Manas, notes to section 1

Kïdïr (Kïzïr) (from Ar. hazra "green"). In Central Asian Turkic folk belief, Kïdïr is an old, white bearded man who is believed to bring fortune and give blessing to people with good intentions. The Kyrgyz have sayings about Kïdïr, e.g., "jolung shïdïr, joldoshung Kïr bolsun!," i.e., "May your journey (trip) be smooth (safe) and may your companion be Kïdïr." Another popular saying is "Jetinin biri-Kïdïr," i.e., one out of seven [people] is Kïdïr (sacred, special). It means that one in seven people that one encounters or exchanges greetings with is, or may be, Kïdïr, because Kïdïr comes in a disguised appearance. Originally, Kïdïr is associated with Islam and claimed to be one of the "prophets who had found the immortal water and become immortal until the Judgment Day upon drinking that water" (Manas. Saiakbai Karalaevdin variantï boiuncha, Vol. 1, p. 404). However, Kyrgyz scholars assert that this belief existed prior to Islam, and Kyrgyz incorporated the image of Kïdïr into their ancient belief.

Pir (Pers. "old, wise") (Manas Entsiklopediyasï, p. 154). In Kyrgyz popular belief, pir is considered to be a saint, holy master or guardian. The worship of saints and their tombs became quite popular with the spread of Sufism among the Central Asian Turks. The word pir has a wider meaning in Kyrgyz popular belief. Almost every living being in nature including animals is believed to have their own guardian master or pir, and people worshipped those guardian spirits to receive their support and blessings. Among the nomadic Kyrgyz the number twelve is considered to be a sacred number representing prosperity (Manas Entsiklopediyasï, p. 154). Traditionally, the minimum bride price is also given in various domestic animals to the total of twelve. The human and animal bodies also have twelve main body parts.

Kalïypa (Ar. "khalifa," meaning "successor" or "representative").

Sayïpurush (Ar./Pers., "sahib, "meaning master; "huruj," "brave, hero.") (Manas Entsiklopediyasï, p. 175). In world history, three great leaders earned the title of sayïpurush: Aleksander of Macedonia, Chingiz Khan and Amir Temir. In the epic Manas, Manas and his ancestors are compared to sahibs or great world leaders.

Saray refers to caravan sarays which functioned as guesthouses or resting places along the Silk Road for caravans of merchants and travelers who traveled between East and West. Central Asian nomads, including the Kyrgyz, played an important role in the development of the Silk Road. Wealthy nomads, leaders and khans housed the merchants who traded along the Silk Road in their sarays.

Kerege is the side wooden panel of a yurt. The smallest yurt has four foldable kereges; uuk are the long arched poles connecting the kerege to the tündük, the round-shaped top part of the yurt through which smoke goes out.

Besh kökül (five locks or braids) refers to unmarried young girls. In the past, Kyrgyz girls braided their hair in multiple braids. Upon marriage, they wore only two braids.

Akïr zaman, also known as kïyamat (kayïng), comes from Arabic/Islamic term "al-Yawm al-Akhir," which is also known as "Yawm al-Qiyama," i.e., The Judgment Day or Last Day. (The Oxford History of Islam. Ed. By John L. Esposito [Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1999], p.88).

The Kyrgyz word for hearth is tütün, referring to the smoke coming from the top part of a yurt. Traditionally, the nomadic Kyrgyz counted the families using the word tütün.

The singer uses a traditional expression "Kamchïga chenep bölüptür," i.e., "They divided them measuring with a horse whip."

In Manas, Rome is called "Urum">Rum>Byzantium. Rome is considered to be a very far away land for the nomadic Kyrgyz.

The Kyrgyz traditional expression for becoming a widow is "tul kaldï" i.e., she remained tul or with a tul, a "doll" made from wood. In the past it was the tradition among the nomadic Kyrgyz to dress the tul in the clothes of the deceased person and place it inside the men's side of the yurt. The widow sat next to the tul and sang mourning songs.

The original meaning of the word "ordo" comes from the Kyrgyz traditional game called ordo (from "orto" i.e., "center, middle"). The game is played only by men who use sheep and horse knuckle bones. They draw a big circle on the even ground and place the "khan" in the center of the circle and also place his soldiers around the khan. By using different tactics, the players or "attackers" try to hit the khan and his soldiers with a tompoy (horse knuckle bone) with the aim of driving them out of the circle. This circle is compared to the kingdom of a khan and his army. In Manas, the game is mentioned several times. In the earliest episode of Manas, the young Manas is attacked by enemies while he was playing the ordo game with his friends.

The words used here are the traditional expression "Kirip keter kör tappay," i.e., "He did not find a grave to escape or to enter." This expression is commonly used even today. It is said when someone is in a desperate or very embarrassing situation and he/she wants to escape from that moment.

This line reads in Kyrgyz as "Törönün uulu eken dep," i.e., "Thinking that he is the son of a törö." The term törö, which is also mentioned in the 6th-century CE Orkhon Turkic Inscriptions, is one of the honorary titles or terms of addresses for noble men with good leadership quality. In English, the terms "lord" or "leader" are the closest equivalents.

This lines reads "Sïndïrïp iydi belimdi," i.e., "He broke my waist (or back)." This expression is one of the often used formulaic phrases in Manas. In Kyrgyz nomadic culture, one's waist is considered the strongest body part of all. The common expression in Kyrgyz is "bel bol," which means to be a waist (support) to someone.

"Tübünö tirüülöy jetkeni," lit.: "He reached down to his roots while he is alive," i.e., "He made him suffer while alive." This is another traditional phrase used in expressing one's anger and rage.

Jambï comes from Chinese "yuan,' molded, "bao," precious, valuable. It is made of silver which is melted and molded into various sizes in sheep and horses' hooves. The Chinese introduced jambï as a monetary unit in order to trade with the nomads. (Manas Entsiklopediyasï, p. 204).

Kübö (Ar. gaba) is a long-sleeved bulletproof coat. (Manas. Saiakbai Karalaevdin variantï boiuncha, Vol. 1, p. 403).

The Kyrgyz use the term "dolu," which derives from Persian "dolu," "hail." (Yudakhin, K.K. Kyrgyzsko-russkii slovar' [Bishkek: Sham Basmasy, 1999]). It is used to denote a quarrelsome person, usually a woman.

Traditionally, the term "ayïl" referred to a mountain village or encampment consisting of at least a tribe or clan who lived in yurts. Today, the rural area or countryside with permanent brick and mud houses is also called ayïl.

This expression is related with the common Central Asian/Islamic religious belief that claims that a human's soul turns into a fly after a person dies.

This lines reads "Kara elechek tul kïlïp," lit.: "He made them [the women] tul with black elechek." I.e., "He widowed them and made them wear mourning clothes." Elechek is a traditional women's headdress worn by married and elderly Kyrgyz women. In the past, Kyrgyz women wore black elecheks and black clothes to mourn their husbands' deaths. It is said that when the body of a man who died in battle was not found or could not be brought home, a special wooden "doll," dressed in the deceased the man's clothes, was sang to in a mourning songs by the widow.

The word used here is "jan kazan," i.e., "side or portable cauldron." In the past, during their war campaigns, the nomadic warriors carried on horseback a small-sized cooking pot or cauldron.

This long pipe is called "keriney" which comes from Persian "karnay."

The nomadic Kyrgyz traditionally raised four types of animals. The traditional term "tört tülük" here refers to horse, sheep, goats, and camels.

The Kyrgyz version of this curse is "Kïzïtalak," "One whose daughter is divorced." Only men use this curse. The expression is related to Islamic marital issues. In Islamic culture, when the husband wants to divorce his wife, he can proclaim three times the word "talak." When the nomadic Kyrgyz were introduced to that Muslim custom, the idea of being divorced in that manner must have been so demeaning and shameful that they used that expression in the form of a curse or nasty epithet. One whose daughter was divorced lost his pride and respect in a nomadic society in which divorce was almost non-existent.

White yurt here refers to a special yurt "ak örgöö" with white felt coverings used by khans and tribal leaders.

This is traditional poetic epithet for beautiful Kyrgyz married women in Manas: "Kelengkor chachpak, keng sooru [kelin]," "young married women or brides with kelengkor chachpak braids and wide hips." In Kyrgyz culture, women with long braids, a thin waist, and wider hips were considered beautiful. And these features became fixed epithets for women's beauty in poetry.

As in many other cultures, the full or new moon is a common epithet for women's beauty among the Kyrgyz. A young woman's slender waist is compared to the shape of a new moon or to the waist of a tiger.

The line reads "jalduu baytal mingizbeyt," He did not allow anyone to ride a maned baytal (two-year-old mare who has not yet given birth).

This line reads "'Aziret!' dep jalïnïp," i.e., "He prayed saying "Aziret." The word comes from Arabic "xazrat," which means "holy, sacred." This is a title, which is attached to the names of prophets and caliphs. The term also is also used to invoke the spirits of deceased men or ancestors who had a high status and respect among the people. (Manas, Saiakbai Karalaevdin variantï boiuncha, Vol. 1, p. 379).

"Kara bayïr kazanat" is a traditional epithet for beautiful and fast-running horses, especially for those of epic heroes. The term kazanat comes from Persian "hane zat," "home bred." This special breed of horse came from the breeding of home bred and wild horses. (Ibid., p. 395).

The term here is Nar, meaning a one-humped camel. Since dromedaries were not common to Inner Asia, possibly this is a reference to the cross between a dromedary and two-humped Bactrian camel, an animal with one hump that was very strong and thus useful for caravans.

The text uses the term "kalday" (Mong. "galdan") which refers to the Kalmyk high ranking military officers.

The original term is "iliy" which derives from Chinese "li," law. In Manas, it is used as a history or genealogy book of the Chinese. (Ibid., p. 394).

The Kyrgyz words used for soothsayer and magician are "ayar" and "sÿrkïrchï."

Bichik is the original term, which means "writing" in Mongolian and Tungus-Manchu language groups. According to the epic, bichik is described as being a holy book of the Kalmyks. (Ibid., p. 387).

Bïlkïldak kuuray is the name of one of the wild plants in the mountains.

Mïyzam (Pers, "mizan" is also a name for a flower which blooms in autumn.

Kïbïla is the direction of Mecca towards which all Muslims pray. Among the Kyrgyz it is not good to sleep with one's foot directed to kïbïla.

Kïmïzdïk (In Russian: pakovye sheyki, gorlets) is the name of a mountain plant.

Ïshkïn is a type of rhubarb with a round tip. It is an edible, sour and juicy plant grown on high mountain slopes.

Jïltïrkan is (izen' in Russian).

Ular is a mountain bird resembling a small wild turkey. Ular's meat tastes good and has medicinal benefits for tuberculosis. Ular's sings by whistling.

The word used for kangaroo is "börsö" referring to the shape of the kangaroo's stomach.

The singer uses the words "kishi kiyik" (man deer) and "töö kiyik" (camel deer) for wild men. (Ibid., p. 402).

The Kyrgyz word is "ketmen."

The word for a saint is "oluyazaada" which comes from Persian "avvaliyye," sacred and "zaade," breed. (Ibid., p. 407)

Atan is a term for a gelded camel.

The singer uses the term "dangza," a word of Chinese origin, "dan'tzy," meaning a record book or census. Its second meaning is "law." (Ibid., p. 389)

The term "toburchak" is used to describe a big and strong horse ridden for battles.

Here, Jakïp is making a general comment about his wife's carelessness, i.e., that she does not take care of herself. In nomadic traditional culture all women, young and old, wore braids. Especially pregnant women kept their hair nicely.

The liver is considered one of the most important body parts in Kyrgyz culture. Kyrgyz have many expressions that use the word "boor," i.e., liver. For example: "bir boorum" is an expression to address one's sibling or close relative. Kazakhs and Kyrgyz refer to each other as being "boordosh" (Kyrgyz) baurdas (Kazakh) el, i.e., people who share the same liver, meaning they are relatives. Traditionally, Kyrgyz men cry out loud by saying "boorum oy!" (Oh, my liver!) repeatedly when mourning the death of their close relative. The Kyrgyz say "boorum oorudu" or "boorum achïdï" when they want to say "I pitied him or felt sorry for him." They also say "külö berip boorum katïp kaldï," "My liver ached or became hard from too much laughing,"or "boorum ezilgiche küldüm," "I laughed until my liver melted."

Malakay kalpak is a men's traditional hat made from white felt. Unlike the regular kalpak, malakay kalpak has no black seams, and its edges are not folded upwards.

The Kyrgyz call it "Arshï."

The Kyrgyz pronounce the name "Kojosan," i.e., Kojo Asan (Khoja Hasan). According to some historical sources, Khoja Hasan was the most respected sheikh of the great 15th-century astronomer and mathematician Ulughbek. In the epic, he appears as the guardian of the hero Manas as well. (Ibid., p. 402).

The Kyrgyz line reads "jalduu baytal," i.e., "fine-maned baytal [two-year-old female horse]."

Kook was a cap made from animal hide, mostly from camel's skin. It was an ancient form of punishment in Central Asia. They shaved the enemy's hair and placed the kook on his skull. The person had to wear the cap all the time. The cap shrank from the heat and gave the person severe headaches and caused memory loss. This ancient practice is described in the renowned Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov's well-known novel called A Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years.

Külazïk (also pronounced gülazïk) is the name of a traditional food used by the nomadic Kyrgyz in the past. Külazïk was prepared from cooked dried horse, sheep or deer meat, which was ground into powder, fried in its own fat and then fried again with flour or corn meal. This particular food would not spoil for long time; therefore, it was mainly used during military campaigns.

Kadïr tün (Night of Predetermination) is the twenty-seventh night of the holy month of Ramadan. It is considered to be the night when Allah sent The Quran to Prophet Muhammad and also the day on which the fate of the world will be determined for the upcoming year. That night Muslims do not sleep and wait to see or experience unusual things or light, which would bring good fortune for the witness.

These two lines describing the eagle are used as a metaphor for the future hero Manas, who has a traditional epithet "His armed men are eighty four, wherever he turned was set ablaze."

Zulkupor is the name of Manas' sword. The word came from Arabic "zulfakar" (with a back). According to an Islamic legend, zulfakar was the name of the sword which Prophet Muhammad gave to his son-in-law Ali. The sword had special features: it had two tips and the middle of the sword was spiky, resembling the back of an animal. Kyrgyz scholars assert that the name of this sword entered the epic Manas through religious legends, because in most of the versions of Manas, the swords of main heroes, including Manas, have Kyrgyz names such as Achalbars, Akbolot, Kïlbolot, Achbolot, Joykuma, Arkesken etc. (Manas Entsiklopediyasï, p. 236).

Here, the cord is the umbilical cord. Traditionally, the Kyrgyz describe their homeland as the land where their umbilical cord was cut (kindik kesken) or where the blood from the umbilical cord dripped (kindik kan tamgan jer).

Baabedin is the Kyrgyz pronunciation of Bahauddin Naqshbandi, the founder of the fourteenth-century Sufi order Naqshbandiyya which was popular in Central Asia. Baabedin was one of the war cries or prayers the Kyrgyz people used in the past.

According to legends and some historical sources, the six lions refer to Solomon, Alexander of Macedonia, Ali (Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law), and heroes like Rustam and Chalïyar. It is said that the singer had mistaken the last two men for the four caliphs of Muhammad: Ali, Uthman, Omar and Abu Bakr. In the epic, Manas is considered to be the youngest of these lions. (Manas, Saiakbai Karalaevdin variantï boiuncha, Vol. 1, p. 382).