Alpamysh

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Alpamysh, also spelled as Alp-amish or Alpamish (Turkish: Alpamis, Kazakh Cyrillic script: Алпамыс, Bashkir: Алпамыша и Барсын-хылуу, Russian: Алпамыш, Azerbaijani: Alpamıs, Kazan Tatar: Алпамша), is an ancient Turkic epic or dastan — ornate oral history, generally set in verse — and one of the most important examples of the Turkic oral literature of Central Asia.[1] Among the Uzbeks the epic is known as "Alpamish", Kazakhs and Karakalpaks as "Alpamis", Altay mountaineers as "Alip-Manash", Bashkirs as "Alpamisha and Barsin khiluu", and Kazan Tatars as the tale of "Alpamşa". It is also known among other Turkic people, as well as Tajiks and Central Asian Arabs.[2] According to scholars Borovkov, Hadi Zarif and Zhirmunskiy, as well as earlier writings by academician Bartold, all specialists in Oriental and Turkic studies, the dastan Alpamysh "existed probably in the foothills of the Altai as early as the sixth-eighth centuries at the time of the Turk Kaghanate."[3] The tale of Alpamish was supplanted in ninth-tenth centuries from Altay mountains to Syr-darya river by the Oghuz Turks, where the story line continued on independently and became part of the Salor-Kazan tale, one of the main characters in the Book of Dede Korkut.[4] Its final form the epic acquired between fourteenth and seventeenth centuries.[5] Alpamish is one of the best known Turkic epics from among a total of well over 1,000 recorded epics among the Mongolian and Turkic language families by international scholars.[6]

Being an essential part of Turkic identity, the dastan Alpamysh, like other dastans (e.g., Book of Dede Korkut) were suppressed and otherwise discouraged from studying in the Soviet Union, culminating in the 1950s in what has become to be known as the "Trial of Alpamysh".[7] Despite all the repressions, Alpamysh was printed no less than 55 times between 1899 and 1984.[8]

In 1999, at the request of Uzbekistan delegation to the UNESCO, the "Thousandth anniversary of the popular epic Alpamysh" was held.[9][10]

Contents

[edit] Brief synopsis of the story

The Alpamysh dastan, in its so-called "Uzbek" variant of ashiq Fazil Yuldashogli, which is the largest recorded version with 14 thousand verses, consists of two parts[11] (other scholars have divided the epic into four parts[12]). There are variations of content depending on the manuscript and geographic region in which the centuries-old epic tale was written down. The first deals with the hero's wooing, the second (much longer) with the vicissitudes which he undergoes as a result of attempting to assist his father-in-law and his return home after seven years just as his wife is about to be forced to marry a usurper.[13]

In the first part tells about Alpamysh and his bride Barchin (sometimes known as Gulibairsen[14] in the Siberian and Mongolian variants), with whom he is engaged since childhood. Their fathers, Bayburi and Baysari, were from the Kongrat Turkic tribe, and were childless for a very long time, until their pleas were heard by God, and Baysari had one daughter, whilst Bayburi had a daughter and a son. After an argument, Baysari and his family left to the Kalmyk country. There Barchin, by then a very pretty young lady, has the pehlivan's (strongmen) of Kalmyk shah, Taycha-khan. In order to avoid an involuntary marriage to any of the hated by her pehlivan, Barchin declares that she will marry anyone, who wins all four championships.

The championships are the following: horse race ("bayga"), archery skills, target shooting from a bow, and wrestling. Baychin is secretly hoping that the winner will be her beloved Alpamysh, after whom she sends several people (ambassadors). One of the main assistants to Alpamysh in this complex marriage qualification is one of the Kalmyk pehlivan's, Karajan, who turns from an opponent and enemy to a friend of the hero. Karajan outruns all the competitors on Alpamysh's horse, Baychibare, despite all the tricks by Kalmyks, who initially tie him in ropes and maim his horse by inserting nails into the horseshoes. Karajan enters the wrestling competition with Kalmyk pehlivan's, after which Alpamysh finishes to victory by winning the strongest of pehlivan's, Kokaldash.

Together with Barchin, who is now his wife, they return back to Kongrat. The only person to stay in Kalmyk country is Baysari, who is still angry at Bayburi.

In the second part, Alpamysh, finding out about the hardships caused to Baysari by the Taycha-khan, once again travels to the Kalmyk country, and falls captive to his tricky enemies. Alpamysh, finding out about the hardships caused to Baysari by the Taycha-khan, once again travels to the Kalmyk country, and falls captive to his tricky enemies.

He then spends seven years in zindan (underground prison) of the Kalmyk khan. He is being fed by a choban (shepherd) Kaykubat, who accidentally discovered his location. The daughter of the Kalmyk khan visits Alpamysh in his cell, falls in love with him and helps to free him from captivity. The freed Alpamysh then confronts Taycha-khan, kills him, and puts shepherd Kaykubat on the throne.

During his seven year absence, the leader of the Kongrat tribe becomes his youngest brother Ultantaz. The new ruler is persecuting his people, dishonors the old father of Alpamysh, and harasses the young son Yadgar, whilst forcing Barchin to marry him. Alpamysh, by switching clothes with his old shepherd servant Kultay, undetected, comes to the marriage celebration of Ultantaz, frees his wife Barchin and kills the Ultantaz. The epic ends with the return from voluntary exile of Baysari (the father of Barchin), and re-unification of the previously divided Kongrat tribe under the leadership of heroic Alpamysh.

The Siberian Turkic nations' version of the epic can be summarized as follows:

"Alpamis, recounts the story of its hero’s life and the events before his birth with rich description and intriguing stories. Its basic plot, however, can be classified into four parts. First, Alpamis’ parents pray for a son, make a pilgrimage, and experience the miraculous pregnancy of Alpamis’ mother. Alpamis is eventually born and grows up. Second, Alpamis marries the beauty Gulibairsen after a heroic battle. Third, after returning home with his wife, Alpamis fights his enemy Taishik Khan, who has ransacked his herds and property; Alpamis kills him and recovers everything that was lost. Fourth, after returning home again, Alpamis conquers Urtan—a very destructive demon and son of the charwoman of Alpamis’ family—who attempted to possess his wife Gulibairsen."[15]

There is also a lesser-known sequel to Alpamish, about the heroic adventures of Yadgar (Yadigar), the son of Alpamish and Barchin (Gulibairsen).[16]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Prof. Paksoy H.B. "Alpamysh. Central Asian Identity under Russian Rule". Association for the Advancement of Central Asian Research Monograph Series, Hartford, Connecticut, First AACAR Edition, 1989, ISBN 0-9621379-9-5, ISBN 0-9621379-0-1 (pbk.), p. 1
  2. ^ "Alpamysh". Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in 30 volumes), in Russian, Third edition, Moscow, 1970
  3. ^ Prof. Paksoy H.B. "Alpamysh. Central Asian Identity under Russian Rule". Association for the Advancement of Central Asian Research Monograph Series, Hartford, Connecticut, First AACAR Edition, 1989, ISBN 0-9621379-9-5, ISBN 0-9621379-0-1 (pbk.), p. 53
  4. ^ E.M.Meletinskiy. Central Asian epic of Alpamish // History of world literature: 9 volumes / USSR Academy of Sciences, Institute of world literature named after A.M.Gorkiy, Moscow: Nauka, 1983 and on (Vol. 3, 1985, p. 585
  5. ^ "Alpamysh". Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in 30 volumes), in Russian, Third edition, Moscow, 1970
  6. ^ Rinchindorji. "Mongolian-Turkic Epics: Typological Formation and Development" / Institute of Ethnic Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Trans. by Naran Bilik, Oral Tradition, 16/2, 2001, p. 381
  7. ^ Prof. H.B. Paksoy, "An open letter to the editorial board of Hurriyat (Mustakil Gazeta)", Tashkent, Ozbek Republic, 2 February 2000
  8. ^ H.B. Paksoy, DASTAN GENRE IN CENTRAL ASIA, Modern Encyclopedia of Religions in Russia and the Soviet Union (Academic International Press, 1995) Vol. V
  9. ^ UNESCO, webpage of the Republic of Uzbekistan, accessed April 3, 2007
  10. ^ UNESCO, Celebration of anniversaries with which UNESCO was associated since 1996, accessed April 3, 2007
  11. ^ "Alpamysh". Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in 30 volumes), in Russian, Third edition, Moscow, 1970
  12. ^ Rinchindorji. "Mongolian-Turkic Epics: Typological Formation and Development" / Institute of Ethnic Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Trans. by Naran Bilik, Oral Tradition, 16/2, 2001, p. 387
  13. ^ Karl Reichl, Das usbekische Heldenepos Alpomish: Einfuhrung, Text, Ubersetzung, (Turcologica 48.). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2001. Pp. 311. ISBN 3-447-04423-3. DM 98. Reviewed by Stephanie West, Hertford College, Oxford University
  14. ^ Rinchindorji. "Mongolian-Turkic Epics: Typological Formation and Development" / Institute of Ethnic Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Trans. by Naran Bilik, Oral Tradition, 16/2, 2001, p. 387
  15. ^ Rinchindorji. ibid., p. 387
  16. ^ "Alpamysh". Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in 30 volumes), in Russian, Third edition, Moscow, 1970

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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