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
- I recognised that the good noble uncle's 77 6 whip is heavy. But it seemed to be light. - Thereafter the boy galloped [on his horse] and hit him and his horse. Thereafter the boy collected his father's bones, revived 77 7 him and sent him back home. The boy himself went to Ükr Khar Baatr's dependants. While he was going, a tiny red dust [cloud] 77 8 neared him from behind. Thereafter the boy stopped and waited for it; the man approaching was the son of our boy's sister. [92] Thereafter they went away [together]. They arrived at Ükr Khar Baatr's yurt and dismounted. Ükr Khar Baatr's wife had given birth to a son. They were upon to kill that boy, when he said: - Don't kill me; let's become [sworn] brothers! - They became [sworn] brothers with that boy. Thereafter they made Ükr Khar Baatr's dependants move and left. After making them move, they settled them near their yurt. The boy 7 7'' said to both his younger brothers to play close [to his yurt] and left to see his elder sister. While he was sitting at his sister's [home], there was some whispering. He went out and saw that Ükr Khar Baatr's son took his elder sister's son and ran away. Thereafter our boy pursued him from behind. But the pursued one was not to be caught up with. Thereafter the boy left his horse, and pursued him on foot and came closer to him within a fathom's distance. 78 0 He killed Ükr Khar Baatr's son and went home with his sister's son. Thereafter our boy married the daughter of the Ulaadaa 78 1 khan having long grey horse. He was not able to find a wife for his younger brother. Thereafter our boy heard the fame that the Ktlklt Khan living in the direction of the Sun rise 78 2 was going to marry his daughter and went there. He galloped for several years He galloped immeasurably much and arrived at the Kiiklt Khan. [93] Thereafter the boy hobbled his horse, entered into the khan's home and sat down. While he was sitting there, the khan said: - Give some milk brandy to this boy! - [The boy] drank seventy five times from a bowl that could be barely lifted by seventy people and asked again. He drank further, now twenty five times. 7 8' After drinking a hundred bowls of milk brandy he said: - As you are going to marry your daughter, I've come 78 4 to compete for her. - Thereafter the khan said: - To compete for my daughter one should identify and find her among one hundred girls. If you don't find her, we will kill you. - Thereafter the boy ran to his horse. Upon his arrival his horse said: - The khan told me to find his daughter from among one hundred girls and then take her. — Thereupon the horse said: - Those one hundred girls are dressed equally, they are a hundred similar girls. Go from one end [of the row] to the other end and look at them. Above the khan's daughter there flies a yellow midge 785 that is hardly visible for people. You look at it and recognise it. 78 6 - Thereafter the boy went to identify the khan's daughter. Upon his arriving, there were one hundred similar girls standing in one row. [94] Thereafter the boy went from one end [of the row] to the other end and looked at them. While looking at them there flew a small yellow fly above the khan's daughter. Thereafter the boy, saying "This is the girl." pulled her out [of the row] and returned [with her to the khan]. The girl was indeed [the khan's 7 " Bálint Axa sayin bäbin mal 'ägi kiindít yumun geji media bi. Kalm. Ax sän bäbän noyn maläg! kündyumn gej medlüw. Cf. Kalm. bäbä "father's brother" (Aberle: The Kinship System p 31). 7' 7 Reviving of the dead protagonists is a typical motif but here it is rather short and approximate. 77 8 Typical motif in Mongolian tales. 77 9 1 e. the main hero. 781 1 Bálint aldu gazartu / gazartan gülgül ügä kücäd bäräd abba, Kalm aid yazrt /yazrtän gülgül ügä kücäd bärädaww. 8 1 Bálint bürul möritä Ulada gedekxän, Kalm. bürl mörtä Ulädä gidgxän, cf. Tenth tale. 78 7 Bálint Naran yarxu üzüktü bäidek Kükiiltü xän gedek xän. Kalm. Narn yarx iizgt bädg Küklt xän gedg xän "Khan having a Braid living in the direction of the Sunrise". 78 3 Hyperbolic motif of Mongolian tales. 8 3 Bálint yabola bi, Kalm.yaivtóu' lit. "1 went". 78 5 The soul transformation of a living being, cf. Birtalan: Die Mythologie, p. 1038 8" Bálint Ci bolyaji xäl'ä. This expression needs further investigation 1 13
