Manaschï: The Singer of the Kirghiz Epic Manas

This book focuses on its developments and variations of performances of manaschï, the epic poet of Manas. The book mainly introduces the collective features of manaschï, their shaman characters, social positions and their influences upon the life and ideology of the Kirghiz people. The author studies the space and time limits for the epic performing as well as the taboos during performances. Besides, the analysis of the Manas text, its formulaic features and formulaic diction are also given in the book. The author put oral epics into the live performances, and treat the epic singing as part of cultural folklore activities. The author believes that Manas is in constant development and variation due to its oral nature. 
 

List of contents

Chapter I: Introduction.- Chapter II: The Manaschï and Their Collective Traits.- Chapter III: Factors Involved in the Performance of Manas.- Chapter IV: Traditional Constraints on the Performance of Manas.- Chapter V: Learning and Performance.- Chapter VI: Improvisation in the Performance of Manas.- Chapter VII: Conclusion.

About the author

Dr. Adil Jumaturdu is a research fellow at the Institute of Ethnic Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Professor of University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences(UCASS). His research focuses on the oral epic tradition, especially on the Kirghiz epic Manas. He has conducted long-term field work on Kirghiz oral tradition in Xinjiang. As a prolific senior researcher, he has published more than ten monographs, including Jüsüp Mamay, Master Performer of the Kirghiz Manas Epic: A Critical Biography,Folk Literature of Central Asia, The Singer of the Kirghiz Epic Manas, etc. He has also published more than one hundred research papers on various topics.

Product details

• Authors: Adil Jumaturdu
• Assisted by: Zhenhui Liang (Translation), Huanyi Liu (Translation)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 11.02.2026
• EAN: 9789819525539
• ISBN: 978-981-9525-53-9
• No. of pages: 238
• Illustrations: X, 238 p. 10 illus.
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Other languages / Other literatures; China, Asien, Folklore, Kulturwissenschaften, Oral History, Asiatische Geschichte, Mündlich überlieferte Geschichte, Oral History, Cultural Studies, Manas, Epics, History of China, Asian Culture, Asian Literature, Chinese Kirghiz Literature, Chinese Ethnic Literature, Oral Epics