| Ancient Meitei literature (Old Manipuri literature) | |
|---|---|
,_a_classical_Meitei_epic,_written_in_ancient_Meitei_language_(in_archaic_Meitei_script).jpg) An illustration of the ancient Meitei language narrative work Numit Kappa (Meitei for 'Shooting at the Sun') | |
| Cultural origins | Meitei culture |
| Subgenres | |
| Moirang Saion | |
| Related genres | |
Ancient Meitei literature, also termed as Old Manipuri literature, is literature written in the Old Manipuri language from the earliest texts until the time of King Pamheiba (Meitei for 'Garib Niwaj'). All the ancient Meitei literary works are written in the traditional Meitei script.[1] The ancient Meitei language texts, written in Meitei script, are conventionally termed as "the puyas".[2]
Many of the ancient Meitei literary works need transliteration and translation, as the language used is often "obscure and unintelligible" to the modern Manipuri.[3]
- ^ Datta, Amaresh (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo. Sahitya Akademi. p. 142. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
- ^ Walter, Mariko Namba; Fridman, Eva Jane Neumann (15 December 2004). Shamanism [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 573. ISBN 978-1-57607-646-0.
- ^ Assam (India) (1899). Report on the Administration of the Province of Assam. University of California. p. 20.