A: Gesar is an epic saga that has been created by Tibetan people over the centuries.
It is an abundant source of information regarding Tibet's primitive society, and
epitomizes the highest achievements within ancient Tibetan culture. It constitutes
an encyclopedic resource for research into early Tibetan life, and has been dubbed
the "Iliad of the East," despite having been passed down orally through
generations by folk balladeers.
Gesar tells of events occurring between the
first and fifth centuries, as the clan system disintegrated, and the slave society
evolved. Wars between clans, tribes and ethnic groups constitute the main origins
of these stories. From the seventh to ninth centuries, when the Tubo Kingdom was
at its zenith, national morale was high, and tales of legendary war heroes were
disseminated by word of mouth. The framework for King Gesar thus came into being
during this priod, and a few handwritten copies appeared. On the collapse of the
Tubo Kingdom in the 10th century, the saga of Gesar was more widely diffused and,
in the process, embellished and enhanced.
Apart from beingan epic about wars
that occurred between different tribes within Tibetan ethnic groups, and the eventual
unification of Tibet, Gesar's plot also tells of the three realms (Heaven, Earth,
and Hell) and various gods and deities. Gesar, the eponymous leading character
within the epic, not only conquers visible enemies, but also triumphs over invisible
demons and ghosts. The epic encompasses a massive body of Tibetan mythology.
To protect this precious Tibetan cultural gem, in 1979 Tibet Autonomous Region
set up a special organization to collect, sort out, record, analyze and publish
the epic Gesar. The state has listed this as a key research project for the sixth,
seventh and eighth five-year plans. After 20 years of effort, nearly 300 volumes,
handwritten and woodblock printed in the Tibetan language, have been collected,
and more than 70 volumes published, with a total impression of 3 million copies.
More than 3,000 audio cassettes, called the "King of the World Epics,"
have been recorded, making this oral literature a magnum opus of historic significance.
meanwhile, more than 20 volumes have been translated into Chinese and published,
and some English, Japanese and French translations have also been published. This
feat is unprecedented, both in terms of the preservation of Tibetan folk literature,
and in the history of publishing. |
