Chapter Ⅰ The Jangar Singing:a Living Tradition(3) 1.A Long—Running Folk Tradition(5) 2.The Singing of the Jangar(10) 3.Role of the Audience(14) Chapter Ⅱ The Jangar Sirger—Jangarchi(19) 1.The Role and Position of Jangarchi(19) 2.Jangarchi Abroad(21) 3.Jangarchi in China(27) Chapter Ⅲ The Collection,Publication and Research of the Epic(36) 1.Collection,Translation and Publication of the Jangar in Russia(36) 2.Collection and Publication of the Jangar in Mongolia(40) 3.Collection,Translation and Publication of the Jangar in China(42) 4.A Survey of Research Works(51) Chapter Ⅳ The Cultural Origins of the Jangar(67) 1.Tradition of the Heroic Epics of Ethnic Minorities in North China(68) 2.The Jangar and the Manas(81) 3.Tradition of Mongolian Heroic Epics(91) 4.Three Centres of Mongolian Heroic Epics(94) 5.Three Types of Mongolian Heroic Epics(100) 6.Myth,Shamanistic Culture and the Jangar(109) 7.Buddhism and the Jangar(120) Chapter Ⅴ Social Archetypes of the Jangar(129) 1.A Turbulent Society(131) 2.The Nature and Purpose of the Wars(134) 3.Nature of the Place——“Bomba”(138) 4.Social,Military and Political System(140) 5.Social Structure(144) 6.Social I deology(146) Chapter Ⅵ Time of the Forming of the Epic(152) 1.Views of Scholars Abroad(152) 2.Views of Scholars at Home(154) 3.Concept of the Time of Forming(159) 4.The Time of the Forming of the Epic(161) Chapter Ⅶ The Forming Conditions of the Epic(171) 1.Myth,Legend and the Jangar(172) 2.The Early Epics and the Jangar(176) 3.The Jangar and the Tuulchi(181) Chapter Ⅷ Development and Variation(186) 1.Variations of the Same Story(186) 2.Appearance of New Stories(203) 3.Patterns of Epic Development and Variation(218) Chapter Ⅸ Development of Epic Plots and Structures(224) 1.Plot Structures of Various Long Poems(224) 2.Overall Plot Structure of the Epic(241) Chapter Ⅹ Characters in the Jangar(245) 1.Heroes(246) 2.Ideal Leader(249) 3.Brave Generals(252) 4.Wise Generals(263) 5.Virtuous Women(267) 6.Miraculous Steeds(272) 7.Rampant Tyrants(277) Chapter Ⅺ The Art of Language(284) Bibliography for the Studies of Jangar(302) reference(311) Postscript(320)