MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION The primary animal for horseback riding since ancient times has been the horse - at. People traveled long distances faster on it than on other riding animals. In the context of extensive livestock farming, it was used for transporting pack loads. Various sources testify that the ancestors of modern Kyrgyz almost never did without horses. Figuratively speaking, sitting on a horse, people spent more time than walking on the ground. The ancient tradition of horseback
"MANAS": LANGUAGE AND STYLE OF THE EPIC The text is taken from B. M. Yunusaliev's article "The Kyrgyz Heroic Epic 'Manas'" The Kyrgyz people have every right to be proud of the richness and diversity of oral poetic creativity, the pinnacle of which is the epic "Manas." Unlike the epics of many other nations, "Manas" is composed entirely in verse, which further attests to the special respect the Kyrgyz have for the art of versification. The
The Great Campaign. Almambet takes command of the army. Manas, riding at the head of the army, arrived at the plain of Chemuyuch, by the banks of the Chu, set up tents, and sat down to play chess. When Almambet, who was at the very end of the army, arrived and saw that everyone had unsaddled their horses, that many had undressed, made themselves shade from the sun with their capes, and carelessly collapsed to sleep, he was filled with anger. He approached Manas and said: - My Tere! What is
Ash-airan This dish is known in folk medicine as a dietary option. It is suitable for those who are on a diet. It is very healthy and low-calorie. Ingredients:
Special Wooden Vessels A characteristic type of utensils for the south (unknown in the north) are special vessels — togprocho or kurma (fig. 81, a, b, c), which have a convex tightly fitting lid, with an average height not exceeding 25—30 cm, while the width depends on the shape (they were made cylindrical, pear-shaped, conical, with a flat bottom and on trays). The walls and lid were decorated with grooves. An iron ring for a strap handle was fixed at the upper edge. The vessels were intended
The Struggle of Koshoy with Zholoy In the morning, the banner of Koketeya Trembled again in the valley. The son of Yraman, Yrchiy-uul, Summoned all the guests to the square. — Hurry to the balban-kuresh! And whoever wins the struggle, Will be glad of their fate: They will receive a thousand horses. So promised Bokmurun himself! — Shouted the boisterous Yrchiy-uul. Then a dispute arose among the guests: They discussed the strongmen, Who could in a strength contest Glorify the family honor. But
BEKZHAL AND THE BIRD ZYMYRYK In ancient times, a khan had a wonderful bird named Zymyryk. Every morning, the bird would tell the khan what was happening on earth. One day, the bird Zymyryk disappeared. The khan was very sad and sent his horsemen in all directions to search for the marvelous bird. But the horsemen could not find it. Then the khan gathered the people and announced: — Whoever finds the bird Zymyryk will receive half of my wealth.
Metal Processing by Kyrgyz Another material used for making dishes and household items was metal. The processing of metal has been known to the Kyrgyz for a long time. It is one of the ancient types of decorative applied art, relatively well-developed among the tribes that lived in the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan since ancient times. As early as the mid-2nd millennium BC, in some areas of present-day Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, herders and livestock breeders familiar with metalworking
MYTHOLOGY AND FANTASY Alongside battle episodes and social-domestic events, the motifs of mythology and fantasy occupy a prominent place in "Manas," which undoubtedly represent the most ancient elements in the epic. We consider it necessary to dwell on them for a while, although a more detailed analysis of this issue should be dedicated to a special work. In both versions of Manas, many battle episodes and descriptions of social-domestic events intertwine with myths and fairy tales.
The Great Campaign. Setting Out on the Campaign. In the morning, Manas distributed to all the arriving warriors from his herds a pair of spirited steeds: one stallion for breeding the herds, and one mare for slaughter. All the warriors were led in a line past the counters, and it turned out there were three million of them. When the army set out, Manas and his forty choro saddled their horses and rode out from the Akylay palace. Manas rode with a frown, troubled. Alma understood the reason for
Woodworking Production Wooden products held a significant place in the economic life of the Kyrgyz and their daily lives in the 19th century. Kyrgyz woodworking masters (zhyjach usta) crafted agricultural tools, including those for soil cultivation ("omach"), shovels, forks (besh-ilik), as well as sledges ("chiyna"), sleds ("chigina"), and saddles (eer). They produced wooden items used in domestic production: parts of weaving looms, spindles, sharpening machines,
Köche To prepare this dish in ancient times, corn, wheat, or barley was ground in a mortar. The grain was placed in the mortar, slightly moistened with water, and pounded until the husk separated. The crushed grain was sifted through a coarse sieve and then soaked in water for 5 to 6 hours. In some regions, this method of preparing grain is still used.
Shooting at the Golden Jamba The return of the galloping horses, Will take seven or eight days. And it was necessary to entertain The guests with games and spectacles. They hung on two pines With thin silk strings A jamba made of gold ingot. A diamond inserted in a circle Shines and tempts the eye. And if you break the silk strings With a bullet or an arrow — The golden ingot with the diamond Will be yours for accuracy! The guests shot hundreds of times, Squinting their keen eyes, But no one
Makmut In ancient times, there lived a man named Makmut. Makmut was not foolish, but he was weak and frail. He and his wife lived in poverty. They only had goats. Every day, Makmut would take his goats to pasture. His wife would send him off with a jug of sour milk. But as soon as Makmut reached the pasture, a fox would appear. With a swipe of its tail, the fox would knock Makmut to the ground and drink the sour milk from the jug. Following the fox, a wolf would come and attack the goats.
Production of dishes and household items from wood. The materials used were juniper, willow (tal), birch (kayin), poplar (terek), apricot (oruk), and walnut (jangak) trees. Techniques such as turning, hollowing, burning, and bending were applied. Woodworkers (жыгач уст) manually used a knife (uйди) and a lathe (кырма, дукён) to make large round wooden plates (жыгач табак) with a flat bottom and wide upward-curved edges (Burkovsky, 1954, p. 89) and large deep bowls чара (diameter 40 to 50 cm,
The Great Campaign. The Start of the Campaign. At the appointed time set by Manas, after forty days, an army began to gather from all sides: from Altyshaar came Jamgyrchy with a seven-hundred-thousand strong army, from Khotan - Tyoshtyuk with a hundred-thousand strong army, from Kemina - Urby with a two-hundred-thousand strong army, from Sarnarka - Kökche with a million-strong army, from Samarkand - Synchibek with a nine-hundred-thousand strong army, from Bukhara - Muzburchak with a
Silver Jewelry Among the Kyrgyz In the past, Kyrgyz jewelers widely used the technique of inlaying silver items with various gemstones. These were set into decorations for harnesses, rings, earrings, and bracelets. Masters acquired carnelian (akak) for this purpose. Coral red beads (shuru) were especially popular in women's jewelry. The ancient tradition of decorating with carnelian in the territory of Kyrgyzstan is evidenced by finds from the Kenkol burial ground. Here, "silver
Zhenmomo (dough balls) The basis of various flour dishes is dough. The Kyrgyz people have long prepared hot dishes using dough. Here is another product made from dough Ingredients
The Idea of the Unity of Deities The storytellers of "Manas," like shamans and mullahs, also performed the functions of a healer. This is known from the biographical data of the storytellers Keldibek and Sagymbay. Can we conclude from all this that the storytellers of "Manas" inherited these customs from shamans or imitated mullahs? In our opinion, the reason lies deeper. Here, the same idea of selection is at play, which was wonderfully analyzed by the famous ethnographer,
THE GOOD MAN AND THE ENVIOUS MAN Once upon a time, a good man and an envious man set off together on a long journey. They traveled and traveled, and soon ran out of food. Then the envious man said to the good man: — Kill your horse, and the next time I need to, I will kill mine.
TRADITIONAL UTENSILS The focus and nature of domestic crafts were determined by the nomadic and semi-nomadic lifestyle of the people and were mainly related to the processing of livestock products. They differed from those of settled peoples - the craft did not have a workshop organization of production. Typical were individual craftsmen working alone. Some of them did not even have a special room (Burkovsky 1954, p. 85). In the closed cycle of the domestic craft process, any able-bodied
Horse Race Early in the morning, at dawn, As the green flag of Koketey Fluttered in the rays of light, All the guests mounted their horses And rushed to the banks of Kegen, To watch and evaluate The horses heading to the start. On both sides of the river Forty, fifty rows Of riders crowded tightly, Leaving a strip in the center About a hundred large steps wide. A larger crowd gathered here Than black ants, As if it were not a race, But a grand and joyful feast. At the alaman-bayge races, For
Jewelry Masters of the Last Century Masters of silver craftsmanship adorned horse harnesses, items of women's and men's costumes, as well as household items. Since the early 20th century, the production of silver items began to gradually decline, particularly from the time when the Kyrgyz stopped nomadic life. The set of tools for jewelry production is approximately the same among all Kyrgyz. Recently, they have not changed, only supplemented by factory-made files and pliers. Silver
The Great Campaign. The Conspiracy of Six Khans. When preparations were being made for the memorial for Kökötöy, Manas ordered forty Kyrgyz clans to slaughter countless livestock, and forced all the oldest and noblest Kyrgyz and Kazakhs to listen to his command. For anyone who did not obey his orders, Manas shouted, and often lashed the disobedient with a whip across their backs. Then the noblemen despaired of maintaining their power and dignity, and the wealthy did not hope to keep their
Blacksmithing In the last century, blacksmiths primarily served the household needs of families and the requirements of their farms. In their forges, Kyrgyz people welded tips for plowing tools (“omach”), forged sickles (“orok”), hoes (“ketmen”), axes (balta, kol tesh), and picks (chukuldik). All the main tools for processing metal, as well as wood, were made by the blacksmiths themselves. They fulfilled orders for making parts of harness (stirrups, reins, buckles), traps. Blacksmiths also
THE LEGACY OF SULAYMANBAY Once upon a time, there lived a man named Sulaymanbay. He had one and only son, Mamyr. The father wanted his son to grow up wise and happy. He taught his son wisdom, but the stubborn Mamyr did not listen. When the son grew up, Sulaymanbay said to him: — My son, I am old now, and I have little time left to live. While I am alive, you should marry, but be careful in choosing a bride; do not chase after beauty, choose a girl who is smart and has a good, kind nature. But
Bread and Bread Products. Bread baking was most widespread in the southern regions and also in Karategin. It is based on common Central Asian traditions, primarily carried by Uzbeks - Sarts and Tajiks. Baked bread constituted a small part of everyday food. Flour products in various forms were combined with meat and dairy products; often they played an independent role in the diet. Baking dough in ash, frying in a dry cauldron or skillet, and boiling in fat or broth were widely practiced. These
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
Metal Production and Artistic Metalworking The production of metal products among the Kyrgyz is dedicated to a special work by A. F. Burkovsky. The products of the Issyk-Kul Kyrgyz are characterized by E. I. Makhova.
Making Harness To this day, specialists in the production of harness parts, particularly bridles (zhugyon) and whips (kamchi), continue their work. In the south, they are referred to as zhugyon usta and kamchi usta. Most of them are elderly people who learned the craft from their fathers. They have preserved their skills in the eastern part of the Osh region. In the Alai district, the masters Kutchu Atabaev (born 1881, village of Terek) and Zair Atayev (born 1878, Lenin collective farm) are
Mourning for Kököktöy. Part - 5 After that, sixteen young men began to rub his lower back. At that moment, a messenger from the Chinese arrived. He looked at Koshoy and said: - But the fighter is already too old! Joloy will defeat him in his sleep.
Plant-based Food. In the second half of the 19th century, a significant place in the dietary habits of the Kyrgyz was occupied by plant-based products. Both cultivated and wild plants were used, with cultivated plants playing a dominant role. Research confirms that agricultural skills were well-known among all groups of Kyrgyz. Agriculture was most widespread in the regions of the Ferghana Valley, Ketmen-Tyube, Talas, and Issyk-Kul valleys. In the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan, they grew and
The Arrival of Manas in Karkyra And exactly on the fourth day To the green shores of Kegen Came er-Manas with his Warrior entourage. And with cries of "Manas! Manas!" The Kyrgyz rushed to meet The valiant army of Manas. With an old man's stingy tear Khan Koshoy embraced Manas. — At last, the people have waited For their support and stronghold! Here are Konurbay and Neskara, The gluttonous fat man Zholoy Caused a ruckus yesterday. Having come to visit us at the feast, They
KOYLUBAI Once upon a time, there lived a peasant named Koylubai. He was a brave and resourceful man, but very poor. He had little land and no livestock at all. The wealthy landowners always tried to oppress him. Right next to Koylubai lived four rich peasants, brothers who were greedy and cruel, earning them the nickname "Four Wolves." One day, the brothers sowed wheat on the slope of a mountain, while Koylubai sowed millet lower down.
Tanning of Suede. For this purpose, the skins of sheep, goats, mountain goats, and roe deer were used. The skin of the latter was valued significantly higher due to its durability and water resistance. "Kyrgyz people highly value the skin of kiyika because the strongest and most waterproof chombars are made from it. Chombars made from any other skin get wet even from rain, while in kiyika chombars, one can safely float on water without getting wet." After soaking in a saline
Two Groups of Storytellers: Performers of "Manas" and Performers of "Semetei" The storytellers were divided into two groups: manaschi (performers of "Manas") and semetei (performers of "Semetei"), with the former being those who performed all three parts of the trilogy, while the latter performed only "Semetei" and "Seitek," and from "Manas" only separate episodes. Whether this division existed from ancient times or was a
Meat Dishes. In the second half of the 19th century and until the beginning of the 20th century, meat played an important role in the diet of the Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz consumed mutton, horse meat, beef, and to a lesser extent camel meat and goat meat. In areas where yaks were raised, yak meat was often consumed. Mutton and horse meat were especially valued. In wealthy households, beef was looked down upon as it was considered smelly - sasyk, and those wealthy individuals who owned a large number
ZAR AND MEER Once upon a time, it is said, there lived a king. This king lost his vizier, and he appointed his favorite servant, a dashing young man, in his place. One day, the king went falcon hunting with his new vizier. The king said to the vizier: — If I have a son and you have a daughter, you will marry her to my son. If you have a son and I have a daughter, I will marry my daughter to your son. And if we both have sons or daughters, let them be friends for life.
Invitation to the Memorial for Koketey Here in the vastness of Karkyra, Setting up yurts with a hearth, They let the cattle roam on the slopes of the mountains. In cauldrons, in bags — the kumys Poured out with milk. The son of Koketey, Bokmurun, Called the young Aidar, To saddle the stallion Maanikер, He ordered to prepare for the journey. — You inform the whole region, That in late autumn, when The cattle will gain weight, When the forage of the summer pastures Will burst the camel's
Methods of Raw Material Processing The processing of livestock raw materials, as well as the preparation of various items from it, was carried out by both men and women, with responsibilities strictly divided between them. For example, it was always men who slaughtered the animals. They also processed the skins, from which they made harness accessories, containers for storing bowls, shoes, and straps for fastening parts of the yurt. The skins of small animals (sheep, goats) were processed by
Memorial for Kёkёktёy. Part - 4 Six hundred logs of larch were tied together, and a rope was woven from forty-two cords. At the top of the larch, they tied the targets - this was arranged for shooting practice. Everyone who considered themselves a marksman prepared to try their luck. They shot from early morning until the scorching noon, expending all their arrows, but no tricks or techniques could knock the targets off the pole.
Milk and Dairy Products. In the traditional diet of the Kyrgyz, among all products available to the general population, milk and dairy products were prominent. They consumed sheep, cow, mare's milk, and to a lesser extent, goat and camel milk. The Kyrgyz of the inner Tien Shan, Alai, and Pamir also used yak milk, which was characterized by high fat content. Whole milk was consumed very sparingly; it was given to children mixed with various types of cottage cheese and also for medicinal
Ayran Ayran is a fermented dairy product common in Central Asia. It is a thick mixture that tastes similar to yogurt. Ayran has been consumed for 15 centuries, and its invention is attributed to Turkic nomadic tribes. They spent their lives on the move and needed a drink that could quench their thirst and hunger on the road. They noticed that if they added a special starter culture to their favorite milk, it would sour, acquire a pleasant taste, and last a long time. Later, to their delight,
Common form of performance for storytellers of "Manas" When comparatively studying the biographical data of the storytellers of "Manas," one can establish common traits among all of them. Before the start of storytelling activities, all manaschi were, to some extent, improvisational singers. However, even after becoming storytellers, some of them continued to perform and compose songs in other genres. Almost everyone knows, besides "Manas," many other works of
THE CLEVER FARMER There lived a khan. One day he decided to amuse himself and ordered his loyal horsemen — Asan and Usen — to find and bring him a foolish person. The horsemen set off to fulfill the khan's command.
Processing of Hides and Leathers Animal hides and the leather made from them were of significant importance in the daily life of the Kyrgyz in the past. They extensively used raw materials from domestic and wild animals (horses, cows, camels, yaks, sheep, and goats, as well as foxes, martens, otters, mountain goats, and roe deer). In addition to meeting the family's needs, a large number of hides were sold. They were sent to the markets of Central Asia and directed to Russia and Kashgar.
Mourning for Khan Koketey in the Karkyra Valley Rich and glorious Koketey, By the will of God and fate, Reached his last days. He coughed and groaned loudly, The wise elder sensed: His years were over, That in a day, or maybe two, He would leave this life forever. To give his last will, He called his brother Baymurza. — I feel my death has come. I have one heir — Carefree, young Bokmurun. He didn’t wipe his nose in childhood — And that’s how the people named him. He is only fifteen years old.
Mourning for Kököktöy. Part - 3 Manas was placed in the yurt of the glorious and renowned girl Toorun. The entire people who had come to the ash, pushing each other, were eager to see Manas and crowded around his yurt. Chagyray, the skilled sonchi who served Khan Alooke, wanting to find out what Manas was like, peeked through the hole of the yurt. However, the fearsome appearance of Manas frightened him so much that his heart could not withstand such fear and burst.
