Tuva is a Turkic republic and federal subject of Russia, located in Central Asia. Forests, mountains, and steppe make up a large part of the geography. A majority of the people are Tuvans, but Russian is also spoken extensively.
The Tuvan people - along with the Yellow Uyghurs in China - are one of the only two Turkic groups who are mainly adherents to Tibetan Buddhism, combined with native Shamanism.
Mostly famous for Tuvan throat singing, the Tuvan people have a rich tradition of orally transmitted folklore, including many genres, ranging from very brief riddles and aphorisms, to tongue twisters, magical tales, hero tales, scary stories, and epics that would take many hours to recite. A few examples and excerpts of the epic genres, such as Boktu-Kirish, Bora-Sheelei have been published. This art form is now endangered as the traditional tale-tellers grow old and are not replaced by younger practitioners. .
