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
- The khan told me [the following]: 'There is sea in the direction of the rising sun, once I left a yellow spotted cow on the island of the sea. From that one cow there must be one hundred cows now. Bring me those cows!' - [102] His wife said: - That is right. No leave and go around that sea. While going [around the sea] a path will become visible for you. Go along that path and throw a lasso on that yellow spotted cow. Pull it and as that cow comes out, the others will follow it. - Thereafter Ulaadaa Baatr left. He arrived at that sea and went around it. While going [around that sea] a path became visible for him. Ulaadaa Baatr went along that path, threw a lasso on the yellow spotted cow and caught it. The other cows also followed it. Ulaadaa Baatr brought them to the khan. Thereafter he called his son, seated them beside him and said to him and Ulaadaa Baatr: - You two, listen to me! Did I send Ulaadaa Baatr to see the winter camp, the spring camp and the autumn camp? - Thereupon his son said: - It is true. - Did he say, that 'When I went to look around in the winter camp, there was a poor teal 81 5 eating its food on the wide sea shore? That teal's food was taken and eaten by a pike.'? - That is true. - Said his son. - That wide sea is me, the poor teal is this Ulaadaa Baatr, [103] his food is his wife and the one called pike are you, my son. Whatever happens, you are the khan's son, and you can find a wife everywhere, can't you? - And [the khan] smacked him in the face. - Did he say 'When I went to look around in the spring camp, there was a bird called white-tailed eagle eating its food on the top of a high tree. Its food was taken and eaten by a goshawk.'? Thereupon his son said: - That is true. - That high tree is me, the bird called white-tailed eagle is this Ulaadaa Baatr, his food is his wife and the goshawk are you, you my son. Whatever happens, you are the khan's son, and you can find a wife everywhere, can't you? - And [the khan] smacked him in the face. - Did he say 'When I went to look around in the autumn camp, there was a poor fox of three fathom length in the reed 8"' eating its food? Its food was taken and eaten by a wolf.'? - Thereupon his son said: - That is true. - That reed is me, the fox of three fathom length is this Ulaadaa Baatr, his food is his wife and the wolf are you, you my son. Whatever happens, you are the khan's son, and you can find a wife everywhere, can't you? - And [the khan] smacked him in the face. [104] Thereafter the khan chased away his own son and made Ulaadaa Baatr his son [instead of him] and they lived peacefully in joy. THIRTEENTH TALE (Bálint 13. Utu tül if [105] Once upon a time 81 8 there lived 8 1' a khan. He had a daughter. That maid was called fifteen-yearold Aragn'i Dangn'i maid. 8 2" If there was somebody who came to propose to his daughter, the father 81 3 Bálint here sörökä , cf. above. In the previous passage about the fox this lexeme is missing from the epithet 81 7 Manuscipt pp. 105-114 81 8 Bálint Kezänä sänji bolona. 81 9 Bálint Bäidek sänji bolna. "There have lived". 821 1 Bálint Árban tabun nasär bäidek Aragn'i Dangn'i, Kalm. Arwn tawn nasär bädg (cf. also arwn town naslä) Aragn' Dangn'i "Aragn'i, Fairy who was fifteen years old". The use of the instrumental ( nasär bädag) refers to the process of living; the typically used expression is naslä (sociative) and refers to a more static situation. For parallel texts cf. Thirteenth. Fourteenth tales. 117
