ABSTRACT
The Tibetan epic consists of a series of episodes linked by their central characters, a Tibetan king called Gesar and his entourage. l These Gesar stories are also found in Mongolia, and among several minor peoples in the Tibetan region, such as the Tu or Monguor of Qinghai, the Lepcha of Sikkim, and the Burushaski-speaking people of Hunza in northern Pakistan, but they are primarily associated with Tibet, and particularly with the Khampa people of Eastern Tibet (Kham). For the Khampa, who have a strong tradition of political autonomy and martial pride, the Gesar epic is an expression of central values of their society. Gesar, however, is not just a warrior. His victories result as much from his magical or spiritual power as from his fighting ability, and much of his behaviour in the epic calls to mind the archetypical figure of the trickster.2
