The concept of the Golden Age, a time of unparalleled peace, prosperity, and justice, is a recurring motif in the mythologies of various cultures. It represents an era in which humanity lived in harmony with nature, unburdened by toil, suffering, or social strife. This vision is not confined to a single tradition but is found across civilizations, from the Kyrgyz epic of Manas to the foundational texts of Greco-Roman antiquity. Through these works, we glimpse the human longing for an idyllic past and the persistent hope that such a time might one day return.
The Epic of Manas is one of the longest and most significant oral traditions of the Kyrgyz people. In its verses, the legendary land of Yenisei is depicted as a paradisiac homeland, an embodiment of abundance and fairness: "If we listen to the wise, if we inquire from the old, we hear that in the days long past, in regions lying north and west, there was a place called Yenisei. This land was marvelously wide, its rivers lined by woods and groves, its pastures verdant, meadows lush. All crops yielded abundant grain, with little plowing harvest rich: the granaries full to the brim. The people wandered here and there, they settled down, found their abode; rich and poor, without distinction, had food enough to eat their fill." (135-147). This passage evokes a world where natural abundance eliminates the need for labor, mirroring classical Golden Age myths. The mention of rich and poor living without distinction could suggest an egalitarian society, untouched by greed or social divisions. Such imagery would align with ancient visions of a time when justice was something inherent.
In fact, Hesiod’s Works and Days (8th century BCE) is among the earliest Western sources to articulate the idea of a lost Golden Age. He describes an original race of humans living under the rule of Cronos, free from suffering and hardship (109-126): "First of all the deathless gods who dwell on Olympus made a golden race of mortal men who lived in the time of Cronos when he was reigning in heaven. And they lived like gods without sorrow of heart, remote and free from toil and grief: miserable age rested not on them; but with legs and arms never failing they made merry with feasting beyond the reach of all evils. When they died, it was as though they were overcome with sleep, and they had all good things; for the fruitful earth unforced bare them fruit abundantly and without stint. They dwelt in ease and peace upon their lands with many good things, rich in flocks and loved by the blessed gods. But after the earth had covered this generation—they are called pure spirits dwelling on the earth, and are kindly, delivering from harm, and guardians of mortal men; for they roam everywhere over the earth, clothed in mist and keep watch on judgements and cruel deeds, givers of wealth”. This passage bears a striking resemblance to the Manas description of Yenisei. Both accounts emphasise the spontaneous generosity of nature, which sustains humanity without the need for labor. Moreover, the absence of suffering and the peaceful transition from life to death reinforce the idea that the Golden Age was not just a time of material prosperity but also of existential serenity. Yet, Hesiod’s myth introduces a crucial difference: the Golden Age does not last. It is followed by the progressively inferior ages of Silver, Bronze, and finally Iron, marking a decline into corruption, suffering, and strife. This framework presents history as a process of degeneration, a stark contrast to modern notions of progress. It suggests that moral and social decay are inevitable consequences of time, leaving humanity forever yearning for a lost paradise.
Besides, Ovid’s Metamorphoses refines Hesiod’s vision by adding a legal and moral dimension to the Golden Age: "First was the Golden Age. Then rectitude spontaneous in the heart prevailed, and faith. Avengers were not seen, for laws unframed were all unknown and needless. Punishment and fear of penalties existed not. No harsh decrees were fixed on brazen plates. No suppliant multitude the countenance of Justice feared, averting, for they dwelt without a judge in peace. Descended not the steeps, shorn from its height, the lofty pine, cleaving the trackless waves of alien shores, nor distant realms were known to wandering men. The towns were not entrenched for time of war; they had no brazen trumpets, straight, nor horns of curving brass, nor helmets, shields nor swords. There was no thought of martial pomp —secure a happy multitude enjoyed repose” (I, 89-105). According to these lines, humanity lived virtuously without the need for laws, judges, or punishments, as moral integrity was innate. War and violence were nonexistent—there were no weapons, fortresses, or military ambitions. People did not explore foreign lands or exploit nature, suggesting a self-sufficient and content society. Ovid portrays this era as a utopian contrast to later ages marked by corruption and conflict, criticising human degeneration over time and highlighting the loss of innocence and the rise of greed and warfare. His nostalgic tone reflects the classical ideal of a lost paradise, echoing earlier poets like Hesiod.
However, unlike Hesiod and Ovid, who portray the Golden Age as an irretrievable past, Virgil in his Eclogue IV envisions the birth of a miraculous child who will bring about the return of Saturn’s reign and the renewal of a utopian world, a sort of New Era of Peace: “Now the last age of the Cumaean prophecy begins: the great roll-call of the centuries is born anew: now Virgin Justice returns, and Saturn’s reign: now a new race descends from the heavens above. Only favour the child who’s born, pure Lucina, under whom the first race of iron shall end, and a golden race rise up throughout the world: now your Apollo reigns" (4-10). This prophecy was interpreted in later Christian tradition as foretelling the coming of Christ: “He will take on divine life, and he will see gods mingled with heroes, and be seen by them, and rule a peaceful world with his father’s powers. And for you, boy, the uncultivated earth will pour out her first little gifts, straggling ivy and cyclamen everywhere and the bean flower with the smiling acanthus. The goats will come home themselves, their udders swollen with milk, and the cattle will have no fear of fierce lions: Your cradle itself will pour out delightful flowers: And the snakes will die, and deceitful poisonous herbs will wither: Assyrian spice plants will spring up everywhere” (15-25). Moreover, Virgil’s prediction would seem to align with eschatological themes found in certain religious traditions, such as Isaiah’s vision of a Messianic Era: "Then the wolf will live alongside the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion will browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear will graze side by side; their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat hay like the ox. The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the young child will lay his hand on the viper’s nest" (Is 11, 6-8). Here, the Golden Age is not a distant memory but a promise of redemption, a restoration of harmony where even natural predators coexist peacefully, offering hope for the future.
Therefore, across cultures and centuries, the myth of the Golden Age has served as both a lament for a lost heaven and an aspiration for a better world. The Manas epic’s depiction of Yenisei, the classical traditions of Hesiod, Ovid, and Virgil, and religious prophecies all share a vision of a time characterised by a marvellous bucolic atmosphere, free from suffering, inequality, and strife. Whether viewed as an actual historical memory, a moral allegory, or a future prophecy, the Golden Age remains one of humanity’s most persistent and powerful myths. As these texts suggest, the Golden Age may not be confined to a single place or time but exists in the collective consciousness as an eternal ideal—one that continues to shape our hopes and dreams for a New World, ushering in a New Era of Peace, Love, Justice, and Righteousness.
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References
REICHL, KARL. "Oral Epics into the Twenty-First Century: The Case of the Kyrgyz Epic Manas." The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 129, no. 513, July 2016, pp. 327. DOI: 10.5406/jamerfolk.129.513.0327.
HESIOD. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Works and Days. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1914.
OVID. Metamorphoses. Translated by Brookes More, Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co., 1922.
VIRGIL. The Eclogues and Georgics, translation into English prose by A. S. Kline.
NCB.
