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
such cases toig and xös rituals are held to get the mother nurse its offspring (cf. Encouraging a female to nurse its young). Though the weather is warmer and ice and snow begin to melt in spring (xawar), there are enormous wind storms that also endanger the young. The emaciated, weak livestock have to be strengthened. It is important to make the right choice about the greenery cropping up from under the snow and to divide the livestock into groups lest the pastures should be exhausted too early. It is pastoral wisdom that xawar tenxreltendé, jun targalaltandä "spring is for strengthening, summer for fattening". Reproduction continues in the early summer: the large-sized livestock - cows, yaks, camels and horses drop their young. Parallel with that, the making of white (milk) food begins. In summer (jun), the main goal is to fatten the livestock. In choosing summer pastures, the alkali content of the soil (xujir) is important, since it is indispensable for the development of the livestock. Grazing on sodic soil is called xujirlax. An important job is milking and making dairy products (both for immediate use and for conservation). Castration (agtlax ) and branding (tamaglax , imnex) are usually in summer, but their date may change occasionally and regionally. Shearing ( nös xyargalt, xyargax) is in summer and autumn, as is the processing of wool and hair and partly the making of felt. Saddle-breaking and preparing the mounts for the race also take place in early summer (soilgox ). The main objective in the autumn (namar) is to maintain the energy reserves accumulated in the summer, thus preparing for the winter. The production of milk food ends in autumn and felt-making (esgl xlx ) takes place in late summer and autumn. Mating (oro) is in autumn using fathering animals (eceg mal) carefully selected at the time of the castration. Slaughtering on a mass scale ( mal gargax) takes place in late autumn, early winter, together with the preparation and conservation of meat products. FELT MAKING (ESGI xlx, ESGI TAT AX)" 8 5 Felt (Mong. esegei, Khal. esgl, Bur. heyé, Oir. iske) is used for the cover of the dwelling of the Inner Asian nomads, the round tent or ger, for beddings (dewsger ) and rugs (sirdeg ), various sacks and bags (üt), and to mention garments worn by the Mongols, for the socks (oims) worn in the leather boots. Some Central Asian nomadic groups, e.g. the Khazaks and Kyrgiz make other garments such as their headgear out of felt. Traditionally, the time of felt-making is the late summer and early autumn. Presumably, the greatest feast of the nomads, the new year, also received its name ("White Month", cagän sar) from the white colour of the felt and the milk products. Felt making is beyond the traditional labour division within a single family, since often several households (ail) do it together, but of course there are families who make felt separately. Felt making consists of three phases: 1. Shearing of the sheep (xoni xyargax ) carried out on a sunny day at a place sheltered from the wind. A few days prior to the scheduled day, a "herald" is dispatched to inquire at the neighbouring camps who would come and help with shearing. The required tools are: a pair of sharp scissors (xaic\ everyone brings their own), ropes to tie the legs of the sheep (xölln bölt), and sacks (üt, dünxü). Everyone takes part in the preparations and the shearing: the children round up the sheep (xoni erex, lit. "search"), young people catch the sheep (xoni barix), the women tie up their legs (xoni xolböx). A few men whet the shears (their tools are: guranj "whetstone", bilü "grindstone", alx "hammer", dös "anvil"). Experienced shepherds shear a sheep in five minutes. The following well-wishing rhyme is recited by those arriving for the sheepshearing: „May your shears be sharp, may it be plentiful what is scanty." Shearing ends with a feast the main dish of which is a boiled sheep or goat (cf. Meat products). 2. Beating the wool (nös sawax ). The aim is to free the wool from dirt (jungag ) and soften the fibres. A piece of old hind (aris) or the skin of a large-sized animal (adsaga) is laid out on level ground (dewje) at a place fenced from wind and the wool is heaped up on it. The workers take a pair of long thin straight birch 118 5 Birtalan, Agnes: Felt making. In: Material Culture (DVD). 164
