Belief elements of Kyrgyz Turks before and after Islam according to the Sagimbay Orozbakov's version of the epic of Manas

The epic of Manas that is a national epic of Kyrgyz Turks is not only the longest epic in the world but also one of the rarest works of literature. The name of the epic takes its name from the historical hero, Manas. Those who retell epic of Manas are called Manaschy. The act of performing Manas is considered as a kind of art and profession as well. According to some researchers the events described in the epic belong to the Hun period. However, these events actually date back to the XI – XII centuries. In the year 1120 Mongol Karahitays invaded Central Asia and conquered Kara Khanid khanate and sent troops to Kyrgyz Turks. These and other events that took place during this period are described in the epic. There is also an assumption that Manas, the hero of the epic, is a real person who lived in the XVI century. The life of the national hero of Kyrgyz Turks - Manas is taken as a basis for this epic: his birth; how he started to speak when he was still in a cradle; his intention to defeat infidels; how he defeated Chinese after he had grown up; how he had met with valiant Almanbet and together engaged in many battles; his marriage; his resurrection despite being killed twice by his enemies; his visit to Mekka and circumambulation of Kaaba these and other events are lyrically described in the epic. Much attention is devoted to the death of the hero Manas. This thesis paper aims to analyze and evaluate Turks', particularly Kyrgyz Turks' culture, religion and beliefs based on the tragic life stories of the heroes and their incredible acts of bravery. These beliefs and religious motifs will be matched with the examples from the epic. The overall purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the studies about the Kyrgyz culture's, its' religion and belief at the academic level. ABSTRACT