Jangar-un aman ulamjilal-un bagural doroiital-i sudulahu-iin uchir

The Reason of Studying the Decline of Oral Tradition of Jangar

Epic is one of the worldwide spread oral traditions. Current studies of epics mainly concern the origin and formation of epics influenced by studies of Homer Issue. That is to study the birth and development of epics based on its written text, taking Greek epic as a model. As to the decline and digression of epics, scholars insist Marx’s viewpoints, specifically, ‘some arts, for instance epics, are accepted by everyone, in this regard, when art production appears as art production, it would not be created same as the ancient classical format which has significant of time in world history’, and consider epics were created in the age of barbarism, and would decline naturally in civilized society. ‘Marx and Engels said Iliad, Odyssey were created in later stage of barbarous society or earlier stage of civilized society, they never said worldwide epics were created in that stage’. For example, Mongolian epics were still prevailing until early 20th century, and some new contents were added then. Some scholars consider epics as the product of ‘a people’s uncivilized stage’ or ‘undeveloped era of art’. In fact, ‘it does not exceed of hundred years since Mongol epics was recorded in scripts the first time. And some are still alive among the people, and some new epics are found till recent days. Mongols have changed and updated the epics with new awareness in various historical stages, instead of remembered the ancient version without any changes.’ While observing the research history of epics, we would find researchers have paid close attention to the origin, development and changes of epics, and paid little attention to the decline of epics. In the article, the author argues the study of decline of Jangar has theoretical and practical importance to understand the vanishing history of dead epics, to understand the necessity of cherishing and spreading existing oral tradition.