ABSTRACT
The Ge-sar Epic ofTibet Ge-sar is the central figure of a cycle of epic stories widely known among both Tibetans (David-Neel 1933, Roerich 1942, Hermanns 1965, Stein 1956, 1959, 1969, 1979) and Mongois (e.g., Heissig 1983). The stories resemble in general outline those of other epic cycles among the MongoIs and among the Turkic peoples of Central Asia (Chadwick and Zhirmunsky 1969, Heissig 1979, 1982, 1985), as weIl as European epic traditions such as the Arthurian cycle. King Ge-sar has a miraculous birth, a despised and neglected childhood, and then becomes ruler and wins his (first) wife 'Brug-mo through a series of marvellous feats. In subsequent episodes he defends his people against various external aggressors, human and superhuman. Instead of dying anormal death he departs into a hidden realm from which he may return at some time in the future to save his people from their enemies (see David-Neel 1933). Ge-sar also became the central figure of a Mongolian
and Manchu cult in which he was regarded as a god of war and assimilated to the Chinese war-god Kuan-ti (see Heissig 1980: 97-101).
