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Unifying Gesar epic
February 20, 2011, Sunday
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THE ethnic Tibetan, Mongolian and Tu communities in western and northern China share the story of the ancient hero King Gesar, sent to heaven to vanquish monsters, depose the powerful and aid the weak while unifying disparate tribes.
The singers and storytellers who preserve the Gesar epic tradition perform episodes of the vast oral narrative (known as "beads on a string") in alternating passages of prose and verse with numerous regional differences. Tibetan masters carry bronze mirrors and use facial expressions, sound effects and gestures to enhance their singing, while Mongolian performers are accompanied by fiddles and intersperse improvised, melodic singing with musical and oral storytelling.
Epic performances, often accompanied by rituals such as offerings and meditation, are embedded in the religious and daily lives of the community. For example, when a child is born, passages about King Gesar's descent into the world are sung. The folktales, ballads and proverbs not only serve as a form of entertainment in rural communities but also educate listeners in history, religion, custom, morality and science.
A continuing inspiration for thangka painting, Tibetan opera and other art forms, the Gesar epic gives audiences a sense of cultural identity and historical continuity.
Gesar epic tradition was listed as a World Intangible Heritage by UNESCO in 2009.
(UNESCO website)
The singers and storytellers who preserve the Gesar epic tradition perform episodes of the vast oral narrative (known as "beads on a string") in alternating passages of prose and verse with numerous regional differences. Tibetan masters carry bronze mirrors and use facial expressions, sound effects and gestures to enhance their singing, while Mongolian performers are accompanied by fiddles and intersperse improvised, melodic singing with musical and oral storytelling.
Epic performances, often accompanied by rituals such as offerings and meditation, are embedded in the religious and daily lives of the community. For example, when a child is born, passages about King Gesar's descent into the world are sung. The folktales, ballads and proverbs not only serve as a form of entertainment in rural communities but also educate listeners in history, religion, custom, morality and science.
A continuing inspiration for thangka painting, Tibetan opera and other art forms, the Gesar epic gives audiences a sense of cultural identity and historical continuity.
Gesar epic tradition was listed as a World Intangible Heritage by UNESCO in 2009.
(UNESCO website)
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