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| P. Dmitriyev |
“Geser”. Inv. No 1567
P. Dmitriyev’s variant is written down from epic-teller P. Dmitriyev (Khankhaev) by D. Khiltukhin in 1941. It contains 6305 lines. The hand-written variant was edited in 1953.
The plotline
I. The introduction. In a brief poetical introduction it is said that Geser descends upon the Earth to do away with the evil and revengeful enemies and curb the invaders.
II. The preamble. Preserved here is a recurrent epical tradition, the narration starts with the description of the time of the actions: “very long ago”, “the onset of origination”. Born in those times in the western part of the sky was Khan-Khormusta-heaven, the head of the fifty five western heavens. He had thirty three bators, three hundred men-at-arms, three sons the youngest of the being Beligen Tugder-khubun (Geser in his earthly hypostasis). In the land of Tubejin there live the two of Geser’s uncles, one of them being Sargal Noyon and the other Khara Zutan. The head of the forty four eastern tengris is Atai Ulan, he has sixty six bators and six hundred men-at-arms.
III. Geser (Beigen Tugder)’s battle with Atai Ulan-tengri on the sky. The western and the eastern tengris quarrel because each of them wants to get possession of the Middle Segen Sebdeg-Sky. Atai Ulan demands that the Middle sky should be given to him due to the majority in number of the western tengris.
Beligen Tugder having come from his cradle wins the victory over Atai-Ulan’s three sons and throws them onto the earth where they turn into the three sharablin khans. Khan Khurmas’s bators also defeat and throw onto the earth the bators of the eastern tengries. Then Khan Khurmas and Atai Ulan begin to fight. Khan Khurmas wins the victory. He throws Atai-Ulan on the earth; from Atai Ulan’s body there come out the monsters: out of his head there comes out the Ogtonoi tiger; from his chest there comes out Gal Dulme khan, from his trunk – the Agyn Uula hill, from his hands – the Edir sandal tree (the young sandal tree).
IV. Geser’s descent onto the earth and his victory over the devils. In the land of the three tubejin khans the rivers get dry, the trees go dry, each day a hundred people and a hundred horses die. Sharakhan shamaness collects the slobber and the phlegm of the sick people and throws them onto the sky, as a result of this the porch of khan Khurmas’s palace gets fully destroyed. Khan Khurmas then learns of the misfortunes on the earth from the fortune book and asks Manzan-Gurme grandma for help, the latter advises that he should send one of his sons onto the earth to put an end to the disasters. Khan Khurmas calls a meeting of the celestials and asks his sons to get down onto the earth, it is Beligen Tugder nick-nameed as Nyuhata (snotnose) Nyurgai who is the only one ready to descend on the earth. He asks to give him a horse, weapon, a magic lash, spelled zadai stone, a snare; he also asks to let go with him his two uncles, his sisters, Noron Gokhon girl (Segen Sebdeg-tengri’s daughter), the thirty three bators and the three hundred men-at-arms.
Nyuhata Nyurgai descends to the nine yellow devils and declares that he is sent by the eastern tengris to help them to do away with the people. He proposes that they should get on back of his horses made of the bark and ride in front on the sea’s surface. Then he cleaves the water up to the very bottom so that the horses turn again into the bark, thus the devils get drowned in the sea. Nyuhata Nyurgai draws circles on the surface of the water with his magic stick lest the devils should get out of it for as long as a thousand years. He acts the same way with the ten black devils. In the Tubejin land the life gets revived again and there come the happy times. Nyuhata Nyurgai comes back to the sky.
V. Geser’s second birth. Beligen Tugder calls up dreams to his uncle Khara Zutan that one should get a grey and motley lark down onto the earth from the skies with help of a desecrated arrow. Khara Zutan catches the lark that turns into Naran Gokhon, taps out her eye and breaks her hand and then lodges her with Sengeleikhen old man on the shore of the Yellow sea. Sengeleikhen fishes, set traps for wild animals in the wood.
Nyuhata Nyurgai and his three cuckoo-sisters get born by Naran Gokhon. The boy stains all around, so his parents want to get rid of him. The father takes the child out of home.
VI. The first victories of the baby-bogatyr. Geser’s marriage to Tumen Jargalan. The eastern tengris sent onto the earth a huge wasp and a bee as big as a bull with the aim of killing Beligen Tugder when he is still small. The child gets them cleaved with a magic twig (cf. with P.Petrov’s variant). Sargal Noyon uncle finds the boy, gives him the name of Oldohon Olzogoikhon (Foundling) and tells him tend grazing the seventy red bull-calves together with his son. The boys eat the bull-calves (a similar motive is found in the P. Petrov’s variant and in the Mongolian version).
Sargal Noyon tests his sons. Olzogoikhon copes successfully with the tests making the Chinese pay with gold and silver, then he wins victory during the contests of the bridegrooms and gets as wife Tumen Jargalan, Turushe Bogdo-khan’s daughter (the plotline is close to that of P. Petrov’s variant). After Olzogoikhon got married he was now called Abai Geser.
VII. Geser’s marrying Alma Mergen. When hunting Abai Geser all of a sudden comes across a speedy horseman on back of a chestnut horse. Geser rides after him but cannot catch up with him. The one he was after hides in the sea, Geser catches up with him deep in the bosom of the sea. The horseman appears to be Alma Mergen, the daughter of the Master of the underwater kingdom Ukha Lobson khan. Having tamed the girl, Geser marries her. She gives him the oblivion meal and Geser forgets everything. He cannot go back to the sky to his father.
The burkhans send his three sisters to the earth to look for Geser. His sisters having turned into the ongoli birds get down to the sea bottom, find Geser, purify him from the oblivion food and restore his former look. Geser tells his daughter not to tell the mother that he returns to the sky. But Alma Mergen catches up with him, shoots off the tassel on Geser’s hat and then punishes her daughter. Geser together with Alma Mergen ascends to the sky and lives there together with his three wives: Urmai Gokhon, Alma Mergen and Tumen Jargalan.
VIII. The campaign of Geser and his bators. Geser sets out for a campaign together with his bators, men-at-arms and two uncles (the departure is not motivated). The bators and warriors in turn shoot the enormous Agy uula that shields the sky and closes the Sun. Geser shoots with an enchanted arrow from the distance of the three-days travel and destroys the mountain. He charms with the help of the magic stick and the zaadai stone the mountain so that it does not grow bigger. He also destroys the young sandal tree (Edir zandan modon) and entreats it not to grow bigger.
IX. Geser’s battle with the Ogtonoi tiger. Geser sets out for the fight with a monster of a huge size (as big as a hill, as tall as higher than a black cloud). He just flies into the monster’s mouth and stays there having set himself with help of the spear, cuts the monster’s main aorta of the monster with the sword of steel (Manzan Gurme-grandmothers’ gift). Geser gives the monster’s hide to his uncles, bators, warriors and his people. On the way home Geser’s uncle Khara Zutan falls into a hole and Geser in order to take him out hands him his knife with its blade pointed at him. Khara Zutan gets his palm wounded (the parallel in the Mongolian version: Geser gives his uncle Tsoton the sable in the same way).
X. Geser’s illness and recovery. Khara Zutan after having made a sacrificial offering consults the nine black devils inhabiting the underground how to harm Geser. The devils tell him that one should tie a desecrated ingluvies full of sheep’s blood to his wife Tumen Jargalan’s wife’s boot and let the calfs to the cows. Geser falls ill because of this sorcery. Tumen Jargalan learns from the book of fortune that she can save him only if she leaves for Abarga Sesen mangadkhai. On the way to him she crosses the magpie’s, the wolf’s and the bear’s valleys. (The episode has its parallel in P. Petrov’s variant and in the Mongolian version where the bogatyr wife’s departure to the mangadkhai is motivated as a compelled one). Geser recovers.
XI. Geser’s battle with Abarga Sesen mangadkhai. Geser sets out for the mangadkhai’ place to save his wife. He turnds into the two boys armed with a bow and arrows. The mangadkhai asks the boys to shoot aiming at the horse’s pellet on his head. The arrows hit the mangadkhai’s eye and he runs home. Geser hides himself under the hearth in the mangadkhai’s dwelling. Tuimen Jargalan learns that the mangadkhai’s soul is hidden in the cellar of his sister Yonkhoboi’s house in a black iron trunk in a silver box put into which is a golden box. Hidden in the latter are the twelve wasps and twelve quails (the mangadkhai’s soul embodiments). Geser as a three-year old mangadkhai’s son enters Yonkhoboi’s cell, gets hold of and kills all the wasps and quails. The mangadkhai dies (a similar motive see in the “Geser” Mongolian version).
Tumen Jargalan gives Geser the food with dope. Having taken it he becomes insane. He is sent to parture the mangadkhai’s seventy chestnut bull-calves.
XII. Geser’s battle with the sharablin khans. Setting Urmai Gookhon free. The sharablin khans Khara Gerel, Shara Gerel and Sagan Gerel living in the Sharaid valey send the Deeben bird in search of a wife for khara Gerel-khan. The magic bird brings the news of Geser’s wife Urmai Gokhon as the first beauty of the earth. The sharablin khans go to bring Urmai Gokhon and attack Geser’s headquarters. The bators, warriors and Geser’s two uncles meet the enemy, kill many of them and drive away their herds. Only Khara Zutan because of his being a coward betrays Geser.
Urmai Gokhon having assume the aspect of Geser together with Alma Mergen who turned into Buidan-bator courageously fight with the enemies. Khara Zutan informs the enemies that Geser’s wives assumed the men’s aspect. Alma Mergen is compelled to hide herself in the underwater kingdom. The sharablins cut Sargal Noyon’s head and capture Urmai Gookhon the beauty. Geser’s bators and warriors turn into hillocks and hummocks.
Urmai Gokhon throws Sargal Noyons cut off head onto the sky to the western tengries. Geser’s sisters turn in the magic ongoli birds, find and purify Geser of the haze. Geser punishes Khara Zutan for his betrayal.
Then Geser having turned into a hawk sets out for the Sharablin khans. Having turned into a yellow wasp he flies into the storehouse where Urmai Gookhon is locked. He advises Urmai Gookhon to give a consent to get married to Khara Gerel-khan and he himself enters her belly. Urmai Gookhon gives birth to a son who is given the name of Olzodo Olzogoikhon (Foundling). Olzogoikhon who has quickly grown up easily breaks during the contests the bow of the strong Erkhe Khara Nyuden and does away with him. The Sharablin khans are quite content for a mighty bator is growing who is worthy of Geser. Olzogoikhon tells the a false news of Geser’s attack. In the battle as if with Geser he kills the warriors of the sharablin khans and then he consecutively wins the victory over the sharablin khans themselves. After victory Geser come hole together with Urmai Gokhon.
XIII. Geser’s battle with Gal-Dulme-khan. In the place of the Tubejin khans the Gal Dulme-khan devours the people and the cattle. The Tubejin khans send Zodoi-bator to Abai Geser. Geser’s bators and his uncle Sargal Noyon persuade Geser to attack Gal Dulme-khan. At first Geser refuses as he isn’t as strong as the enemy but the bators insist and Geser starts the battle. Gal Dulme-khan with his sixty five bators comes out to meet Geser.
The first to attack are the bators, Geser’s bators win the victory. Then fighting are the heads of the warriors. The superiority in the battle is on Gal Dulme’s part who possesses a thousand and three kinds of transmutation and ten thousand magics.
Manzan Gurme-the gransmother descends Zasa Shukher-mergen from the skies to help Geser who throws a blue magic crystal conjuring that it hits the monster’s main eye. As a result gal Dulme dies.
Zasa Shuker-mergen feasts together with his bators and warriors at Galtai Gokhon-khatan’s place, the monster’s wife. Geser cuts her with his dirk of steel and from her womb there falls out a boy with an iron body. Zasa Shuker cannot cope with him. Geser calls from the sky the seventy seven celestial smiths, they get him fluidized in the blacksmith's shop but it goes up to the forty four eastern heavens. Geser comes back home.
XIV. Thurning of Geser into a donkey and salvation of him by Alma Mergen. Geser meets the mangadkhai’s younger son when hunting and beats him for he hunts in the alien land. Lobsogoldoi’s elder aunt, Yonkhoboi by name advises that he should turn Geser into a donkey. She gives him a golden cup made of the sticking of her right leg and thus desecrated. On the aunt’s advice Lobsogoldoi turns into a lama and serves in a temple. Urmai Gokhon brings Geser to the temple to ask for the children. Lobsogoldoi blesses Geser with a desecrated golden cup and he turns into a donkey. The lama takes Urmai Gokhon as his wife.
Having turned into a hawk Alma mergen flies to Lobsogoldoi’s aunt and watches her. The Alma Mergen causes a strong heat and Yenkhoboi goes to the lake to bathe. Alma Mergen makes sleep for 80 days and nights and herself having assumed her look goes to Lobsogoldoi. That one wants to know whether his own aunt is in front of him or she is substituted for by someone else. Alma Mergen makes Urmai Gokhon confirm that she is the true Yonkhoboi, then asks to give the donkey. She is closely watched by Losogoldoi’s bators but she manages with the help of charms to so “turn” their eyes lest they should notice the deception. Alma Mergen brings Geser to the sources of the nine springs and washes him with the spring water. Then she returns home.
Irgai and Dargai, Zasa Shukher-mergen’s sons, having seen through a celestial door Geser transformed into a donkey tell Manzan Gurme-grandma about this. With her magic stick she lets in a black cloud with hail, the donkey eats the hailstones and becomes strong. Manzan Gurme-grandma learns from the book of fortune that Lobsogoldoi can be defeated only by Alma Mergen and sends her the three sisters – Geser’s defenders to persuade her to save her husband. Alma Mergen sets out to search Geser together with Buidan Ulan-bator.
XV. Geser’s battle with Lobsogoldoi. Geser sets out for a battle with Lobsogoldoi. On his way he sees a fox that runs across the road, she appears to be a werewolf, the sister of Lobsogoldoi himself. She offers that he should come to lobsogoldoi as a child as if sent by the forty four eastern tengries. Lobsogoldoi takes the child and gives him the name of Oldokhon Olzogoikhon (Foundling). Olzogoikhon builds a palace and invites his “parents” Lobsogoldoi and Urmai Gokhon. Geser calls seventy seven celestial smiths that try to melt Lobsogoldoi, but the latter manages to break off having broken the palace’s wall. Geser presses Lobsogoldoi with nine hills and leaves two strong men with sledge-hammers. After that the bator comes back home.
XVI. Geser’s revival of Gumel-khan’s wife. The Chinese khan Gumel mourns for his dead wife Naran Gokhon during nine days and nights. In the book of fortune it is said that she might be revived only by Geser. The khan sends him his two envoys and two darkhans-smiths and promises to give him Khitar Gokhon girl as wife. Geser becomes aware that to revive the khan’s wife one should fill up the three underground cells with the sinew of the ants that can be at the disposal of only Manzan Gurme-grandma. Geser demands that Gumel-khan should give him the heads of the seven smiths. Having obtained them he fills them up with the hard drinks and flies up to Manzan Gurme-grandy. He treats her with the drinks from the seven cups, opens her yellow steel box, takes the sinew of the ants and descends upon the earth. Having awakened Manzan Gurme throws behind him the seven cups which turn into the constellation of Dolon Ubged (the Great Bear), sprinkles her breast milk, as a result there forms up the Ogtorgoyin Oyodol (the Milky way).
Having come to the Chinese khan Geser fills up the underground – the hell with the sinew of the insects. The khan’s wife gets revived and Gumel-khan gives him his daughter Khitar-Gokhon as wife. Having come back home Geser sends back the Chinese princess.
The concluding part correlates with the corresponding parts of the Mongolian and Tibetan versions. Included into the narration is the cosmogonic myth of the ancient Buryats on the origin of the Pleiades and constellations which is taken to be one of the earliest mythological tales of the creation of the Universe.
