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| P. M. Tushemilov |
“Abai Geser Bogdo khan”. Inv. No 1577.
Written down from the epic-teller P. M. Tushemilov by expert of folklore I. N. Madason in November 1940 in the ulus of Mel’khitui (now the Nukut fistrict of the Irkutsk region). The volume of the variant is 93 pages of typescript, the line numbers are lacking.
P. Tushemilov’s variant is upon the whole close to P.Petrov’s variant. The differences are in the plane of the character of the exposition of some of the episodes, the completeness of certain plot lines and personages’ characteristics.
The plotline
I. Introduction. A brief poetical introduction prepares the audience to the proper perception by the listeners of the epical tale creating a certain emotional frame of mind.
II. The preamble. The narration starts with the description of “the remote” time. Khan Khurmas is at the head of the fifty five western tengris. Residing in the sky together with him is his family: Dere Sesen wife, his parents, Manzan Gurme-grandma, the three sons, the three sisters, whereas in “the lower Zambi”, i.e. on the Earth there live his three younger brothers. Khan Khormusta is surrounded by by the thirty three bators, three hundred warlords or commanders, three thousand warriors. In opposition to them are the forty four eastern tengries headed by Atai Ulan who also lives together with his family, men-at-arms and warriors.
The conflict among the western and eastern tengris occurs because of the daughter of the middle Segen Sebdeg-tengri, the girl Seseg Nogon by name at the contest of the bride grooms organized by her father. Khan Khurmas’s son Zasa Shuker having won the rivals – Atai Ulan’s sons throws them upon the Earth where they turn into the three sharablin khans and do evil, cause calamities in the lands and possessions of the Tugeshin khans. Zasa Shuker obtains as wife Segen Sebdeg-tengri’s daughter.
III. The battle in the sky with Atai Ulan-tengri. Between the western and eastern tengris there flames up hostility. Khan Khurnas bators win the victory over Atai Ulan khan’ bators. A small child Bukhe Beligte (future Geser), Khan Khormusta’s middle son, leaves his cradle, learns from Manzan Gurme grandma that Atai Ulan’s soul is in the little toe of his right leg.
IV. Geser’s descent upon the Earth. In the land of the Tugeshin khans the people die out from the diseases and calamities. A shaman woman throws a cup full of the secretion and excretion (as a result of diseases) of the people onto the sky to Manzan Gurme grandma who tells Esege Malan-tengri of the calamities on the Earth. Khan Khormusta asks his three sons to descend on the Earth. Bukhe Beligte having taken with him his brother, the prophetic red horse and the three sisters descends on the Earth. So that on the Earth there should stop the diseases he sucks with a silver tube the poisonous yellow mist. Naran Gokhon as a varicoloured lark descends on the Earth and turns into a girl. Khara Zutan, Bukhe Beligte’s uncle broke her hand, leg andput out her eye. She is married to one of the tugeshin khans and sent together with him to expulsion.
The full variant of P. Tushemilov’s uliger or epic was published under the title of “Abai Geser” (8051 poetical lines) in Ulan-Ude in 2002. The scientific recording was completed by N.M. Boldonova, the translation, the introductory article and the epilogue were completed by S. Sh. Chagdurov.
