Aitys

The work refers to aitys, a song competition between two poets known as akyns. It has a long tradition in Qazaq and Kyrgyz histories. The spoken word is crucial for both steppe cultures, which mainly produce and distribute knowledge orally, often without creating written archives. Akyns also used the spoken word to fight tyranny, to speak directly to their administrative hierarchy, i.e. khans, terens, bis, and beks. No issue was ignored by the aityskers, or debaters. The situation drastically changed in Soviet times when Qazaq steppe nomads were forced to adopt a settled way of life — hence, to change their traditions. In the 21st century, aitys remains depoliticized and is used by political monopolists as a propagandist trope to solidify an illusion of free speech.