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.

KALMYK VERNACULAR AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE

Instantia: On the 14

l

h of (the month) May of the last year we had after the manner of the Khalmyks betrothed to our son the daughter of the man called Gharai'' (son of Tshidshibi

l s subject to the chieftain (zaisang'

6') of the clan Merket

1

6" of our tribe (Erketen).

16

1 Now recently I heard a man called Zamba (son of Arghaba'

6' of the same clan with Gharai, has taken with force the daughter of the same Gharai and married to his son. (Therefore) I am by informing humbly requesting the Administration of this

16

3 tribe, to get summoned the above mentioned Gharai (son of Tshidshibi and Zamba (son of Arghaba to make inquisition and to levy upon that which will be found guilty my expenses made at the mentioned occasion [and time]'

6

4. TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TRIBE KHOSHUUT

165 (Bálint Xosüt nutugln parbalendüf '

6 Statement of Ülümjiin Ochir,"'

7 subject of the Chichib"'

8 area

16

9 of division chieftain

17

0 Doyolud

17

1 of the present territory [i. e. the Khoshuud]. On the seventh of this month the peasant (,muzik)

m called Kavril Sarancob'

" front Öndör seleng

174 and his companions, thirteen persons, came to my camp and drove my thirteen horned cattle away. When I asked 'Why are you driving my cattle away?', the [above] mentioned Sarancob responded 'The traces of twelve cattle stolen from me come to the surroundings of your camp and here disappear. Find those of my cattle and take back your cattle [instead].' In addition, I would say that when the above mentioned peasants came to my camp, 1 had just come back from the Kalmyk market.

1

7' The reason why I went there was to sell my own five kinds of 15

7 Bálint Garai, Kalm. Garä (?), according to Basangova (Bordzanova) male proper name. 15

8 Grammar CijibTn Tarai, Bálint (Manuscript

) Ciji l'arä, Kalm. CiJiwTn Tarä (?), father's name (the genitive suffix lacks in the Manuscript) and given name (male proper name). Basangova (Borditanova) gave further information on this name appearing also as family name, cf. Cidzijev. 15

9 Cf. note to Song Nr. 16. 16

0 Clan name Merkid cf. Schorkowitz. Dittmar: Die soziale und politische Organisation bei den Kalmücken (Oiraten) und Prozesse der Akkulturation vom 17. Jahrhundert bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Frankfurt am Main - Bern - New York - Paris, Peter Lang 1992. passim. 16

1 Territorial unit Erketen cf. Schorkowitz: Die soziale und politische Organisation bei den Kalmücken, passim. 16

2 Grammar Aryaban Zamban. Bálint (Manuscript

) Aryaban Zamban. Kalm. AryawTn Zamb/Zambn (?), cf. Khal Jamba (from Tib Byams pa) "Maitreya (next buddha), kindness, love, benevolence, friendliness, mercy, loving-kindness" 1

6 Grammar cf. ene, Bálint (Manuscript) tin

'/'. "

,

J Grammar nerädeksen caktän, Bálint (Manuscript) caktän. 16

5 Kalm. xoäüd, an Oirat ethnic group, cf. Schorkowitz: Die soziale und politische Organisation bei den Kalmücken, passim. 1

6" Manuscript pp. 176-177. 16

7 Bálint Ülümjin OCir, Kalm. ÜlmjTn OCir father's name (in genitiv case) and male proper name; ÜlmJ (from Mong. ülümji "abundance") OCir (from Skr. vajra Thunderbolt, "sceptre"). "'

8 The area must be identified involving further sources. 16

9 Bálint aimek. Kalm. ämg "territorial division based on blood relationship originally. Cf. Schorkowitz: Die soziale und politische Organisation, pp.286-288. Kalm. ämag, ämeg "Clan, Volksabteilung, Stamm, Provinz, Bezirk" (R. 26), ämg "rod. plemja" (Mun. 62). 171

1 Bálint ängi-zäiseng, Kalm. änggi zäsng. For the unit ängi cf. "Daneben gab es einen privaten aristokratischen Erbanteil am Nutuk, der 'ängi' genannt wurde. Zumeist hatte die Aristokratie hier für sich die besten Weide- und Jagdgebiete reserviert." Schorkowitz: Die soziale und politische Organisation, p. 292. Kalm. änggi "Teil, Stück, Abteilung, Stamm (des Volkes)" (R. 23), "rod, plemja" (Mun. 68). 17

1 On the clan Doyolud. cf. Schorkowitz: Die soziale und politische Organisation bei den Kalmücken, pp. 1

22-123 17

2 Bálint indicated the accused person with the Russian expression muzik. 17

4 Bálint Kavril Saroncob, cf. Russ. Gavril Saroncov. 17

4 Bálint Öndör Seleng is a toponym; its whereabouts needs further research. Basangova (Bord2anova) identified it with Öndör Selo in the vicinity of Astrakhan. 17

5 Cf. note in the Introduction, where Bálint's stay in Astrakhan is discussed. 34