Page 46 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

46The art of the Akyns, the Kyrgyz epic tellers from Kyrgyzstan6pressive gestures, intonation and lively mimicry, so well suited to the epics’ emotionally charged content. During the 1920s, the rst part of the Manas trilogy was recorded in written form based on the oral interpretation of the great epic singer, Sagynbay. The epics remain an essential component of Kyrgyz identity and continue to inspire contemporary writers, poets, and com- posers; even today, the traditional performances are linked to sacred cultural spaces. Although there are fewer practitioners nowadays, master akyns continue to train young apprentices and are helped by recent revitalization initiatives supported by the Kyrgyz government.Hezhen Yimakan storytelling from China7The 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 ceremo- nies and national holidays and have survived over the centuries by oral transmission. The valueof the Kyrgyz epics lies largely in their dramatic plots and philosophical substratum. They repre- sent an oral encyclopedia of Kyrgyz social values, cultural knowledge and history. The pre-eminent Kyrgyz epic is the 1,000-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 import- ant events in Kyrgyz’s history dating back to the ninth century. The Kyrgyzs have also preserved over forty “smaller” epics. While the Manas is a solo narration, these shorter works are generally performed to the accompaniment of the komuz, the three-stringed Kyrgyz lute. Each epic pos- sesses a distinctive theme, melody and narrative style. Akyns were once highly respected gures who toured from region to region and frequently participated in storytelling contests. They were appreciated for their pro ciency in narration, ex-© 2010 by Center for Safeguarding ICH of Heilongjiang Province, ChinaYimakan storytelling is essential to the world view and historical memory of the Hezhen ethnic minority of north-east China. Narrated in the Hezhen language, and taking both verse and prose forms, Yimakan storytelling consists of many independent episodes depicting tribal alliances and battles, including the defeat of monsters and invaders by Hezhen heroes.This oral heritage highlights the defense of ethnic identity and territorial integrity, but also preserves traditional knowledge of shamanic rituals, shing and hunting. Yimakan performers improvise stories without instrumental accom- paniment, alternating between singing and speaking, and make use of di erent melodies toSTORYTELLING AND CULTURAL DIFFUSION · EVA SNIJDERSSmart culture. Analysis of digital trends