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
- Put two sacks with mud on my both sides equally. If white foam appears behind my ears, cut off the two sacks with mud and throw them away. - Thereafter he put two sacks with mud on the horse's both sides equally and galloped away. Thereafter as the white foam appeared behind the horse's ears, he cut off the two sacks with mud, threw them away and galloped. Thereafter the horse sprang out of the dust and ran away. The eyes to see with got darkened; the ears to listen with got deaf. When the snake arrived at its hole, the lad hit it and the snake dropped the girl and disappeared in the hole. Thereafter Zul-shar Arslng asked the girl to hold the horse and ran into [the hole]. On one side [of the hole] there were a lot of boys and girls tied up. On the other side [of the hole] there were a lot of boys and girls tied up. In the bottom of the hole there were the male and the female snakes. The male snake was wriggling on a red five hundred kilogram (?) 65 9 stone the size of an ox. He shot [61] into the [male] snake's very heart and [his arrow] came out at its shoulder blade and tacked it immediately to the sky. He shot into the female snake's very bladder and tacked it to the ground. Then he pulled both bodies [out of the hole]. He cut both into six pieces and sat down. Meanwhile his younger [sworn] brother arrived. He said to his younger sworn brother: Khan Gärdi 6''" lives here. Go and show yourself to [Khan Gärdi] and run back without being caught. - His younger [sworn] brother left. The lad went to Khan Gärdi, showed himself and fled. Khan Gärdi pursued him. The lad arrived without being caught. Zul-shar Arslng said to [Khan Gärdi]: - You angry rascal!"' 1 Stop here! I called you hither that you eat these two snakes. - Khan Gärdi said: - I was hatching my eggs on a poplar tree. No other poplar is able to carry me. These two snakes coiled around my poplar tree and ate it. But as I am very big, I was not able to grasp [them]. Besides, I did not fit into their hole. - Saying it, he ate the [snakes' bodies] and left. Thereafter the two [lads] took the girl and left. They arrived back in the [territory] of the previously killed khan and got all [his people] moved [and told them]: - [I drew a map for you], where I marked with a long line, spend the noon, where I marked with a circle, spend the night and then go/' 6 2 - They both [the elder and younger sworn brothers] arrived ahead [of the others]. Thereupon the dependants who moved [after them] arrived and settled down. Zul-shar Arslng made the girl who was dropped from the snake's mouth his wife. 6 6' He married a nobleman's daughter to his younger sworn brother. Then, thereafter they both lived peacefully in joy. SEVENTH TALE (Bálint 7. Utu tülif 6 4 [62] Once upon a time 66 5 there lived 6" 6 an orphan boy. That boy ate 6" three times a day [what he received] for alms. 66 8 That boy had a black orphan calf, too. [He] rode his orphan calf. One day he was 65 9 Bálint tabun zun bolod kelän ükürin This expression needs further investigation. 66 0 Bálint Xän yäride, Kalm Xän Gärdi, Mong. Tarudi, Tardi, Qanyarudi, Kahl. Garid, Xangarid from Skr. Garuda The mythical bird of Indian origin overcomes harm and evil. It figures frequently in Mongolian folk tales as supporter (adviser, mount) of the hero and as a messenger as well. For the mythical role of the Garuda in the Mongolian folk religion, cf. Birtalan: Die Mythologie, p. 987. 66 1 Bálint urta elemer bilä ci; according to Basangova (BordZanova)'s suggestion: ürt elmr "angry rascal". 66 2 Typical motif in Kalmyk tales. 66 3 Bálint xatän. lit "his queen", cf. Kalm , Oir bawgä as "wife". Manuscript pp 62-67. 66 5 Bálint Kezänä sänji bolna. Cf. 2 n d tale. 66 6 Bálint bäidek sänji bolna. Kalm. bädg sänj boln "there have lived". 66 7 Bálint yül'iya üdik, cf Kalm. xotän ü-, xölxotän ü- "essen, speisen" (R. 454). 66 8 Bálint yül'iya. Kalm. yül'yan "Bitte, Werbung, Anbetung, die Almosen" (R 157), yül \ yül'yn (Mun. 171), Khalkhaguilga tüileg "begging" (Bawden 100). 99
