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MONGOLIAN LITERATURE Literature of the East ENT 504 Discussant: Maria Karla S. Sepcon (Khey)
Brief Background Writing Systems Literatures of Mongolia CONTENTS
Country Name: Capital City: National Language: Mongolia (Mongol Uls) Ulaanbaatar Mongolian 51.7% 40.6% as unaffiliated 3.2% as Muslims (predominantly of Kazakh ethnicity) 2.5% as followers of the Mongol shamanic tradition 1.3% as Christians 0.7% as followers of other religions Religions: Buddhists Population: 3,353,936
Mongolia is largely a plateau, with an average elevation of about 5,180 feet (1,580 meters) above sea level. Mongolia, historically Outer Mongolia, country is located in north-central Asia. The highest peaks are in the Mongolian Altai Mountains (Mongol Altain Nuruu) in the southwest, a branch of the Altai Mountains system. It is roughly oval in shape, measuring 1,486 miles (2,392 km) from west to east and, at its maximum, 782 miles (1,259 km) from north to south. The national capital, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolian: Ulan Bator), is in the north-central part of the country. Landlocked Mongolia is located between Russia to the north and China to the south, deep within the interior of eastern Asia far from any ocean. The country has a marked continental climate, with long cold winters and short cool-to-hot summers. Its remarkable variety of scenery consists largely of upland steppes, semi-deserts, and deserts, although in the west and north forested high mountain ranges alternate with lake-dotted basins.
Russians Kazakhs Mongolians Mongols are considered one of China's 56 ethnic groups, encompassing several subgroups of Mongol people, such as the Dzungar and the Buryat. Kazakhs are a Turkic ethnic group and are among 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Many European Soviet citizens and much of Russia's industry were relocated to Kazakhstan during World War II, when Nazi armies threatened to capture all the European industrial centers of the Soviet Union. In Russia there are 647,747 people (2010 census) that are of Mongol ethnicity. Mainly Buryats and Kalmyks, both of whom are quite distinct from ethnic Russians. Chinese
People from Mongolia are known both as Mongolians and Mongols. Mongolian generally refers to the inhabitants of Mongolia and includes non-Mongol ethnic groups that live there such as the Kazakhs. * There are about 2 million Kazakhs in China, and most live in Northern Xinjiang and in the Tianshan Mountains.
The government has given increased attention to respecting and protecting the languages and cultural rights of Kazakhs, Tuvans, and other minorities. The vast majority of the population speaks Mongolian, and nearly all those who speak another language understand Mongolian.
Mongolian culture is a rich melting pot of Shamanism and Buddhist beliefs with an infusion of nomadic values and traditions. Mongol religion included a strong element of shamanism mixed with ancestor worship and a belief in natural spirits such as might be found in the elements of fire, earth, and water. Following the conquest of China and conversion of Kublai Khan (r. 1260-1294 CE) many Mongols there adopted Tibetan Buddhism which became the official religion of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE). Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan and a ruler of the Mongol Empire for over 30 years. Kublai Khan began the Yuan dynasty in present day Mongolia and China.
Culture and Arts in Mongolia The government has traditionally supported opera, ballet, folk dancing, folk music and circuses. (Many of these art forms were introduced by the Soviets.) Art forms with uniquely Mongolian elements include music, dance, clothing, crafts and literature. Mongolian literature, music and other art forms have traditionally celebrated Mongolia’s animals and land. Art and architecture have been influenced by Chinese and Tibetan culture. Mongolians use a Chinese-Tibetan-style calendar and Chinese abacus.
Culture and Arts in Mongolia Traditional Mongolian society was affected heavily by foreign influences: commerce was controlled by Chinese merchants and the state religion — Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism — was simultaneously bureaucratic and otherworldly. Modern society has been shaped by the continued foreign--primarily Soviet-- influence. Despite increasing, a large portion of the population lives either by the urbanization and industrialization traditional methods of pastoral nomadism — moving their herds (sheep, horses, cattle, goats, and yaks) from one area of temporary sustenance to another — or in a close symbiotic relationship with the nomads. Despite its hardships, the nomadic life provides Mongols with national values and a sense of historical identity and pride. [Source: Robert L. Worden, Library of Congress, June 1989 *]
In the 1940s the traditional Mongolian vertical script was replaced by a Cyrillic script based on the Russian alphabet. the traditional Mongolian vertical script In the 1990s the traditional script was once again taught in schools. And store signs appeared in both Cyrillic and traditional forms. Cyrillic script based on the Russian alphabet
Mongolian alphabet, also called Galica or Kalika, writing system of the Mongolian people of north-central Asia, derived from the Uighur alphabet c. 1310 and somewhat influenced by the Tibetan script. Both the Uighur and the Tibetan scripts had been in use by the Mongolians prior to the development of the Mongolian alphabet. Uighur, member of the Turkic language family within the Altaic language group, spoken by Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwestern China and in portions of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Mongolia has a tradition of epic poetry that was first written down in the Genghis Khan era and is closely associated with its music The canon of Mongolian written literature includes histories, biographies and Buddhist texts on a number of subjects. Some Buddhist sutras are elaborately decorated with gold and jewels. The State Central Library in Ulaanbaatar holds the world’s largest collection of Buddhist sutras. State Central Library in Ulaanbaatar Buddhist sutras
Origins through the 19th century Written Mongolian literature emerged in the 13th century from oral traditions, and it developed under Indo-Tibetan, Turkic, and Chinese influence. The most significant work of pre-Buddhist Mongolian literature is the anonymous Mongqolun niuča tobča’an (Secret History of the Mongols), a chronicle of the deeds of the Mongol ruler Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) and of Ögödei, his son and successor. Written in prose, it features alliterative verse, myths, legends, epic fragments, songs, eulogies, dialogues, army regulations, and proverbs.
History had traditionally been kept alive through oral epics, performed by nomadic bards, until writing was introduced in the Genghis Khan era in the 12th century. Because the Mongol Empire was so vast, the Mongols were written about in many languages by numerous chroniclers of divergent conquered societies, who provided a wide range of perspectives, myths, and legends. Because many foreign accounts are about the Mongol invasions and were written by the conquered, the Mongols often are described in unfavorable terms, as bloodthirsty barbarians who kept their subjects under a harsh yoke. Mongol sources emphasize the demigod-like military genius of Genghis Khan, providing a perspective in the opposite extreme.
Reminiscences of Khanbalic – a popular poem among the Mongols; found in the Altan tobchi and commonly attributed to Tonghon-temur Khan Chinggis Khanghan-u yeke uchig (Great Praises to Chinggis Khan) - its recitation is a prominent part of the ceremonies if the annual festival held at the cult of Chinggis Khan in the Ordos region of Mongolia • There are many poems written to extol the greatness of Chinggis Khan, preeminent not only among Mongol heroes, but also among world conquerors. Many noteworthy poetic chant and prayers have come from the shamans. • A great deal of Mongolian poetry expresses romance as a characteristics of a nomadic heritage, more so than in most East Asian literature, which was influenced by Confucian tradition. Chinggis Khan • The fire of martial songs and the expressions of strong emotion, both sadness and joy, are elements of Mongolian literature. Confucius
Three Greatest Mongol Historical Works At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongols created their written language. After that, various kinds of written works in history and literature appeared, one after another, and some of them were handed down to the present. The most famous ones are “Mongol Secret History”, “Mongol Golden History”, ”Mongol Headstream”— which together are called the “Three Greatest Historical Works”. [Source: Liu Jun, Museum of Nationalities, Central University for Nationalities, Science of China, kepu.net.cn ~]
“Mongol Secret History” is also called “Yuan Dynasty Secret History,” or “Yuan Secret History.” In the Mongol language, it is called "Manghuotaniuchatuobuchaan". The author is unknown. The book was finished around the middle period of the 13th century. It is the first and greatest historical and literary work written in Mongolian. There are 282 sections in the book, which can be divided into 12 or 15 volumes. This chronological historical work describes all kinds of events that happened on the Mongolian Grassland, including the legends of Genghis Khan, according to the oral stories of the Mongols. At the same time, it depicts Mongol society, politics, economics, class relations, Genghis Khan's life story and historical facts during the rule of Wokuotai (Öködei, Ögödei, the third son of Genghis Khan).
Mongolia's best known poet and writer is Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj (1906-37). He is regarded as the father of modern Mongolia literature. His best known works include the nationalist poem My Native Land and the play Three Fateful Hills. He served as a secretary in the Stalinist government and died under mysterious circumstances in 1936. The location of his body and grave is not known. The most well-known Mongolian work is The Secret History of the Mongols. A Chinese copy was found by a Russian diplomat in Beijing a 1866. An original Mongolian copy has never been found. Much of what is known about the Mongols comes from this book, which has been dated to A.D. 1240. Its author is unknown.
PRESERVING MONGOLIAN WRITTEN LITERATURE
PRESERVING MONGOLIAN ORAL LITERATURE
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