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

historical chronicles. 5, 0 The Indo-Tibetan and Chinese written tale tradition has only gained its representation among the Mongols since translations of Buddhist scriptures emerged (cf. sujets of Indian tale-treasure in the Subhäsitaratnanidhi (Mong. Sayin iige-lii erdeni-yin sang subhasida kemegdekii sastir ) and other tale-cycles, 5 3' transmitted into the Mongolian literature via translations from the Tibetan and to a lesser extent the Chinese languages. These didactic tale-cycles were popular among the commoners as well and permeated the folk literature, establishing folk tales with a predominant Buddhist content. In the frame of the present study it is not possible to go into details on the recording and researching of Mongolian folk tales, 5, 2 only a short overview will be offered on the Kalmyk folk tales to show the context of Bálint's materials. 5 3 ' The Oirats migrating to their new homeland had brought their Mongolian oral folk tradition and the common heritage of the Mongolian written sources with them. The best-known among the Mongols and, indeed, the most widely spread tale-cycle, " Tales of the Bewitched Corpse " (Skr. Vetälapahcavimsatikä, Mong. Siditü kegür-iin üliger ), formed an integral part of the tradition and ethos of the Volga-Oirats, who later became known as Kalmyks. A German translation of thirteen Kalmyk tales from this collection have been published in the encyclopaedic work on the Kalmyk life, recorded and elucidated by Benjamin Bergmann in 1804-1805. 5 4 In I860, the noted scholar of Kalmyk and Oirat languages and culture K. F. Golstunskij transcribed the Bergmann's version into Oirat script (W.Oir. todo biciq, Mong. todo bicig, todo iiseg). In 1866 Bernhard Jülg 5' 5 published the written Kalmyk original and the German translation. Chronologically, Jiilg's publication should follow Bálint's collection. Bálint's records differ considerably from the "Tales of Bewitched Corpses" written origins, concerning the sujet, the motives and primarily their language (closely to the everyday speech). Following him, Gustaf J. Ramstedt published a collection of Kalmyk tales using the academic transcription developed by him. 53 6 Furthermore, in the second half of a 20 t h century numerous Kalmyk anthologies appeared either in Kalmyk or in Russian translation. 5' 7 NOTES ON THE GENRE The following is the usual classification for Mongolian tales: 5' 8 1. animal fables 2. heroic tales 3. magic tales 4. anecdotic tales or tales on everyday life 53 0 It is commonly known that the first long language-monument. The Secret History of the Mongols shares numerous features of epic folk tradition, appearing later in folk epics and folk tales. Similar tendencies have also emerged in the renewed buddhicised chronicle-writing since the 17 l h century, on one hand as the legacy of the 13 t h century tradition, and as Tibetan folk tradition enlarged with Mongolian elements on the other hand. 53 1 Laufer, Berthold: Skizze der mongolischen Literatur. In: Keleti Szemle VIII. (1907) pp. 227-229. 53 2 The history of recording, translating and researching Mongolian folk tales is summarised in detail with a large number of basic references: Taube, Erika: Volksmärchen der Mongolen. Aus dem Mongolischen, Russischen und Chinesischen Ubersetzt und herausgegeben von Taube, Erika. München. Biblion Verlag 2004 with rich bibliographical references. 53 3 Lőrincz: Mongolische Märchentypen. Taube: Volksmärchen der Mongolen. 53 4 Bergmann, Benjamin: Nomadische Streiferein unter den Kalmücken in den Jahren 1802 und 1803. I—IV. Riga 1804-1805. I. pp. 249-351. On the further fate of the tale-collection cf. Volksmärchen der Mongolen, p. 347. 53 5 Jülg, Bernhard: Die Märchen des Siddhi-Kür. Kalmükischer Text, mil deutscher Übersetzung und einem kalmükisch-deulschen Wörterbuch. Leipzig, F. A. Brockhaus 1866; Jülg, Bernhard: Kalmückische Märchen. Die Märchen des Siddhi-Kür oder Erzählungen eines verzauberten Todten [sie!] Ein Beitrag zur Sagenkunde auf buddhistischem Gebiet. Aus dem Kalmückischen übersetzt von B Jülg. Leipzig, F. A. Brockhaus 1866; 53 6 Ramstedt, Gustaf John: Kalmückische Sprachproben. 1. Kalmückische Märchen. 1-2. Ges. u. hrsg. von G. J. Ramstedt. (Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia= Mémoires de la Société Finno-Ougrienne. 27/1-2) Helsingfors 1909-1919. 53 7 The publications at my disposal: DZimbinov. B. (ed.): Kalmyckie skazki. Moskva, Gosudarstvennoje izdatel'stvo hudoZestvennoj literatury 1962; Xal'mg tül's. IL Eist, Xal'mg degter yaryai 1968 [Kalmyk tales]; Xal'mg tül's. III. Ed. Musova, N. N. - Okonov. B. B. - Muikinova, E. D. Eist, [Xal'mg degter yaryai] 1972 [Kalmyk tales]; Xal'mg tül's. IV. Ed Bitkejev, P. C. - UljumdZijeva, Z. B. Eist, [Xal'mg degter yaryai] 1974 [Kalmyk tales]; Xal'mg tül's. Ed. Budzalov, E. A. F.lista, Kalmyckoje kniZnoje izdatel'stvo 1979 (Kalmyk tales]; Basangova, T. G.: Sandalovyj larec. Kalmyckije narodnvje skazki. Elista, Kalmyckoje kniZnoje izdatel'stvo 2002. 53 8 The Standard taxonomy of Mongolian tales according to which the items in anthologies are systematised. 84

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