Under the ethnonym "Kyrgyz," the Tian Shan Kyrgyz are referred to, who are now part of the Kyrgyz Republic, and not the Yenisei Kyrgyz. It is believed that the Kyrgyz did not have a literary language or writing during the pre-national period. So far, this opinion has not been scientifically confirmed or refuted by anyone. There are separate statements regarding this matter.
Historical Grammar of the Kyrgyz Language. Phonetics One of the arguments in favor of the hypothesis of Central Asian origin of the Kyrgyz and their language lies in the linguistic material. The languages of the Yenisei Kyrgyz and the modern Tian Shan Kyrgyz are in a position of distant kinship within the Turkic language family.
Winter in Kyrgyzstan is a harsh test for all living organisms. In the cold winter days, many of them suffer from disasters and need. The wise man Asan-Kaygy, knowing this, is very saddened: Tarazasyng keteryp Tarbandagan shor tumshuk Tash baka baikush kantti ekan? Booru zherge jabyshtan, Basa albagan balchakhtap, Baka baikush kantti ekan? Kirer eshigi jok, Korgolor teshi jok. Konuzy baikush kantti ekan?
The relationship of humans to nature, animals, and plants is determined not only by their natural environment but also by the peculiarities of their economic structure. Among the Kyrgyz, as is well known, the practice of nomadic animal husbandry was combined with hunting. Hunting was one of the important occupations for the Kyrgyz after their main activity of livestock breeding. Directly encountering the animal world, people in ancient times tried to comprehend the profound connections between
Two Perspectives One night, two friends saw a puddle. Look at this spectacle! - said one. What spectacle? It’s just a puddle... Look deeper and you will see the boundless night sky, a full moon, and twinkling stars.
Cradle and Coffin Once, a cradle and a coffin argued about who was more important for a person.
Rooster In one village, there lived a blind old man. Every day and every night, he prayed to God, asking for the chance to see the light at least once in his life.
Who is a patriot? Once, near a forest ant hill, a grand argument broke out. A wolf, a tiger, and a snake decided to determine who the best protector of this forest—their common home—was.
Three Epochs When society goes through a transitional period, it is painful for everyone. Not everyone adapts to the changing life principles, and interpersonal relationships become unpredictable; many are left, as they say, without a job.
Seven Phenomena of Happiness! Long ago, in a distant mountain village, there lived a sage. For his ability to accurately predict people's destinies and his knowledge of the secrets of life wisdom, the villagers nicknamed him Kalygul the Prophet. One day, a young couple came to him. "Elder, reveal the secret that will help us preserve our sincere and tender feelings for many years of our life together," the young man and woman requested.
Drunken Mosquito Once a mosquito, having bitten a drunken man, flew to the scarlet poppies and began to bother the butterflies. When he sobered up and remembered his behavior, he hid in the dung for three days.
What is the strength of the falcon? A famous falconer was asked about the merits of the falcon. - The falcon can go without food for 35 days. It has remarkably sharp eyesight and can see its prey from a distance of 3-5 kilometers. And its strength is simply astonishing - with a weight of 700 grams, it delivers a blow of 200 kilograms to its enemy. - So what is the reason for such abilities? - The secret of this bird is not in its weight or size. The strength of the falcon lies in its
Leopard and Cat The cat asked God to increase her size and strength. - “I want to be as mighty as a leopard,” she prayed. The Creator heard her prayer - the cat became big and strong.
Father's Will When one elder noticed that his only son was deeply engrossed in collecting things and property, it greatly troubled him. "How can I explain to my son that a life lived for the sake of acquiring wealth will inevitably lead to disappointment?" he pondered, finding no answer.
The Burden of Immortality In ancient times, there lived a folk healer in our lands. With his herbal infusions and potions made from herbs and snake venom, he healed many sick people. The unusual talent and innate kindness that distinguished the healer earned him the love and respect of the entire community.
Bag of Gold Once, three travelers met on the road. When they started talking, it turned out that all three had left home due to their envy. The first said: - My neighbor suddenly became rich. Seeing his prosperity was so unbearable that I left home.
The Good Sometimes we do not understand people simply because we view the world from our own perspective. To understand them, we need to try to see the world through their eyes.
His Highness the Word A young man, but already of age, was speaking with his grandfather - the elder. They talked about many different things, about the sky and the earth, about truth and lies, and at one moment the grandson asked: - What is the meaning of a word? After all, with a word one can warm, offend, humiliate, or elevate to the heavens? - A word can wound or kill a person, help, support, turn a friend into an enemy or vice versa, - replied the sage. - But to distinguish all this, a
Father in a Bag A father lived with his son and daughter-in-law. His wife had died, and he was dependent on them. But the daughter-in-law had a very bad temper, and she did not like living in the same house with her father-in-law at all. The son always listened to his wife; she constantly said that the father had outlived his time, urging him to put the father in a bag and leave him among the mountains. But the father only wanted his son to live a happy life. One day, the son's wife
Men's Word Once, an elderly townsman accidentally met a traveler who found himself in their city. - How old are you? — asked the old man. I am forty years old - replied the traveler. Two or three years later, they meet again. - How old are you now? - the elder asks again. - I am forty, replies the traveler. - But you said that two years ago? - the townsman was astonished. - A man should have only one word. I already told you that I am forty - why should I answer differently now?
Water An elder was asked what the main wealth of Kyrgyzstan is. — The main wealth is people, land, freedom, and water. — That’s clear about the land, people, and freedom. But why water?
How to Achieve Prosperity? In difficult times, a young man decided to help his people. To do this, he went to a wise man living high in the mountains. Upon meeting him, the young man addressed the elder with a question. - My people are going through a tough period. I want to help them overcome their weakness and stand firmly on their feet. But how can we achieve prosperity? What should we do? - If you want to help your fellow tribesmen, call them to four things. Success will come if your
Maternal Love Once upon a time, there was a woman who had an only son. When he grew up and matured, he fell in love with a capricious beauty.
Scarlet Poppies In ancient times, there lived a girl named Aisha. A beauty that made all her friends envious. Many were disturbed by her beauty. One day, she was captured by bandits, but the brave girl fought back. Suddenly seizing a knife from one of the bandits, she swung it and struck one of them. The enraged bandits killed the girl on the spot, chopping her into pieces. After some time, where the drops of beautiful Aisha's blood fell, scarlet poppies grew. The girl's beauty was
One Hundred Springs Once, an old aksakal was asked how many years he had lived on earth. - I have lived in this world for a long time, - replied the dignified aksakal, - almost a thousand years. - But that's impossible, you haven't even turned a hundred yet? - the young men, who had never heard a lie from the elder, were astonished. - Yes, but I count life not by years, but by the springs whose mouths I have cleared for water. Water is the source of life for all living things, for
Dawn and Sunset of Life The patriarch of Kyrgyz linguistics, Hussein Karasaev, wrote in his diary:
Moyt-ake and Sart-ake Once upon a time, two renowned orators, two rivals - Moyt-ake and Sart-ake - lived at Issyk-Kul.
What types of cracks are there? Once in a mountain village, an earthquake occurred, destroying dozens of houses. "What to do, how to be?" - the residents asked each other. But no one could answer this question. Then someone suggested going for advice to the old wise aksakal, who lived on the edge of the village. After carefully listening to the people, the elder said:
Health is the greatest wealth One man, driven to complete despair by his poverty, decided to end his life. In a distressed state, he headed to the nearest mountains to jump off a high cliff. On the way, he encountered an old man who immediately noticed something was wrong and spoke to the poor fellow. - Where are you in such a hurry, my son? - I am a beggar. My days are spent in a joyless struggle for survival, and I have no strength left to endure it. Now I am going to the mountains to end my
Grandmother's Commandments The young grandson came to his grandmother for advice. - Granny, what should I ask God for myself? Grandson, before asking the Creator for something new, ask Him for wisdom, patience, and endurance, so that you do not lose what you already have. It is better to have nothing than to lose. Do not acquire what you can do without. If you are joyful, let sadness not visit you. Do not lower your dignity, and do not belittle the dignity of others. Fear no one, but
Men and Women An elder was asked: "Who are more numerous - men or women?" - Of course, there are more women. - How could you count that? - If you add all the men who do not leave the house and all the cowardly men to the women, then the real men will remain in the minority.
A very sad young man approached the wise elder. - Help me, elder. I have a yurt, but my family is very cramped in it. Besides me, my wife and children, my grandfather and grandmother also live with us. Therefore, we live in terrible tightness. Please give me advice on how to expand the yurt? - Do you have the opportunity to build a new yurt and live separately from the elders? - No, I cannot leave my grandfather and grandmother alone. They have no one else but me. - Alright, do you have any
Hunting with Trained Birds According to the beliefs of the Kyrgyz, some particularly gifted individuals knew the language of our smaller brothers and could freely communicate with them, establishing contact; that is, our ancestors placed animals and birds on the same level as humans. Kyrgyz people not only had a good ability to differentiate trained birds by their behavior and agility, but they also distinguished them magnificently by age (kushtun tulogu). For example, they identified the age
The daughter of the famous munushker married a simple, yet well-off man, who was neither a hunter nor a berkutchi and did not keep hounds — taigans. Several unremarkable years passed... One evening, the sound of a dog barking was heard. The kayinata (father-in-law) asked to check what the noise was. The woman went out, then quickly returned to the yurt and said:
There is a legend among the people. The itelgi and the berkut were enemies, as the berkut often devoured the chicks of the itelgi when the parents were absent. One day, the cry of the itelgi was heard in the sky, having seen that the berkut was eating the chicks from her nest. The people living in the mountains noticed that the itelgi, after making a bit of noise, flew towards a high cliff. Before long, a strong whistling sound was heard in the sky. When the people looked up, they saw a bird
Kyrgyzstan is one of the mountainous republics of the CIS. The mountainous terrain, sharp elevation changes, the presence of plains and highlands in a relatively small area, numerous water bodies, and eternal glaciers, along with vast oases, give Kyrgyzstan a picturesque and unique appearance. The region is rich in animal life, distributed across natural landscape zones with a diverse plant cover. Although scientific study of the fauna of our region began in the late last century, the
Since ancient times, Kyrgyz people have placed great importance on the presentation of meat. If served incorrectly or in violation of hierarchy, it could destroy the relationships between tribes and even turn them into irreconcilable enemies. These traditions pertain not only to the culture of serving food but also to the culture of relationships between elders and juniors, women and men, relatives and close ones. Therefore, we believe it is important for modern youth to know the rules of
The natural conditions themselves suggested how to use the pastures more effectively, considering their seasonality. The non-simultaneous growth of vegetation in different zonal areas historically determined the sequential use of pastures: koktoo — spring pastures, jaiyloo — summer pastures, kuzdoo — autumn pastures, and kyshtoo — winter pastures, the boundaries of which have mostly remained unchanged to this day. Driving animals to seasonal pastures better provided them with forage, while the
Plants are the primary source of life on Earth. Using solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide, they create the initial mass of organic matter, which sustains all other organisms. Generation after generation, people have observed plants, determining their harmfulness or usefulness, and utilizing them for their needs. Historically, a careful and respectful attitude towards vegetation, herbs, and the green cover of the Earth has been natural for the herder—nomad. It was said among the people:
Research on the issues of pre-Islamic beliefs among the Kyrgyz has always been of great interest and at the same time accompanied by difficulties for specialists. According to S.M. Abramzon, the study of the "complex of religious representations among the Kyrgyz, which is commonly referred to as 'pre-Islamic beliefs,' is characterized by particular complexity and multi-stage nature, conditioned by the peculiar and equally complex ethnic history of the Kyrgyz people." It
In folk medicine, compounds of mercury have long been used: sulaim (HgCl2), calomel (Hg2Cl2), lapis (silver nitrate AgNO3) for the treatment of bone and other diseases.
The method of obtaining paint from the roots of rhubarb, which grows high in the mountains, was well known to the Kyrgyz. For this purpose, they also used it murun — rosehip, the skin and stems of which are yellow. Sometimes, the wood of certain trees and shrubs was used, which yields yellow paint when boiled in water, for example, sary-zhygach — the wood of barberry, echki tal — goat willow, lichen, and others.
The history of cultural development of humanity knows that ancient people, in a certain sense, were chemists in their daily lives. Like any other people, the Kyrgyz not only prepared food but also knew how to make soap for household needs, as well as tallow candles. For soap making, they used plants with a high content of alkali, such as herbs like alabata (a type of goosefoot) and broadleaf creeping bugloss, which were collected and dried in early autumn. The ash obtained from burning these
If we consider events spanning a longer geological time, the ideas expressed in the epic "Manas" are confirmed by modern science. In the Paleogene (60 million years ago), where majestic mountains now rise, there was a plain. The climate in this area was hot and dry, resembling the modern Betpak-Dala desert in Kazakhstan. In the Paleogene and Cretaceous (137 million years ago), a large azure sea splashed in the Fergana Basin. In the Jurassic (195 million years ago), the territory of
Did the ancient Kyrgyz have ideas about the movement and structure of the Earth's surface? Did they have the beginnings of geological knowledge? Apparently, the answer to this question is affirmative, as a person living in mountainous areas, observing the phenomena of the surrounding environment and contemplating natural processes, must have undoubtedly paid attention to changes in the land—landslides, subsidence, and uplift of certain areas of its surface. Like other pre-scientific
The close connection of the Kyrgyz as a nomadic people with their environment required them to have a concrete understanding of the nature of the terrain and landscape. As a result, they developed precise concepts for many forms of relief such as a gorge or canyon, peak or needle, alkyim — the upper part of a valley, tektir — terrace, and others, which have entered scientific literature as the original terminological heritage of the people.
Most geographical names in Kyrgyzstan have local etymology. The origin of several toponyms is connected with epics and legends; they reflect events that took place on the land of the Kyrgyz in the past. Some geographical names were translated not only by the people who invented them—the language itself evolved and developed throughout its historical development, and many toponyms have remained unchanged to this day. Toponyms with ancient histories serve as witnesses to the past of the people;