The book contains a chronologically ordered list of manaschy, supplemented by verses written by manaschy Rysbaev Isakov, who also entered the Guinness Book of Records for his 124-hour performance of the epic "Manas."
According to Nurbek Talantbekov, the art of manaschy and the epic itself is not just a form of entertainment, but something more that has not yet been fully understood by science. This becomes evident when we turn to the myths preserved in history and the events we have witnessed. The epic has inspired people to perform heroic deeds in defense of their people and land, and no one could compare to the impact of manaschy. Therefore, figures like Baytik, as well as strong-spirited individuals like Kydyr Ake, considered it important to uphold the tradition of storytelling," he noted.
It is difficult to say how many names of manaschy have survived to this day and how many remain unknown. Even now, the public does not have an accurate idea of the number of existing manaschy.
The author of the book emphasized that his high task is to convey the names of all manaschy to a wide audience. In future editions, the list will be expanded.
In the new section of AKIpress "The History of Manaschy," we will introduce readers to the life and work of each of the 150 manaschy.
Duyshon Janai Uulu (1887-1983)
Duyshon was born in the village of Kara-Suu, located in the At-Bashinsky district, and belonged to the Kypchak tribe.
This manaschy not only performed the epic "Manas," but also possessed deep knowledge of many other forms of oral folk art. He improvised, taught women in the village the art of performing koshok (mourning songs), sang popular religious songs and incantations, as well as texts related to rituals.
As he recalled, his fascination with the world of "Manas" began in his youth when he was impressed by the performance of Sagynbay Orozbak Uulu. One night, he had a dream in which he met Bakai—a light-skinned old man with a white beard and a wound on his face. He was followed by Kyrgyltchal and a young man named Syrgak, which caused him great fear and awakened his interest in the epic.
Duyshon-manashy recorded several parts of the epic "Manas," including "The Birth and Childhood of Manas," "The Migration of the Kyrgyz from Altai to Ala-Too," "The Council of Seven Khans," as well as an episode from "Semetey"—"The Dream of Aichurok." In addition, he retold in prose the episode "The Wake for Kokotoy Khan" and collected numerous folk songs and tales, which were transferred to the manuscript fund of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan.
The epic researcher Kenesh Kyrbashov noted that in terms of composition and individual plot elements, Duyshon-manashy's version is close to that of Sagynbay Orozbak Uulu.
