Sacred Places in the «Manas» Epic: Semantics and Functions of Toponyms

This article examines the semantics and functions of toponyms in the Kyrgyz heroic epic "Manas" from the perspective of sacred geography. The study aims to identify the semantic layers of geographical names in the epic and to determine their role in shaping its mythopoetic space. The primary material consists of the epic variants recorded by Sagimbay Orozbakov (SO) and Sayakbay Karalaev (SK), as well as reference sources in Manas studies. The methodology combines toponymic, semantic, and structural-typological analysis grounded in contemporary folkloristics, ethnolinguistics, and sacred geography. The results reveal that toponyms in "Manas" function on three interrelated levels: mythological, identificatory, and narrative. Talas functions as the epic's sacred centre, Altai as the space of trial, Beejin (Beijing) as the embodiment of the "alien world," while mythical toponyms (Averden, Zhelpinish) mark the boundary between worlds. The findings contribute to the study of the mythopoetics of the Central Asian epic tradition and may be applied in courses on folkloristics, linguoculturology, and regional studies.