Birtalan Ágnes: Kalmyk Folklore and Folk Culture in the Mid-19th Century: Philological Studies on the Basis of Gábor Bálint of Szentkatolna’s Kalmyk Texts.
FOLKLORE GENRES
killed him. As he killed people, he gained the name Killing Butcher Khan. 82 1 There was a nobleman 822 among the khan's dependants who had only a few yurts (territories). 8 2 ' That nobleman had a son. Once that son said to his father: - Father! Let us go close to the khan and settle (move) 82 4 there. - The father hearing his son's saying, arrived and settled close to the khan's [territory]. Thereafter the boy said to his father: - Father! Go, and propose to the khan's daughter. - His father mounted a light bay horse and rode to the khan. After arriving at the khan's, he was sitting for a long while from morning to evening and then left. The next day he was likewise sitting for a long while and then returned. When on the next day he was also sitting for a long while, the khan said to him: - Old man, what are you looking for? - The old man did not say a word. Thereafter the khan said: [106] — Old man, I will give you what you want to take. Thereupon the old man said: - The khan has but a single order. The goshawk has a single swoop. 82 5 - And taking off his hat he flung it down: - I came to propose to your daughter for my son. - Thereafter the khan could do nothing but give [his daughter]. The khan said to the old man: - In order to take my daughter, one has to bring me such and such things and then take [her]. The old man went to his son and said: - The khan ordered to bring such and such things to him and then to take his daughter. - Thereafter the lad who had a friend brought the things the khan had asked for together with that friend and took the khan's daughter. Thereafter his friend said to our lad: - Now, at a distance of four-five days from here the khans' five hundred sons whose fathers have been killed by this khan, are arriving. They will tell you [the following]: "There are two monsters 826 here, the coarse black monsters with twenty-five heads, and the wrinkled black monster with fifteen heads. Those two monsters have got fine horses. Let us go and drive away them." When they say so, tell them: "1 will not go." Then they will say: "You took the Killing Butcher khan's daughter. [Now] you can't leave her?" [107] When they say so, tell them: "Well, I will go [with you]." Then while going [there] come to me! — At a distance of four, five days from the lad's yurt, 82 7 the khans' five hundred sons whose fathers had been killed by this khan [arrived and] said to the lad: - There are two monsters here, the coarse black monster with twenty-five heads, and the wrinkled black monster with fifteen heads. Let's go and drive away their horses. - Thereupon the lad said: - I will not go. - Thereupon they said: - You took the Killing Butcher khan's daughter, the fifteen-year-old 82 8 Aragn'i Dangn'i. [Now] can't leave her? - The lad waited for a while and said: - Well, I will go [with you]. - He led the fox 82 9 red horse his father used to ride and rode his grey horse he used to ride and left. The lad went for a long while and then said: 82 1 Bálint kü ala bäiji aläci maxaci xän, Kalm. Kü alj bäj aläc maxc xän. 82 2 Bálint zaiseng, Kalm. zäsng "title of Kalmyk (Oirad) clan-heads, noblemen", in detail cf. Sixteenth Song. 82 1 Bálint cökön öröktä (äimektä), Kalm. cökn örktä (ämgtä). The expression ämg is inserted in brackets by Bálint indicating that he added this lexeme as an explanation: örk "yurt. yurt-place, family", ämg "territory where dependants of a noble live" are, however, not synonyms. 82 4 Bálint's interpolation as explanation. 82 5 Proverb, cf. Xarcx Sowun neg sürlytä. Xan kiln neg zärlgtä. "Jastreb raz napadajet (ne promahivajetsja), han raz prikazyvaet." Kotviő, V. L : Kalmyckie zagadki i poslovicy. Flista, Kalmyckoje kniinoje izdatel'stvo 1972. p 74; xän kün neg-l zarl'ikté, xarcxä íowün neg-l sürlkté. "Der Chan befiehlt nur einmal, der Habicht greift nur einmal an." Ramstedt, Gustaf John: Kalmückische Sprichwörter und Rätsel Aufgezeichnet von G. J Ramstedt Ed. Aalto, Pentti. In: Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja / Journal de la Société Finno-Ougrienne. 58,2. (1956) pp. 1-38, on pp. 26-27. Cf. also chapter: About how the Kalmyks Hunt with Birds. 8 2'' Bálint, Kalm. mils, mangys. in detail cf Eighth tale. 8 2 Bálint Köbün gerän abäd Kalm. köwünä (?) geräs (?) awäd "from the lad's yurt" (?). 82 8 Bálint here arban tabula, Kalm. arwn tan t, cf. also above 82 9 Bálint arät, read Kalm. arät (?) "fox". I 18
