This famous Central Asian epic, which has been passed down through centuries and is now brought to life in a new translation, transports the reader to a world of nomads, warriors, and horselords. 'I am a steel-fanged lion, a dragon ready to attack, a gigantic poplar with golden branches reaching for the sky,' says the narrator. Although it draws on far older sources, the bard Saghmbay Orozbaq uulu created his oral telling of the vast Central Asian Manas epic in the early twentieth century. This dramatic event from his autobiography relates the daring account of a new khan, Boqmurun, who arranges a grand feast to honour his predecessor, K?k?t?y. Warriors and their tumultuous entourages arrive from the east and west to engage in horse races, jousting, and wrestling, and soon insults fly. Daniel Prior's landmark translation includes a 'How to Read the Epic' section, commentary, maps and illustrations.