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Epic "King Gesar" is one of the literary styles
of the Tibetan culture. It is an entity of the organic
combination of form and content. We cannot study an
epic without its entity.
1. The existing formal structures
of Epic "Gesar"
(1) The structure of oral form: This
form of epic Gesar is a product of the folk artists
and handed down orally by the old artists from generation
to generation. It is the basic form of other artistic
forms. As a rule, the on-spot demonstration is permeated
with an exciting atmosphere, which will arouse the memory
and inspiration of the artists. During their performance,
they would usually drink wine, so as to stimulate their
nerve for high concentration, and make their talking
and singing a great success. The record of the artistic
performance will be made on tape or vedio tape, which
is precious historical material.
(2) The structure of written form:
This form of Epic Gesar is developed and transformed
from the oral one. Being not so restricted by time and
space, it is convenient for keeping and suitable for
disseminating in areas of different languages.Besides,
it is possible to assimilate the cultural heritage of
other nations, bringing about works of better quality.
Among the people, there are a great deal of books in
manuscript or in woodcut (the great majority of them
were hurled up during the ten years of the "Cultural
Revolution". ) The books in stereotype have been
published 61 sections, mostly done after 1981.
(3) The structure of Tangka (rolled
Paintings) and other painting form: At first, it was
a stage property, but later, it was absorbed into the
works of the painters as a subject matter. The eleven
rolls of Tangka Gesar, now stored in Sichuan Museum,
have depicted the great events of Gesar in his life.
(4) The structure of sculpture form:
Among the people in tibetan areas,there are a great
deal of the images of King Gesar and his generals, which
are made of wood carving, stone carving, clay figurine,
copper figurine and silver figurine. They are not for
appreciation, but for enshrine and worship.
(5) The structure of drama form.
(6) The structure of the form in picture-story-book
and children""s book.
(7) The structure of the form in TV
films.
We do not list some musical component
parts (as in ballad Gesar) as a formal structure. So
far, there isn""t any complete and independent
musical form of Epic Gesar. Of course, we should not
ignore the important part played by music in deepening
the understanding of the Epic and disseminating it as
an entertainment.
Epic Gesar is not only the first fruit
growing out of the mythology of the ancient primitive
people in Qinghai-Tibet high lands, but also a garden
full of artistic flowers for the later generations.
2. The existing content structures
of Epic "Gesar"
As having practical effect, the Epic
has been passed on to the present.This is due to the
comparatively stable content structures of region, ethnicity
and history, which have played a principal part in its
dissemination.
(1) The structure of regional content:
The regions where the heroes of the Epic were living
and operating are still recognized. Because of the harsh
natural environment, the scene of the epic story seems
solemn and grave, a somewhat depressive atmosphere.
Therefore, the "ill" feeling in life is more
vivid than the "good" one of the story. It
is different from the sentiment of the Greek epics,
but similar to that of the North-European ones. In the
epic, there are not a few Gods of mountain, water, animal
and tree, which are transformation of evils. They reflect
the struggle of the Tibetan people with nature which
is hard to tame, containing the seeds of scientific
thinking. The use of Gods to explain natural phenomena,
even today, still has its popular foundation and an
effect of disseminating.
(2) The structure of ethnic content:
It mainly reflects the merging of the economies, cultures
and tribes at the primary stage of the formation of
an ethnic nation. It reveals the national spirit, which
has been shaped by a comprehensive effect of physique,
natural environment and accumulated culture, Physique
and natural environment are factors comparatively stable,
while the accumulated culture is a comparatively changeable
factor. Some of the cultural elements have become stable
historical traditions, the others, as the changing of
the time and the merging of the ethnic nation, have
gradually become faint, dim and disappeared.As a result
of the long epic stage and the merging of a variety
of ethnic cultures, Epic "Gesar" has many
different languages. Therefore, its effect of aggregating
knowledge will be getting declined, instead, its effect
of literary appreciation and entertainment will increase.
(3) The structure of historical content:
It is a phenomenon of the historicizing of mythology,
recorded vividly the events occurred in history: mainly
wars between Buddhisn and Bon and among tribes and kingdoms.
The tendency " depreciating Bon while praising
Buddhism" in the Epic has reflected the result
of the actual conflict. The conquest by King Gesar with
numerous victories in his life is a projection of the
history of war during the Tibetan Regime in ancient
China. The victorious causes of the ancestors are usually
talked about with delight by their descendants. It is
the spiritual propholding the whole of the nation, but
also has psychological mechanism for wider disseminating
of the Epic.
3. The relation between the
structure of the Epic and its dissemination
The structure of the form and content
of the Epic is the expression of a specific culture.
Therefore, the dissemination of the Epic cannot depart
from the general law of the dissemination of the culture.
When two cultures are converging, neither complete exclusion
nor complete merging is actually possible.The Epics
in mongolian, in Tugie language and in Pumi language
are all different somewhat in form and content to Tibetan
"Gesar". At the present stage, the talking
and singing performance of the artists is the chief
disseminating form,which is the basis of the other disseminating
forms. However, the artistic workmanship of their talking
and singing is decided by the cultural pattern of the
nation and the experience, knowledge and psychological
state of the artists. An outstanding artist should epuip
himself with five requirements.
4. Concluding remarks
The structure of the form and content
of the Epic is a phenomenon of the culture, which is
multiplicate as well as complicate. So is the case with
the effect and mechanism of its dissemination. Epic
"Gesar" has been widely disseminated and has
a long history which has never declined. This is by
no means a result achieved by a single effect and mechanism.
This is fundamentally because "Gesar" is a
great work produced by the Tibetan people as a whole,
and its development and succeeding is a contribution
by their joint efforts. The Epic artists from generation
to generation simply have pooled the wisdom of the Tibetan
people, and made some special contribution to its development
and succeeding. It is the cultural pattern of the nation
and the individual choice of the cultural interest of
the artists that is the hotbed breeding generations
of talented artists.
Note:
[1] Institute of Ethic Mlinorities
Literature, CASS
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