The paper is aimed to share the case study on a successful safeguarding practice of the Kyrgyz epic trilogy “Manas,Semetey,Seitek”, carried by Aigine Cultural Research Center in 2010-2014. The paper describes the process of identification of safeguarding issues and approaches to address them. Since the Kyrgyz epic is a living heritage, safeguarding variety of the …
Year: 2016
The Phenomenon of Sacred Sites in Kyrgyzstan: Interweaving of Mythology and Reality. Aitpaeva G.
This paper explores the role of Mazars (sacred sites) in the contemporary social and spiritual life of the Kyrgyz. Based upon recent ethnographic research in the Talas region of northern Kyrgyzstan, the paper argues that Mazars perform an important function in enabling local residents to deal with the emotional, psychological and physical consequences of a …
The Triad of Crime, Punishment, and Forgiveness in the Kyrgyz Epic Kojojash. Aitpaeva G.
The epic Kojojash is considered one of the “lesser” Kyrgyz epics, a term used to denote its small size when comparedto the great epic Manas, which has roughly half a million lines. Perhaps more importantly, Manas telling andtellers played an exclusive role in traditional Kyrgyz society and it held a special place among Kyrgyz folk …
Jaichylyk: Harmonizing the Will of Nature and Human Needs. Aitpaeva G.
This chapter examines the historical and contemporary dimensions of jaichylyk, the Kyrgyzspiritual practice related to weather. This analysis is based on epic literature and oral history,and describes the traditional foundations of jaichylyk, the bearers of this spiritual capacity, itsgoals, related rituals, techniques and other properties. Other world cultures have practicessimilar to jaichylyk. A reconstruction of …