Materials
hero
ICH Materials 151
Publications(Article)
(11)-
EPIC OF MANAS AS NATIONAL IDENTITY OF KYRGYZ PEOPLEThroughout their history, the Kyrgyz people have lived nomadically, which then determined the direction of their cultural and spiritual life. This idea comes to life quite easily when examining the intricacies of Kyrgyz folk art and epic poetry, in particular. The main core of Kyrgyz epic poetry is Manas.Year2014NationSouth Korea
-
Happy Bangladeshi New Year! Pahela BaishakhPahela Baishakh is the first day of the Bengali calendar. It has been celebrated within urban and rural communities since Mughal emperor Akbar inaugurated it in the fifteenth century to align with harvest season and tax collection. Irrespective of its name or origin, it has become a celebration across all faiths, castes, classes, creeds, genders, or ages, which makes it a secular identity of Bangladeshis and a way to voice against communal fundamentalism and promote unity and solidarity. The colorful procession that is an integral part of today’s Baishakh celebration is Mangal Shobhajatra.\n\nMangal Shobhajatra literally means ‘procession of well-being’. The procession is a cultural affair deeply rooted in the Bengali tradition of making clay dolls, pots, and other decorative pieces. It is said that Charupeethh, the cultural organization first organized the procession in Jessore in 1985 to celebrate the Bengali new year with puppets, masks, and music. In 1989, the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University observed Mangal Shobhajatra for the first time in Dhaka and used it as to overcome their frustration with the existing military dictatorship. The people behind it were Mahabub Jamal Shamim, Moklesur Rahman, and Heronmay Chanda.\n\nThe procession usually has three themes—one set shows oppression and evil, a second theme represents people’s courage and strength to overcome the said evil, and the last theme reflects peace and solidarity of the people. This year’s (1424 Banggabda/ Bengali year) theme was to look toward light with the slogan “Anandaloke Mangalaloke Biraja Satyasundara” from Rabindranath Tagore’s line.\n\nAs in previous years, this year’s Mangal Shobhajatra drew thousands of participants from different walks of life. The participants carried colorful masks and floats of flowers, birds, animals, sun, and other motifs while the sun stood as a calling to come toward lights, shunning the darkness. The symbolic sun with its two shades—one is bright and the other is dark—represented two shades of human nature. Fish and birds on the other hand highlighted the cultural heritage of the country while the elephant symbolized prosperity. After the procession, the masks are often given away or sold as part of a charity fund drive.\n\nIn 2016, the Intergovernmental Committee on Safeguarding Cultural Heritage of UNESCO registered the Mangal Shobhajatra on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It added a new dimension of celebration this year as the government of Bangladesh organized the procession across the country. West Bengal, India, also brought out the traditional Mangal Shobhajatra in 2017.\n\nphoto: Bangladeshi children with placard in at Pohela Boishakh celebration CC-BY-SA-4.0 Moheen ReeyadYear2017NationBangladesh
-
Memory and ICH in KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan, a landlocked country the territory of which is more than 94 percent mountainous, is among the most attractive lands located at the heart of Asia on the ancient Silk Road trade routes. The cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people has been greatly influenced by their nomadic history. Kyrgyz people occupy a unique cultural environment and have a rich ICH. The vitality of this cultural heritage is safeguarded and transmitted from generation to generation as collective memory, orally or through practice and expression.Year2021NationKyrgyzstan
-
Current Status and Safeguarding Measures of Oral Traditions and Epics in MongoliaCentral Asia is a region that has served as the centre of social and economic, in particular cultural interrelations of East and West. The nations of this region have a rich cultural heritage and ancient traditions like any nation in the world. The nations of Central Asia - Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan – make up a unified cultural space, defined by great grassland steppes and famous mountains, nomadic culture and common history, relics and traditions. Throughout this region we find petroglyphs, keregsur, steles, ruins and other monuments attesting to the mingling of peoples in the Central Asian steppe since prehistory. The territory of our own nation, Mongolia, has indeed been the centre several nomadic empires at various stages in history, established by different peoples of Central Asia sharing a similar cultural origin – Hunnu, Khitan, Turks, Uighurs, Kyrgyz and Mongols.Year2015NationSouth Korea
-
Masterpieces of Oral Tradition and Expression Kyrgyz Epic HeritageThe oral tradition of the Kyrgyz people is the basis of a unique intangible cultural heritage that reflects Kyrgyz cultural identity. Oral heritage, developed over centuries, depicts the history and culture of the Kyrgyz people. Their creativity has been proven to survive exclusively in an oral form for many generations. This oral tradition represents a unique layer of traditional knowledge, making it a valuable source of cultural and traditional values and evidence of the development of the sociopolitical history of the Kyrgyz people. Kyrgyz oral heritage takes a wide variety of forms, including songs, fairy tales, proverbs, and riddles. These can all be different in terms of content and structure. Depending on the genre, oral tradition can reflect history, legends, fairy tales, or lore, which can be important in educating younger generations about the value of peace, attitudes toward nature and people, and love for the motherland. Many traditional oral works portray the main characters as defenders of their native land, arousing a sense of pride, and also depict the rich nature of the Kyrgyz land, nourishing love for their home. Some elements of oral tradition such as songs and folktales tell the stories or the specificities and peculiarities of the everyday life of Kyrgyz people. Folktales also reflect the esthetic views of the Kyrgyz people and teach us to recognize beauty, rhythm, and skillful use of language.\nYear2020NationKyrgyzstan
-
GIÓNG FESTIVAL OF PHÙ ĐỔNG AND SÓC TEMPLESIn the historical books and folk beliefs of the Việt, there have been many stories and legends of Thánh Gióng - the Saint of the ancient Việt who was considered as one of the four immortal gods by the Vietnamese nationwide. The monarchic dynasties of the Great Việt in Vietnam bequeathed him as a Heavenly King. Legend has it that he was born as the result of a magical union between a girl from Gióng village and the giant footprint of the rain god in the Việt’s myths. At the age of three, he grew miraculously into a giant after hearing the King’s appeal to find gifted people to save the country and its people. After defeating the foreign invaders, the hero went to Sóc mountain and flew into the heaven.YearNationViet Nam
-
Master ShajarianIntroduction\nA voice that revived traditional Persian music and played a role like ferdowsi (a poet who preserved the Persian language for 900 years) in literature for the music world. A hero to the world of art who interlaced the world of literature with sounds and melodies and blew with his voice in the existence of this country and gave it life again.\n\nMohammad Reza Shajarian, the artist whose voice resonates beyond the memories of Persians of his generation and the younger generations after him. A voice that is the phonetic embodiment of Persian music culture, and if anyone mentions traditional Persian music, the voice of Rabbana of Mohammad Reza Shajarian, which is registered as ICH by the Ministry of Tourism, will resonate in their minds.\n\nBiography\nBorn on 1 October 1941, into a family of art, culture, and literature, Shajarian began singing at an early age. When he entered school in 1326 AH, he started reciting the Qur’an with his father. He continued it very well so that by the age of 10, he could recite the Qur’an in political ceremonies and gatherings. His first high school whispers began with the help of his uncle and Mr. Young (a teacher). In 1331, the voice of young Mohammad Reza Shajarian was broadcast for the first time on Khorasan Radio.\n\nInternational Titles\nShajarian was so prominent that the largest organizations and art centers of the world would bequeath him with great titles; the website of the Asian Association has mentioned Shajarian as the most famous Persian of original music art. The National Public Radio has named him as one of the top fifty voices in the world, and the Vancouver Sun titled him as the most important music artist in the world.\n\nShajarian Awards\nShajarian was a great master of traditional Persian music and worked hard to spread the music of his land and introduce its culture and art beyond borders and became a label of music of his country. He did a great service to patriotic music, such as the Picasso Prize, the UNESCO Honorary Diploma, the Beta from Stanford University, the UNESCO Mozart Prize, the National Knight of the French Embassy, the High Prize for Art for Peace, and the Aga Khan Foundation Award as Lord of Music to Enrich Human Musical Heritage. He was perhaps the only artist to inject the essence of Persian music into the hearts of the world with his voice.\n\nShajarian Performances\nShajarian founded Del Avaz Company in 1977, and in 1978, he won first place in Quran recitation competitions all over the country. During the sixties, Shajarian began an extensive collaboration with Parviz Meshkatian, which resulted in the albums Mahour, Bidad, Nova, Dastan, and so on. In the same years, he performed concerts outside Persia with the Aref group.\n\nDuring his professional life, Shajarian held numerous performances around the world. Since 1968, he has been performing in the United States and Europe with the Pirniakan and Andalibi groups. Shajarian received the UNESCO Honorary Award (Picasso Award) in 1978, and his book, The Secret of Mana, was published in 1979.\n\nShajarian Family\nShajarian married Miss Farkhondeh Golafshan in Quchan which resulted in the beginning of a thirty-year life and three daughters and a son, Homayoun, who is also an artist as great as his father. They have published great performances and works together.\n\nShajarian Works\nThis beloved artist, who is not only in the hearts of the Persian people but also in the hearts of the people of the world, has released more than seventy albums during his professional life. The best of which are Yad Ayam (Memory of the Days), Del Majnoon (The Heart Insanity), Janan Province, Bidad, Dastan, Nova, Bi To Besar Nemishavad (It cannot be without you), Faryad (scream), Dar Khial (in imagination), and Night, Silence, Desert.\n\nTraditions are so important as the cultural lifeblood of a country. Some of have been transmitted to us through audio recordings, which has naturally formulated laws for itself that ultimately define the hearing culture, the essence of which is perpetuated by humans. A culture where part of it is playing music, and part of it is singing, and he was the perpetuator of that culture.\n\nPhoto : Shajarian London Concert CCBY Wikimedia/ Khashayar KarimiYear2020NationIran
-
Nomadic Horse Games in KyrgyzstanPrevalent in Kyrgyzstan, the horse symbolizes nomadic culture. The country’s folk literature reflects how the Kyrgyz people harmoniously live with the animal. For example, in Manas, the epic poem, the hero was inseparable from his horse, Ak-Kula, in every battle he fought. The deep association of the Kyrgyz with horses is embodied in nomadic horse games.\n\nOccurring in summertime, nomadic horse games are usually played by men. These games are a depiction of spectacular skills and manliness. Men participating in these games demonstrate excellence in horse riding, prompt reaction, agility, and strength. There is a significant number of horse games in Kyrgyzstan collectively perceived as a traditional sport. Among the most important of these games is kok boru. Also known as ulak tartysh, it is a famous nomad horse game historically believed to train young men to be fearless. The game consists of two teams on horseback, where players have to throw a dead animal (ulak or sheep) to the opponent’s goal. The team with the most goals wins the game. Another game, at chabyish, is a long-distance horse-racing competition. Depending on the distance and age of horse, this game as classified as kunan chabysh, zhorgo salysh, or byshty zhorgo. Wrestling is also incorporated in nomadic horse games. Er enish is a good example of this. Requiring great stamina, this game consists of two horsemen who attempt to push each other off each other’s horse. The first to touch the ground loses.\n\nTo preserve and develop these traditional games of nomadic culture, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan initiated the World Nomad Games in 2012. The First World Nomad Games were held in 2014 in the Issyk-Kul Oblast of Kyrgyzstan. Around nineteen countries participated in the nomad games competitions. The Second Nomad Games were held in 2016, where sixty-two countries participated in twenty-six different nomadic sports. The Third World Nomad Games will take place this year, from 2 to 8 September in Cholpon-Ata, Issyk-Kul Oblast, Kyrgyzstan. For this year, around seventy-seven countries are expected to participate. The nomadic horse games mentioned in this article will be included in the program.\n\nPhoto 1 : Man riding a horse© National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO\nPhoto 2 : Girl riding a horse © Tynchtyk Turdaliev\nPhoto 3 : Riding a horse © Tynchtyk TurdalievYear2018NationKyrgyzstan
-
Saint Giong (Thánh Gióng) The Legend-Based Practice of Vietnamese CultureSaint Giong (Thánh Gióng), one of the Four Immortals (alongside Tan Vien, Chu Dong Tu, and Lieu Hanh) worshipped by the Vietnamese people, is a historical hero dating back to the early time of the Viet nation.1 The story of Saint Giong has been transmitted through many generations as a legend that invokes the bravery and community solidarity of the Vietnamese people in fighting against foreign invaders. Today, the tremendous legacy of Saint Giong is manifest in the spiritual belief, the annual ceremony, and the temple where past and present collide.Year2020NationViet Nam
-
Alakondre Tori: Compiling Traditional Surinamese Storytelling Practices in a Toolkit for Cultural EducationMost great stories contain a storyline of the good conquering the evil, or the villain being defeated by the hero. In this article, we want to address the relevance of storytelling in the emergence and continuation of Surinamese culture. \nProfessor Alex van Stipriaan (1993) describes in his book Surinaams contrast the social, cultural, and economic events that have contributed to the formation of Suriname. He speaks of a fundamental change in the Caribbean scenery after the invasion by European conquerors. \nThe autochthone Amerindians, the official inhabitants of that geographical location, were banished and new societies consisting of Europeans, enslaved Africans and Asians were established. Through the horrific transatlantic slavery events, Suriname evolved into a country with a unique mixture of ethnic groups with a rich history of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Each ethnic group captured and transmitted historical events, life lessons, and myths through oral stories over many generations.Year2023NationSuriname
-
Kyrgyz Manas Epic Visualized through Motion Comic and Mobile ApplicationManas is the largest Kyrgyz epic and the name of its main character—the hero, who united the Kyrgyz. Manas is included in the UNESCO list of masterpieces of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind, as well as in the Guinness Book of Records as the most voluminous epic in the world. The Manas epic is divided into three parts: “Manas,” “Semetey.” and “Seytek.” The main contents of the epic are the feats of Manas. The Sagymbai Orozbakov (1867–1930) and Sayakbay Karalaev (1894–1971) Manas versions are considered classics. Modern scholars have not come to a consensus about when the epic originated. Hypotheses put forward indicate that it is connected with events of the Kyrgyz people of the ninth century. Some historians believe that the historical background corresponds to conditions of the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries but that it also contains more ancient ideas. Also, many historians point out that the epic time in Manas is not mythical, but historical.\n\nLast year, there was a youth hackathon event to create multimedia contents on intangible cultural heritage. Uluu Ash, a motion comic based on Manas, was made at this event. A motion comic is one in which sound or music is added to illustrations, and some pages show moving pictures, which is different from an animation with moving pictures throughout.\n\nAk Shumkar KUT public association, a Kyrgyz NGO, implemented the motion comic project with the support of the Institute for Sustainable Development Strategy, public foundation. During the hackathon, project participants developed a demo version of the mobile application named Manas, and a script was written for the motion comic. Later, the film working group, which included animators, artists, journalists, scriptwriters, musicians, and Manas reciters, continued to work and eventually made the film.\nUluu Ash, the film’s title, is one of the most important scenes in the epic. The glorious Kyrgyz Khan Kekötöy, having reached old age, leaves a testament to his son Bokmurun with instructions on how to make a burial and how to arrange all the posthumous rites. He also bequeaths to seek advice from Manas. Having buried Kökötöy, Bokmurun prepares a memorial service for his father. Manas takes over the entire administration. Many visitors from distant countries come to the ceremony. The Kyrgyz people gathered the representatives from Asia and Europe. The more important point in this ceremony was the advice of wise men and brave warriors at the end of the commemoration, which is described in the film.\n\nDuring the hackathon, an informal platform was formed to generate ideas for promoting elements of intangible cultural heritage among young people. This platform has its further development as a club for young creative minds to enhance comprehension and promote traditional culture. One of the products of the event was a mobile application of Manas. The application is informative and educational. It has been growing with subsequent addition and expansion of its content. This epic product is being made for the first time, and hopefully will provide a good example for young people to show the possibility that spiritual and cultural heritage may even now be the most vital element determining future and development prospects.\n\nphoto 1 : Capture from the Uluu Ash motion comic ⓒ Ak Shumkar KUT Public Association\nphoto 2 : Showing the Manas mobile application ⓒ Ak Shumkar KUT Public AssociationYear2019NationKyrgyzstan