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.
ETHNOGRAPHICA CALMYCICA
Rites du passages ° The Wedding of the Kalmyks (Oirats) (Bálint Xal'imigTn (öirädln) ger abalyan, Kalm. Xal'mgln (ördin) ger awlyn) 98 4 ° The Death among the Kalmyks (Bálint Xal'imigTn ükül, Kalm. Xal'mgln ükl) 985 Customs ° Horse racing. Wrestling and Stealing (Bálint Uruldan, nöldan xulxa, Kalm. [Mördln] urldän, nöldän, xulxaf 8 6 ° About the Oath taking among the Kalmyks (Bálint Xal'imigTn saxa abdigln tuski , Kalm. Xal'mgln saxä awdgln tusk) 9* 1 Nomadic way of life ° The Nomadising of the Kalmyks (Bálint Xal 'imigln nüdül, Kalm. Xal 'mgln nüdlf 8 8 ° About how the Kalmyks Pasture their livestock (Bálint Xal 'imiyüdyayaji malän xäriüldek tuskin 7, Kalm. Xal 'myüdyäj malän xärüldg tusk n ') 98 9 ° About the Milk of the Domestic Animals of the Kalmyk(s) (Manuscript Xal 'imigin matin üsünä tuski, 99 0 Grammar Khal 'imagln malin üsünäi tuski, Kalm. Xal 'mgln malln üsnä tusk) ° About how the Kalmyks Shear the Sheep. (Bálint Man'i xal' imiyüd yayaji xöiyän xäiöiledek (kiryadik) tuski, Kalm. Manä xal'myüd yäj xögän xäöldg (kirydg) tusk) 99 1 ° About how the Kalmyks Hunt with Birds (Bálint Xal'imiyüd yayaji Sobüyär angyuőildigín tuski, Kalm. Xal'myüd yäj äowüyär angyücldg tusk) 99 2 As it is apparent from the above list, not all these areas of folk life - more commonly portrayed in various travelogues and other reports -, can be found among Bálint's texts. Concerning the traditional sequence of the rites du passages, birth and its associated rituals and the haircutting ceremony (which is a characteristic event in the cycle of life for all Mongolian ethnic groups), are missing in the records. Some fields of the traditional material culture, such as food and drink (with the exception milk products), typical Kalmyk garments are also unrepresented . It is difficult to assess whether these topics simply did not attract Bálint or that he made records which were subsequently lost. As the limited space in the present book does not allow a thorough analysis of this treasury of data, I plan to issue the Kalmyk and Khalkha ethnographica"' in a separate volume introducing it in the larger context of early (19 t h century contemporaries) and present day accounts. Here I can only highlight a selection of interesting facts and data and present them in a wider context, in form of brief assays attached to the translations. 98 4 Manuscript pp. 140-146. 1,8 5 Manuscript pp. 181-184. 98 6 Manuscript pp. 170-171. 98 7 Manuscript pp. 1 78-180. ' m Manuscript pp. 147-148. 98 9 Manuscript pp. 149-153. 99 0 Manuscript pp. 154-161. 99 1 Manuscript pp 162-164. 9, 2 Manuscript pp. 165-169. 99 1 The tentative title of the issue planned: Kalmyk and Khalkha Ethongraphica in Gábor Bálint of Szentkatolna's Records (18711872). 138
