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
1. Levelling out of the site (süri, bftri), strewing dried dung in winter, sometimes gravel which are good insulators. In winter, a floor (sal) is also laid down under the tent. The floor is a more recent development, it consists of large boards and is hard to transport, therefore some nomadic families do not use it. The large items of furnishing are also put in place in this phase (cf. Furniture of the yurt). 2. Around the base (or the floor) the lattice wall is erected and the wall sections are fastened together starting from the eastern door post. 3. In the middle of the yurt the roof ring is lifted with the help of the supporting column (bagana). 4. 2-3 people go round and stick the roof poles (uni) into the respective holes of the roof ring (opposite poles are fixed in place simultaneously; uni ölgöx). 5. The crown/roof ring is balanced by the four fixing ropes (ergüleg). 8. The interior ropes are reinforced. 9. The felt and canvas covers are put up ( déwer, türga, cagän biirés); 9.1. interior canvas or textile cover (dotür cawag); 9.2. interior cover of the roof (cawag), front part; 9.3. rear part of interior roof cover; 9.4. the felt covering the lattice wall (türga) is put up starting from the western door post; 9.5. front part (urid esgi) of the roof felt (déwer); 9.6. rear part (xoid déwer) of the roof felt. 10. Traditionally, 13 ropes were used to fasten the felt cover on the wooden frame, but since a white canvas cover is applied on the round tent only the four ropes fixing the roof felts are used now. 11. With the three belts (xoslon biislür) the outside cover is fixed in place staring from the western door post. 12. Finally, the lower edge (xayäwc) is wound round the tent. The edge is usually not used in summer. Phases of pulling down the round tent: 1. The 3 belts and 13 or 4 ropes are removed. 2. The felt cover of the crown is removed. 3. The canvas and felt cover are taken off; starting at the western door post. 4. The roof poles are removed. 5. The main fixing rope is undone. 6. The roof wheel is lifted off. 7. The straps and ropes fixing the lattice wall are undone in east-west direction. 8. The lattice wall is folded; the door is removed and secured. 9. The furnishing is taken out and placed in chests. All the removed parts are immediately rolled up or folded. When they move in the traditional way with camels or cattle-drawn cart, they load the pieces after removal (e.g. make two piles of the roof poles and tie them on either side of an animal). Since the roof ring is the passageway between humans and transcendental beings, it is particularly respected and placed therefore on top of the luggage. When they move with a lorry, the roof ring is still on top of the load. 167
