DISCUSSION ON “AYKOL MANAS” IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHAMANISM AND STORYTELLING AMONG THE KYRGYZ PEOPLE

The article dwells upon connection between the two most important Kyrgyz traditions: shamanism ( bakshylyk ) and storytelling ( zhomokchuluk ). It considers the general cultural and social field that forms some features that are characteristic of both shamans and storytellers, as well as the traces of pre-Islamic culture that can be found in the world of the Kyrgyz epic. Special attention is paid to the post-folklor version of the epic “Manas” – the dastan “Aykol Manas” and the public discussion around that literary work. The discussion reflects, on the one hand, specific aspects of the understanding of the Kyrgyz epic tradition, and on the other hand, a number of characteristic features that accompany modern transformations of Kyrgyz shamanism.