Sagimbai Orozbakov; (1868–1930) was a
Kyrgyz ''manaschi'', or reciter of the
Epic of Manas
The Epic of Manas ( ky, Манас дастаны, Manas dastanı, ماناس دستانی), is a traditional epic poem dating to the 18th century but claimed by Kyrgyz tradition to be much older. Manas is said to be based on Bars Bek who was ...
. The first reputable and complete edition of his noted variant of
Manas was published in 2010. It was the first to cover the whole life of the titular hero.
Biography
Orozbakov studied under a predecessor
Tınıbek Japıy uulu. Kyrgyz historian Belek Soltonoyev witnessed Orozbakov perform in 1908. During the
events of 1916, he fled to
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
where, in 1917, he participated in an ''aitish'' with Jüsüpakun Apay. Orozbakov received criticism regarding his style and accuracy in both performances.
Transcribing ''Manas'', 1922–1926
The lengthy variant contains notable innovations. Orozbakov appears to have been the first to replace the previous category of ''qissa'' (story) with the term ''tarikh'' (history), incorporated new learning, and presented mythical locations as if they were actual locations. It was the first to explicitly define
Manas as Kyrgyz. Orozbakov includes elements of pan-Turkism and pan-Islamism. These innovative features, possibly introduced to appease his patron Kayum Miftakov. Ironically this led Orozbakov and ''Manas'' to be regarded in the
Soviet era
The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...
as representative of pre-Revolution Kyrgyz society.
Manuscripts of this version are held at the
National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
Legacy
Sections such as the birth of ''Manas'', were published in Abdurakmanov's ''Manas Series''. Soviet methods of translation allowed
Semyon Lipkin
Semyon Izrailevich Lipkin (russian: Семён Израилевич Липкин) (6 September (19, New Style) 1911 – 31 March 2003) was a Russian writer, poet, and literary translator.
Lipkin's importance as a poet was recognized once his w ...
to publish recast adaptations of sections (and provide material for his novella). The Russian translation was used by
Maurice Bowra in his comparative studies of
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
and
epic poetry
An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants.
...
.
Post-war ideological criticism of ''Manas'', and its defence by scholars such as
Mukhtar Auezov
Mukhtar Omarkhanuli Auezov ( kz, Mūhtar Omarhanūly Äuezov, Мұхтар Омарханұлы Әуезов, مۇحتار ومارحانۇلى اۋەزوۆ, ; russian: Мухта́р Омарха́нович Ауэ́зов, ''Mukhtar Omarkhanovi ...
, led to the demand of a 'harmonized' politically acceptable version incorporating Orozbakov's variant. A revised version was published in 1958–1962. Later, due to Soviet-era scholars desiring a critical edition, and despite continued ideological debates, a new version (containing prose summaries owing to financial constraints) was created. A seemingly complete edition was published in 2010. An English-language translation was published by
Penguin in 2022.
Though the complete trilogy—
Manas, Semetey, and Seitek—totalling over half a million lines by
Sayakbay Karalaev is often mentioned, Orozbakov's version is more accessible and more known. His variant is considered an imitative model and reference point, and a passage from his published version was reused in a modern performance by a contemporary ''manaschi'',
Talantaaly Bakchiev.
References
{{authority control
1868 births
1930 deaths
Manaschis