Manas is a traditional epic poem of the Kyrgyz people and the name of the epic's eponymous hero. The poem, with close to half a million lines, is twenty times longer than Homer's Odyssey and one of the longest epics in the world. It is a patriotic work recounting the exploits of Manas and his descendants and followers, who fought against the Uyghurs in the ninth century to preserve Kyrgyz independence. Although the epic is mentioned as early as the fifteenth century, it was not set down in written form until 1885. Different opinions abound regarding the origin of the epic: the VII-X century, the XI-XII century, and the XV-XVIII century, but it seems likely that the earliest of these periods is the correct one. The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, which retells in a continuous narrative the life and works of a heroic or mythological person or group of persons. ... Kirghiz (also Kyrgyz) are a Turkic ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. ... Bust of Homer in the British Museum For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... The Odyssey (ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑ) is the second of the two great Greek epic poems ascribed to Homer, the first being the Iliad. ... Uyghurs (also called Uighurs, Uygurs, or Uigurs) (Simplified Chinese: 维吾尔; Traditional Chinese: 維吾爾; pinyin: ) are a Turkic ethnic group of people living in northwestern China (mainly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where they are the dominant ethnic group together with Han people), Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. ... (8th century - 9th century - 10th century - other centuries) Events Beowulf might have been written down in this century, though it could also have been in the 8th century Viking attacks on Europe begin Oseberg ship burial The Magyars arrive in what is now Hungary, forcing the Serbs and Bulgars south... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... See also: 1884 in literature, other events of 1885, 1886 in literature, list of years in literature. ...

The epic is the classic centerpiece of Kyrgyz literature, and parts of it are often recited at Kyrgyz festivities, in a melodic chant accompanied by a three-stringed komuz. The manaschis (traditional reciters of the epic) are held in high esteem. A revered manaschi who recently visited the United Kingdom is Rysbek Jumabaev. Categories: Stub ...

Manas is said to have been born in the Ala Too mountains in Talas oblast in northwestern Kyrgyzstan. A mausoleum some 40 km east of the town of Talas is believed to house his remains and is a popular destination for Kyrgyz travelers. Talas is a small town, beautifully located in a long valley between two imposing mountain ranges in northwestern Kyrgyzstan and the administrative headquarters of an administrative district (oblast) of the same name. ... An oblast (Russian, Ukrainian: о́бласть) is a subnational entity of Bulgaria, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the now-defunct Soviet Union, approximately equivalent to a province. ...

There are more than 65 written versions of parts of the epic. An English translation by Walter May was published in 1995, in commemoration of the presumed 1000th anniversary of Manas' birth, and re-issued in two volumes in 2004 (Manas. Translated by Walter May. Rarity, Bishkek, 2004. ISBN 9967-424-17-6)

See also

• Music of Kyrgyzstan