Opción, Año 33, No. 85 (2018): 632-651

ISSN 1012-1587 / ISSNe: 2477-9385

 

Mythological aspects of the kyrgyzs’ ethnographic

way of life in the historical epos Manas

 

Saken Seiilbek

Kazakh State Women's Teacher Training University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

seilbeksaken2207@mail.ru

Bolatkhan Sarbassov

Kazakh State Women's Teacher Training University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Sarbasov.bolathan@mail.ru

Aigul Ismakova

Institute of Literature and Art named after M.O. Auezov, Almaty,

Kazakhstan Ismakova.aigul@gmail.com Gulziya Pirali

Institute of Literature and Art named after M.O. Auezov, Almaty,

Kazakhstan

Pralieva58@mail.ru

Jansaya Ibraemova

Suleyman Demirel University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

jansaya51@gmail.com

 

 

Abstract

 

Myths existed at Kyrgyz as well as at many people of the world. Folklore of Kyrgyz people is multigame and is one of an important oral works are myths. They make part of spiritual culture of mankind and have survived to our day as the most ancient basis in the world literature. Considerable part of mythological plots of the epos Manas‖ makes narrations about animals which names are used as comparisons in many cases.  They  are  important  historical  and  ethnographic information on antecedents of the Kyrgyz. We can tell that the hero of epos Manas is associated with the Kyrgyz people.

 

Keywords:    national    epos,    Kyrgyz    folklore,    mythological characters and beings, mythology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recibido: 10-01-2018 Aceptado: 09-03-2018


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Aspectos mitológicos de la manera etnográfica de la vida de los Kirgios en los epos hisricos "Manas"

 

Resumen

 

Los mitos exisan tanto en Kirguistán como en muchas personas del mundo. El folclore de la gente de Kirguistán es multijuego y es una de las obras orales importantes que son mitos. Forman parte de la cultura espiritual de la humanidad y han sobrevivido hasta nuestros días como la base más antigua de la literatura mundial. Una parte considerable de las tramas mitológicas de los epos "Manas" hace narraciones sobre animales cuyos nombres se usan como comparaciones en muchos casos. Son información histórica y etnográfica importante sobre los antecedentes de la kirguisa. Podemos decir que el héroe de epos "Manas" está asociado con el pueblo kirguiso.

 

Palabras clave:  epos  nacional,  folclore  Kirguiso,  personajes  y seres mitológicos, mitología.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.  INTRODUCTION

 

 

The Kyrgyz heroic epos manas‖ on the ideologically substantial and art qualities has a specific place among all genres of the oral creativity of the people. Interest in the epos was always and scientific interest was appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century, but there shouldnt be forget that the representatives of the Russian science, who visited the central asia territory, already had a certain idea about epos manas in the second half of the xix century. From the 30th  years of the xx century the


 

epos became the main material for the various theories, science directions about folk art. The aspiration of the researchers to understand and explain the epos manas‖, its genesis in life of the Kyrgyz and world history, was generated disputes, sometimes had narrowly-academic interests, and the socio-political level. The Kyrgyz have about forty national eposes and the most monumental is the heroic epos manas‖. And in relation to manas, all other Kyrgyz eposes conditionally are called in the Kyrgyz science

small‖ though any of them isnt conceded both on the contents and in the

 

form of other eposes of people of the world.

 

 

Authors of the epos manas are the storytellers-manaschi who had infallible memory (though memory isnt the main feature) and a divine gift. They are also keepers of the epos, transferring text from generation to generation, from mouth to mouth. Thanking storytellers the epos manaswas developed and improved. The first mentions about epos are concerned the xvi century. They are contained in the semi-fantastic composition Madzhmu at-tavarikh  where  manas  is  shown  as  the  historical  person acting together with really existing Tokhtamysh, the Khorezm-shah Muhammad, etc. Scientific research of the epos was begun by ch. Valikhanov and v. Radlov in the xix century. Among translators of the epos into Russian were s. Lipkin, l. Penkovsky, m. Tarlovsky, etc. The English historian of Arthur Thomas Hatto considers that manas has been brought together for glorification of sheikhs of Sufi from Shirkent and Kazan (and) it is extremely possible that (manas) it is the interpolation, created at the end of xviii century‖. In 20-30 years of the xx century there were appeared the changes showing creation of the Kyrgyz nation such as change of the tribe in the epos to which manas belonged. In versions of the xix century, manas was leader the nogays, however, in


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versions which was known after 1920 - manas became as the Kyrgyz man and Kyrgyz leader.

 

 

For the first time the epos manas‖ was published in 1885. In 1985, this publication was 100 years old. The merit in implementation of this historical event entirely belongs to the outstanding specialist in Turkic philology v.v. Radlov (1837 1918). Having graduated from the berlin university (he was a native of Germany), at summer of 1858 he, carrying out the students ideas, was gone to Russia. In structural terms the samples of the Kyrgyz folklore made by v. Radlov are divided in four parts. In the first part he included the epos manas‖, in the second and third – independent legends Zholoy Khan and Er Toshtyuk‖. And the fourth part  is  made  by  several  lamentations  (Koshoktor).  Such  division, according to the scientist opinion, is conditional: epic songs are provided by me under three titles: manas, Zholoy and Toshtyuk, but it isnt necessary to think that it is three separate eposes‖ (Moldobayev i.b.,1995, p. 104). It is possible to note that the text of manas published more than hundred years ago by v. Radlov has great scientific and historical and cultural value. V. Radlovs work is published for nearly twenty years earlier, than prose translation into Russian of the fragment from epos which is written down by ch. Valikhanov and published only in 1904 by n. Veselovsky and it is the first-ever edition. Despite desultoriness of v. Radlovs publication, it gave for that time an integral idea of a treasury of folk art of the Kyrgyz the heroic epos manas‖. Vasily vladimirovich bartold (1869 1930) is one of the first researchers who closely were engaged in development of history of the Kyrgyz people both in pre- soviet, and in soviet period. Judging by his separate works devoted generally to history of Kyrgyzstan, various genres of Kyrgyz folklore


 

were  considered  by  him.  The  scientist  repeatedly  mentions  the  epos

 

manas in the known work ―the Kyrgyz people‖. V.v. Bartold noted that the  fight against the  dzungarian feudal lords  has  left  a  mark in  the Kyrgyz  national epos, especially in  a  cycle of  legends about  manas(Bartold v.v.,1996, p. 104).

 

 

Alexander natanovich bernshtam (1910 1956) is a prominent soviet archeologist, the historian, the ethnographer. Firstly, in 1941, a.n. Bernshtam was addressed to the epos "manas" in work an archaeological sketch about the northern Kyrgyzstan where he considers art reflection of ancient monuments in manas (Bernshtam a.n.,1997, p. 531). He one of the first addressed to Kyrgyz culture sources and begun to  consider epos materials. The epos is considered, first of all, as a historical source in all works of a.n. Bernshtam about the epos "manas", and them more than ten. In  article  an  era  of  emergence  of  the  Kyrgyz  epos  manas‖  a.n. Bernshtam considers the Kyrgyz epos as a historical and cultural source. The scientist connects contents of the epos generally with two historical stages of the political period of the Kyrgyz in fight for independence in the viii—ix and xviixix centuries, though he doesnt deny that in the epos there could be reflected historical events between these periods. He drawn the following concrete conclusions:

 

 

1. The epos manas is an outstanding monument of amateur and folk arts, and it is a peculiar historical story about fight for independence of the Kyrgyz tribes, where ancient stage ascends to 820 847.


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2. At the heart of epic manas there is a concrete historical image of the ladder of the Kyrgyz people of 820 847 which fight had liberating character (Bernshtam a.n., 1968, p. 175).

 

 

The epic Manas was the first piece of Kyrgyz oral literature to be recorded and translated into other languages. [50] Here I shall comment but briefly on previous English translations of the epic. In 1977, Arthur Hatto, a British scholar of epic studies, translated into English one of the main episodes of Manas called "A Memorial Feast for Kökötöi Khan," which had originally been recorded by Radloff. Even though Hatto used the original Kyrgyz text for his translation, he misunderstood many words, customs, and socio-cultural issues mentioned in the epic. He did not speak Kyrgyz, nor had he lived among the Kyrgyz, and therefore was not able to give the flavor of the original language and provide the socio-cultural context. The second English translation of Manas was done by another British scholar, Walter Mayor. His two volume translation was published in 1995 in honor of the Manas celebrations. Kyrgyz scholars of Manas, who  do  not  know English  and  thus  have  no  means  of  checking the authenticity or quality of his translation, are very happy about it. Mayor, too, did not know Kyrgyz, and therefore used the Russian translation of the epic. In other words, his translation of Manas is a translation of the "beautified" Russian translation. This factor alone undermines the authenticity of his translation. There is no need for further discussions of his translation of Manas, for any translated text done from a secondary source is only of secondary value.


 

2.  DISCUSSION

 

 

Question about  determination of  the  creation time  of  the  epos "manas" is the most difficult. It is illegal to date in general the epos some time, especially some centuries or even years. The matter is that, having arisen, the epos develops further. So, it is possible to speak about genesis of the epos. And if to look at a problem of the epos creation by eyes of the historian and ethnographer, then it is possible to focus attention on the historical events which received reflection in its lines. Certainly, for determination of an era of the epos creation only these facts insufficiently. The  most  versatile  researches are  necessary, but  identification of  the historical events, reflected in the epos, can be quite good help at determining creation time of the epos. Here it is necessary to stop only in brief on a question of creation time of the epos. The history of study of a question, behind some exceptions, is given in the chronological sequence.

 

 

Generally three  hypotheses  of  an  era  of  the  epos  creation  are known to science today:

 

 

1) According to m.o. Auezov and a.n. Bernshtam, nodal events of manas are connected with the period of Kyrgyz history when they supported relationship with the uigurs.

 

 

2) b.m. Yunusaliyev on the basis of the analysis of epos contents and based on the separate historic facts, and also on ethnographic, linguistic and geographical data, comes to a conclusion that the basis of the epos is coherent with events of the ix-xi centuries when the Kyrgyz were at war against the kidans kara kitays.


 

3) v.m. Zhirmunsky considers that though in contents of the epos there are  many materials, reflecting ancient conceptions of the people, historical layer of the epos reflects the events of xv-xviii centuries, (according to s. Musayev).

 

 

Todays level of the research manas doesnt allow completely to be agreed with one of the listed hypotheses, having rejected others as not well-founded. The deep analysis of the epos content leads to one indisputable conclusion: the events making the maintenance of manas are represented  by  the  set  of  layers,  demonstrating that  works  had  been formed  for  a  long  time.  Works of  professor p.a.  Falev initiated  the scientific study of the epos "manas" during the soviet era (1888-1922)

how the kara-Kyrgyz epic is created‖, "about kara-Kyrgyz epos which are published in the first issue of the journal ―science  and education, published in tashkent in 1922. The author on the basis of the materials which are written down and published by v.v. Radlov analyzes art features of this epos. B. Soltonoyev (1878-1938) is considered the Kyrgyz historian, writer and poet. It would be possible to call him also the first Kyrgyz  ethnographer.  B.  Soltonoyev  should  be  considered  the  first Kyrgyz scientist who owing to the readiness considered the epos manas‖ and some other works, and also a creativity of the separate manasche. The main part of his work is devoted to the epos manas‖.  It is called as

manas‖.  This  research begins  with  how the  Kyrgyz  have  long  been singing and do not forget such epic poems as manas‖, koshoy‖, er toshtuk‖. Researchers select these poems as separate works whereas their heroes in full options are characters of one epos.


 

The special place among researchers of the epos manas belongs to the outstanding kazakh writer, the expert on folklore, the prominent soviet scientist m.o. Auezov who actively was engaged in the epos since the end of the 20th years and until the end of the life. His known work

the Kyrgyz national heroic poem manas‖, being result of long-term scrupulous  researches,  is  among  basic  researches  about  manas‖.   In studying of ethnography of the Kyrgyz people well-known s.m. Abramzons merit (1905-1977). Scientist most of all pays attention to the epos manas‖. In the article Kyrgyz heroic epos manas‖‖ he shows fair discontent that manas still continues to remain extremely poorly studied material.

 

 

Ethnographers, as well as historians-specialists in folklore or literary critics, have to take into account, any event, the phenomenon or the ethnographic fact which are represented in the epos as the poeticized, sometimes rethought form. But taking into account this important point, data of the epos are of outstanding interest as they will be able to open not only new pages for knowledge of cultural history of the Kyrgyz people, but  also  to  make  available  to  ethnographers a  favorable  material  for understanding and disclosure of the most ancient elements of universal culture. The mythology is inherent in all people of the world. However, being spiritual reflection of historical development of human society, it has suffered the deep changes unequal at different people of the world. Mythological thinking, being a part of human perception of the world could arise spontaneously and also to undergo strong changes in result of transition of society to the following extent of the development.


 

Myths  make  a  part  of  spiritual  culture  of  mankind  and  have reached our days as the most ancient basis of world culture, without going into details about origin and the concepts myth‖, we will note that they as well as at many people of the world, existed at the Kyrgyz. However studying  of  this  area  has  very  insignificant number  of  researches on myths.  As  for  mythology of  the  epos  manas and  also  the  Kyrgyz folklore in general, they still werent studied. The exception is made by only  those  single  researches  of  philologists  in  which  to  this  or  that measure the mythological materials were attracted, reflected in oral creativity, including in manas. Considerable part of mythological plots of the epos manas is made by narrations about animals which names are used as comparisons in many cases. For example, only in the epos er toshtyuk  which with some reservation can be carried to a cycle of the epic  manas‖  57  names  of  fauna  representatives act  as  an  image  of comparisons. Total number of their comparisons in the text is about 140. One of the mythological animals, described in the epos manas‖, is Alpkarakush, a huge, fantastic bird which often comes to the aid of the heroes in critical moments. In manas an image Alpkarakush is compared, in most cases, to other birds or the hero assimilates to this huge bird to show thereby his power, force, formidability.

 

 

Carrying a bird alpkarakush to mythical images, i. Mamyrov notes that the similar image of a mythical bird is had at the mongols – garud, at the altaians kashkerede, in the iranian epos ―shakh  name‖   simrug. Further he notes that the rock drawing of a bird of prey, discovered in transbaikalia by a.p. Okladnikov, is the image of a golden eagle to which buryats worshipped. According to i. Mamyrov this image allegedly coincides with alpkarakush‘s description in manas. Tracks of tracing of


 

birds of prey have remained prior to the beginning of the xx century in the Kyrgyz   ethnonym.  So,   for   example,  there   are   known  ethnonyms zhagalmay and tamga in the number of the Kyrgyz tribes of the right part. In the majority of options zhagalmay tamga‖ is represented the image of the flying bird. In 1953 s.m. Abramzon was recorded such tamga at pre- issyk kul on a stirrup (Abramzon s.m.1971).

 

 

The genonymums as zhoru, kara kush, kara kunas, etc. Are registered in tribal structure of Kyrgyz. These names probably remained as the ethnonyms of mythical times. It is shown well in the book of d.s. Dugarov about historical roots of white shamanism‖. As it was noted above, manas contains many data about mythical animals and some of them very described colorfully. The information about mythical animals is usually considered at the  description of the plausible phenomena and events. Epic gardens and their fauna and flora will compare for descriptive reasons; and the gardens babura which are really created in due time, and also his descendants and, together with it, other mongols. Babur studied a great number of animals and birds. It is very possible that the animals and plants seen by storytellers of different times in real life could be included in  the  changed  type  in  the  text  of  the  Kyrgyz  epos.  The  Kyrgyz storytellers could be familiar with references of that time including with baburs work. It is increased even more the similarity of planning of an epic garden to gardens of great Mongols which are considered as masterpieces of world garden art. It is easy to see similarity in pools and general planning at comparing the Mongolian garden and the garden alone from manas‖.  Such method of comparison allows to say that reality, fairy-tale fiction and the myth connected in a whole in the grandiose Kyrgyz epos.


 

On the whole, if to consider the epos in general, then all heroes are almost had the fairy-tale characters. First of all, manass image the main character of the Kyrgyz heroic epos has been shrouded with mythological shadows. A classic example of it is the episode as manas had dreams‖; and then it was arranged the celebration in order to interpret them. It is difficult to find a plot where manass image would be given without fantastic part. Also images of manass associates arent deprived of mythological power. Information about the mythical animals occurs in the epos listed in one poetic row with monsters modmi. It should be noted that at all fabulousness and incredibility of similar names they deserve close attention of linguists because some of them can be deciphered by means of language constructions. We  will take,  for example, the  name of a monster alatkak‖. Authors of manas interpret this word as a fairy-tale animal‖,  however they stated also the curious assumption that the word

alatkak‖, perhaps, rooted in the ancient türkic adih-ayuu, i.e. A bear. There is possible to etymologize and certain others the animal names. At least, it is possible to explain emergence of the name of the real animals in the epos but which have the mythical qualities. For example, the animal

borso‖, mentioned in the epos, is translated as a kangaroo. Some names

 

of   animals   are   foreign,   for   example,   kerik   was   translated   as

 

rhinoceros‖.  If  to  consider  that  lexical  content of  manas is  still  not completely studied, then it is become quite obvious as the research of mythological terminology of the epos is relevant (Losev a.f.1966).

 

 

The  Kyrgyz  have  a  lot  of  legends  and  fairy  tales  in  which characters are dogs. One of popular characters in legends, in general in folklore, including in manas is kumayyk‖. According to k.k. Yudakhin‘s interpretation, this fantastic dog (from which no beast can hide; was born


 

from  a  bird  of  prey   gryphon);  kush  torosu   buudayyk,  it  torosu kumayyk (proverb). Kumayyk is a dog nickname of hero manas. As we see, in the proverb provided in the dictionary, it is mentioned buudayyk – the name of fairy-tale a bird of prey that is also a subject of consideration of mythology. According to the epos, kumayyk, which became a faithful dog-friend, was found by manas on the pass kush-bulak, coming back from  hunting.  It  corresponds  to  ethnographic  materials  according  to which, on a concept of the Kyrgyz, the patron of dogs is called Kumayyk. It is born allegedly from a mythological bird of prey which head is similar to the head of a golden eagle, and its body as at a lion. It usually leaves her puppy cub on a deserted mountain pass or on a deserted road. The born puppy at the beginning is very weak and small approximately about a human fist. If within three days after the birth it will be founded by the person, the puppy will become kumayyk and for the owner on hunting will take any animal from wild ram to a leopard and a tiger. If within  three  days  a  puppy  wasnr  be  founded  by  the  person  then  it becomes allegedly bald griffon or an eagle. The person, who has found kumayyk,  within  seven  days  shouldnt  sleep,  look  after  a  puppy, otherwise kumayyk completely disappears. The puppy's finding was such a joy that in honor of this event it was decided to slaughter a white mare, which was foaled for seven years in a row. There are a number of ethnographic details in the description of these events.

 

 

Having killed a white mare, the puppy muzzle is dipped into her belly and costal fat, all ceremonies of a sacrifice and naming of the name are observed. After that there was a  question who  will be the proxy representative who is looking after a puppy, only the woman clean and pure has to look after it, at the same time, she must have a good spear, and


 

also excellent to shoot from the bow. The choice falls on kanykey, future bride of manas. Giving a puppy to kanykey, the associates of manas - azhybay and bakay very strictly warns her that in six months she has to make from a puppy the strong kumayyk. Having agreed to this difficult business, kanykey began to raise a puppy. It should be noted that the character, similar to mythical kumayyk, is had also in folklore of other turkic-speaking people and first of all the kazakhs. On a belief of the kazakhs, kumay is a mythical bird which nests where no human being has ever set foot. A puppy, which is called a  puppy of Kumay‖,  is hatched out from its egg, by other version, the Kumay dogs are hatched out from eggs of a motley goose. At one of the people of southern Siberia

Khakass it is known the tale of Kubay-hus. It should be noted amazing similarity of the narration of the Khakass about this mythical dog with the Kyrgyz versions. There also should be noted what the Kyrgyz legends about  Kumayyk and  the  Khakass about  Kubay-Khuse has  very close parallels. The Kyrgyz have a fairy tale greedy father where Kumayyk was be found by the orphan boy so his fate was formed happily. We have found the same legend at the Khakass with the name Koketey where however it is narrated about Kubay-khus (Tokarev s.a. Meletinsky e.m.1982). Additionally, it can be noticed that Koketey both in manas, and in the Khakass legend is called as the rich man. As we see, this animal in the Kyrgyz folklore has analogs at related to it the nationalities. It is remarkable  that  among  them  there  are  Khakas  who  had  close  ethno cultural communication with the Kyrgyz.

 

 

In  manas there are  much other data on mythology besides the episodes connected with animals. It should be noted that these mythological stories adjoin to these or those real facts. Kyrgyz lived in the


 

neighborhood with ethnos, many of which adhered to the Buddhism in religious views. Besides, Buddhism monuments were found repeatedly as a result of archaeological researches in the territory of Kyrgyzstan. At the political countries there are the chastens mythical beings. Chilton should be considered from point of view the Muslim mythology. Chilten refers to the category of spirits and mythology of the people of central asia, including the Kyrgyz. The term Chilten goes back to Persian Tajik language and it is translated as forty people‖.  However in the Kyrgyz folklore it is shown not only forty people Kyryk Chiltens, but also seven Chelten-zheti Chilten. Existence of Chiltens in the epos manas‖ says that in folklore of the Kyrgyz they are reflected in result of their ethno cultural contacts with the people of central Asia. In the epos manas many fantastic actions of its characters are connected with Chiltens.

 

 

Researchers carry to Muslim mythology Burak or Al-Burak‖, from Arab to flash, sparkle. The data about Burak at‖ is occurred in the epos manas‖ which is possibly going back to the Arab word. In the Kyrgyz language burak or al-burak is interpreted as the horse in full decoration prepared for as a gift for commemoration‖. However the mythology or fabulousness of a horse burak in the Kyrgyz mythology is more realistic. In Muslim mythology burak represents as the supreme animal on which Muhammad accompanied by Dzhabriil made allegedly overnight journey from mecca to Jerusalem. It is described as a white horse with a long back and long ears, together with it there were white wings on the hoofs that he quickly galloped. Later burak was described as a winged horse. As we see from these examples burak is a mythological horse.  Possibly  the  people  of  central  asia  including the Kyrgyz borrowed these mythical stories about burak from arabs during


 

adoption of islam that was reflected in the epos manas‖. However, in our opinion, at the Kyrgyz myths about burak  were transformed in their own way. In the Kyrgyz mythology it takes not so important place than at other nationalities who accepted islam, i.e. It is possible to note superficial assimilation. Now burak can be met only in the lines of folklore works.

 

 

Manas‖ is had the myths, exactly mythological characters which are known also in oral creativity of other Turkic-Mongolian people of central Asia. In the Kyrgyz folklore one of such characters is Zhelmoguz, or the being similar to a Zhelmoguz. Though k.k. Yudakhin translates Zhelmoguz as baba-yaga, but judging by the characteristic of this monster, it is more difficult being. The similar image under other names, but with same signs is widely met in folklore and mythology of Altaians and the people of southern Siberia. Other character of manas widespread in mythology and folklore of various people of the world, is one-eyed Maksi Malgun. The legend about the one-eyed giant had a wide dissemination in this epos of the people of central Asia, in particular, the oguz-turkmen cycle of literature Oguz name. Speaking about mythical data of the epos manas  which have the international parallels, it is possibly should  be  mentioned about  the  mythical beings  which  were called as Italy. These people had women who were normal and beautiful, and their husbands dogs, and according to some versions with heads as at dogs.

 

 

It is interesting that as well as in manas, and in folklore of other people, the myth about a Cyclops is connected with stories about the men with heads as at dogs. For example, we will address the tale by Altaians about the one-eyed cannibal, the first part of which in general coincides


 

with the Kyrgyz and the Kazakh folklore plots about a Cyclops. But the second part of the fairy tale states the version close to the Kyrgyz epic, – about visit of the country in which husbands of beautiful women are men- dogs. The one-eyed cannibal with name Kirgis was an enemy of these people. This fairy tale is closely connected with the Kyrgyz motive in the epos both on contents, and on the name of mythical beings, and on the name of cannibal in Altai fairy tale. Undoubtedly, it is difficult to determine the  sources of similar legends. As  Abramzon noticed ―this folklore motive, widespread in the middle of the century and different at Mongols, and presently at Altaians and the Kyrgyz goes back to an extreme antiquity and arises, apparently, on the one hand in Greece, and with another - in the far east. It is very possible that this motive has got into the Kyrgyz epos long ago, its connection with the Far East formation of myths can be considered as more than probable‖. At least, the folklore motive about the men with heads as at dogs was widespread in the east as the fact is that the pictures were created on this subject.

 

 

It should be noted that this mythical character is present also at other genres of the Kyrgyz folklore, including at epic works of a so-called small form. Publishers of the epos manas‖, according to s. Orozbakovs variant, note that this motive occurs in the Kyrgyz narrative fairy tale and that allegedly the storyteller s. Orozbakov used a fantastic plot about the men with heads as at dogs in the epos manas‖. The image of Koshoy in the epos, as well as the Kazakh legends, is gradually transformed more real personality. For example, fight of Koshoy with Zholoy was described not as absolutely fantastic and mythological way, and on the contrary, more plausible, which was close to usual narrations. It is possible to think that some real personality with a name Koshoy put in the Kyrgyz folklore,


 

including in the epos manas and then he gradually got a mythological cover. More precisely, the numerous mythological plots which were in the ancient time in broad use at the Iranian and turkic-Mongolian people could be covered on real historic figures, gradually transferring these images in epic and fantastically mythological characters.

 

 

Our  opinion is  confirmed to  a  certain extent  by  a  mention in various written sources with name - koshoy. For example, in ch. Valikhanovs work extraction from dzhami attavarih it is mentioned the name - koshoy from the kachi clan. In structure of the tribe solto there were patrimonial names - kachy and koshoy. It is curious that kachy and koshoy clans were included into section talkan as a part of the tribe solto. And at last there are several toponyms of koshoy. First of all this name of medieval fortress of koshoy-korgon. It is interesting that the outstanding orientalist v.v. Bartold who tried to use in due time the Kyrgyz folklore in his works took into account that ruins of this strengthening at locals are known under the name koshoy-kurgan. Though in 1944 for the first time koshoy-korgon was investigated in more detail after v.v. Bartold, and in the next years it is partially studied also by other archeologists of Kyrgyzstan, systematic, so stationary studying of a monument was begun only since 1980. Excavation of a monument gives much interesting and it demonstrates prospects of its further researches. So far there are some preliminary works devoted to koshoy-korgons ancient settlement.

 

 

3.  CONCLUSION

 

 

The epic Manas should not only be recognized for its vast size, but it should equally be valued for its exceptionally poetic language and rich


 

content. The German scholar Wilhelm Rudolf, who collected Kyrgyz oral literature in the nineteenth century, noted: "It is clear that the [Kyrgyz] people, who very much enjoy an eloquent language, consider a rhythmic speech as the highest art in the world. Myths make a part of spiritual culture of mankind and they survived to our days as the most ancient basis in the world literature. Considerable part of mythological plots of the epos

manas makes narrations about animals which names is used as comparisons in many cases. One of the mythological animals described in the epos is alpkarakush which often comes to the aid of the heroes in critical moments. The epos manas contains many plots where myths about various fantastic animals are reflected. Some, such as about a kumayyk has analogies according to the same myths of other people. All this shows that these people had ethnocultural community. In any case myths about a kumayyk possibly ascend to integrated folklore primary source. And also fantastic and mythological episodes with participation of koshoy  are  reflected  in  the  epos.  Fabulously  fantastic  adventures  of koshoy reaches apogee. The name of kyrmus meets in episodes who is the Kyrgyz variant of the supreme deity, known at mongols as khormusta and at the iranian people as akhuramadza.

 

 

Professional and versatile studying of this monument would help to study a lot of new, also why locals call it as koshoy-korgon, at the same time in the same region there are a mountain and the river under the name koshoy. The village koshoy in the Kyrgyz regions of tajikistan, located in karategin, coincides with a name of the legendary hero katagans of the east turkestan. Existence in karategin of a toponym koshoy edifies us to reckon that according to the epos manas‖, movement the Kyrgyz from altai to ala-too mountains was headed by koshoy who was the khan of the


 

katagans. Thus, the epos remade‖ mythological plots and really taken place events from life of the Kyrgyz with quite extensive range of time. The image Koshoy has the real human qualities, but an image - mythological motives. Such is specifics of the epos, reality to separate from mythical is very difficult task. Folklore of the Kyrgyz people multicenter is important historical and ethnographic information on antecedents of the Kyrgyz. In our opinion, the main character of the epos - manas is associated with the Kyrgyz people. It is precious not only as manas name to the people, but also each positive character of the epos. It is precious not only as Manas name to the people, but also each positive character of the epos.

 

 

REFERENCES

 

 

Moldobayev i.b. manas‖   a historical and cultural monument of the

Kyrgyz. - b.-1995. - p. 104

 

Bartold v.v. The chosen works on history of the Kyrgyz and Kyrgyzstan:

structure, additions, comments. And o. Karayevs foreword. b.,

1996. - p. 104.

 

Bernshtam a.n. Great heritage of the Kyrgyz people // chosen works on archeology and history of the Kyrgyz and Kyrgyzstan. Collected: k. Talibayeva, l. Vedutova. b.:1997. - p. 531.

 

Bernshtam a.n. An era of appearance of the epos manas‖ // manas - the heroic epos of the Kyrgyz people. frunze. 1968. p. 175

 

Abramzon s.m. Kyrgyz both their ethnogenetic and historian cultural relations‖. L., 1971.

 

Losev a.f. mythology (soviet historical encyclopedia). M, 1966.

 

Tokarev   s.a.   Meletinsky  e.m.   mythology   (myths   of   the   world:

encyclopedia). M, 1982.