Tibetan epic and storytelling artists

Author: Shi Tai'an
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The Epic of Tibet and its Storytellers is truly a monumental work. Through in-depth research on the long epics of Tibet, the author thoroughly explores and elaborates on this remarkable phenomenon in Tibet, which serves as both historical documents, literary texts, and oral performance art. With a broad perspective and ambitious vision, the author narrates everything related to the long epic of the Tibetans and its associated matters. The book's first part is designed to guide non-expert readers into the labyrinth of this issue (Chapter 1), to point out to future researchers the materials accumulated over the years (Chapter 2), and to direct the attention of researchers to the various types of documents that will enable them to correctly evaluate their value and interrelationships (Chapter 3). The second part is also very simple and will not raise any issues. The geographical scope in which these stories are set (Chapter 4) is derived from the Gesar Epic itself and supported by some independent historical records. The following chapter discusses the history of the region to which the hero (the protagonist of the epic) belongs, the reputation of the regional chiefs or leaders still relying on it. Only the Tibetan and Chinese historical documents unrelated to the epic itself can trace its development since 1400. Some ambiguous materials are included to allow us to glimpse, to some extent, the mysteries of the epic's origins before this time. However, dealing with the important questions raised in the third part about its origins is even more challenging.