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

SIXTH TALE (Bálint 6. Utu túli)

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2 [56] It happened a long time ago/'' There lived a sixteen-year-old hero called Zul-shar Arslng, son of the eight thousand-year-old man,

6'

4 Namjil-tsagaan.

6'

5 His miraculous horse was a fast red Arnzl horse.

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6 That horse: Is tethered to the young Sandal tree, Has a shadowy place at the old Sandal tree, Has food on the grass of the blue plateau, Has drink from the water of the cold spring. The number of the lad's dependants reached one hundred thousand. Without father and mother, he lived alone in his yurt. Thereafter one night the lad had a nightmare while sleeping: His one hundred thousand dependants have been driven away along a pathway, His Buddha-like white head

6' has been buried at the door of the yurt.

6'

8 Having had such a nightmare he mounted his horse and rode away. He rode for several years, He rode immeasurably [much]. Then he pulled [at his horse's muzzle] and stopped, but he was still close to his yurt. Thereafter also He galloped for several years, He galloped immeasurably [much]. Then he pulled [at his horse's muzzle] and stopped and was [still] halfway among

6'" his dependants. Thereafter also He galloped for several years, He galloped immeasurably [much]. Then he pulled [at his horse's muzzle], stopped and he was just leaving his [57] dependants' [territory].

6

4'

1 Thereafter the lad said: "This is the land

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1 of my parents." He launched his arrow,

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2 '"

2 Manuscript pp. 56-61. 63

3 Bálint Kezänä sänji bolna. Cf. 2

n

d tale. 61

4 Bálint abaya. Kalm awy "uncle, old man. senior, man". In his study of Kalmyk kinship terminology David Aberle determines awy as follows: "In ascending generations all collaterals are distinguished from all lineals, abaga

, col. abaganar for males, gagaa. col gagaanar for females." Discussing the addressing terms he does not mention this lexeme. Aberle, David F.: The Kinship System of the Kalmük Mongols. In: University of New Mexico Publications in Anthropology 8. Albuquerque, New Mexico 1953. pp. 3^18, on pp. 16, 30-34. 61

5 Bálint Näimen mingyan nasuta Namjil-cayan abayän köbün arban zuryan nasuta Zulu-Sara Arsalang gedek bätur, Kalm. Nämn mingyn nast Namjil cayän awgän köwün arwn zuryn nast Zul Sar Arslng gidg bätr. The epical names contain long epithets. In order to preserve the atmosphere, in the present tale and in the further texts long names are only partly translated in the texts. English equivalents are given to the age, kinship affiliation (whose son or daughter he or she is, who is his or her father or mother) and such words as khan, hero, prince, etc. The essential parts of the names - including colour designation - are rendered in simplified transcription At the first occurrence of the name - besides the transliteration of Bálint's record - the reconstructed contemporary Kalmyk form and a verbatim translation of the whole attributive expression is given in the notes. Namjil is of Tibetan origin, cf. Tib. rnam-rgyal. "victorious, complete victory, mystic", Namjil-cayän means "Namjil-white", Zul-Sar Arslng means "Lampe-yellow Lion". '"'' Bálint Aranzalin xurdun zérde gedek möritä sänji bolna

, Kalm. Arnzlin xurdn zérd gidg mör't sänj boln. For Arnzl cf. Fifth tale. 63

7 Bálint burxan cayan toloyai

, Kalm. burxn here means "saint, holy, blessed" cf. in Jangyr epic: burxn cayan mangnadan "k svojemu bozestvenno-belomu Ibu" (Todajeva 226). 63

8 Bálint Burxan cayan toloya germ 7 üden xorondu bululokson bolji. Kalm. Burxn cayän tolyä gerin n

' üdn xörnd bulítlgsn bolj: xorondu, Kalm. xörnd: bululokson. Kalm butülgsn This dream-motif contains an allusion on the belief concerning the door as the manifestation of boundary between sacred and profane worlds Buriying the head of the hero at such a place refers probably to the intermediate status of his departed soul if he will be killed. "'Bálint tat dundun 7, Kalm. tat dund «'. i. e. "in the middle of his domain"; a hyperbolic descriptive tale-motif of the hero's environment, cf. the next passage, too. 64

0 Bálint alaptäsun síneken yarciyabodik bolna, Kalm alwtnäs sinkn yarcyawdg boln. cf the previous note. 64

1 Bálintzöre, Kalm. zör'2. "Last, Besitz, Eigentum" (R. 479). 64

2 Bálint sädagin sunt. Kalm. sädgtn sumn "arrow for bow". Sumn indicates both bullets and arrows; with the epithet sädgin "of arrow" the story-teller emphasised that he is talking about an arrow. 96