EAN: 9783945021323

SPIRITED PERFORMANCE - NIENKE VAN DER HEIDE KAR...

In the heart of Asia  straddling the western Tien Shan mountain range  lies the former Soviet
republic Kyrgyzstan. The country prides itself in an age old oral epic tradition that recounts
the mighty deeds of the hero Manas. When explorers first encountered Manas performers in the
late nineteenth century  they hailed their art as a true representation of the heroic age  and
compared it to masterpieces such as the Kalevala and the Iliad. Today there are still many
excellent performers who can keep their audiences spellbound. They are believed to draw their
inspiration from the spirit of Manas himself. This book portrays the meaning of this huge work
of art in Kyrgyz society. Based on extended periods of anthropological fieldwork between 1996
and 2000  it explores the calling of its performers  describes the transformations of the oral
tradition in printed media and other forms of art  and examines its use as a key symbol for
identity politics. It deals extensively with the impact of the Soviet period  during which
Kyrgyzstan became an autonomous republic for the first time in history. The tremendous changes
initiated during these years had far-reaching consequences for the transmission and reception
of the Manas epic. The specific Soviet approach to ethnicity was also elementary in the
decisions to assign the Manas epic the role of national symbol after 1991  when Kyrzygstan was
thrown into the turnoil of a post-socialist existence.

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