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
the croup of the horse. Then when people lift the maid [144] that young man sets her in the saddle and leaves [with her]. After she is taken away, her parents, sisters and brothers and all the daughters-in-law and children who are close [to her] cry after her together. While the maid is covered by a gown (Bálint lapsig, Kalm. lawsg) on the way [to the bridegroom] a curtain is pulled in front of her. 101 5 When they are nearing to the yurt, there is a competition called competing up to the smoke hole of the yurt." 1"' A red mottled kerchief with a piece of white silver bound"" 7 in its corner is offered to the horse that wins. Until these people arrive at the camp,"" 8 a white yurt is erected for the lad behind his father's yurts. The goods coming from the maid's place are collected in that yurt. After the maid is taken monks come and perform blessing rituals.""' 1 After the monks return, the lad's tea is cooked. When the tea is ready, the son-in-law's parents, brothers and relatives 10 2" are called and offer the tea. After the tea the many gowns made of various silks 102 1 are put on them. Thereafter the children and the daughters-in-law gather in the lad's yurt and amuse themselves. At night a sheep is slaughtered in the lad's father's yurt and offered to the fire. 102 2 The maid is called to come to the lad's father's yurt, where a white rug (Bálint sirdeg , Kalm. sirdg) is laid at the door. 1 0" ' [145] The maid is set down on the felt rug, a curtain is pulled in front of her and she is given a bowl with fat cut into small pieces (Bálint bicixän bicixänär utuluksun äyata ökö, Kalm. bickn, bicknär utlsn ägtä ök). Thereafter the man who was supposed to touch her and her goods [for the first time] makes her bow (Bálint, Kalm. ber mörgül)'° 2 4 as follows. That man takes the maid's head [and says]: - [You] bow to the Buddha. - He makes the maid bow and she throws a piece of fat into the fire. Thereafter: - Live well with your husband! 102 5 - He makes the maid bow again and [she] throws a piece of fat into the fire. Thereafter: - Respect your husband's 102 6 parents, elder and younger brothers and relatives! 102 7 - He makes her bow again. Thereafter, when the maid arrives at the lad's yurt, some wives send the little children and boys to say: "Her [i. e. wife's] hair will be prepared." (Bálint üsii xagal-, Kalm. üs xayal-y 02 8 The maid's hair is plaited into two [parts] and the decoration 102 9 is put on it. Thereafter the pillows are joined 1 0' 0 and they both go to bed together. On the next day the people who accompanied the maid, return. After their return home the maid's coat (?) (Bálint bürkg) is not taken away for three days. After these three days the coat (bürkg) is taken away. Thereafter she is treated as the small daughter-inlaw (Bálint bicixän bere , Kalm. bickn ber). That small daughter-in-law is treated by the son-in-law's 101 3 Bálint ömnögärn'i kos ige tatäd yabodok, Kalm. ömnär n' käsig latäd ycrwdg. cf. "... und zwey neben ihr reitende halten einen seydnen oder baumwollenen Schleyer über ihren Kopf, womit sie so lange bedeckt auf dem Pferde sitzen bleibt, bis das für sie bestim[m]te Zelt aufgeschlagen, und das Hausgerät in Ordnung gestellt ist."' Pallas II p. 237. 1 0"' Bálint xaracidu. Kalm. xaräcd (dative) "the smoke hole on the top of the yurt". This refers probably means that the guests compete up to the yurt of the bridegroom's parents. 101 7 Bálint boyäd read böyäd from bö- "to bind". 101 8 Bálint xolon. Kalm. xotn. Bálint yasalya. daralya kedek, Kalm yasly. darly refer to purification and blessing rituals, cf. Kalm. yas- cf. Khal. jas-,jasal "purificatory rituals", lit. "correction", Kalm. Khal. dar- "press down", here "oppressing evil forces". Kalm yasalgn vaslna "Gebete" (Pallas II. p. 238.). 11,2 0 Bálint töröl sadu, Kalm. töri sadn, cf. Aberle: The Kinship system pp 10-11 "' 2 I Bálint cemgen. yaslim toyon debelmüd. Kalm. cemgn. yäsl, toryn dewlmüd. Kalm.Ö.D. cemgn "wollenes dickes Tuch" (R. 426), yäsl.yasl "Atlas (Seidenanzug)" (R. 217). 102 2 Bálint yal täi-, Kalm. yal lä- "fire offering"; in detail, cf. Batmajev: Sem ja i brak. pp. 224-226. 102 3 Bálint üden xorondu. Kalm. üdnxörnd; this place is significant as the location of sacred and other important actions. 102 4 Detailed description of the ritual: Pallas II. pp. 238-239, Habunova: Tulml. pp. 59-61. 1112 3 Here also the son-in-law (Bálint kiirgii) expression is used. ,0 2" BálintAöéiín lit. "lad". 102 7 Bálint töröl sadu. cf above. 1112 8 More details: Berin üs xuwalyn. in Habunova: I ülml p. 61. " ) 2' ) Bálint siberlek. Kalm. Siwrlg, cf. Pürbän p. 138; illustrations: cf. SyCev, D. V.: Iz islorii kalmyckogo kostjuma. Oéerk s prilozenijem malerialov i: dokumentov, dnevnikov i soiinenijpuieiestvennikov, uéjonyh i sluzilyh ljudej Elista, Kalmyckoje kniZnoje izdatel'stvo 1973. 1031 1 Bálint dere nellül-, cf. Khal. der riilül- lit. "to join the pillows" is a taboo-expression for sleeping together. 141
