Dastan, Turkic
Traditionally, there are three epic genres in Asia: Altaic, Persian, and subcontinental (of the Indian subcontinent). While the latter two have been studied to a certain extent, the Altaic genre, the origin of Turkic dastans, has been largely inaccessible until recently.
The term "dastan" is relatively new to the Turkic epic genre and was first recorded in the twelfth century. Some six to eight centuries earlier, oral composers, reciters, and owners of this genre among the Turks either used only the name of the work, which intrinsically referenced the genre, or employed specific autonomous terms such as chorchok, jir, and sav. Though in various dialects, all refer to the same concept, that is, the words of the forefathers.
Performers of and Occasions for Dastans
Therefore, a dastan is thought to contain the words of the forefathers, embellishing the story of how a particular Altaic lineage and polity gained independence. The reciter, called an ozan, or, depending on geographic location, an akin, ashik, bahshi, or kam, performs the work, while accompanying him- or herself on a traditional stringed instrument. The occasion of such a performance is an event itself. Apart from that, the recitation is a standard requirement for momentous anniversaries: births, burial ceremonies of rulers, annual festivals, marriages.
The Epic Hero
The main character of the epic is an alp, or epic hero, who endures the worst possible scenarios in life to save his or her people from military defeat and slavery. The work is usually known by the alp's name. He or she is fully supported by a sizable cast of characters and is opposed by powerful and treacherous foes and villains. Regardless of the hopelessness of the circumstances, the alp can never be subjugated and can never abandon the fight. In the end, under appalling conditions, the alp and his followers triumph.
The villains are generally punished lightly. Usually their shame is made public, but they are allowed to wander the earth searching for forgiveness. The victorious ending is celebrated by a grand feast, during which, of course, the chorchok, jir, sav, or dastan is joyfully recited by the ozan.
Cultural Values in Dastans
Apart from the messages of independence, the genre is also a repository of identity. As such, dastans are carriers of early cultural values, including ancient spiritual values, such as the Tengri belief system—one of the earliest monotheistic religions. Because the genre contains immutable linkages to the past, it is common to quote from older dastans. This assures and reminds the audience and owners of the works that they are the same people, sharing common goals. The genre is alive and well across Asia, with dozens of original plots, each replete with several dozen variants.
Further Reading
Carrie, K. S. ([1992] 1994) "Z. V. Togan: On the Origins of the Kazaks and the Ozbeks." Reprint in Central Asia Reader: The Rediscovery of History, edited and translated by H. B. Paksoy. New York and London: M. E. Sharpe.
Hatto, A. T., ed. and trans. (1977) The Memorial Feast for Kokotoy-khan (Kokotoydun asi): A Kirghiz Epic Poem. London Oriental Series, no. 33. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
Kostina, R. A. A., ed. (1986) Bashkirskie bogatirskie skazi (Bashkir Hero Stories). Ufa, Bashkortostan: Baskkirskoe knijnoe izdatelstvo.
Marazzi, Ugo, ed. and trans. (1986) Maday Qara: An Altay Epic Poem. Naples, Italy: Istituto Universitario Orientale Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici.
Paksoy, H. B. (1989) Alpamysh: Central Asian Identity under Russian Rule. Hartford, CT: Association for the Advancement of Central Asian Research.
Radloff, V. V. (1967) South Siberian Oral Literature. Edited by Denis Sinor. Indiana University Uralic and Altaic Series, no. 79, 1. Bloomington, IN, and The Hague, Netherlands: Indiana University Press.
Sumer, Faruk, Ahmet E. Uysal, and Warren S. Walker, trans. and eds. (1972) The Book of Dede Korkut: A Turkish Epic. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
Tekin, T. (1968) A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic. Indiana University Uralic and Altaic Series, no. 69. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Valikhanov, Chokhan Chinghizovich. (1984–1985) Sobranie sochnenii v piiati tomah (Collection of Works in Five Volumes). 5 vols. Almaty, Kazakhstan: Akademiia Nauk Kazakhskoi SSR, Institut Istorii, Arkheologii, i Etnografii Imina Ch. Ch. Valikhanova.
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