Ak Möör is a historical poem rooted in Kyrgyz oral tradition, featuring real-life figures such as Cantay, Bolot, Ak Möör, and Bayake, who lived in the 19th century. The events portrayed in the poem are grounded in actual history. However, during the Soviet era, the story was reshaped to fit political narratives. Tragic elements, like Ak Möör being forced to marry the elderly Cantay instead of her true love Bolot, and later being drowned to stop her from returning to him, were deliberately added. These changes served to distort the story for ideological purposes. The Communist Party used such narratives to sway public opinion, turning historical individuals into symbols within their propaganda machinery. This study uses content analysis to explore and recover the original historical truths behind Ak Möör, a work that holds deep cultural importance in Kyrgyz oral literature.
Ak Möör Poem, 19th century, history.