Olonkho, an epos from 1,200 years ago

　　Recited for centuries in Yakutia but outlawed during the Soviet era, the Olonkho heroic epos came close to vanishing. This oral tradition, linked to shamanic folklore, was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

　　The story goes: Once upon a time there was a witch from the "Lower World" named Sarakhana. One day, she stole three babies from the Upper, Middle and Lower Worlds. Sarakhana's three adopted children, transformed into wolves, soon conquered the homeland of hero Chugdaan Bukhatyyr. He battled them and won the victory. But the losers called their "older brother" for help, the monster Dyghyidaana Beghe, and the hero was forced to retreat.

　　So begins "Kyys Debiliie," one of the countless variations of the Olonkho epos, handed down from generation to generation in the Sakha Republic in Yakutia, a northeastern region of the Russian Federation. Delving into local warrior legends and closely connected to shamanic folklore, it carries the epic memory of the Yakut nation. As in ancient Greek mythology, the Olonkho gods put the first humans on earth, in the Middle World. The gods ruled over the Upper World, its borders inhabited by dangerous giants, the abaasy. The Underworld was the domain of monsters hostile to humankind. But behind the array of warrior adventures, the struggle for good and evil is at the heart of this oral tradition.

　　Ⅰ. An epos that is sung

　　Unlike most other epic tales the Yakut Olonkho is not spoken but sung. The personality and actions of each character have their own melody. The Olonkhosut, the narrator, sings the monologues of the heroes and recites the rest in a rapid tempo, in a sort of sing-song chant. He may mix in the imitation of a horse neighing, birds singing or other animal sounds. With these different voices, alternating song and recitation, the Olonkhosut can keep spectators on the edge of their seats the whole night long.