Shor Shamanic Epic Folktales

The Shor are a small indigenous minority in southern Siberia occupying southern Kemerovo Oblast. Their population numbers under 12,000. The Shor language belongs to the Khakass subgroup of the Uyghur-Oguz group of Turkic languages. Only about 1,000 people speak the native Shor tongue today. The Shor heroic tales are the largest and most long-standing genre of Shor folklore. They were generally performed at home in the evening or at night. They not only served as a relaxing activity for people, influencing their spiritual peace, but also served a magical role, protecting them from evil spirits. As with the oral traditions of original cultures, these tales exemplify the Shor’s connection to `story’ as something tangible, corporeal and animate. This very special manuscript depicts and preserves two of these epics.