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
sleeves are also turned up and a flask sewn from cattle skin similar to a pail (Bálint sülya bäideltä bortoxän , Kalm. süly bädltä bortxän ) is put between the person's thighs [and milk the cow]." 4 4 After finishing the milking, the calf is joined again with the cow. Then the calf is tied again, a bowl or a pail taken and [the cow] is milked. That milk is called xöt iwlcn (Bálint xöitö ibelcen) "late, next milking". From a good milking cow one gets a pail or leather flask of milk. From a bad milking cow one gets a half pail or a half leather flask of milk. After milking the cattle is watered and driven to the [grazing] place. The cattle go by themselves [to the pasture] and come back in the evening when the sun sets. They are milked again when they come back. [152] Our Kalmyks get up early, untie the camels from the rope, water them at the well and give them for grazing to the person who pastures them. The man who pastures the camels is called teméc (Bálint temäci, Kalm. temäc) "camel-herder". That camel-herder takes a lot of cidm drink (with him) in the hot season and pastures [the camels] from morning until the evening darkness. When it has got dark, he takes [the camels] home. After he has driven [the camels] home, their owners pick their camels and tie them turning [their heads] down. ' 14 5 [153] Our Kalmyks water their horses (Bálint, Kalm. adüyän) in the morning and water them at noon and after darkness. For watering, some people collect and drive the horses from the meadow to the well and water them in separate groups. A few people drive back the horses that have already drunk to the destined [pasturing] place. il4 h Well, the mares (Bálint gügi , Kalm. güg) are milked. ABOUT THE MILK OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS OF THE KALMYK(S) (Manuscript Xal 'imigin malm üsiinä tuski, 114 7 Grammar Khal'imagtn malin üsiinäi tuski,Kalm. Xal 'mgin malin üsnä tusk ) [Manuscript 154; Grammar 205] What are the Khalmyks making with the milk in the season of the spring? The catties of the Khalmyk(s) suckle commonly in the first month of the spring (i. e. in February). The Khalmik-man is that time rejoicing at the abundance. The cows (prop, the milk of their own cattle) milk commonly the daughters of the Kalmiks; when milking they tuck up their both skirts, turn up their both sleeves and putting the milking vessel (bortokha) - made by sewing out of the (hairless) skin of cattle and having the shape bucket - between their feet, milk. A good milking cow gives a bucket milk and a bad one gives half a bucket, The Khalmik girls after having put the (milked) milk into a narrow mouthed and three [...] vessel (arkhad, arkhat) made out of the (hairless) skin of camel and smoked, churn and make it turned. The turned or soured milk is called airak (pron. äirek). After that they churn it yet for the time of milking a mare thrice and while churning the butter will be separated, They gather the separated butter with a ladle, put it on a plate and by beating it with the hand express its butter-milk. [Grammar 206] The milk, which after having been taken away its butter, remains in the vessel, is called tshigän (butter milk). They pour that butter-milk into the large kettle used to distil spirit which they put upon the iron trivet (having three feet). This done, they cover the kettle with a wooden lid consisting of two halves. That wooden lid of two halves has two square apertray (holes); to the one of them they put stopper and to the other one they adapt a distilling pipe (tsorgho) and damb with paste (so as to make ""Bálint arcik. Kalm. arcag, "die Geschlechtsteile (sowohl der Männer wie auch der Weiber, die Sehnen zwischen Anus und Geschlechtsteilen" (R. 15), Kalm D ärcag Geburtsteile, die Sehnen zwischen Anus und Penis, die Schamteile, das Fleisch zwischen der Schenkeln" (R. 21), by Munijev it designates simply "promeZnost' " (Mun. 19), cf. Khal. ärcag "pelvis" (Bawden 2). 114 5 Bálint ürü xätälyaji keredek lit. "tie them having them look downwards". " 4" Bálint tere yazar talan 'i lit. "towards that place". Manuscript pp. 154-161. 114 8 Grammar pp. 205-213. In this chapter Bálint's translation from the Grammar will be provided. The text in the Grammar is almost identical with the one in the Manuscript, however the sequence of passages differs occasionally. A major divergence arose only in the subchapter on Ewe milk , as the text in the Grammar is combined with the description of subchapter: About how the Kalmyks Shear the Sheep. NB! I have not changed Bálint's spelling. 156
