The Birth, Destruction, and Resurrection of Kyrgyz Myths in Chinghiz Aitmatov's Novel The White Ship

This study aims to explore the Kyrgyz ethnicity and modernity through the literary works of Chinghiz Aitmatov’ Novel The White Ship. The author, having grown up adhering to the nomadic lifestyle and listening to Kyrgyz oral myths and legends, was immersed in the traditional culture from a young age. Aitmatov’s works consistently portray the lives of humans who coexist with nature in Central Asian traditional societies, viewed through the eyes of young protagonists. For these young characters living in the modern world, the myths and traditional ways of life of their ancestors, which they have never experienced themselves, appear noble, grand, and always serve as objects of admiration. However, the rapid winds of change in the modern era bring confusion and crisis to these protagonists, and through their experiences on the edge of change, the author presents a vision of Kyrgyzstan in the past, present, and future.<br/> Through the novel The White Ship, we find the struggle of the Kyrgyz people to find their identity amidst the waves of modernization, traditional beliefs, ethnicity, mythology, and the values of the past that must be preserved. Through this novel, Aitmatov provides deep insights into the challenges and tasks faced by the Kyrgyz people as they navigate the intersection of traditional values and modern issues, combining elements of Kyrgyz traditional culture and values, the harmony and clash between nature and humanity, the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures, and the complexity of human relationships.