Xinjiang, China, is home to the Kirgiz ethnic minority, who pride themselves on their lineage from the hero, Manas. One of their best-known oral traditions, the Manas Epic is based upon events which take place during the history of the region in the 9th century, particularly the Kyrgyz interaction with Chinese and Turkic people.
The hero of Manas, and his Oirat enemy Joloy are first mentioned in a Persian manuscript that was discovered in the period between 1792 and 1793. The epic poem has roughly 500,000 lines, in one of its dozens of revisions.
The Epic of Manas tells the story of Manas, his progeny, and their exploits against various adversaries. The epic is divided into three books, entitled “Manas” in the first episode, “Semetei” in the second, and “Seitek” in the third. The epic began with the destruction that was caused by the invasion of the Oirats.
At this time Jakyp reaches maturity as the owner of many herds with no heir. When his prayers are finally answered, he dedicates a colt, born the same day, to his son and his service. His son grows to be unique among his peers, being especially strong, mischievous, and generous.
The Oirat learn of this and warn their leader, so they plan to capture the young Manas. However, their plan fails, and Manas can rally his people and eventually get elected and proclaimed “Khan”. The epic continues to be published and recited in various forms, depending on the whims of the Manaschi, or reciter.
Manas is traditionally sung by the Manaschi during social gatherings, community celebrations, weddings, funerals, and dedicated concerts without accompaniment. Although region-to-region variations still abound, they are all characterized by pithy lyrics, everyday phrases, parables, and melodies adapted to the story and characters.
The long epic relates all the major historical events significant to the Kirgiz people and crystallizes their traditional beliefs. The Manas is regarded as a key symbol of the Kirgiz culture in China and also among its Central Asian neighbours including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. It is one of the three major epics in the region. The epic is used for entertainment, preserving history, transmitting knowledge to the young, and summoning good fortune.