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
Two zäsngs are mentioned in Bálint's Sixteenth song. The first appears in Muuchk son of Kirw from the Bukhsh clan of the Bag-Dörwd, the negative figure who seems to act improperly against a woman called Udwl and who he has probably kidnapped. 50 4 She is adorned with many positive properties: she is "virtuous and blessed", "friendly" and "skilful". The singer wishes Muuchk an unfortunate fate as a punishment for his misbehaviour and wishes the return of Udwl from a nearby place (not identified closer). Muuchk is described as someone whose appearance and behaviour are unpleasant: he has an upstanding moustache, pockmarked face, he has an evil mind; he should be destined to the many possible curses as: driven handcuffed by the soldiers, killed by stabbing, a dagger should be stuck into his liver, be driven in a cold place, be hit by the thunderbolt. Another zäsng, called Khartsag appears in the song as the loser, ("is considered [to be] a fool and condemned"). He seems to have lost Udwl, but it is not clear whether he was married to her or not. He escapes into drinking (he "makes his drink from milk brandy", "he makes his drinks from twice distilled milk brandy"). Besides the curses called upon Muuchk, the singer wishes that his bad fate will strike him through Udwl: "Be your good fortune torn off by the skilful Udwl." A fourth person, a certain official Begäälä also appears in the song as the possible suitor (?) of Udwl (without any further reference). Despite the common motif-elements familiar from other songs as poetic factors, e. g. "the caftan sewn by your love", "the Tatar brown horse", or "the base of the Ergene projection," the whole text is built on the improvised narration of an event known within the informant's community. Further some examples are listed to demonstrate the zäsng's figure in other Kalmyk songs. In the songs collected during the twentieth century the zäsngs and other layers of the Kalmyk elite have been portrayed with even darker colours, as betrayers of their nation and oppressors of the working folk, who will perish in the new, socialist order. Tesk.gr 50 5 no in zäsn [sic!] bayang The stout nobles, zääsngs [and] rich people Tengsin günd ciwegsn. 50 b drowned in the depth of the sea. Or even more evidently in the song on the Red flag ( Öndr ulan tug): Noin zäsng gidign ' Noyladyunggadyowsmb [?] 50 1 Nom uga xarcudig Noxalayungäd [sic!] düngcülsmb? "Tenggr "yozurta noin-zäsnggig Tömr sumar dariya, Tömr bat xarcudar Törigän medülx bolyl The ones called noble and zääsng why did they govern [others]? The illiterate commoners why did they equal with dogs? Let us oppress with metal bullets the nobles and zääsngs of heavenly origins. Let us hand over the power To the commoners who are strong as the metal. 5"* The cursing of people who acted improperly appear in Kalmyk songs. Bálint's Sixteenth Song enumerates an entire series of curses against the zääsng whose deeds have been obscured by the passage of time. In 5 I" Nr. 46. stanza 1 Ramstedt - Balinov - Aalto: Kalmückische Lieder, pp. 90-91. 50 4 Cf. the stanzas 50 5 In Ramstedt's dictionary: teskger (R 394): this lexeme might be a dialectal form 50 6 In this collection the modified transcription of the Latin script used by the Kalmyks between 1930 and 1938 is utilised. Jangyrcnrin yöräl "Blessing of bards performing Janggr epic", stanza 1 led. Xal'mg dun. Sbornik kalmyckih pesen. p. 24. Further example: 1916-gé jilä dun "Song of I916 l h year" stanza 4cd. Xal'mg dun. Sbornik kalmyckih pesen. p. 39. on p. 7 is the estimated Russian translation 50 7 Cf. also: Noin. zäsng gidgn ' The ones called noble and zääsng Noirxadyungyadyowsmbi? Why did [others] govern? Öndr ulan tug "I ligh red flag" stanza 2ab Törskn yazrin dud. p. 118. 5" K Öndr ulan lug "High red flag" stanzas 2-3. Xal mg dun. Sbornik kalmyckih pesen. p. 26 77
