WOMEN OF THE EPIC OF MANAS

As a daughter, bride, wife, and mother, Kanykei shares the joys and hardships of life alongside the male heroes. She inspires feats and cautions against dangers and sometimes against excessive self-confidence as well. In the figure of Kanykei, Kyrgyz ancestors saw their sacred ‘mother of God’, their nomadic Madonna, embodying the timeless beauty of femininity.

Kanykei is an important character in the Epic of Manas, but she is by no means the only female one. The epic world of Manas, where the fantastical, everyday, and historical intertwine, is populated by archaic mother goddesses, magical maidens known as peris, and heroines. These female archetypes symbolize the wondrous, mysterious, and surreal aspects of earthly events.

Among the beings that symbolize the divine maternal essence in Kyrgyz mythology are the Sacred Moose (Ak-Maral), the Sacred Deer (Ak-Bugu), and Umai-ene. Notably, the goddesses Ak-Maral and Ak-Bugu have not yet shed their animal forms, while Umai-ene is widely known among the Turkic peoples of Central Asia as a goddess who bestows children and aids in childbirth.

These zoomorphic goddesses, as mysterious forces of Mother Nature herself, protected, saved, and watched over the hero, endowing him with physical strength and heroic qualities. A special mystical significance is attached to nourishing the infant hero with his divine mother’s milk, which gave him supernatural powers.

For instance, the Sacred Moose features in the story ‘The Flight of Kanykei with the Infant Semetey and her Mother-in-law Chyiyrdy to Bukhara’ in the epic Semetey, recounted by storyteller S. Karalaev. Here, Ak-Maral appears during Kanykei’s forced wanderings in desolate mountain forests with her son and mother-in-law, hiding from the pursuing stepbrothers of her husband, who wanted to kill Semetey. The weak and weary women fall into a deep sleep under a tree, and they cannot find the child upon waking. In their despair, they rush around, trying to search for little Semetey. Suddenly, Kanykei sees him nestled against the breast of the Sacred Moose, whose head is crowned with golden horns:

Kanykei interprets this encounter as a sign of imminent salvation, strengthening her resolve. She begins to believe that her son is destined to grow up to be a hero, return to his native Talas, avenge his father's death, lead his people, and fulfill his fated destiny.

Kanykei interprets this encounter as a sign of imminent salvation, strengthening her resolve. She begins to believe that her son is destined to grow up to be a hero, return to his native Talas, avenge his father's death, lead his people, and fulfill his fated destiny.

The image of the Sacred Deer emerges in the context of the life journey of the hero Almambet, a Chinese prince who abandoned his father and homeland and wandered alone in the mountains. Fortunately, a deer appeared and guided him to the lands of the Kazakh khan Kokcho. There, he learns about Manas from the khan's wife and, following her advice, sets out to find him. The silent deer seems to have directed Almambet onto his destined path—to become a friend and milk brother to Manas and find a new homeland. These functions of the deer are vividly preserved in the oral legends of the Issyk-Kul tribe of Bugus, particularly in tales about their ancestor the Old White-Horned Doe.iАк мүйүздүү байбиче She saved two orphans at the Enesai River (Yenisei) and encouraged them to move to new lands, to the foothills of the Tian Shan Mountains. There, they would become the founders of their lineage and discover a new homeland.

The zoomorphic goddesses featured in the Kyrgyz epic resemble the anthropomorphized goddesses of Yakutian epics (olonkho), including Aan Alakhchyn, Aiyuukhsyt, Ieiekhsyt, Maadai Kara (the mistress of the Altai Mountain from the Altai), Huu Inei (the white, old woman from Khakassian legends about Altyn Aryg), and other Turkic-Mongolian epics of southern Siberia. They all have similar roles: they nourish the future hero with their milk in his infancy or childhood and endow him with unique heroic qualities. These goddesses reveal the hero’s life’s purpose and bestow their blessing upon him before he fulfills his destiny. However, the zoomorphic goddesses of the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas seem more ancient, representing the earliest interpretation of the appearance of mythological ancestral goddesses.

As the storyteller S. Orozbakov recounts, the goddess Umai-ene appears in the epic during Manas's birth. At this moment, a dialogue unfolds between the infant Manas and Umai-ene in his mother's womb. He is resisting being born, and as she commands him to emerge, he inquires about his fate, suggesting he won't emerge into the world if his destiny doesn't suit him. However, the determined Umai-ene forces Manas out of his mother's womb by slapping him. This brief exchange suggests a direct link between Umai-ene and protective ancestral goddesses like Ak-Maral, Ak-Bugu, the mistress of the Altai Mountain, Huu Iney, and Aan Alahchyyn.

Mother goddesses play a crucial role in Yakutian, Altai, and other epics, nurturing the hero, naming him, preparing his armor, and providing him with a magical horse and weapons. They also offer him guidance before he embarks on his campaign and may even save him from death. In the Epic of Manas, many of these roles have shifted to other female characters over time, such as the wives and mothers of heroes. Thus, while the fairy-tale world increasingly gives way to reality, it never entirely disappears.

In the Epic of Manas, we encounter several magical fairies or peris (meaning wonderful or magical). Among these are Aruuke, Kanykei’s childhood friend, Almambet’s wife, and the mother of Kulchoro (S. Orozbakov); Aichurek, Semetey’s wife and mother of Seitek (S. Karalaev); Kyokmonchok, a peri and sister of Aichurek(S. Karalaev); Karabyork (M. Chokmorov); and Nakylai, Manas’s wife according to some southern variants (Chal Sydykov, Akun Tashev) of the epic. They are often accompanied by semi-mythical women called ayar, like in stories about the hero Koshoi (S. Orozbakov).

These heroines possess a dual nature that is both earthly and divine. They have magical abilities, allowing them to transform into birds, fish, stones, or feathers. Their miraculous charms can alter the seasons, turn fields and rivers into impassable swamps and forests, and even resurrect wounded, dying heroes while captivating all with their extraordinary beauty.

Let's delve deeper into the character of Aichurek, Semetey's bride and wife. Initially thought to be the daughter of the ruler of Urgench, we find out that her supposed father found her in a field where celestial maidens often dwell and raised her. These magical maidens play a crucial role in orchestrating events as dictated by fate.

At the outset, Aichurek seeks permission and assistance from Semetey's first wife, Chachikei, to marry him. However, the jealous and headstrong Chachikei refuses, driving Aichurek away and actively hindering her meeting Semetey. It's only then that Aichurek resorts to using her magical abilities. She transforms into a white swan to observe the hero from above, later transforming into a tuft of down, guiding Semetey to retrieve the item needed for his warrior's attire. She also confiscates a falcon from him, prompting him to finally propose. She then dries up the turbulent rivers leading to Urgench, ensuring Semetey can reach her easily.

In any national epic—whether Kazakh, Turkmen, Uzbek, or from another culture—the wives of the heroes are renowned for their beauty. Storytellers spare no effort in describing these heroines’ appearance. They use comparisons, metaphors, epithets, and hyperbole to depict every detail, from their faces to their hands, drawing inspiration from nature's colors and phenomena, flora and fauna, as well as cherished cultural objects in their folk tradition.

Aichurek possesses a unique charm: both in her portrait and her name (which literally means ‘moon duck’ or ‘moon beauty’), there are several hints of her mythological origins. Storytellers employ tropes and expressions that convey a sense of radiant brightness and reflected brilliance. Comparing her face to the glow of the moon is a symbolic element rooted in the poetic worldview of ancient peoples who associated beauty with cosmic phenomena such as the sun, moon, and stars:

The motif of the resurrection of a fallen hero by magical maidens is widely found in the Turkic-Mongolian epics of southern Siberia and the Altai region. This motif is preserved in the Epic of Manas in its early mythological interpretation. When Semetey, wounded by a bullet, is lying by the river, Aichurek transforms into a swan and examines the wound. Seeing that the bullet has penetrated too deeply into his chest, she performs a ritual washing, utters an incantation, and finally jumps over the body of the hero. The bullet falls out of the wound, and Semetey soon recovers.

A similar method of magical healing, for example, is found in the Buryat üliger ‘Khan Segse Margen’, which contains such an episode. The daughters of the deity Esenge Malan Tenger, disguised as cuckoos, descend from the heavens to the earth and save the hero by stepping over his body three times. In yet another instance, using magical charms, the peri Kökmonchok saves the wounded Semetey when she carries his body to hidden, inaccessible cliffs and turns him into an invisible ghost for twelve years.

Another characteristic of the magical maidens is their ability to curse someone who has wronged them: ‘They bear a distinctive mark on their tongues, which could be a wart or another type of marking. This characteristic is commonly described in this manner.’ Once, even Aichurek grew so angry with Semetey that she cursed him! He disregarded her advice not to make a sacrifice at his father's grave and stay at home instead. In frustration, Aichurek grabbed her husband's stirrups, and Semetey, still mounted on his horse, struck her with a whip. Unable to endure such disrespect, she cursed him. Only the wise Kanykei could make the bride take back the curse. Over time, enchanting maidens, who dwell among humans for extended periods, transitioned into motherhood, forfeiting their magical abilities and facing life's challenges just like regular women.

The third female archetype in the Epic of Manas is of the warrior maiden, the most common female character in the heroic phase of the epic’s development. The images of warrior maidens are widespread in the epics, myths, and legends of many Western and Eastern peoples, which, according to V.M. Zhirmunsky, suggests a previously more independent status of women in society.

In the Epic of Manas, we can include characters like Karaberk, the daughter of the Kalmyk khan Kaiypa and Manas's first wife (S. Orozbekov); Kuyaly, who became Semetey's wife at the request of Aichurek herself (S. Karalaev); the warrior maiden Saykal, the daughter of the Kalmyk khan Kaiypdang, who promised to marry Manas in the afterlife (S. Karalaev); Kardyghach, Manas’s sister; and Akbermet, the bride of Seitek (S. Karalaev).

Finally, according to storyteller S. Karalaev, the main heroine of the epic, Kanykei, was also a warrior maiden before she got married, the daughter of the Bukhara ruler Temirkan. Among the Kyrgyz heroes, Chubak, who decided to capture the wealthy city of Bukhara, was the first to encounter her. However, after facing fierce resistance from Kanykei, Chubak was forced to abandon his pursuit of her. It was the unsuccessful Chubak who told Manas about the indomitable maiden Kanykei, and he decided to propose to her soon after.

Characteristic features of warrior maidens in the Turkic-Mongolian epic include dressing in men's clothing, concealing their luxuriant hair under a cap, or tying it up at the nape of the neck. Variations of such formulas are also found in the description of Kanykei:

In comparison to the warrior maidens, or polyanitsy of Russian heroic epics, the conception of Kyrgyz warrior maidens is much more complex. The polyanitsy appear in archaic cycles about ‘senior heroes’ and perpetuate the earliest interpretation of this archetype. As the researcher R.S. Lipets writes, they engage in battle with male heroes merely to ‘amuse themselves with their strength, to prove their martial superiority’. If they are defeated in a duel with a hero, the polyanitsy lose their warrior qualities and become their ‘conquered wives’.

For example, in response to Dunai’s excessive boasting about his mighty strength, Nastasya Mikulichna replied with dignity: ‘But really, I am no worse than you. My strength is greater than yours, and my grip is stronger than yours.’

Unlike their female counterparts in Russian epics, the warrior maidens of the Kyrgyz epic are not depicted as simply amusing themselves. Instead, they are closely linked to the defense of their homeland and the salvation of their people and land. They are all beloved daughters of their fathers and serve faithfully in the glory of the tribe's interests. A highly illustrative plot collision is seen in the character of the warrior maiden Kuyaly from Seitek, the third part of the Kyrgyz trilogy of epics. The portrayal of this warrior maiden exaggerates her colossal power and courage using traditional metaphors:

Upon hearing about Kuyaly’s incredible strength, Aichurek decides to seek her help. For thirty days and nights, three Kyrgyz warriors—Semetey, Kulchoro, and Seitek—have been unable to defeat the giant Sarybay, who has come to ravage the lands of the Kyrgyz. Kuyaly agrees to help, but on one condition—Semetey must marry her. The wise Aichurek agrees, recognizing the warrior maiden’s strength and victory in battle when defending her kin.

However, after defeating Sarybay, Kuyaly hastily leaves Semetey's lands when she hears of enemies attacking her own father. As we can see, the old traditional motivations of the warrior maiden character are completely modified here. She is not an exotic Amazon trying to prove something to men but a staunch defender of her family, lineage, and tribe.

In the later stages of the epic's development, a new type of female character emerges, which we will provisionally call ‘the earthly maiden’. This character is associated with the formation of societal ideas of marriage. Its primary characteristic is the wife's fidelity to her husband, which is considered eternal. It also implies the absence of any hidden desire for revenge against the victorious husband for the loss of her close kin. In the understanding of the people, such a marriage is based on a peaceful agreement between both independent parties, with the payment of a significant kalym (payment for the bride) to the bride's parents. Essentially, a new real-epic archetype of the bride is formalized through this character. This archetype is most clearly embodied in the character of Kanykei (formerly Sanirabigi) in the narrative of S. Orozbekov's epic.

The storyteller acquaints the audience with the heroine through the eyes of the old Djakyp, who finds himself searching for a bride for his son in distant Kyybe. We are then presented with the usual assortment of poetic epithets used to describe epic beauties:

Additionally, V. Radlov, the first collector of heroic tales from Turkic-Mongolian epics, including the Epic of Manas, observed a crucial distinction in how the audience perceived the epic songs of Manas as compared to those of the Turkic peoples of Siberia and Altai: ‘The Kyrgyz values in his songs, not some miraculous and terrible world; on the contrary, he celebrates his own life, his own feelings and aspirations in them; the ideals that live in every member of society. It is not the colossal or the supernatural that brings pleasure to the listeners, but the natural and the truly existing’.i4, p.21

The epic's diverse heroes encompass the warrior's earthly bride, followed by his wife and his mother, Kanykei. The ‘earthly’ bride is celebrated for her ordinary feminine qualities, valued by the people amidst the harsh conditions of nomadic life and constant war. Ultimately, they represent universal moral values that align with enduring humanistic ideals.

One notable aspect of the storyteller's poetic style is the exaggeration of the girl's inner qualities, which are based on her physical appearance:

Djakyp senses Kanykei's proud and steadfast character and listens to her dignified and wise words, which suggest that she would genuinely support her husband. For a long time, Djakyp observes from behind the bushes as Kanykei retrieves fruit from a high branch, divides it equally among all her friends, and then resumes the interrupted game. The insightful old man sees that the future bride possesses qualities such as practical wit, resourcefulness, practicality, fair attention to everyone, and the ability to direct everyday affairs. She is selfless, generous, and exceptionally attentive to people around her, caring for each one. Her extreme neatness implies the purity of her soul:

The most important trait of a woman as the mistress of the home, and the family hearth, is hospitality, which implies politeness and respect for whoever crosses the threshold of the yurt. In nomadic society, it was customary to welcome and show respect to any traveler caught in bad weather or darkness, or if they were tired or troubled. They were typically treated to whatever was in the house:

It's intriguing that in this excerpt, the rare and delicate ability that perceptive individuals have to uplift others' spirits, to make them feel higher and better, is celebrated. Such a passage speaks to the storytellers’ deep and sensitive understanding of human psychology.

The depiction of Kanykei as an ‘earthly’ woman and mother in the interpretation by storyteller S. Orozbekov, unfortunately, remains unknown as historians and chroniclers did not have the opportunity to record his version of the Epic of Semetey. Let's turn to the narrative of the storyteller S. Karalaev instead for a moment.

Since ancient times, mother figures have been revered across the globe. Respecting a woman often meant honoring her as a mother, and the hearths of ancient Turkic civilization were no exception. In his research Ancient Turks, L.N. Gumilyov wrote: ‘The attitude towards women was notably respectful, chivalrous. When a son entered the yurt, he first bowed to his mother and then to his father. The Orkhon inscription vividly describes a battle in which Kul Tegin defended the horde, where his female relatives were left behind, facing death. In those nations where women are powerless, like the Pathans of the Hindu Kush, their enemies do not kill them ... The inheritance of women and the text of the inscription cited imply polygamy, but even this did not make Turkic women powerless’.i5, pp. 74–5

The typological origins of the portrayal of Kanykei as a mother stem from ancient beliefs surrounding mother goddesses. In these depictions, we also find traces of beliefs in the magical properties of maternal milk. Upon her return to Talas, Kanykei, seeking to forge a bond of brotherhood between Semetey, Kulchoro, and Kanchoro, breastfeeds them, reminiscent of the goddesses Aan Alahchin, Ayeksyt, and Iyeksyt (Yakut Olonkho). When a clot of black blood appears while feeding Kanchoro, Kanykei senses treachery in him and demands his death. But, since people no longer believe in omens, Kanchoro's life is spared. However, events unfold exactly as Kanykei foresaw.

Another primary characteristic of mother goddesses, that of resurrecting a hero, literally bringing them back from the afterlife, is also present in the Kyrgyz epic. The ancient myth is once again preserved as Semetey, after twelve years of wandering in the mountains and becoming the invisible kayyp, comes back to life in the world of people with the help of maternal milk from Kanykei.

However, the ancient mythological trope in which mother goddesses bestow armor, weapons, and horses upon heroes has been transformed into an entirely realistic story in the Kyrgyz epic. For example, in the initial episodes of the Great Campaign, a scene depicts warriors bidding their families farewell. Manas and his army stopped to say farewell at the camp of Kanykei, where unexpectedly, each warrior received footwear and clothing for every possible weather condition, battle armor, helmets, bags with bullets and gunpowder, all kinds of weaponry, provisions, and kul-azyk (magical food). The warriors were astonished and overjoyed when they received these gifts, and from that moment on, Kanykei was celebrated as the ‘Mother of the People’ (Kalk enesi Kanykei).

It turned out that Kanykei not only sewed and crafted items herself but also managed to organize the complex and large-scale production of necessary items, involving numerous skilled craftsmen, including blacksmiths and armorers, hunters, cobblers, leatherworkers, tailors and seamstresses, cooks, and healers. Essentially, it is a realistic picture of handicraft production led by a resourceful woman manager.

Like the mother goddesses of early heroic epics, Kanykei also bestows a horse upon the hero. She intended a horse named Taitoru for Semetey. Moreover, she demonstrated craftsmanship as a maker of saddles. Beginning from when it was still a foal, she raised, fed, groomed, and broke the horse for riding, preparing it for the races. She managed to preserve Manas's sword, Almambet's rifle and warrior's attire, or akolpok (coat of chain mail), and upon returning to Talas, she gave all these items to her son.

The most crucial quality of a mother is to protect her child from danger when his closest kin thirst for power and seek to kill him; to raise her son healthy and strong; to educate him as a worthy successor to his father's main task, which was to defend his people and to prevent enslavement or dispersion throughout the world. Kanykei, with her maternal instinct, love, and patience, managed to bring all this to fruition. The circumstances of her life after Manas's death were difficult and sometimes dramatically acute. These plot motifs are concentrated in the episodes of the second part of the Semetey trilogy. To convey all the thoughts and experiences of Kanykei, the storyteller S. Karalaev uses creative elements of folk song lyrics—arman (sad songs) and koshki (laments and lamentations)—which give the character exceptional vitality and psychological depth, bringing her closer to the heroines of classical novels.

Each nation has its cherished words, verses, and songs that exalt its land. The allure of nature, the landscape of one's land, and its gifts are ways of expressing love for one's homeland and home. Such sentiments echo across the epic spoken by Kanykei herself. The archetype of Mother Nature appears to morph into the image of the motherland or the ‘mother of the nation’ as Kanykei is now known. This transformation signifies a new interpretation of the feminine principle:

Abramson, S.M. 1949. ‘The Birth and Childhood of a Kyrgyz Child’. Collection of the Moscow Archaeological Ethnographic Society, XII.

Zhirmunsky V.M. 1962. Folk Heroic Epic. Comparative Historical Essays. Moscow-Leningrad: State Publishing House.

Lipets R.S. 1987. ‘The Variable Stages of the Image of a Female Warrior in Turkic-Mongolian Epics’. International Congress of Mongolists. Ulan-Bator. Moscow: Publishing house of the Institute of Ethnography and History of the USSR Academy of Sciences, p. 192–98.

Radlov V.V. 1968. ‘Foreword’ in Manas: The Heroic Epic of the Kyrgyz People. Fr.: Ilim, p .6–24.

Gumilev L.N. The Ancient Turks. Moscow: Science, 1967.