ONEGIN AND MANAS, VALIKHANOV AND BELINSKY; RUSSIAN LITERARY CRITICISM AND KYRGYZ ORAL POETRY

Abstract

This paper examines the original context of the words ‘encyclopaedia’ and ‘epic’ concerning Manas. A New Historicism approach to the origin of this association, an 1861 Russian-language publication by Chokan Valikhanov, illuminates his likely use of a formulation - both verbal and conceptual - of literary critic Vissarion Belinsky, and placing Valikhanov’s interest in epics in pan-European (and Russian) early-nineteenth century socio-political context. Valikhanov’s comments display the placing of an interpretative framework from Russian literary criticism onto Kyrgyz oral poetry. This paper questions the continued use of the terminology related to nineteenth-century Russian colonialism and its significant impact on the Manas interpretation and valueing.