The Spirit that Permeates the Human Soul: Anthropology, National Epic, and Nation-Building in Kyrgyzstan
The Spirit that Permeates the Human Soul: Anthropology, National Epic, and Nation-Building in Kyrgyzstan

Author(s): Kamil Maria Wielecki
Subject(s): Anthropology, Sociology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Epic of Manas; nation-building; national ideology; Kyrgyzstan; Askar Akaev; anthropology
Summary/Abstract: The paper discusses the uses of the myth of Manas in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan. Manas, the biggest cultural hero of the Kyrgyz people, is considered the Father of the nation. The Epic of Manas, in turn, is considered the longest ever written, and serves as a synecdoche for all Kyrgyz culture. Based on my ethnographic fieldwork research, I argue that the content of the epic has only a loose connection to ways in which it has been applied in practice as a key element in the Kyrgyz nation-building process after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. I briefly refer to the content of the epic and a few theories on its provenance. Next, I describe Manas Ordo – a big architectural complex built around the symbolic tomb of Manas – as well as many controversies attached to the place. Finally, I describe the national policies of post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan’s first president, Askar Akaev, and comment on the crucial role of native anthropology in the construction of national ideology in contemporary Kyrgyzstan.

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