Art of Akyns, Kyrgyz epic tellers | Global Knowledge Systems

Overview

The predominant form of cultural expression among the Kyrgyz nomads is the narration of epics. The art of the Akyns, the Kyrgyz epic tellers, combines singing, improvisation and musical composition. The epics are performed at religious and private festivities, seasonal ceremonies and national holidays and have survived over the centuries by oral transmission. The value of the Kyrgyz epics lies largely in their dramatic plots and philosophical underpinnings. They represent an oral encyclopaedia of Kyrgyz social values, cultural knowledge and history. The pre-eminent Kyrgyz epic is the 1000-year-old Manas trilogy, which is noteworthy not only for its great length (sixteen times longer than Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey), but also for its rich content. Blending fact and legend, the Manas immortalizes important events in Kyrgyz’s history since the ninth century. The Kyrgyzs have also preserved...

This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.

Community and Authority

Communities: Kyrgyzstan
Languages: Not specified in UNESCO dataset
Cultural territories: Kyrgyzstan
Countries: Kyrgyzstan

How the System Works

Music, Performance and Oral Literature Language, Story and Memory Material Culture, Design and Technology Ceremony, Spirituality and Cosmology Ways of Knowing and Knowledge Transmission

Sources and Evidence

Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ListsDataset

Open original source record

Field-Level Provenance

title: UNESCO DataHub field title_en
preferredTitle: UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
summary: UNESCO DataHub field description_en
type: UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
countries: UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
categories: ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
relationships: UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
sourceUrl: UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
rights: UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url

Original Source Metadata

uuid97dbdd77-48c3-48d8-99f4-efd906b11a81

ich_public_ref65

inscription_year2008

title_enArt of Akyns, Kyrgyz epic tellers

title_frL’art des Akyn, conteurs épiques Kirghiz

type_of_element_enRepresentative List

type_acronymRL

countriesKG

http_url_enhttps://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/00065

concepts_primary_namesEpic poetry, Oral tradition, Vocal music

concepts_secondary_namesApprenticeship, Bard, Improvisation, Legends, Nomads, Philosophy, Plucked string instruments, Rituals, Social values, Story telling

main_image_urlhttps://ich.unesco.org/img/photo/thumb/05208-LRG.jpg

main_image_caption_enNot supplied

main_image_copyright2010 by Ministry of Culture and Information of Kyrgyz Republic

main_image_authorAdishov A. E.

videoshttps://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/jiYQi6VQ6bc, https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/f4GB-nuV7Tc

images[object Object], [object Object], [object Object]

Why This Record Is Credible

This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.

Cultural Access

Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.

Relationships

Epic poetry Oral tradition Vocal music Apprenticeship Bard Improvisation Legends Nomads Philosophy Plucked string instruments Rituals UNESCO representative list

Review and Corrections

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