Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Singing the Kyrgyz Manas: Saparbek Kasmambetov's Recitations of Epic Poetry

Singing the Kyrgyz Manas: Saparbek Kasmambetov's Recitations of Epic Poetry

Howard, Keith
Kasmambetov, Saparbek

Paperback

Poetry Anthologies

ISBN10: 190687638X
ISBN13: 9781906876388
Publisher: Brill
Published: Mar 16 2011
Pages: 134
Weight: 0.97
Height: 0.60 Width: 6.50 Depth: 9.70
Language: English
Today, the Kyrgyz Manas is one of the most celebrated epic heroic poems in the world. At the turn of the new millennium it was appointed a UNESCO 'Masterpiece in the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind', signalling its global significance. It sits alongside Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, or the South Asian Mahābhārata and Rāmāyana, although politics and language have during the twentieth century conspired against allowing it to become as well known.
In contrast to previously published material, this book focuses on one septegenarian contemporary performer, Saparbek Kasmambetov who inherited the oral tradition of his culture, adding details and other elements to his storytelling, as he saw fit. Consequently, the volume does not offer a literal translation in poetic form, but is presented as a story - as originally intended; the contextual/historical account situates Soviet/Kyrgyz with Western accounts of Manas and other epic heroic poetry.
Part I offers a translation of seven episodes from the Manas, as sung by Saparbek, with accompanying CDs - the translations of all the episodes being based on the recordings.
Part II comprises three chapters examining oral epic poetry and the Manas; the Kyrgyz Manas recorded, performed and studies; finally, a study of Saparbek Kasmambetov - the performer.
The accompanying plates are the work of Gouljan Arslan, Saparbek Kasmambetov's granddaughter.

Also from

Howard, Keith

View All

Also in

Poetry Anthologies

View All