Preface by Lang Ying
Preface by Mark Bender
Translator’s Foreword
Profile of the Author
Introduction
Introduction toA Study ofthe KirgizEpicMana□ □y Lang Ying

Part One The Oral Tradition as a Living Form
Chapter One Introduction
Ⅰ．The Features ofthe Heroic Epics inNorthern China
Ⅱ．The Transmission ofManas and Its Main Characteristic□<□r>Chapter Two Manas and the Life of the Kirgiz Ethnic Group
Ⅰ． The Historical Background of the Epic M ana□<□r>Ⅱ．The Social Life of the Kirgiz After the W estward Migration in M ana□<□r>Ⅲ．Traditional Customs Reflected in Mana□<□r>Ⅳ．Manas—The Soul of the Kirgiz Ethnic Group
Chapter Three The Formative Age of Mana□<□r>Ⅰ．The N otion of “the Formative Age of an Epic
Ⅱ．Several Views on the Formative Age of Mana□<□r>Ⅲ ．The Analysis of the Formative Age of Mana□<□r>Ⅳ．"Kitay"and"Beijing"in Mana□<□r>Chapter Four Variations of Mana□<□r>Ⅰ．The Incremental Development of Mana□<□r>Ⅱ．“school of Tianshan”and‘‘School of Pamir
Ⅲ．Variations ofMana□<□r>Ⅳ．Acmparison cIftheVersions。fJtistip Mamay and Eshmat Manbetistip
Chapter Five Manaschis： The Inheritors and Transmitters of Mana□<□r>Ⅰ．Manaschis and the Dissemination of Mana□<□r>Ⅱ．Manaschis，Participation in the Creation of Mana□<□r>Ⅲ．Famous Chinese Manaschi□<□r>Chapter Six Audiences_The Life of Mana□<□r>Ⅰ．Audiences as the Main Agent in the Dissemination of Oral Epi□<□r>Ⅱ．The Audienc Active R n the Diseinatin，Develp ent and Variations of Mana□<□r>Ⅲ．．Cultural and Psychological Qualities of the Audience of Mana□<□r>Ⅳ．The Reception， Effect and Influence of Mana□<□r>
Part Two Text and Literary Qualitie□<□r>Chapter Seven The Characters of Mana□<□r>Ⅰ．The Hero Mana□<□r>Ⅱ．Semetey：The Son of Mana□<□r>Ⅲ．Seytek， Kenenim and Seyit： The Grandchildren of Mana□<□r>Ⅳ．The Khagans and Warriors of Mana□<□r>Ⅴ．The Images of Women in Mana□<□r>Chapter Eight The Aesthetic Features of Mana□<□r>Ⅰ．The Tragic Beauty of Mana□<□r>Ⅱ．The Sublime Beauty of Mana□<□r>Chapter Nine The Narrative Structure of M ana□<□r>Ⅰ．Narrative Time and Narrative Mode
Ⅱ．Narrative Perspective□<□r>Ⅲ．Narrative Structure and Pattern□<□r>Ⅳ．Narrative Language
Ⅴ．Narrative Strategie□<□r>Chapter Ten Manas and the Kirgiz Folk Literature
Ⅰ．Manas and the Kirgiz Myth□<□r>Ⅱ．Manas and the Heroic Legend Alip Manash
Ⅲ．Manasand the Kirgiz Folk Narative Poemn□<□r>Ⅳ．Manas and the Kirgiz Folk Song□<□r>
Part Three The Comparisons and Concluding Reflection□<□r>Chapter Eleven Manas and Turkic Epic□<□r>Ⅰ．Manas and Ancient Turkic Heroic Inscription Literature
Ⅱ．Common Themes of Manas and the Turkic Heroic Epic□<□r>Ⅲ．TheCommom Motifts of Manas and the Turkic Heroic Epic□<□r>Ⅳ．Sinilaries and Dieences Between Manas and the Tukic Epic□<□r>Chapter Twelve Manas and Eastern and Western Epic□<□r>Ⅰ．Manas Compared to Jangar and Gesar
Ⅱ．Manas and the Greek Epic□<□r>Chapter Thirteen Manas and Religious Culture
Ⅰ．Manas and Shamanic Culture
Ⅱ．The Influence of Islam on M ana□<□r>
Bibliography
Appendix 1 Foreign and Chinese Versions of Mana□<□r>Appendix □ Literature Review of the Studies of Mana□<□r>Appendix 3 Other Famous Manaschis in China

Index
Translators' Afterword 1
Translators' Afterword □
Series Acknowledgements