years later, i.e., he violated the deadline set by Manas, and for this, he remained childless.
Elders who knew Keldibek, from his words, further recounted that during the visit to the mausoleum, Manas again appeared to him in a dream with his companions. They said: "Until now, we have only shown ourselves to you in dreams. Now we will show ourselves while awake. Come to the mountain of Paldazhan on the sunny side of the Chuy River, but only one." Keldibek supposedly appeared at the indicated place and saw there warriors, among whom he recognized those who had appeared to him in dreams. They greeted Keldibek, and Manas said: "If your creativity were to be inherited by your descendants, we would not have come to you while awake. But your creativity will leave with you." After this, according to the storyteller's account, the companions of Manas passed in an orderly manner before Keldibek, and he counted 42 people. Keldibek wanted to follow them, but Manas stopped him: "You return, it is not on your path to go with us." After this, the vision disappeared.
A similar explanation of one's recognition is also found among shamans, who, too, are visited in dreams by spirits that demand to become a shaman, threaten, coerce, etc.
Manaschi and Semeteychi