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.

ETHNOGRAPHICA CALMYCICA

pipes (Bálint tämkiän nereji tatäd

, Kalm. tämkän nerj tatäd) and progress talking with each other [to the spring camp]. Well, the maids with plaited hair (Bálint gijigetä kükiid, Kalm. gijgtä kükd)

u2] mount and ride [horses with] silvered saddle and bridle (Bálint mönggötä emäl xazar toxäd, Kalm. möngn emel xazär toxäd). Upon nearing a camp or the base of a tent, the young men and the maids with plaits the horse race starts."

2

2 They compete with or without betting. A z(Ä«g-nobleman"

2' [moves] followed by his accompanying persons he competes with them. As for the zäxwg-nobleman's wife's suit, she is followed by maids. They compete similarly to the young men. When they arrive at the camp, they build the yurt together. After building it, they cook tea. The tea having been prepared, it is strained and the best part of it is poured into a little cup (Bálint cökcidü, Kalm. edged) and placed at the honoured place [of the tent] (Bálint dédü biyedän

, Kalm. déd bJdän)

U2

A Then some tea is scooped up with a ladle for drinking, it is sprinkled through the door as an offering for the spirits (Bálint zuluk, Kalm. zw/y)."

2

5 [...]

112

6 Moving from the spring camp to the winter camp is the same as described above. But all kinds of the livestock do not drop [young in winter time] unlike [the description] above [concerning the spring time]. I have written a few words about the Kalmyks' nomadising. Well, I wrote this writing from start to finish in order to provide an interesting read for a person from a foreign country. ABOUT HOW THE KALMYKS PASTURE THEIR LIVESTOCK (Bálint Xal 'imiyüd

yayaji malän xäriüldek tuskin

'/', Kalm. Xal 'myüdyäj malän xäriildg tusk n ')

112

7 [149] We Kalmyks have got four kinds of livestock (Bálint dörbön ziisn, Kalm. dörwn züsn): sheep, cattle, camel and horse; these four ones (Bálint xöin

, iikür, temän, mörin, Kalm. xön, iikr, temän, mörri). When the Kalmyks pasture sheep during the three seasons, in spring, summer and autumn, three girls or three boys go with the sheep. They get up with the yellow morning light and drive sheep (Bálint xöiyän tüyäd, Kalm. xögän tüyäd) to the pasture with good grass. They [the herd] graze from morning up to noon. Then at noon they drive [the herd] home and let it lie and rest for a while. Meanwhile [the shepherds] eat their food at home. Then three men drive the sheep to the well (Bálint xuduk, Kalm. xudg) for water (Bálint xöiyän usulna, Kalm. xögän uslri). Two of those three men go to the head of the well and put the trough (Bálint ongyoc, Kalm. ongyc) for watering the sheep on an elevation (Bálint dender

, Kalm. dendr)"

2

8 made of clay at the head of the well. The height (dendr

) is a square clay heap similar to a chest. The trough (ongyc) is similar to a chest [too], but it is longish in comparison [to a chest]. In addition, there is a bucket (Bálint utuxur, Kalm. utxür)"

2

9 attached to the end of a pillar (Bálint sürug, Kalm. sürg)."'

0 This bucket is called utxc (Bálint utxuca, Kalm. utxc) "well-bucket"

1

1'

1 by the Kalmyks. One person takes that bucket and stands on the steps (Bálint, Kalm. 112

1 I. e. girls wear braids before getting married (cf. chapter: The Wedding of the Kalmyks (Oirats)). 112

2 In details cf. chapter: Horse racing. Wrestling and Stealing. 112

3 Bálint zäisang. Kalm. zäsng, cf. Song Nr. 16 112

3 The honoured place of the yurt referred in many texts (including Bálint's tales) as the barctn

; cf. note to the Fourth tale. 112

5 Bálint zuluk, Kalm. zuly örgexe "den Himmelsgöttern Tee als Opfer darbringen (der Opfernde tritt mit einem Fuß über die Schwelle des Zeltes und spritzt mit den Fingern aus Napf den Tee nach außen) " (R. 480). 112

6 Bálint uru tataksan caktän, this expression needs further investigation. 112

7 Manuscript pp 149-153. For the contemporary pasturing of the five kinds of livestock among the Oirats and the Khalkhas, cf. Birtalan. Ágnes: Pasture (beleér), grazing (mai belcéx, mal xariulax, malm xariulga) and Birtalan. Ágnes: Five kinds of livestock (tawanxosü mal) and pertinent activities (mal mallaga). In: Material Culture. (DVD). 112

8 Bálint, dender. Kalm. dendr "Erdehöhung (z. B unter dem Sauftrog od. unter der Feuerstätte)" (R 87) "zemljanoje vozvyäenije (na k.-rom razvodjat kostjor)" (Mun. 199). M

2'' Bálint utuxur. Kalm.D utxür "ein lederner Eimer für Milch od. Wasser, Kalm.ö. Kübel. Brunneneimer" (R. 453), utxur "vedro (koZanoje)" (Mun. 540). Bálint sürugin üzürtii, read süry

. sury cf. Kalm.D.O. süray, suruy "Stange (womit z. B. die Filzdecke des Rauchlochs von Innen gehoben wird) vgl. baxna

" (R. 370), süray "id." (Mun. 684). 113

1 Bálint utuxuca, read utxc Kalm. utxac "Brunneneimer" (R. 453), utxc "öerpak, Cerpalka" (Mun 540). 154