Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch

Epic of King Gesar -Translation by Sarangerel Odigon. As the Epic of King Gesar is considered one of the longest poems ever transcribed from oral tradition, it is no wonder, as the act of translation of such a poem is a heroic act in itself.

I have re-posted this as a table of contents to act as a guide to facilitate the reading of this text, and have included the index at the end of each tract to make it easier to follow.

Incarnate from the right arm
Of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Endowed with great magical powers,
Having mighty sorcerous powers,
With a body forty haraa long,
A mouth four haraa wide,
This monstrous animal,
This demonic being,
The master of the Taiga
Orgoli the giant tiger,
Formed his body
In the virgin forests on the northern flank
Of the world mountain Humber Uula.
Having a body as massive as a cliff,
He lay there as enormous as a mountain.
His upper jaw knocking against the heavens,
His lower jaw biting the earth.
Munching and chewing the black trees
At the edge of the taiga,
Taking them into his massive mouth,
Gulping them down roots and all.
He gobbled up the people
Living within the distance of forty haraa,
He swallowed up the animals
Living within the distance of sixty haraa.
Devastating the surface of the earth
He started turning it into a wasteland,
Spreading suffering and danger
On the surface of the broad world.
Vowing to himself to make trouble
For the three Tugshen khans,
He began to overturn
Their happiness and fortune.
Growling to himself
He vowed to attack Abai Geser,
Snarling to himself
He vowed to battle Abai Geser.
Abai Geser knew very well what has happening,
He understood it very well, saying:
“Clouds and mist cannot be separated
From the summit of a tall mountain,
War and battle cannot be separated
From the time when there is an evil enemy.”
Calling all of his thirty three warriors
He said to them:
“When an enemy comes from afar,
He cannot be allowed to enter one’s homeland,
When an enemy invades from close by,
He cannot be allowed to enter one’s native land.
On the forested north side of Humber Uula,
A monstrous animal,
A demonic being,
The master of the taiga,
Orgoli the giant tiger
Has gone on the warpath,
He was gone on the road to battle!
Throwing into confusion the history and order
Of the three Tugshen khans,
He has gobbled up and swallowed
Ten thousand of their subjects.
Listen carefully for the enemy coming from afar,
Watch closely for the enemy coming from close by!
You who are like the cloudless sun,
You who are like an unbending reed,
My thirty three warriors,
We are born from the Milky Way
Of the great high heavens,
We are sent to this sacred earth
To protect its borders.
Mend what is torn,
Sew what is ripped,
Fix what is broken,
Weld what is cracked.
When the yellow sun of tomorrow’s morning is rising
Prepare your horses to ride to battle!”
Thus he commanded them.
Geser’s thirty three warriors said:
“We shall go to the intended place
With fortune and destiny,
We shall travel to battle
With good luck and prosperity.”
These famous warriors,
These skillful archers
Said this blessing,
Puffing out their mighty chests,
Strengthening their great sinews,
Hardening their mighty bodies,
They strengthened their white tendons!

This having happened
Thirty three warriors made swift preparations,
They made wise preparations.
Mending what was torn,
Sewing what was ripped,
Fixing what was broken,
Welding what was cracked.
When the next morning’s sun was rising
Thirty three warriors gathered together.

This having happened
The two princely uncles of Geser
Having prepared themselves at home
Came to the palace of Abai Geser.
Geser’s thirty three warriors
Called Beligen the bay horse
The steed with a mighty body,
Who was grazing among the
Thirteen Altai Mountains,
Who was strengthening himself among the
Twenty three Huhii Mountains,
Calling with the call of the meadowlark
They whistled for him and he came.
Leading him over gravel
They hardened up his black hooves,
Leading him over ice
They strengthened his round hooves,
Tying him in a windy place
They made him swallow the winds,
Tying him in an open place
They made him swallow a tornado.
Making him drink black water out of a cup,
Making him eat a handful of black hay,
Leading him into a mountainous place
They made him strong as an eagle,
Leading him out on the flatlands
They made him strong as a falcon.
Laying on a silk edged saddle blanket,
Laying on a chased silver saddle,
Laying on a fine silver crupper on his flanks,
Laying on blue silver breast straps over his shoulders,
Adjusting a girth of ten straps,
Tightening a girth of twenty straps,
Geser said: “I have put on my horse’s beautiful things!”
He brought Beligen the bay horse
To the silver hitching post,
Tethering him with his fine red reins.

This having happened
Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen
Opened up the trunks and chests,
Taking out the best of his clothing.
Abai Geser prepared himself,
Putting on his armor and weapons.
He pulled on his black pants
Sewn from the hides of seventy deer,
He tugged on his black boots
Sewn from sealskin.
He pulled on his silk deel
That he wore into battle,
Buttoning its seventy buttons
With the strength of his thumb.
He wound around his waist
A silver sash ten ells long
Winding it strongly and tightly.
He turned around in the light of the door as he dressed,
Dusting off dirt and garbage,
He turned around in the light of the smokehole,
Patting off dust and lint.
He put on a black cuirass
That would not be penetrated by seventy years’ rain,
That would not be penetrated by seventy arrows,
Hanging his silver decorated bowcase on his right side,
Hanging his silver decorated quiver on his left side,
Taking his silvery steel sword
That was never scratched by the hardest bone,
That was never softened by the hottest blood,
He hung it on his left side.
Putting his heroic yellow bow
Of seventy laminations in its bowcase,
He put seventy five arrows in his quiver,
He put ninety nine arrows in his quiver,
So that they would be like shade in the heat of the summer,
So that they would be a great help in the cold of winter.
He put on his fluffy mink hat
That was big as a haystack,
That was decorated with thick tassels;
He put on top of it a helmet
That was a white as a star.
Gleaming like the sun,
He rustled like the leaves of a tree.

This having happened
He melted spider oil in his mouth
So that he would not be hungry for ten years,
He anointed his nose with worm oil
So that he would not be hungry for twenty years.
Geser said:
“I have put on my equipment,
My time for preparation is finished,
It is time to ride!”
He opened his massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
He stepped over the granite threshold in a pure way,
Going down the silver steps
Over which a mare and her foal could run,
Walking without stumbling on the silver walkway
Over which a mare and her colt could run,
He came to the silver hitching post
And pulled loose his red reins.

The steed with a powerful body
With wisdom in his bones,
Beligen the bay horse,
Was blessed by Abai Geser:
Saying magic words upon his flanks
He became like a foal
Saying magic words on his shoulders
He became like a colt.
Taking his black handled quirt in his right hand,
Taking the red reins in his left hand,
Putting his foot in his massive silver stirrup
He swung into his chased silver saddle.

Turning around sunwise by the hitching post
He rode off toward the north side of Humber Uula.
His two princely uncles rode at his two sides,
So that their stirrups were almost touching,
The thirty three warriors followed three by three,
They rode off to fight and kill the master of the taiga–
Orgoli the giant tiger.

Geser and his two princely uncles beside him,
Their stirrups almost touching,
His warriors following three by three,
Thundered as they trotted down the khan’s straight road,
They glittered as the galloped down the people’s broad road.
Riding over the crests of mountains,
Riding over the treetops,
They rode so that the earth was shaking,
So that waves splashed on the shore of the Milk Sea,
So that the world mountain Humber Uula was trembling.
They flew across thirteen ridges,
They folded together twenty three ridges
Jumping across them all at once,
They trotted making what was distant near,
They galloped making two places one,
Trotting along the lower edge of the sky,
Galloping above the fluffy white clouds.
Flying along faster than the wind of the skies,
Racing faster than the stars,
Helped along by the black wind of the heavens
Racing faster than the round moon,
Looking dark as eagles they soared like eagles,
Whistling like arrows shot by hunters
They flew in a line like migrating geese.
Riding with all their might,
Going as fast as they could,
They left their nourishing homeland
Into a country cold to man.
Looking tremendous as they traveled,
Looking like a party riding to a celebration,
Riding a distance of hundred haraa
Without touching their reins,
Riding a distance of a thousand haraa
Without using their quirts,
Riding with all their might,
Going as fast as they could.
They came to a mighty tall snowy mountain
Which stood as an obstacle on their path.
When Geser looked up
It was so tall an eagle could not fly over it,
When he looked down
He could not see a pass by which he could cross.
He said:
“There is no way to travel over this mountain
An eagle cannot fly over this cliff.”
He was very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury.
He pulled out his mighty black arrow,
Nocking it on his heroic yellow bow,
He spoke over the arrow:
Saying magic words on the head red fire blazed on it,
Saying words of power on the fletching blue fire blazed on it.
Pulling the string until his muscles bulged
He loosed the arrow at the mountain.
When it hit the red mountain it tore and smashed;
When it hit the black cliff it exploded.
A road appeared that was wide enough
To let a large ox loaded with packs through,
A path opened up that was broad enough
To let a large fully loaded camel pass through.
When they had passed over the unconquerable mountain,
When they had crossed over the snowy cliffs that could not be scaled,
Geser found his great black arrow that never missed its mark
Lying out in a field.
He picked it up and said:
“You are my greatest treasure,
You are my most precious thing.”
The arrow had left a pile of rubble as big as a hill,
Debris was piled up like a mountain.
Traveling a distance of ninety years’ travel in nine days,
Traveling a distance of eighty years’ travel in eight days,
Flying like arrows leaving the bowstring,
Making a noise like rocks that had been thrown,
Even if their destination was far they kept on going,
Even if the rivers were broad they crossed them,
Riding with all their might,
Going as fast as they could,
They came to the north side of Humber Uula.

This having happened,
Geser tied his reins to the saddle horn,
Leaning on his saddle horn he stood,
Looking around him in all directions,
Looking with the sharpness of his eyes,
Listening with the keenness of his ears.

When he was looking and listening
He saw clouds of dust swirling
On the northeastern side of the mountain.
The plants were dry and withered,
The waters had all dried up,
The trees of the taiga were dried and falling down,
The cliffs and rocks lay broken and smashed.

When he had seen this
Geser was very surprised,
He was most astonished.
Looking even more carefully,
Listening even more carefully
Gazing as far as the edge of
The clouds in the blue sky,
Listening to things far away,
He heard a noise in the distance.
He asked his two princely uncles
And his thirty three warriors:
“What have you seen,
What have you heard?”
The two princely uncles had not seen anything,
The thirty three warriors had not heard anything.
Abai Geser said to his two princely uncles
He commanded his thirty three warriors:
“Do not lose my trail,
Do not be separated from me,
Think the thoughts of a wolf,
Make your hearts hard as stone!”
He spoke and commanded them well.

This having happened
Geser and his two princely uncles
Followed by his thirty three warriors
According to the custom of war,
Went on the warpath.
Riding with all their might,
Going as swiftly as they could,
They covered the distance of a thousand haraa.

This having happened,
On the forested northern side of Humber Uula
The master of the taiga–
Orgoli the giant tiger,
Was battling and trying to eat
A giant yellow snake.

When Orgoli the giant tiger
Was chewing and chewing
The black trees of the forest edge
Were being sucked into his mouth,
While he was biting the giant yellow snake
Mountains and rocks were being
Broken and smashed.
A cold dry wind was blowing,
A poisonous wind was blowing.
These two powerful magical creatures,
Being unable to kill each other from afar,
Locked together in battle,
The snake winding itself three times around the tiger,
Orgoli the giant tiger bit and clawed at him.
Ruining the trees of the forests,
Causing the plants in the open spaces to wither.
The giant yellow snake constricted around the tiger,
Trying to crush the body of its prey,
Orgoli the giant tiger
Scratched and clawed the giant yellow snake with his iron claws,
He bit him with his great jagged teeth.
The strength of the giant yellow snake was gone,
Being attacked again and again it was time for it to die.
Orgoli the giant tiger bit it again and again,
Ripping out its throat with his jagged teeth,
With four of his great iron claws
He tore open the snake’s stomach,
Flipping it into the air like a whip,
The giant yellow snake fell down dead.
Orgoli the giant tiger jumped away
And lay down licking his wounds.
Acting as if he were crazy
He gobbled up trees and rocks,
Acting as if he were mad
He made the earth tremble with his crunching.
Orgoli the giant tiger ate live tree and deadfalls alike
Swallowing them up roots and all,
Ripping up the forest,
He broke and smashed rocks and cliffs,
A black wind blew,
Yellow dust was swirling,
The breeze blew up the skirts of Geser’s deel.
When he had seen this happen
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Became very afraid,
He became very timid.
Calling Geser’s thirty three warriors
As if they were his friends he said:
“The master of the taiga,
Orgoli the giant tiger,
Is a being of great magical power.
If we trustingly follow Geser into battle,
We will become food for this demon.
I and you thirty three warriors,
Are weak compared to Abai Geser,
He is indifferent to our lives!
Let us flee up into the mountains and hide!”
When he was speaking these black thoughts,
When he was trying to confuse the warriors,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“If you die it will be with your nephew,
If you live it will be with your nephew!”
He rebuked Hara Zutan and made him stay.

While this was happening
Geser watched and observed his hateful enemy,
He adjusted his white steel helmet on his head,
Grabbed up his black steel spear in his right hand,
Gathering up the reins of Beligen the bay horse,
Flicking his quirt on his flanks
He shouted a war cry
Loud as the voice of a thousand stags,
He shouted his challenge
Loud as the voice of ten thousand stags,
Having done this Geser rode off
To battle the master of the taiga,
Orgoli the giant tiger.
As Geser guided his horse toward him
The tiger was ready to gobble him up,
Beligen the bay horse rushed up
Toward his mouth as if he was weightless,
When they flew into his giant mouth
It appeared they would get stuck in his jagged teeth,
Geser wanted to go straight in,
He grabbed a rock as big as a colt,
He snatched up a rock as big as a sheep,
The two rocks were unable to help him,
They were too big to carry.
They flew into the tiger’s mouth
Like an arrow shot from a bow,
Making noise like a stone flying through the air.
Caught up in a tornado,
Jostled by rocks and trees
As they were sucked into the mouth
Of the master of the taiga–
Orgoli the giant tiger,
When Geser flew in
They were able to pass his jagged teeth…

When Abai Geser was going into the tiger’s throat
He stuck his spear into the tiger’s tongue,
He hung on the spear that was swaying in the wind,
Taking his bow of seventy five laminations,
He stuck it into the tiger’s palate.
Orgoli the giant tiger,
Taking power from the heavens,
Tried to shake Abai Geser loose,
Taking power from the earth,
He roared but the hero was stuck in his mouth.
His growls made waves splash on the shore of the black lake,
His roars made the mountain forests tremble,
His gasps were like a cold dry wind,
A poisonous wind was blowing,
Stirring up black clouds of poisonous dust.
Far away plants wilted,
Nearby plants perished…

This having happened,
The two princely uncles of Geser
Argued among each other,
Divided in their opinions.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“If Geser has been defeated
I will go and be defeated with him!”
When he said he would follow Geser
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon said:
“When my nephew Abai Geser
Has been killed and eaten,
I will not go to do something futile,
I am going to run off and hide!”
He turned his horse away
Agitated and confused.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Seeing his younger brother Hara Zutan run away,
Became very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury.
Speaking many bad things,
Sargal Noyon Khan turned his horse around,
Ready to ride into battle.

When benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
And the thirty three brave warriors
Rushed forward into battle
Orgoli the giant tiger,
Being powerless to spit Geser out
Unable to swallow him,
Lay down writhing and sick.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Drew and brandished his white steel sword,
Urging on his mighty buckskin horse
He jumped on the back of the tiger, saying:
“I shall cut and tear
Your fifteen arteries,
I will cut you until
Your amin and hulde have departed!”
Thus he shouted and challenged his enemy.
The white oldest son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar shouted:
“I will shoot arrows into your armpits
Until I have pierced your red heart!”
He pulled out his heroic yellow bow.

When Geser had heard these things
From inside the mouth of the tiger Orgoli,
He shouted to the two brave warriors
Rebuking them and forbidding them:
“My uncle Sargal Noyon,
Hold your hand!
My warrior Buidan Ulaan
Put away your bow!
You will cut me,
You will shoot me!”
After he had shouted to them
He drew his hard steel sword,
Chopping away with a ringing sound
At the hard white bones of the tiger,
Abai Geser severed the life
Of Orgoli the giant tiger,
The monster lay killed and destroyed.

The master of the taiga–
Orgoli the giant tiger,
His amin and gol being cut off,
Lay ready for the aranga.
Abai Geser crawled out
At a place thirty haraa distant,
The tiger’s huge body
Lay stretched out,
It would have taken three days’ travel
To go around it.

Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon said:
“After Abai Geser had been killed and eaten
My older brother has certainly been eaten too!”
He had ridden off with three
Of Geser’s thirty three warriors,
They had gone off to hide.

Abai Geser knew this very well,
He understood this very well.
He shouted after them,
With the voice of a thousand stags,
He called them back
With the voice of ten thousand stags.
When Hara Zutan heard the shouts
He returned with the three warriors he had deceived.
When malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Arrived at the side of his nephew Abai Geser,
His face was red and burning,
He was unable to speak,
He was greatly embarrassed,
He was blushing to the roots of his hair.

Abai Geser and his men gathered
At the side of Orgoli the giant tiger,
Reaching out their arms and doing zolgoh
They spoke very fine words,
Grasping his right hand
They spoke strong words.

This having happened
Abai Geser said:
“I have defeated an indefatigable enemy,
I have conquered an unconquerable foe!”
He took out a silver pipe as big as a shin,
Taking out a tobacco pouch of velvety black sheepskin
As big as a sleeve,
He thoughtfully took out a bundle of red tobacco,
Striking sparks with flint and steel,
He lit a bunch of tobacco as big as a moose’s ear.

This having happened
Geser took out his yellow steel knife
And slit open the belly
Of Orgoli the giant tiger.
Out of the open stomach of the tiger
Many forest animals came running out,
Many people of the open steppe came out:
People riding horses,
People walking on foot,
People riding on carts,
People riding on sleighs,
Streaming out one after the other
They saw the broad earth once more.
These many people,
Ten thousand animals,
Were very excited,
They rejoiced greatly.
Ten golden lights blazed on their fingers,
Twenty silver lights glowed on their fingers,
They greeted Geser’s men with zolgoh,
Wishing them the happiness of the white moon,
Speaking blessing to them
They once more saw daylight.
The multitude of people,
The ten thousand animals
Said to Abai Geser:
“Wherever you want to go
May fortune and destiny follow you,
May prosperity and luck go with you!”
Speaking good blessings,
Saying beautiful words,
They set off for their homes,
They returned to their native lands…

When Abai Geser sent the
People and animals to their homes,
He said to his thirty three warriors
That the skin of Orgoli the tiger
Should be given to the people for clothing.
Geser and his two princely uncles
And his thirty three warriors
Worked together to skin the tiger.
Geser and his two princely uncles
And his thirty three warriors
Divided the skin among the many people.
When they had finished
There was nothing left for Geser,
There was not even enough
To make a pair of mittens.
Abai Geser laughed and said:
“There is not even enough left of this fine skin
For me to make a pair of mittens!”
Thus he laughed and talked:
“Men do what they intend,
Women cut out clothes!
If a man cannot do what he intends,
It is better that his breast flap be torn off,
If a woman runs out of material,
It is better that her thumb be cut off!”
He sent his uncle Sargal Noyon
And thirty good warriors back to their homes,
He asked his uncle Hara Zutan
And three strong warriors
To be his companions on the road:
“I go to defeat the four enemies of the world,
I go to find out about the four opponents of peace!”
Thus he rode to his wife’s father
Uha Loson to ask him about this.

Riding with all their might,
Going as swiftly as they could,
They approached the kingdom
Of Uha Loson Khan.
While they were traveling
The first snow of the winter
Had fallen upon the land.
They came to a place
Where the trails of a fox and wolverine
Went their separate ways.
Abai Geser followed the trail of the fox,
Hara Zutan followed the trail of the wolverine.

Nephew and uncle
Thinking of their own lives
Separated going their own ways,
While malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Hurried along on his way,
He stumbled into a hole in the road,
He fell and was swallowed up by the hole.
He lay inside lamenting and complaining.
He struggled to climb out,
His strength failing he shouted “Help me!”
Being helpless he yelled “Rescue me!”

Abai Geser’s three brave warriors,
Hearing the shouts of Hara Zutan Noyon,
Came and tried to pull him out
From the bottom of the hole.
Working together they could not do it,
They were very worried,
They were very embarrassed.
This having happened
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Became very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury:
“The three of you are incompetent,
You are not worthy to be warriors,
Quickly bring my nephew Abai Geser!”
He was yelling and shouting,
Grumbling and cursing.

The three brave warriors called Abai Geser,
Bringing him back from his path
He came to the big black hole.
Geser looked into the hole
And said to his uncle Hara Zutan:
“Is this something willed by Father Heaven,
Is this something done by Mother Earth?
What kind of man would put you in this hole?
What kind of man will get you out?”
When he had said this
He unsheathed the hard steel sword
That he wore on his left side.
Gripping the hilt in his hand
He extended the sharp blade to him.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Grabbed the hard steel blade
And was able to come out,
His ten white fingers were gashed by the sword.
This having happened
Hara Zutan complained to his nephew Abai Geser:
“What a bad and terrible thing this is,
An insult to order and honor!…
My ten white fingers
Have been cut by my own nephew.
You are obligated to restore them,
Using the healing power of your thumb!
You are obligated to heal them,
Using the magic in your fingers!
When an uncle is offended
The mountains will shake,
When an elder is insulted
The sea will dry up!
When I tell everyone of what you did
They will wonder what kind of person is Abai Geser
To treat his uncle in this way!”
Thus he begged and bothered him
Crying and shouting.

Abai Geser spoke of how his uncle abandoned the battlefield,
Accused him of running away and hiding,
He made him know what he thought about what happened.
When he had done this
He used the healing power of his thumb,
He used the magic of his fingers
To restore his uncle’s ten white fingers.

When Hara Zutan’s fingers became as before,
When they were restored to their original condition,
Abai Geser left his uncle and three warriors at that place,
Riding off on his journey alone.
He headed for the home of his wife’s father Uha Loson Khan.
Abai Geser entered the gate of the home of Uha Loson Khan,
He stood at the golden hitching post
Of the great square palace the reached for the sky.
Opening the great pearly door in a beautiful way,
Stepping over the granite threshold in a pure way,
He greeted his father in law Uha Loson Khan,
Wished good health to his queen.
Uha Loson Khan entertained him
As befitted a son in law,
Seating him at his right side;
A golden table was brought,
Delicious food was served;
A silver table was brought,
He was honored with beautiful food.
Meat was served in portions as big as a hill,
Liquor was poured out in portions as big as a lake.
Abai Geser drank liquor and talked,
He told Uha Loson of the matter about which he came:
“I want to defeat the four enemies of the world,
I need to know how to fight the four opponents of peace.
I have come to ask my father in law,
I have come to ask you
If you will help your young son in law.”
Thus Abai Geser spoke to him.

His father in law Uha Loson Khan said:
“My daughter’s husband Abai Geser
Will never fail at what he intends,
You warrior with magical powers
Will never have an enemy escape you.”
Remembering things from the earliest times
They sat and spoke in a friendly way,
Reminding each other things from the past
They sat and spoke meaningfully:
“The four enemies of the world,
The four opponents of peace,
Are powerful in magic,
They have great sorcerous power.
If you intend to defeat them,
If you are dedicated to doing this,
Go on your journey
Carrying my golden horiboo!”
Saying this he opened a golden chest,
Bringing out a golden horiboo.
When Abai Geser took it
From the hands of his wife’s father
Uha Loson Khan said to him:
“The oldest of the four opponents of peace
Flows from the summit of a snowy mountain like a river!
People who come to the black water are killed!
When you come to that place say:
‘From this time onward,
Two times becoming as one,
You will become arshaan
To cure illness and suffering!’
When you say this brandish the golden horiboo.
The next oldest enemy of peace
Is a dog with silver fangs living on a silver mountain,
Circling around the south side barking and growling.
When you come to that place say:
‘From this time onward,
Two times becoming as one,
You will become valuable to man,
To be carried in his pockets and purses!’
When you say this brandish the golden horiboo.
The next enemy of peace
Is a dog with a golden mouth living on a golden mountain,
Circling around the north and south sides jumping and plunging.
When you come to that place say:
‘From this time onward,
Two times becoming as one,
You will become treasure to mankind!’
When you say this brandish the golden horiboo.
The youngest enemy of peace
Lies hidden under three layers of the earth,
Always hiding itself from men’s sight.
When you have found it say:
‘From this time onward,
Two times becoming as one,
You will be riches and happiness for mankind!’
When you say this brandish the golden horiboo!”
These were the instructions of Uha Loson Khan.

Abai Geser was very excited,
He rejoiced greatly.
Greeting his wife’s father Uha Loson
As befitted a khan,
Wishing health to his queen,
Hanging the horiboo on his back,
He prepared to ride back to the earth.

Uha Loson Khan thought good thoughts,
He spoke good words to his daughter’s husband,
He accompanied him to the entrance to his kingdom.
Abai Geser said to Uha Loson Khan:
“May you accomplish all that you intend,
May all that you want be completed as you intend!”
He then went to greet his two princely uncles,
Meeting with his thirty three warriors
They met and talked about what they had done.
This having happened
The two princely uncles,
And the thirty three warriors,
Following him in a line,
Rode to defeat
The four enemies of the world,
They went to find
The four opponents of peace.
Riding with all their might,
Going as swiftly as they could,
Even if their destination was far they rode on,
Even if the river was wide they crossed it.

When this was happening,
The four enemies of the world knew what was happening,
The four opponents of peace understood very well.
The oldest of the enemies
Who flowed from the summit of a snowy mountain,
Stopped its flowing,
When Abai Geser came to it,
It appeared to be blocked!
Geser stood before it and said:
“From this time onward,
Two times becoming as one,
You will become arshaan,
To cure the illness and suffering of mankind!”
When he raised the golden horiboo
Arshaan started to flow.
When this had happened
Geser went to the second oldest enemy,
The dog with the silver fangs on the silver mountain,
Who circled about its southern side barking and growling.
Asking Abai Geser to leave him be
Geser answered him bravely:
“From this time onward,
Two times becoming as one,
You will become valuable to man,
To be carried in his pockets and purses!”
When Geser raised the golden horiboo
He turned into silver.
When this had happened
Geser went to the third oldest enemy,
The dog with the golden mouth on the golden mountain,
Who circled about the north and south sides jumping and plunging,
He approached Geser threatening to trample him,
Abai Geser said to him fearlessly:
“From this time onwards,
Two times becoming as one,
You will be treasure for mankind!”
When he brandished the golden horiboo
He turned into gold.
When this had happened
Geser went to find the youngest enemy,
Which hid itself under three layers of the earth,
Rolling its eyes when it saw Geser from three haraa away,
Running away and trying to trick and upset Geser,
Abai Geser searched for him and found him:
“From this time onwards,
Two times becoming as one,
You will be wealth and happiness for mankind!”
He brandished the golden horiboo,
Making it remain in the ground as gemstones.

This having happened Abai Geser said:
“We have come to our intended place
With fortune and destiny,
We have gone together
With luck and prosperity!”
When he had said this
He rejoiced greatly,
He was very excited.
When they trotted toward home
They trod lightly upon the earth,
Leaving tracks as big as cups,
When they started hurrying along,
They kicked up tracks like a trench.
Even if their destination was far they rode on,
Even if the river was wide they jumped across.
Coming to the Muren River,
To the shores of the eternal lake,
Coming to the Hatan River,
By the shores of the black lake,
Geser tied his horse at the golden hitching post
Of his wife Alma Mergen,
Dismounting at her house!

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch

When Sargal Noyon Khan had left to go home,
Geser led his thirty three warriors,
Making a straight road in a land with no roads,
Making a pass where mountains blocked their way,
Even if the road was far they rode on,
Even if a river was wide they crossed it,
In the places where the road was white with snow,
Where the magpie cried to mark the winter months,
They put on their foxfur hats and trotted on,
In the places where the road was muddy,
Where the thrush sang to mark the summer months,
They unbottoned their silk deels and rode on.
Going with all their might,
Riding as fast as they could,
Coming to the very beginning of the east,
An ugly looking land,
A poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered, and full of grief,
A place of three marshy rivers,
A place of slippery slopes,
A land of evil spirits and demons,
A scorching hot land,
A dark sunless land,
A dry place devoid of plants,
They came to the twin peaks
The home of Gal Nurman Khan.
Climbing to the summit of the twin peaks,
Looking down on his land,
The herds of Gal Nurman Khan
Were like dust scattered over the land;
His subjects were as numerous
As the trees of the forest.

When they had seen this
Abai Geser said to his thirty three warriors:
“Gal Nurman Khan has not given us any sign,
He has not yet come out.
He is a very powerful demon.
We have come to his land to make war,
In what way shall I attack him,
How shall we come before the enemy?”
Asking these things of them
The thirty three warriors had no ideas.
At that very time Gal Nurman Khan,
Knowing that Geser had come to the twin peaks,
Knew what was happening very well,
He understood very well.
He therefore opened his great book with his thumb,
He opened his old book with his bloody fingers,
When he was looking and reading
He sat and said to himself:
“He who came to restore order
To the land of the Tugshen khans,
He who came to turn around
Their history and good fortune,
He who came to bring life and happiness
To the people and living things,
Abai Geser who has a body as massive as a ger,
Has come to the twin peaks with his thirty three warriors.”
Understanding as he read aloud,
Thinking and making judgment,
He compared the powers of Geser with his own.
Geser had the power of four Nasarangi tenger in his two hands,
He had the power of four dragons in his feet,
In his deep chest he has the strength of four liquors.
He had the ability to change himself into two hundred forms,
He had the ability to shift himself into a hundred and three shapes,
Gal Nurman Khan compared his powers with Geser’s:
He had the power of eight Nasarangi tenger in his two hands,
He had the power of eight dragons in his feet,
In his deep chest he had the strength of eight liquors,
He had the ability to change himself into two thousand forms,
He had the ability to shift himself into a thousand and three shapes.
Compared with the manly abilities of Gal Nurman Khan
Abai Geser was merely a little boy;
He was destined to be defeated;
Compared with the strength of his dappled grey horse
Beligen the bay horse was like a colt;
It was destined to be a bloodbath.

This having happened
Gal Nurman Khan summoned Manzan Shuumar Baatar to come,
He called him to come into his house.
When Manzan Shuumar Baatar came to him
Gal Nurman Khan said to him:
“He who came from the eternal yellow lake,
He who lives on the shores of the Muren River,
Abai Geser with a body as massive as a ger,
Comes with his thirty three warriors
Scheming with his red hot hatred,
He has come to my twin peaks.
My warrior Manzan Shuumar
Throw the golden divination bone!
If it falls facing up
I will defeat Abai Geser,
If it falls facing down
Geser will defeat me.”
When Manzan Shuumar Baatar threw the bone
It fell down facing up.
When he explained its meaning
The magic of benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Turned his tongue around,
Making him say the opposite of what he saw.
Manzan Shuumar Baatar said to the khan:
“My Gal Nurman Khan
If you are to defeat Abai Geser
The bone has fallen the wrong way,
It fell facing down.”
Gal Nurman Khan became very angry,
His mouth gaping in his fury,
He demanded that Manzan Shuumar
Throw the bone one more time.
When it was thrown the second time
It once more lay facing up.
When Manzan Shuumar Baatar spoke
The magic of benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Once more confused his tongue.
Saying the wrong thing
His thoughts being confused,
He spoke to Gal Nurman Khan:
“My Gal Nurman Khan
If you are to defeat Abai Geser
The bone has once more fallen the wrong way,
It fell facing down.”
The white hairs on Gal Nurman Khan’s head stood up,
He gnashed the white teeth in his mouth:
“You are an offensive man,
Throw it a third time!”
Manzan Shuumar Baatar threw the bone a third time;
Once again it fell facing up.
When Manzan Shuumar tried to speak
The magic of benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Turned his tongue around,
Making him speak the opposite of what he saw.
Manzan Shuumar said to Gal Nurman Khan:
“My Gal Nurman Khan,
If you are to defeat Abai Geser
When I threw the bone a third time
It still fell the wrong way, facing down.”
When he said this Gal Nurman Khan
Was crying, complaining, and yelling.
His fury set the earth on fire.
Grabbing up Manzan Shuumar as if he were a pine needle,
He beat the earth with his head,
He thrashed the heavens with his feet,
He was very greatly offended,
Throwing him out of his iron palace,
Manzan Shuumar fell lying face down.
Gal Nurman Khan’s wife Galtai Goohon
Quickly came to his side,
She spoke persuasively:
“My Gal Nurman Khan
You have been offended too easily,
You are certainly more powerful than Abai Geser!”
When his wife’s words had cheered him
He jumped up from his throne,
Breaking the ceiling of the chamber with his head.
This having happened he made quick preparations,
He made wise preparations.
He prepared himself for battle with Abai Geser.
Looking down from the summit of the twin peaks,
He saw Abai Geser doing frightful things.
When Gal Nurman Khan saw this
His black eyes turned dark,
His black hot blood became thick,
In Gal Nurman Khan’s bald head
He was thinking many thoughts,
In his black motley heart
He spoke many words to himself,
Thinking that his power was not enough
Thinking his strength was too little he was blue.

This having happened
Abai Geser made a shaman ritual,
Worshipping and making a tailgan
He asked the tenger to make his body sensitive,
He asked the gods to make his blood hot,
He sacrificed many horses and cattle,
He offered up the best of liquors,
He worshipped at the twin peaks.

At the skirts of the twin peaks
He erected a young tree as tuurge,
Scattering white grains to the spirits,
Offering flour mixed with butter
So that the spirits would be completely satisfied,
His bones and flesh became sensitive,
His blood became hot.

This having happened
Gal Nurman Khan rode out with his sixty six warriors,
Coming out on the flank of the twin peaks,
Meeting Geser and his thirty three warriors,
As the two khans talked they stood stirrup to stirrup,
As they made parley their steel spears were crossed.
Greeting each other as khans,
Wishing good health to their wives,
The two sitting next to each other on their horses:
Reaching out their long arms they spoke fine words,
Recalling things from long ago they explained things,
Remembering things from long ago they spoke in a friendly way.
They talked until foam would form on liquor,
The talked until plants would grow on a flat stone.

This having happened Gal Nurman Khan said:
“I do not have enough milk and lambs for you,
I do not have enough meat and herds for you,
Have you come here with a father’s jealousy,
Have you come here with a mother’s hatred?”
When he was asking these things
Geser answered him at once:
“I do not have a father’s jealousy,
I do not have a mother’s hatred,
Why do you eat up the people on your borders,
Who do you attack and torment the people and animals?
Why did you plunder and steal the herds,
Why do you scoff at my father’s will?”
Gal Nurman Khan replied:
“I will send the people and animals home,
The herds of cattle and horses I will give back,
These living things will certainly prosper,
These animals will have offspring to fill your land,
After nine years have passed
We will fight to determine who will own them.”
When Gal Nurman Khan said these words he was lying.
When he had heard these words
Abai Geser met with his thirty three warriors,
Asking for them to make a decision
They expressed their own opinion,
They sent Neejer Emshen Baatar with their message:
“When two enemy khans have met,
Let two of the best warriors wrestle before they part.”

When the two rival khans
Had listened to these words they said:
“What they have said is suitable,
Let it be done.”
They agreed to have their two best warriors wrestle.
Abai Geser selected from his thirty three warriors
The white oldest son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar.
When Buidan Ulaan prepared for the match he said:
“In the time suitable for shooting arrows
Let my hands be ready to wrestle.”
Buidan Ulaan Baatar
And the champion of Gal Nurman Khan
Gani Galzuu Baatar
Fought in a place a day’s travel distant,
Flying at each other,
Bending each other,
As equally matched as the two sides of a horse,
As equally matched as the two sides of a camel,
They battle together for three days.
Gal Nurman Khan’s champion
Gani Galzuu Baatar
Was ready to be defeated by Buidan Ulaan,
He became very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury,
This having happened,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Drawing out his sword,
Slashed him from his right shoulder to his feet,
Cutting deep enough to hurt his red heart.
Buidan Ulaan Baatar stood strongly in the grass
In the light of the morning’s yellow sun,
He stood as straight as the reeds
In the light of the afternoon’s yellow sun,
Drawing out the steel sword sheathed at his left side,
He struck off the head of Gani Galzuu Baatar,
Leaving his body lying on the ground
He threw the head at the feet of Gal Nurman Khan,
Gani Galzuu Baatar’s eyes were rolling in agony,
His black hair an ell long was twisted and tangled.

When he had seen what had happened
Gal Nurman Khan was very angry,
His face turning red in fury,
Losing his mind in his madness he jumped up,
Spewing fire at Abai Geser he said:
“If you do not punish your warrior
I will punish him myself!”
Thus he shouted and cried,
Setting the ground on fire in his fury,
When Geser answered him
He tried to calm him down.
The white hairs on Gal Nurman Khan’s head
Were bristling on his crown,
The great round eye on the top of his head
Was spinning around.
Two powerful beings began fighting,
Feeding off each other’s hatred,
Going around each other like a spindle,
Circling each other like the petals of a flower,
Charging at each other like stags,
Butting each other like bulls,
Flying at each other like hawks,
Slashing each other like eagles,
As equally matched as the two sides of a camel,
As equally matched as the two sides of a horse,
Biting off the flesh of each other’s chests with their teeth,
Ravens came from the north to take food for the night
Tearing off the flesh of each other’s backs with their fingers,
Magpies came to take meat for their evening meal.
They praised the two warriors:
“May neither of you defeat the other,
May neither of you overcome the other,
May you scatter meat forever,
May you fight for a thousand ages!”
Having blessed them they flew away.
It became a fight to make history,
It was a battle for the ages.
The sky of the day was dark as night,
The night sky became even darker.
There was no more meat on the chest
To bite off with their pale blue teeth,
There was no more meat on their backs
To tear off with their white fingers.
Red blood was flowing,
Black blood was gushing,
There was a heap of flesh,
Bones piled up like a hill.
Gal Nurman Khan drew his yellow steel sword,
Slashing Geser from his right shoulder to his feet,
Cutting almost deep enough to hurt his heart,
Geser remained whole like a white stone,
He remained stuck together like a black stone.
Drawing his hard steel sword
Geser slashed Gal Nurman Khan
From his left shoulder to his feet,
Cutting almost deep enough to injure his black heart,
Gal Nurman Khan remained whole like a white stone,
He remained stuck together like a black stone.

When Geser’s thirty three warriors
Fought Gal Nurman Khan’s sixty six warriors,
A heap of bones piled up,
Blood was gushing in streams.
Geser and Gal Nurman Khan
Fought each other for nine days,
Day and night without rests,
They finally parted agreeing
To take food and drink.
When Abai Geser went up on the twin peaks,
He looked at his thirty three warriors,
He saw that one was missing:
“Which warrior has passed away,
Who is left lying on the white steppe?”
When he was asking this,
The white oldest son of Oyodol Sagaan Tenger,
Erjen Shuumar Baatar
Returned at a gallop from the battlefield.
His bluish gray horse was red with blood,
His red saddle was black with blood,
When he rode up to meet them
A broken off spear was stuck in his horse’s back,
Burning and festering.
He said to the thirty three warriors
Being in a great hurry:
“My warriors, my warriors, hurry along with me!
If we are lagging and delaying
We will not be able to quickly defeat the sixty six warriors!”
Being in war and battle,
They forgot about sleeping,
Going to meet the hateful enemy
They forgot their thirst,
Hearing the words of Erjen Shuumar Baatar
They turned around and rode into battle,
They went back to fight the sixty six warriors.

This having happened,
The dapple grey of Gal Nurman Khan
Shook the mountain with the hoofbeats of a moose,
He rode to fight again with Abai Geser.
When the two rival khans were fighting,
There was no more food to give to the ravens,
There was no flesh to give to the magpies,
When they tore each other no flesh fell down,
When they injured each other no blood flowed.
Geser’s thirty three warriors
Defeated Gal Nurman Khan’s sixty six warriors,
Cutting off their lives,
This trash became like dust.

This having happened,
Gal Nurman Khan pulled at Geser,
Bringing him under his arm,
Jerking him mightily
He brought him under his foot.
Swinging him toward the north
He broke off the northern mountains,
Swinging him toward the south
He gashed the southern mountains.
Jerking and yanking him
He trod on the front of his deel,
Shoving and hitting him
He stomped on the back of his deel,
When Gal Nurman Khan jerked Geser to the north
When he pulled him to the south,
His organs loosened themselves from his body,
His bones separated from his tendons,
His strength was finished,
His powers were depleted.

This having happened,
The white oldest son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Trying to help Abai Geser,
Grabbing on Gal Nurman Khan’s legs with his legs,
Grabbing on his arms with his arms,
Jumping into the fight,
Grabbing onto Gal Nurman Khan’s right knee,
Gal Nurman Khan cursed at him,
Kicking backward with his right leg,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar was flung backwards,
Left lying face down at a distance of three days’ travel.
He attacked Geser again and again,
He began to defeat him.
Geser’s white teeth began to turn black,
His eyes began to turn dark.

This having happened,
The two grandsons of the head of the
Fifty five tenger of the western skies,
Han Hormasta Tenger,
The boys Aizai and Muuzai,
Crossing the Milky Way,
While they played and talked,
Opened up the door of the sky,
Looking at the earth below:
Looking at the beginning of the east,
At an ugly looking land,
A poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered and full of grief,
A place of three marshy rivers,
A place of slippery slopes,
A land of evil spirits and demons,
A scorching hot land,
A dark sunless land,
A dry land devoid of plants,
They saw their uncle Abai Geser
Being defeated in battle.

When they had seen this
Aizai and Muuzai ran home,
Telling their grandfather Han Hormasta,
Speaking together as one:
“When we were crossing the Milky Way,
When we were going and playing,
We opened the door of the sky,
Looking at the world below,
Looking at the beginning of the east,
At an ugly looking land,
A poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered and full of grief,
A place of three marshy rivers,
A place of slippery slopes,
A land of evil spirits and demons,
A scorching hot land,
A dark sunless land,
A dry land devoid of plants,
Our uncle Abai Geser,
Fighting with Gal Nurman Khan
Was being defeated!”
Thus the two little boys
Gave the news to their grandfather.

When he had heard the words of his grandsons
Han Hormasta hurried to his grandmother
Manzan Gurme Toodei and said:
“Your great grandson Abai Geser,
Fighting with Gal Nurman Khan
Before the destined time,
Being as weak as a little boy
He his come into disaster,
His steed Beligen the bay horse
, Being as weak as a colt,
Has come into a bloodbath!”
When he had said this
Manzan Gurme Toodei of the silver cup
Called her great grandson
Zasa Mergen with the hawk-brown horse,
Telling him of what was happening.

When her great-grandson Zasa Mergen came to her,
Manzan Gurme Toodei told him true words:
“My grandson Zasa Mergen,
When can you save him?
Your younger brother Abai Geser
Needs you to rescue him.”
Looking at the beginning of the east,
At an ugly looking land,
A poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered and full of grief,
A place of three marshy rivers,
A place of slippery slopes,
A land of evil spirits and demons,
A scorching hot land,
A dark sunless land,
A dry land devoid of plants,
He saw that Geser’s heart was ready to fail,
That his spirit was about to depart.

If Zasa Mergen had run to the place of battle
He would have been too late to save Geser,
Thinking in his dark strong chest,
Speaking words in his great heart,
Thinking he may be too late,
He grasped the piece of smoky quartz,
Speaking these words on it:
“If it is your destiny to save Geser
Go into the eye on the crown of Gal Nurman Khan,
Cutting off his ami and hulde
Enter with great force!
If it is your fate to kill him,
Hit him without missing,
Shattering into a thousand fragments,
Breaking up into ten thousand pieces,
Go down into the empty white land
With a great noise!”
Thus he threw the smoky quartz
As large as a horse’s head…
The smoky quartz left his thumb with great force,
It left his fingers with a great noise,
Bellowing like a bull in the summertime,
Roaring like a stag on the mountainside,
Whistling like an arrowhead,
Making an noise like a flying arrow,
Making a noise as it went after his head,
Thundering as it went after his body,
Making the heavens above tremble,
Making the earth below shake!

When this was happening
Gal Nurman Khan was shoving Geser forward,
Crushing his face into the ground,
When he pulled him backward and stuck him
He fell down, pillowed by his hair,
Rejoicing because he thought he had defeated his enemy,
He was excited thinking he had caught the colt by the tail.
When he heard the roar of the smoky quartz rock
He looked up at it and said:
“You thing sent by the will of the sky,
You have come to strike the earth,
Who have you come for, you powerful demon?”
He was greatly afraid,
He was very terrified.
This having happened
He quickly climbed on his dapple grey horse,
Trying to put three obstacles between himself and the stone,
He tried to run away from it…
Zasa Mergen’s smoky quartz
Said to Gal Nurman Khan
“Is the arrow that was been shot fast,
Or is the horse I am chasing faster?”
Coming down toward the earth,
Speeding toward its target,
Catching up with him,
Chasing after him,
The stone smashed into his eye and exploded,
It struck the head of Gal Nurman Khan,
He fell down dead by a white birch,
Laid out for the aranga.
He lay with his feet kicked up on the southern mountain,
He lay with his head pillowed on the northern mountain.
When Zasa Mergen Baatar knew Gal Nurman Khan was dead
He sped to the side of his brother Abai Geser.
When he came to him
His bones were separated from his tendons,
His muscles were separated from his sinews,
He lay there like a piece of red rope.
Abai Geser greeted his brother and said:
“He who has an older brother must save his older brother,
He who has a younger brother must rescue his younger brother,
My older brother has saved me,
I owe you my life!”
When Zasa Mergen saw his brother Abai Geser
He felt very sorry for him,
He felt great pity for him,
Looking down he was crying,
Looking up he was greatly moved.
This having happened
He took eight fat sheep from Gal Nurman Khan’s herds,
He killed a fawn colored mare,
Feeding their meat to Abai Geser
He came back to his former self.
Beligen the bay horse
Became wise in his body.
This having happened
Abai Geser and his older brother Zasa Mergen
Came with the thirty three warriors to the side of Gal Nurman Khan.
He said, “We have killed you, you evil demon,
We have come and defeated you!”
The thirty three warriors rejoiced,
They were most excited.
This having happened Geser said:
“When we have slain a powerful enemy
We must also kill his horse.”
He struck the horse as massive as a mountain,
He struck the dapple grey down to the ground.

This having happened,
They gathered together dry wood,
They dragged in moist wood,
On the place where they had killed
Gal Nurman Khan and his dapple grey horse
They burned their two bodies
Cleansing the land.
Making shovels of aspen wood
They scattered the ashes
In the south wind,
Making them fly to the north,
Making shovels of birch wood
They scattered the ashes
In the north wind,
The dust flying to the south.

Abai Geser and his brother Zasa Mergen
His warriors following him three by three,
Abai Geser said to them:
“Let us go into the house of this evil demon.”
So they entered the home of Gal Nurman Khan.
Gal Nurman Khan’s wife Galtai Goohon
Greeted them and praised them,
Inviting them into her house,
When he had seen this beautiful woman
Zasa Mergen began to love her…

This having happened,
Abai Geser feasted with this thirty three warriors,
Drinking liquor they became drunk,
Smoking their pipes they were intoxicated,
When this was happening
Zasa Mergen and Buidan Ulaan
Fought over who would possess
The woman Galtai Goohon.
Watching the two warriors fight over her
She was excited and happy.

When he saw this happening
Abai Geser was very angry,
His mouth gaping in fury he said:
“The white oldest son of Han Hormasta Tenger
Will not be married to a demon’s wife,
Geser’s Buidan Ulaan Baatar
Will not be joined to an enemy’s wife!”
When he was saying this
He pulled out his hard steel sword,
It flew out of his hand and stuck in the ground.
Abai Geser was greatly surprised,
He was greatly astonished.
Opening his great book with his thumb,
Opening his old book with his fingers,
He read these words:
“If this woman is allowed to live,
In the times to follow,
Two times becoming as one,
She will live to do you harm.”
When he had read these things
Abai Geser went to the home of Galtai Goohon.
Where Gal Nurman Khan’s wife Galtai Goohon
Would go walking,
Flowers would grow,
In the path where she walked
New lambs would be born.
When she greeted Abai Geser
She showed her charms and powers.

Abai Geser showed the bravery of a man,
When Galtai Goohon turned away from her
Rushing after her like a tiger,
He drew his hard steel sword
And cut her in half.
When he had done this
A child fell out of her womb,
Three months before it was due,
A boy made of iron.
Crying and complaining it said:
“It does not matter that
I come out before my birth,
It does not matter that
My father dies before I was born!
If I would have been born
After being in the womb ten months,
If I grasped Abai Geser’s hand
I would have been able to crush it!
In the times to come,
Two times becoming as one,
Until I can break off a stirrup,
I will propagate evil and hate!
Until this baby becomes an old man
He will live for jealousy and revenge!
Abai Geser is the enemy at my back,
He is the demon in front of me!”
Thus the baby spoke as he lay there.

This having happened
Zasa Mergen accused Geser of being willful,
Saying that he had been selfish
When he had killed Galtai Goohon said:
“Think of your power from the gods of the heavens,
Think of the help you had from your older brother!
I will go on my own way!”
Feeling greatly offended
He declared he would go home.

Geser quickly went to him,
Bringing his brother in
And showing him what had happened he said:
“What kind of thing came from inside this woman?
If you can shoot and kill this thing
I will resurrect her so you can enjoy her as your wife!”

Zasa Mergen Baatar,
Recovering his courage,
Tried to cut the iron boy with his sword,
The silvery steel blade,
Cracking along its edge,
Broke off at its hilt.
When he tried to plunge
His steel spear into its chest
It bent up to its grip.
When he tried to shoot it with a great black arrow
Its head glanced off its body.
When Zasa Mergen could not kill it
Geser’s thirty three warriors
Attacked it all at once,
All of their weapons broke.

This having happened,
Abai Geser tried to attack it himself,
He also failed to defeat it.
His hard steel sword was broken,
His steel spear lay bent,
His great black arrow
Had glanced off and fallen,
All of his weapons were broken.
Abai Geser consulted with his brother Zasa Mergen,
He wanted a decision from his thirty three warriors,
When they had come to an agreement
They asked the fifty five tenger of the west
To send their seventy seven smiths
Down to earth to help them.
Seventy seven smiths
Put the seven month old baby
In a box made of iron.
Blowing on the box with seven bellows,
Heating it up until it was bright red
The boy lay talking and babbling.
When the seventy seven smiths
Made the box hot enough to temper steel
The black iron boy was molten.
The seventy seven smiths said:
“We will defeat the indefatigable enemy,
We will injure the enemy that cannot be overcome!”
They grabbed him with seventy seven tongs,
They pounded him with seventy seven hammers.
They hammered on him until he was as small as a louse egg,
The pulverized him until his fragments were like nits,
This was a battle for all time,
This was a fight to make history,
Waves splashed on the shore of the Milk Sea,
The world mountain Humber Uula was shaking.
The animals on the steppe ran into the forest,
The animals of the taiga ran out onto the steppe.
Red fire was burning,
Dust rose like fog,
Hot fire was blazing,
Black mist was swirling.
When they had done this
They were able to see
A blue umbilical cord,
A red womb,
Made by the forty four tenger of the east,
Which was joined to the belly button
Of Gal Nurman Khan’s iron boy.
When Abai Geser had seen this
He took out a great black arrow,
Pulling his string back
He spoke magic words on the arrowhead,
Making red flames burn on the arrow,
He spoke words of power on the fletching,
Making the arrow glow with blue flames,
Pulling back until the muscles bulged on his arms,
Pulling the string with all of his intentions,
When he was doing this he said:
“If it is your destiny to kill,
Fly over the white steppe,
Striking and tearing!
If it is your fate to kill,
Go breaking and ripping
The blue cord and red womb! ”
When he made his shot
The arrowhead whistled with the arrow’s song,
The arrow roared with the arrow’s song.
It broke and brought down the blue cord,
It tore and broke the red womb.
This having been done the iron baby said:
“From this time onwards,
Two times becoming as one,
Until I can break off a stirrup,
I will propagate evil and hate!
Until this baby becomes an old man
He will live for jealousy and revenge!”
Having said those words he died,
He lay ready for the aranga.

Zasa Mergen Baatar
Forgave his brother Abai Geser,
He sent the seventy seven smiths
Back to the land of the fifty five tenger of the west!
Having defeated the indefatigable enemy,
Having conquered the unconquerable,
Geser sent his brother back up to the heavens,
He sent his thirty three warriors home.
Traveling upon the earth
He went to visit Ganga Bured Khan,
Meeting with his princes and ministers,
They greeted Abai Geser saying:
“You have defeated the indefatigable enemy,
You have conquered the unconquerable!”
They rejoiced greatly,
They were very excited.
Throwing a feast for eight days,
They talked about many things on the ninth day,
On the tenth day,
When they had become sober,
Abai Geser returned their gold and treasure,
He returned their horses and cattle,
He gave back the people and animals,
Everything that had been stolen from them.

When this had happened,
Abai Geser rode away,
Followed by thirty three warriors,
Going back toward his home,
Ganga Bured Khan gave him his blessing,
Sending him on his way.
Abai Geser hurried back toward the water he drank,
Going quickly toward the land where he was born,
Trotting quickly on the road.
Even if the land was far they rode on,
Even if the rivers were broad they crossed.

When they were coming to the shores of the eternal yellow lake,
When they came to the valley of the Muren River,
Alma Mergen knew that they were coming,
Understanding what had happened,
She struck the golden drum,
Calling the people of the northern lands,
She hit the silver drum,
Summoning the people of the southern lands,
Calling the other two wives,
Calling her father in law Sengelen Noyon,
Calling her mother in law Naran Goohon,
Calling Geser’s uncle Sargal Noyon,
They came to the shore of the eternal yellow lake,
Waiting at the beginning of the valley of the Muren River,
They greeted Geser and his thirty three warriors.

Abai Geser and his thirty three warriors,
Coming back from defeating the enemy,
Met with their elders and young relatives,
Meeting with the members of their families,
They greeted the people
Embracing them and showing great emotion,
Honoring them from the depths of their souls.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Hugging and kissing Abai Geser,
Said these words to him:
“We greet our son and hero
With the greetings of the people!
We greet the horse you rode
And all you took with you!
Now that you have brought a good time
You can put away bow and quiver,
Now that it is a time of peace
You can put away your weapons.
We greet the warriors and heroes,
We will put your steeds out to pasture!”
When he had said this
He brought a golden table and served delicious food,
Bringing a silver table he served beautiful food,
Serving meat in portions like a hill,
Pouring out liquor and wine
In portions like a lake.

They put their horses out to pasture in the Altai Mountains,
They put them in the Huhii Mountains to regain their strength.
They feasted for the duration of eight days,
On the ninth day they discussed important things,
Having become sober on the tenth day
Abai Geser went home and put his affairs in order,
Eating three satisfying meals a day,
Celebrating three festivals in a year!

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch

Photo Koiti

The world of the shamans in Siberia and Central Asia, especially of the Mongol, Buryat and Tungus people (Evenks) is related with that of the Turk people in the High-Altai, the Altaic, Khakas and Tuva and with the Bon religion from Tibet. The tribes living in the northern part of Mongolia (Darkhad, Tsaatan, Khotgoit, and others), in the northeastern area of Mongolia (Buryat and Khamnigan) and in western Mongolia (Uriankhai) as well as some tribes living in Central-Mongolia, the Khalk still maintain the ancient shamanic traditions. These phenomena are still present today.

Shamans practise a form of animistic religion (animism – magic thinking belief – all humans, animals and all things in nature have a soul – spirit) with several meanings and with different characters. The difference between soul and spirit is explained in that only human beings had a soul, while spirit was an abstract notion that could be related to a wide spectrum of natural phenomena. The opinion is that animism must have developed from the dream experience, where people generally feel as if they existed independently from their bodies, flying in the other worlds. In short, the soul takes “journeys” outside the body. During such dream journeys they could meet dead relatives, friends, or their spirits (souls).

The central element in this is constituted by the worship of the Blue Mighty Eternal Heaven – “Blue Sky” (Köke Tengri, Erketü Tengri and Möngke Tengri). There are a total of 99 Tengris (sky-spirits) or heavenly creatures in the lower and upper world, in which Köke Möngke Tengri (Eternal Blue Heaven) is the supreme. He is the creator of the visible and invisible world. In the Asian mythologies such a monotheistic world is referred to by multiple Gods (Tengris, Burkhans and Lords). The next to Köke Möngke Tengri is the Qurmusata King. He has a special relation with the origin of fire. People said that: “Buddha struck the light and Qurmusata Tengri heated the fire”. The fire is sacred for this people. One of this rules (taboo) says: “Never stamp out the fire or put rubbish or water on it”.

- More information on this you will find in the Epics of Geser or the Creator Ulgen.  Excerpt from Face Music -  Tengerism in Mongolia

Ovoo - World Mountain Shrine at Almaden Quicksilver County Park

“No shamanist ritual starts without the invocation of Father Heaven, Mother Earth and the ancestors”

-Sarangerel, Buryat Mongol shaman (Riding Windhorses, p.23)

I am on the 10th floor of a tall office building at night. Sarangerel is there leading some kind of ceremony. The weather outside is dark and stormy. I hear a loud ‘Boom’ sound and then another. I wonder if the sound is thunder from the storm outside. The frequency and intensity picks up, ‘Boom, Boom, Boom’ and I wonder if it’s a drum. I suddenly realize it’s the floors above us falling. The building is collapsing and it’s almost to our floor. I am clear that there is no chance of escaping the building in time.

When I awoke I remembered the first dream that led me to contact Sarangerel. Then I understood that the building would not collapse so long as she was inside. Now, suddenly, Sarangerel had “left the building” after I had followed her back in. As a result of my choice I was positioned to feel the weight of the collapsing floors above.

Read Full Story Daniel Foor, Ph.D

A painting depicting Gesar by Nicholas Roerich.

Nice review of Epic of King Gesar – Sandra Ingerman’s Blog ~ How to Thrive in Changing Times written by Pat Hartman Shamans of Mongolia

New ! Unearthed from 1995, Sarangerel odigan’s Course on Mongolian Shamanism

The Fourth Branch

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 1)

In the heart of the golden earth,
A place of eternal peace,
In the center of the world,
A place of joy and prosperity,
Where a hundred thousand horses graze in the north
Where countless tens of thousands of cattle graze in the south,
Where people ate three satisfying meals a day,
Where people celebrated three festivals a year,
Was the kingdom of Ganga Bured Khan.

These fortunate people,
Who had never known the hostility of an evil enemy,
This bright land,
Which had never known the blast of a cold harsh wind,
Where the plants grew in the warmth of the sun,
Where clear water ran in streams like silk.

In that long ago time,
The plants grew dry from the roots,
Springs grow dry at their source,
The warm yellow sun was shrouded in darkness,
The nourishing gentle rain stopped falling.
Illness and disease spread among the people,
Plague and anthrax decimated the animals.
The people of the north started dying off,
The people of the south started disappearing.
Every day a thousand people were lost,
Every night a thousand animals passed away…

When this had happened,
The ruler of that land,
Ganga Bured Khan,
Became very surprised,
He was most astounded, and asked:
“Is this something willed by Father Heaven?
Is this something sent by Mother Earth?”
He thought with the full powers of his mind,
He spoke many words to himself.
Taking on the mind of a wolf,
Taking on a heart of stone,
He struck his golden drum,
Calling the people from the north,
He hit his silver drum,
Gathering the people from the south.
The blind came walking with someone to guide them,
The lame were brought in on stretchers.
Ganga Bured Khan,
Who had a nine-sided house with nine bright doors,
With ninety nine windows,
That was as white as the stars,
Opened his massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
He crossed his great granite threshold in a pure way,
Going down the silver steps that could be
run over by a mare with a foal,
Going down the silver walkway that could be
galloped on by a mare with a colt,
Walking without stumbling
He came to greet his people.
This having happened,
The people and animals said to him:
“Is this something willed by Father Heaven?
Is this something sent by Mother Earth?
From an ugly looking land,
From a poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered and full of grief,
From a place of three marshy rivers,
From a place of slippery slopes,
From a land of evil spirits and demons,
From a scorching hot land,
From a dark sunless land,
Came a being with a hundred thousand eyes on his back,
Countless tens of thousand of eyes on his chest,
With a huge round eye on his crown,
With a single fang in his mouth,
With the ability to change himself into two thousand forms,
With the ability to shift himself into a thousand and three shapes,
Burning like fire,
Blazing like flame,
Gal Nurman Khan began to yell and cry!
Setting the surface of the earth on fire!
Covering the lovely lands with poisonous fog,
People and animals are suffering from illness and disease.
This having happened what are we going to do?
How can we respond to this terrible enemy?”
When they looked up they were crying,
When they looked down there were crestfallen…
When they were talking about these things,
No prince or minister has any advice to give…
After this had happened,
A man who could walk under a person’s arm,
Short enough to walk between someone’s legs,
A dwarf only six spans high,
With a beard six spans long,
With a head of white hair,
With a hat of fluffy mink fur,
A brownish old man,
Came and stood before the princes and ministers,
He began to speak very meaningful words:
“O my people, my princes and ministers,
Listen to the words that I have to say!
This thing that has happened,
This thing we are talking about,
Is not from Father Heaven,
It is not from Mother Earth,
It comes from the forty four tenger of the east,
Who are enemies to the living things
Put here on earth by Esege Malaan Tenger,
By the destiny of Han Hormasta Tenger,
And by the fifty five tenger of the west!
Born from the neck of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
A poisonous and hateful being goes about!
This Gal Nurman Khan
Who has gone on the warpath,
Who has come to burn up the face of the earth,
Who wants to consume humans and animals,
He is born to kill young and old alike!
He who came down to restore order for the three Tugshen khans,
He who brought back their fortunes and happiness,
He who was sent on a mission from the fifty five tenger,
He who was sent by the destiny of the five wise gods,
He who came to suppress and kill evil enemies,
He who came to restore life and happiness,
The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Was incarnated as the hero Abai Geser!
Geser who lives by the eternal yellow lake,
Whose herds graze by the river Muren,
Who has a lofty mountain at the source of the Hatan River,
Who has three beautiful queens,
Three princes as uncles,
Thirty three warriors,
Three hundred leaders of his army,
And three thousand soldiers,
Such as man has come down to earth!”
Thus the old man explained his thoughts.
The princes, ministers, and peoples,
Thinking of the words of the brown old man,
Approved of them and said:
“Mountains are tall,
Rivers are long,
Whose able son,
Whose worthy hero,
Shall be sent
To meet Abai Geser?”

This dwarf six spans high,
With a beard six spans long,
This wizened old man said:
“By the warmth of the gulamta,
By the broadness of the rivers,
Among the living things,
There is a boy who is worthy,
Among the herds,
There is a steed to show the way.
You must have tests to find him,
You must have a way to select him.
Selecting a thousand from ten thousand,
Selecting a hundred from a thousand,
Selecting ten from a hundred,
Selecting one from ten,
You will find the warrior fit for the task!
In the same way select his steed
From among the herds!”
Thus he commanded,
The people following the words of the old man,
Selecting from among the many,
Picked Zoodoi Mergen Baatar.
From among the many herds,
They selected a bob-tailed dappled horse.

The lord of that land,
Ganga Bured Khan,
Preparing Zoodoi Mergen Baatar quickly,
Preparing the bob-tailed dappled horse well,
Preparing the horse for the long journey,
Gathering up food for the long road,
He prepared a hundred and twenty carts
Loaded with food and supplies.
Twelve men were to be his companions,
Thus the khan said:
“Let us call you Zoodoi Mergen Baatar
Of the hundred and twenty carts!”
Having been given this nickname,
Having gotten this reputation,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by the people,
Had his mouth anointed with spider oil,
So he would not hunger for ten years,
His nose was anointed with worm oil,
So he would not hunger for twenty years.
Followed by his hundred and twenty carts,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar rode off on his mission.

Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Pulling the right rein of the dappled bob-tail horse,
Galloping across thirteen hills,
Led the way.
Bending back twenty three hills,
He jumped ahead on the distant journey.
Coming to one muddy place in the road
The thrush was singing to the months of summer;
He opened up the breast of his fur-lined deel
As he trotted along on his journey.
Coming to a white snowy place in the road
The magpie was singing to the months of winter;
He pushed down his foxfur hat,
As he galloped along on his journey.
Turning the distance of three years’ travel
Into the journey of three months;
Turning the distance of three months’ travel
Into the journey of three days;
He went with all his might,
He sped toward his destination.

This having happened,
Zoodoi Mergen said to his companions:
“Having fed your animals on the best grass,
Having drank the clear water of the spring,
Go back to your homes,
Go back to your homeland!”
So he sent his party away
And he continued on alone.

So he traveled on by himself,
Even if the place was far he galloped on,
Even if the river was wide he crossed it.
Coming to the land of the eternal yellow lake,
He stopped at the place where the river Muren flowed.
He went on and ascended the sandy Manhan mountain.
Looking from the summit of the mountain
He could see the palace of Abai Geser,
Glittering white with the light of the stars,
Gleaming with the light of the moon.
Looking as if suspended from the heavens,
Looking as if supported by the earth,
Its lower parts shining with starlight,
Its upper part reflecting the constellations.

This having happened,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been selected by the people,
Taking off the saddle from his bob-tailed dappled horse,
Dusting off his saddle blanket,
Kindled a great bonfire,
Bowing his lovely round head in worship,
Bending his handsome legs in prayer…

Geser got up in the middle of the night,
Looking three times around the earth,
Looking four times around the world,
He saw at the source of the Hatan river,
On the summit of the sandy mountain,
A great red bonfire was burning.
In the glow of the great fire
A single man was bowing again and again,
He was seen praying and worshipping.
When Geser had seen this,
He called the eldest white son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Who was mindlessly snoring,
Who being roused from his sleep,
Came running to Abai Geser.

The hero Abai Geser said to Buidan Ulaan:
At the source of the Hatan River,
On the summit of the sandy Manhan mountain,
Who worships beside the great red fire?
If he is a bad and useless man,
Shoot him in the head
And bring him back on your horse!
If he is a good man,
And does not break down from fear,
Greet him warmly and invite him to come to me!”
With these words he sent Buidan Ulaan to the mountain,
The white eldest son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Quickly preparing himself,
Wisely preparing his horse,
Girding on his silvery armor,
Putting on a helmet white as the stars,
Stepping into the stirrups
Of his fat yellow horse that was as brave as an eagle,
He swung into his fine silver saddle.

Climbing up to the source of the Hatan River,
Traveling swiftly and quickly,
Coming to the peak of the sandy Manhan mountain,
He trotted with the steps of a moose.
Soaring like an eagle,
Swooping down like a falcon,
He came to meet Zoodoi Mergen.

When he came to the summit of the mountain,
Zoodoi Mergen lay prostrate in worship:
“When the song of the arrowhead is whistling,
I follow the sound of the arrow.”
He was terribly afraid,
He was very terrified,
In his fear he forgot himself,
Bowing down and worshipping.
When Buidan Ulaan Baatar saw this
He was very surprised,
He was most astonished:
“I have not seen people that go below one’s foot,
I have not seen humans beneath one’s soles.
Who is your father,
Who is your mother?”
With his sleeve lined with sable he slapped his face,
With his sleeve lines with mink he hit his face.
Reviving Zoodoi Mergen Baatar to his true self,
His amin having returned he stood up and spoke.

Zoodoi Mergen Baatar who had been chosen
By the people of Ganga Bured Khan’s realm,
Recovering his courage and wits,
Spoke to the tall Buidan Ulaan Baatar:
“I am Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who was selected from the subjects
Of Ganga Bured Khan.
Our people who had such good fortune,
Who never knew an evil or hateful enemy,
Who lived in a bright land
Never blasted by a harsh cold wind,
Where the plants grew in the warmth of the sun,
Where the streams ran clear like skeins of silk,
Suddenly the plants dried up from the roots,
The waters dried up at their source,
The bright yellow sun was obscured by darkness,
Illness and disease spread across the land,
The animals were decimated by plague and anthrax,
From the very beginning of the east,
From an ugly looking land,
From a poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered and full of grief,
From a place of three marshy rivers,
From a place of slippery slopes,
From a land of evil spirits and demons,
From a scorching hot land,
From a sunless land,
There came a monster with ten thousand eyes on his back,
With countless tens of thousands of eyes on his chest,
With a huge round eye on his crown,
With a single fang in his mouth,
With the ability to change himself into two thousand forms,
With the ability to shift himself into a thousand and three shapes,
Burning like fire,
Blazing like flame,
Gal Nurman Khan began yelling and crying.
Burning the surface of the earth,
Killing and consuming the people in the north,
He gathered up their horses and cattle,
Swallowing and eating the people in the south,
He stole their herds of horses and cattle.
I have come to speak with Abai Geser,
I am worshipping and begging
That he save us from this hateful evil enemy!”
Thus were the words of Zoodoi Mergen Baatar.

When he had heard this,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar said:
“For many years this hand has not fought an enemy,
For many days I have not defeated an enemy,
You come speaking fine and suitable words!”
He escorted Zoodoi Mergen Baatar
Back to Abai Geser’s home.
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by his people,
Entered into Abai Geser’s gate,
Tying the red reins of his steed
At the fine silver hitching post.

This having been done
He stripped off the saddle from his horse,
Spread out the saddle blanket on the ground
And was bowing and worshipping.
Buidan Ulaan Baatar went inside
To tell Abai Geser what had happened
Geser and his thirty three warriors,
Putting on their clothes,
Greeted and embraced Zoodoi Mergen Baatar.
Stretching out their long arms,
Speaking fine words,
Grasping the right arm they said strong words,
Grasping the left arm they said true words.
Bringing a golden table they served delicious food,
Bringing a silver table they served beautiful food.
Welcoming him as a guest
They served liquor and wine,
Taking him in a white ger
They killed and served a white sheep,
Taking him in a black ger
They killed and served a black sheep.

This having happened,
Geser opened his great book of fate with his thumb,
Reading it by the light of the moon;
He opened it with his fingers,
Reading it by the light of the sun…

Geser’s thirty three warriors,
All gathering together said:
“In the light of the day and night,
In the fortune of a year,
This opportunity coming into our hands,
This thing being opened up to us,
We have found a good cause,
We have found a way to distinguish ourselves!”
Thus building up the courage of Zoodoi Mergen
They brought him in to meet Abai Geser.

Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by his people,
Coming to speak with Abai Geser,
Asking for a favor,
Expressing the wishes of his people,
Worshipping and praying,
Abai Geser said to him:
The people and animals living in your land
Are people and animals protected by my father’s destiny.”
Thus he promised to save them.

When Zoodoi Mergen Baatar
Was happy and rejoicing,
Geser continued to speak:
“According to the destiny dictated by my father,
The time to save you from Gal Nurman Khan is determined.
This time has not come,
I must do battle with him after nine years,
Before that time I am powerless to fight him,
If I go into battle with Gal Nurman Khan before then
My strength will not be enough to defeat him,
He has the ability to change himself into two thousand forms,
He has the ability to shift himself into a thousand and three shapes,
In his two hands he has the power of eight Nasarangi tenger,
In his feet he has the power of eight dragons,
In his chest he has the power of eight liquors.
He has sixty six warriors,
Six hundred leaders of his army,
Six thousand soldiers.
With these odds I cannot win,
Before the appointed time I cannot defeat him.
Compared to the mighty strength of Gal Nurman Khan
Before his power as a man
I am just a boy,
I will be mangled!
Before the power of his dappled grey,
My steed does not reach his tether,
In competing with him
My bay horse Beligen
Is like a colt,
It would be a bloodbath!
Until nine years have passed
Nothing can be done,
Before the proper time
I lack the power to fight him,
I lack the strength to battle him,
A connection cannot be made,
Rain is not allowed to fall,
Go back to the water you drink,
Go back to the land where you were born!”
Thus Abai Geser spoke to Zoodoi Mergen.

Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen,
Bringing out a gold table she served delicious food,
Bringing a silver table she honored him with beautiful food.
Pouring out liquor and wine
She entertained him as a guest.
Making him get drunk
She restored his confidence.
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by his people,
Being honored as a guest
At the home of Abai Geser,
Honored Geser as a khan,
Wished good health to his wife,
Saying that he wanted to go home,
Saying he wanted to go to his homeland,
Went outside to prepare to leave.

Geser’s thirty three warriors,
Gathering around him
Said to Zoodoi Mergen Baatar:
“Is our hero Abai Geser
Going to rescue your people?”
They asked him most urgently,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar said to them:
“He says that the people and animals
Who live in my land
Are included in his father’s destiny.
The time to intervene
According to his father’s will
The time to do battle,
Has not yet come.
Before nine years have passed
He says he lacks the strength
To defeat our enemy.
So Abai Geser has sent me away.”
When they had heard these words,
Geser’s thirty three warriors’
Hearts began pounding in their chests,
Their mighty strong bodies
Were trembling and shaking,
They said: “If the people of his father’s will
Are being murdered and suppressed,
Abai Geser is obligated to rescue them!”
They brought him back inside,
Once more he left without success.

This poor disappointed man,
Leaving for the third time,
The thirty three warriors
Went in together, saying:
“Our hero Abai Geser,
You warrior with magic powers,
Will you not go to help
What Zoodoi Mergen has told you about?
Will you not restore the fortunes
Of the people and living things?
It is time to pick up spear and sword!
It is time to hang on bow and quiver!”
Thus they begged and bothered him.
Geser sent out his warriors,
They were grumbling and complaining,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who was waiting outside,
Was sent back to his home.

This having happened,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Went to the benevolent khan,
Who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a buckskin horse as big as an elephant,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Whose path was in the white clouds,
Who had a white bow of rule,
Geser’s uncle Sargal Noyon Khan,
Making quick preparations,
Making wise preparations,
He went to him and spoke unhappily:
“Our hero Abai Geser,
Even if he dies and is tied
Onto the saddle straps of Gal Nurman Khan,
Even if when he goes into battle,
He cannot reach to his enemy’s stirrups,
Even if he is struck down
And is trampled under his foe’s boots,
Even if he falls in battle
And is not able to defeat this trash,
We are ready to die
Fighting an evil enemy,
We are ready to die
Rescuing the people and animals,
We are ready to die
Trying to kill this hateful trash,
We are ready to die
Saving the people according to our destiny,
We are ready to die
Defending the people according to fate,
If we are not allowed to do this,
We will go back to the upper world!
Go to Abai Geser and tell him!”

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Making quick preparations,
Making wise preparations,
His horse’s hoofbeats
Making waves splash on the eternal lake,
The trotting of his steed
Making the earth tremble,
Riding to the house of Abai Geser,
Dismounting at his gate,
Tying his horse at the silver hitching post.

This having happened,
The uncle of Abai Geser,
Who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a buckskin horse as big as an elephant,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Whose path was in the white clouds,
Who carried a manly white bow,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
With golden light burning on his fingers,
With silver light glowing on his fingers,
Coming to greet his nephew,
Reached out and doing zolgoh,
Geser brought him into a white ger
And honored him by killing a white sheep,
Bringing him into a black ger
He honored him by killing a black sheep.
Talking until foam forms on liquor,
The talked until plants grow on a flat stone.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Reminded his nephew of all that happened before,
He sat and explained things;
Making him remember things from the earliest times,
He spoke in a friendly way:
“You have come on a mission
From the western fifty five tenger,
You have been sent by the destiny
Of the five wise gods,
You have been sent down to earth
To kill and suppress the evil enemies,
You were sent down
To bring life and happiness to humans and animals.
You came to restore the fortunes
Of the land of the three Tugshen khans,
You came to restore the destiny and history
Of the people;
This monster that is incarnated
From the neck of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
This Gal Nurman Khan,
Cannot be fought after nine years,
The people and living things
Will all be destroyed and exterminated before then.
Gal Nurman Khan is swallowing the people from the feet up,
He is gobbling the animals from the head down,
My nephew Abai Geser
Will you not go to fix this,
Will you not rescue
The people and living things?”
When Sargal Noyon Khan spoke these words
Abai Geser was greatly moved,
His blood became hot.

Abai Geser then changed his mind,
And prepared to fight Gal Nurman Khan.
His thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
His three thousand soldiers,
Were greatly rejoicing
And forgot what happened before;
Being greatly excited
They thought of what was at hand.

Abai Geser said to his thirty three warriors:
“Three days from now,
When the red sun of the morning is rising,
We ride off to do battle.
Sew up what is torn,
Fix what is broken!”

This having happened,
The thirty three warriors,
The three hundred leaders of the army,
The three thousand soldiers
Being too busy to pick up a fallen hat,
For the duration of three days
Making quick preparations,
Made wise preparations for war.

When Geser had decided on the way they would go,
When the red sun of the morning had risen,
He prepared Beligen the bay horse,
This steed with a mighty body,
With wisdom in his bones,
Laying on a silk edged saddle blanket,
Laying on a saddle of chased silver,
Laying on a silver crupper on his flanks
That would never let the saddle slide forward on the journey,
Laying on silver breast straps
That would never let the saddle slide backward on his travels,
Adjusting a girth of ten straps,
Tightening a girth of twenty straps,
Tying his beautiful reins on the saddle horn,
Hanging a quirt with a lovely handle from the saddle horn,
Tying him at the silver hitching post
With eighty rings he said:
“Now that my horse is ready,
I go to prepare myself.”
Geser opened his massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
He stepped over his massive granite threshold in a pure way,
Having done this he said to his thirty three warriors:
“Strengthen my bow of seventy layers
Stretch it and put on the string!”
Having said this he gave them
His heroic bow with seventy laminations.

Geser’s thirty three warriors,
Trying to bend his heroic yellow bow,
None had the strength to string it;
Their muscles bulging
Their sinews snapping,
Thirty three warriors were unable to string it;
They brought it back to Abai Geser.

The hero Abai Geser,
Supporting it on his two knees,
Was able to bend the great bow,
Was able to string the mighty bow;
Letting it go it snapped into shape:
“When I pick you up in the summertime,
You are my very fine bow,
When I hold you in the wintertime,
You are my very good bow!”
Thus he praised his bow,
Giving it his blessing.
Having done this,
He pulled on his black pants
Sown from the hides of seventy deer,
Tugging them up on his legs,
He pulled on his black boots,
Made of sealskin,
Tugging them over his feet,
Pulling on his thick silk deel
That he always wore in battle,
Buttoning up its seventy brass buttons
With the strength of his thumb,
Dressing and turning around
In the light from his door,
Preparing himself and pulling on his clothes
In the light from the smokehole,
Dusting off his garments,
Winding his silver sash around his waist,
Girding on his silvery steel sword on his left side,
Hanging on his yellow steel knife on his left side,
Pulling on a black armored shirt
That would not be penetrated by seven days of rain,
That would not be penetrated by seventy arrows,
Hanging his silver decorated bowcase on his right side,
Hanging his gleaming chased silver quiver on his left side,
Putting his heroic yellow bow
Made of seventy layers of wild goat horn into its case,
Putting seventy five arrows into his quiver,
So that it would be like his shadow in summer,
Putting ninety five arrows into his quiver,
So that it would be his help in winter,
Putting silver armor over his shoulders like wings,
Putting forged steel armor over his breast,
He was glittering like the sun,
He was like a tree in full bloom.
He put on his fluffy mink hat,
That was as big as a haystack,
That was decorated with thick tassels.
Putting on armor on his back that was never defeated,
Putting armor on this chest that was never subdued,
Melting spider oil in his mouth
So that he would not be hungry for ten years,
Anointing his nose with worm oil
So that he would not be hungry for twenty years.

This having been done
Geser’s wife Alma Mergen
Bringing a golden table with delicious food,
Bringing a silver table she honored him with beautiful food.
Pouring out liquor and wine
For Geser and his thirty three warriors
Until they were red faced and drunk,
She fed them until they were full.
They stood up to leave,
The got up to ride on their journey;
Opening the massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
They stepped over the granite threshold in a pure way.
Walking down the steps that a mare with her foal could run on
They did not stumble,
Going down the walkway that a mare with her colt could run on
They did not fall.
Loosening the red reins
Of Beligen the bay horse
From the silver hitching post,
Stepping into the massive silver stirrups
Geser swung into his chased silver saddle.
His thirty three warriors
Followed him three by three,
As they rode they left no trail,
The round hooves left no tracks,
Thus they sped on their way toward the east!

Geser traveled the distance of three days’ journey,
His horse’s hoofbeats on the khans’ straight road were like thunder;
Traveling this distance of four days’ journey,
The hoofbeats struck sparks on the people’s broad road,
Passing the border of the homeland that nourished him,
Geser entered a land that was cold for people.

This having happened
They came to a silvery hill
Where people had never come before,
They drank from a black spring,
From which no living thing had ever drank.

When this had happened
A stag and doe came running out before them…
Geser drew out his heroic yellow bow
And shot them both with a single arrow:
“If game comes out before thirty three warriors,
If we are unable to shoot them
We should turn around and go home.”
Thus Geser spoke as he shot his arrow.

Thirty three warriors gathered up the two deer,
They kindled a fire and roasted them.
Geser rested with his thirty three warriors;
They rode off in the following morning.

This having happened,
Geser’s uncle Sargal Noyon Khan,
Who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a buckskin horse as big as an elephant,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Who had a path in the white clouds,
Who had a white manly bow,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“I cannot hear the war cries of my nephew Abai Geser,
I do not hear the hoofbeats of Beligen the bay horse!”
Thus he quickly mounted his great buckskin horse,
Following that path of his nephew Abai Geser.
Pulling on the reins on the right side,
Lashing the right flank with his quirt,
He kicked up red dust to cover the earth,
He kicked up yellow dust rising to the heavens,
Going with all his might,
Going as fast as he could.

This having happened
Geser heard hoofbeats from the distance
Of three days’ travel.
Bringing his horse to a halt
He was greatly surprised,
He was greatly amazed.
He said to his thirty three warriors:
“I hear the hoofbeats of a great buckskin horse,
I hear the cries of my uncle Sargal Noyon Khan!
My warriors look back on the trail,
Can you see him coming?”
When he had asked this
All of the warriors looked back;
Red dust was spreading over the earth;
Yellow dust was rising to the heavens.
The great buckskin horse thundered as it came,
The cries of Sargal Noyon could be heard as he approached.

Abai Geser got down from his horse,
Waiting to greet his uncle Sargal Noyon.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Catching up with them,
Coming up to Geser’s party,
He stopped next to Abai Geser,
He asked his nephew:
“Why did you leave me behind?”

Abai Geser said to his uncle:
“I left you to watch over the people and animals,
To guard the gulamta,
Coming here to meet me
You are neglecting our homeland.”
Thus he tried to persuade his uncle.
Sargal Noyon Khan was insistent,
Wanting to ride with him on the road to war.

Thus Abai Geser said to him:
“I cannot trust my uncle Hara Zutan,
Go back to your house,
Do dallaga for the benefit of the people.”
He then took off the white silk shirt
That he wore next to his body,
Giving it to Sargal Noyon he said:
“If I am defeated in battle
This will turn brown and be ruined;
If I defeat my enemy
This will be even cleaner than before.”
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Pulled the shirt onto his own body,
Then he said to his nephew:
“Go and defeat your enemy,
Return when you have caught the colt!
Go on the way you intend to go,
Return with health and good fortune!
When you go to fight your enemy
I will help you in one way.”
Having said these words
He turned around to go home.
Sargal Noyon Khan had given his blessing;
He had the power that if the thirty three warriors were killed
He could resurrect them on the following day.
By his magical power, if their bows had been broken
He could restore them so they could shoot arrows again.

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch

The Third Branch

Arhan Hara Shutger

Born from the head of the leader of the
Forty four tenger of the east, Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Having been cast down from the sky,
Coming from the serene heavens
Toward the broad earth,
It stood exactly halfway between heaven and earth.
As if hung by a cord from the heavens,
As if supported from the earth below.
Lacking the power to go up,
Having no desire to go down,
This magical creature,
This being of sorcerous power,
Became the monster Arhan Hara Shutger,
Shouting curses up to the heavens,
Yelling imprecations down at the earth,
Croaking like a black raven,
Soaring like a grey falcon,
Casting up dust toward the sky,
Covering the earth with mist!

When this was happening,
The people who remained on earth
Were increasing in happiness and offspring day by day.
The numbers of people and animals
Grew larger and richer night by night.
Babies who were born could grow to adulthood,
Calves were able to grow to become cattle.

The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger–
Having become Arhan Hara Shutger,
He began having evil thoughts of revenge,
Malicious thoughts seethed in his heart.
The white hairs stood up on the top of his head,
His white teeth gnashed in his mouth.
The heavens trembled to their highest point,
The world shook to its roots.

Arhan Hara Shutger said:
“My hatred and jealousy
Grow like the waxing moon;
My animosity and vengeance increase
As I take on a new form!”
After he had vowed this
He chased the sun and moon
In the high heavens,
Trying to gobble and swallow them up.
His intention was to exterminate the people
who remained on the earth.
With red burning fire flowing out of his mouth,
With poisonous fire spurting through his teeth,
A tornado swept through the high heavens,
Yellow mists enveloped the whole world.
When this was happening,
Those things that were thrown from the heavens,
Those things that were flung from the skies,
The hacked and destroyed pieces of
The body of Atai Ulaan Tenger
That lay on the surface of the broad earth
Began to decay and rot.
Its effluvia became mists rising to heaven,
On earth it spread disease.
The demons and monsters
That developed out of the pieces of his body
Made this terrible oath:
“From this time onwards,
Two times becoming as one,
We make war and battle!”
They shouted in anger and menace.

When the gigantic head of Atai Ulaan Tenger
Had turned itself into Arhan Hara Shutger,
It looked down upon the earth
And saw the calamities caused
By the pieces of his ruined body
And rejoiced and was excited.
He bared his teeth in a terrible smile,
Fire was glittering in his eyes.
He gathered up his power,
He summoned up his magic.

Arhan Shutger said:
“I will gobble up and swallow
The sun and moon in the sky!
Thus I can exterminate
All living things remaining on the earth!”
Making the skies tremble with his shouts,
Making the earth quake with his noise,
Waves splashed on the shores of the Milk Sea,
The world mountain Humber Uula was shaking.
A hot wind was howling,
A poisonous fog covered the earth;
A cold dry wind was blowing,
It covered the earth with poisonous dust.

This having happened,
The gigantic head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
Chased the sun and moon,
Trying to catch them
For three days.
He was unable to swallow them up.
He began to worry and panic,
He became very furious,
His mouth gaped in anger…
When this had happened
He cried out to the
Forty four tenger of the eastern heavens,
Agitating for them to help him,
Begging them to rescue him:
“Make magic over the pieces of my body,
Put my body back together,
I have many years’ worth of vengeance to wreak,
I have many years of red hot hatred to act on!
My wrathful body being untangled,
My broken body being pulled together,
When I have my real body again,
When I have taken on my true form,
I will burn down the high heavens,
I will burn the earth to a cinder!
I will crush and destroy Han Hormasta Tenger,
I will rip the 55 tenger of the west into pieces!
Gather up the pieces of my body,
Put it back together,
Tie it together with stems of grass,
Pull it together with reeds!”
Shouting and begging
He was crying up in the sky…

Those whose cause had been lost,
Those whose hearts had been broken,
The gods of the eastern skies,
The forty four tenger,
Hearing the voice of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Gathering up their wits,
Quickly gathered for a meeting,
Came together for wise counsel.
At the meeting of the black tenger,
They swore and fought among each other,
At this meeting of the evil tenger,
They blamed each other and were divided.
The leader of the thirteen Asrangi tenger
Taking the lead in the meeting,
Giving his own advice,
Showing the wisdom in his heart,
Showing the strength in his body,
He was the first to speak:
“When Han Hormasta Tenger,
Leader of the tenger of the western skies,
Cut the body of Atai Ulaan Tenger into seven pieces,
He threw them down toward the earth.
His three good sons were flung down as well.
The gigantic head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Having become the demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
Remains midway between heaven and earth,
Suspended where the middle and upper worlds come together,
Unable to go upwards,
Unwilling to go down,
He tried to eat up the sun and moon,
He lacked the power to do so,
He was thrown into confusion!
His abilities being depleted,
He flew away crying and sobbing.
After this had happened
Those parts of his body that were flung from the sky,
Those parts of his body that lay smashed upon the earth,
Brought on an age of suffering to the world,
Spreading suffering upon the mountainous earth,
Babies died of starvation and thirst,
Animals died of anthrax and plague.
Tears flowed from the eyes of the animals,
Tears poured from the eyes of human beings.
The fifty five tenger of the western skies,
Hearing the cries of the suffering people,
The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Being incarnated as the hero Abai Geser,
Was called to come down to earth!
Abai Geser who battles evil,
With the skill of his thumb,
With the strength of his body,
It is time to fight him with red lightning,
It is time to burn him up with fire,
Then we can do what we want!
We need to help Arhan Hara Shutger,
The head of Atai Ulaan Tenger!
We need to join our power and abilities with him!
Going to find the ruined pieces that are in the sky and earth,
We shall gather up the cut up body parts in the heavens and in the world!
Let us restore him to his true body,
Let him have his original form!
Let us make him better than before,
Let us make him stronger than before!
Then we can have revenge on
Han Hormasta Tenger and his son Abai Geser,
On the fifty five tenger of the west
And that old hag Manzan Gurme Toodei!
We shall utterly smash them,
We shall completely blow them away!
Then we can pour out the hot contents
Of our crucible of hatred and vengeance!”
Thus the leader of the thirteen Asarangi Tenger
Shouted out his advice.
After he had spoken, Balai Hara Tenger,
Shouting from his place,
Yelling from where he sat
Expressed a rather stupid idea
That was shared by many of the tenger:
“That terrible being,
Who was born to be the powerful hero Abai Geser,
Should have been smashed when he was a baby,
Should have been pulverized while an infant!
When he stood up we were defeated,
When he began to walk we were overcome,
This black monster,
This good-for-nothing being,
Must be torn apart,
Must be bent and broken!
Let us grab the colt by the tail,
Let us stop the war before it starts,
Let us divert what will inevitably happen,
Let us sweep up the best of our enemies,
If we do this we can rejoice in what we have done,
In becoming masters of the world we can celebrate!
We need to send the leader of the
Thirteen Asarangi tenger down to earth at once!”
He looked around the meeting
To see what the response was to his idea.
Hara Hirhag Tenger,
Who was sitting beside him,
Was the next to give his counsel:
“Of this hero Abai Geser,
Who was born as this monstrous being,
We shall make whips of his arms,
We shall turn his head into a ball!
Let us gather up the ruined pieces
Of Atai Ulaan Tenger’s body,
Bring them here up to the sky and sort them out,
Bringing them up to the heavens we will resurrect him!”

Oyor Hara Tenger,
Gnashing his teeth loudly,
Reminding those who were gathered
Of all that happened from the past to the present,
Explained things this way:
“Atai Ulaan Tenger,
That good-for-nothing tenger,
Who was always jealous and scheming,
He who led us on a dark path,
That demon bent on spreading suffering,
Who always did bad and hurtful things,
Since he got what he deserved
After he was struck by the spear
To him we can say:
“Fix your own wrongs,
Suffer for the bad things you did!
When two people have an argument,
Everybody is listening,
When two bulls are fighting,
The whole camp watches!”
When twenty tenger had spoken,
Buuluur Hara Tenger,
Spoke of what happened to the amin and hulde
Of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Of what had happened before,
Of all that resulted from it,
He sang a shaman song and spoke:
“Here you sit in your meeting in the distant east,
You babble and argue and lay blame on each other,
But it is the fifty five tenger of the western skies,
Who have done wrong to us,
The forty four tenger of the eastern heavens.
They are the ones who committed a crime,
They are the ones who made us powerless,
They are the ones that made things right,
They are the ones that intervened on earth.
Saying words and more words,
Heaping crime upon crime.
Our great and powerful Atai Ulaan Tenger,
In our fearsome and terrible land
It was he who was our guiding spirit,
In our land where we are fallen and defeated,
He will be a support for us.
We must rescue this demon
Born from the head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
It is imperative that we help him!
Let us put his body back together,
Let us raise him up from the dead,
Let us resurrect his name,
Let us restore his reputation.
If we are able to do what we intend,
If we are able to fulfill this idea,
We will defeat this indefatigable enemy,
We will overcome this insurmountable obstacle.
We will be able to seize Han Hormasta Tenger,
We will be able to strangle the 55 tenger of the west!
We will be able to control the heavens,
We will be able to rule the skies,
Our name will thunder about the heavens,
Our reputation will make the earth tremble!”
Thus Buuluur Hara Tenger spoke as he shamanized.
Thus he called on the tenger to follow his words.
Unyar Hara Tenger became very angry,
His mouth gaping in wrath he said:
“We do not need to get involved
In what other people have done,
We do not to put spokes
In somebody else’s wheel.”
After this had been said
The many tenger of the east
Split into two factions.
For an entire day and night
They argued and tore at each other…

When this had happened
A wise and intelligent prince
Of the fifty five tenger of the western skies,
Huherdei Mergen Baatar,
Going by instructions of Manzan Gurme Toodei,
Going on a mission from Esege Malaan Tenger,
Went to a place between heaven and earth,
Where the upper world meets the earth,
Holding the reins of a nine-winged horse,
He stood on the bed of a massive silver cart.

As a result of this,
The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Knew what was happening very well,
He understood it very well.
He became very afraid of the powerful Huherdei Mergen,
He shied away from the mighty warrior,
He hid on the north side of the beautiful golden sun,
He hid on the south side of the lovely full moon.

When the heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen
Saw that the demon had fled away,
When he saw Arhan Hara Shutger was hiding,
He spoke to himself,
Knowing well what was happening.
He became very angry,
His mouth gaping in fury,
His voice crackling with anger,
Shouting with the voice of a thousand stags,
His voice roaring and thundering,
Shouting with the voice of ten thousand stags.
Blaming the tenger of the golden sun,
Blaming the tenger of the full moon,
He shouted his accusations at them,
He spoke in a terrible menacing voice:
“Are you hiding the enemy of the
Fifty five tenger of the western skies,
Arhan Hara Shutger of the
Forty four tenger of the eastern skies?
Why do you hide him on your northern side,
Why do you shield him on your southern side,
Have you joined the faction of the enemy?
Have you become my enemy as well?”
His white hairs stood up on his head,
His white teeth gnashed in his mouth.

When Huherdei Mergen made his accusations,
When the heavenly prince was shouting blame,
Nagaadai Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the sun,
Haihan Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the moon,
Putting their black bows in their bow cases,
They hung them on their horses’ sides;
Putting their yellow horn tipped arrows in their quivers,
They hung them on their backs.
They mounted their fiery steeds, saying:
“In battle we will show the strength of our bodies,
In the fight we will show the skill of our thumbs!”
Thus they came and spoke with Huherdei Mergen.

This having happened,
The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The possessor of great magical powers,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Showing evil deceit,
Thinking evil thoughts,
He emerged from the golden light of the sun,
He stood in the reflected light of the moon.
Two skillful archers,
Two brave warriors,
Were there to meet him–
He greeted them with flattery.
He talked as if they were acquaintances,
He acted familiarly as if they were friends.
“My boys, my two brave warriors,
I greet you like you are my own flesh and blood,
I welcome you as if you are my own family!
Let us become anda for ten years,
Let us unite our amin and hulde
Let us be united heart and soul!
Who will go with you when you go on a long journey?
Who will be your companion far away from home?
You two great archers,
You two great warriors,
I will go and watch your front side,
I will go and watch your back side,
On the road I will be your best friend,
At your side I will be your closest friend,
I will hold your horses,
I will lead the way in the forest,
If you save my life,
If you save my skin,
I will be your anda for ten years,
I will be your blood brother for twenty years!”
Thus he was pressuring them,
Thus he tried to trick them with evil deceit.

Nagaadai Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the sun,
Feeling repelled and angry,
Looked at him sharply and said in a loud voice:
“We go with the light of the day,
We follow the stars,
We go with the moonlight of the night,
We go with the constellations.
With a demon powerful in magic,
With Arhan Hara Shutger,
We will not go as fellow travelers,
We will not take him as a companion.”

Haihan Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the moon,
Listened with interest to the offer of
The demon powerful in magic.
He promised to rescue Arhan Hara Shutger:
“If you follow me like a shadow during the day,
If you are ever helping me at night,
I will become the anda of Arhan Hara Shutger.
Becoming a friend as close as a shadow,
Bringing our two names together,
Being ever of assistance to me,
I will take you as a blood brother,
We will win fame together.”
Opening his vast mouth,
Showing his jagged teeth,
He smiled wide enough to crack his face,
He kept talking and chattering.
Coming closer to the two warriors
He was waving his hands in delight:
“We will be anda for ten years,
We will be blood brothers for twenty years,
Exchanging our belts,
Sharing one pipe and tobacco pouch,
Let us talk until foam forms on liquor,
Let us talk until plants grow on a flat rock.”
He was speaking happily and excitedly.
Nagaadai Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the sun,
Seeing what was happening,
Listening to what was being said,
Realized that Haihan Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the moon,
Thinking good about evil,
Was tangled in a trap of deceit.
He therefore rode back toward home,
Galloping toward his homeland.
This having happened,
The demon great in magical power,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Giving his right hand to Haihan Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the moon,
Spoke strong words,
Giving him his left hand,
He spoke true words.
They took out a pipe as big as a shin
And smoked together.
Taking out a pouch as big as a sleeve,
They shared tobacco.
Exchanging their belts they became anda,
They talked together as they smoked…
The heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen
Met Nagaadai Mergen on his way home,
Greeting each other on this distant road
They grasped each other’s arms.
Nagaadai Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the sun,
Told the heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen
About the good and bad things that happened,
His voice full of hurt and regret:
“Haihan Mergen,
Son of the tenger of the moon,
Has become anda of a demon for ten years,
Has become blood brother of Arhan Hara Shutger for twenty years…
I have broken off friendship with my best friend,
When he joined together with a demon,
I have parted from a friend who was like my shadow.”
The heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen,
Forgetting what had happened before,
Thinking about what he had just heard,
Became very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury,
He did not say many words,
He did not think any stupid thought,
With one word he called Haihan Mergen,
With one gesture he summoned him.
When the son of the tenger of the moon came to him,
The heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen,
Looked down at the warrior
And thought he was a pig;
Looking up at the young tenger
He thought he was a fool.
This having happened,
The heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen
Pulled out his heroic yellow bow,
He took out a great black arrow,
Spoke magic words on the arrowhead
, Spoke a blessing of the shaft,
Spoke words of power on the fletching,
As he spoke fire flamed upon the arrow:
“If it is your fate to slay the demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
Go up and hit his amin and hulde,
If it is your fate to kill this demon of magic power,
Hit your target with the sound of thunder and destroy him!”
Thus the giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Was shot without missing!

The very first shot of Huherdei Mergen,
The great black arrow,
Left his thumb with great power,
Left his fingers with a great noise,
Singing the song of the arrowhead,
Whistling the song of the arrow,
The great black arrow sped on its way,
The arrow that never missed its target,
Shattered the hulde and spirit of the demon,
Struck and tore the tendons of Arhan Hara Shutger!

A noise like a thunderclap shook the heavens,
The broad earth shook to its roots,
Waves splashed on the shore of the Milk Sea,
The world mountain Humber Uula trembled,
A poisonous wind howled,
Covering the land with dry dust,
A hot dry wind blew,
Covering the earth with clouds of dust.

The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The demon of great magical power,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Falling between heaven and earth,
Tumbled rapidly down toward the ground,
Going through the air it made a great noise,
Whistling like an arrow,
Moaning like a goat,
Crying like a fawn!

This having happened,
The leader of the thirteen Asarangi tenger spoke:
“Let us rescue the demon Arhan Hara Shutger!
When he falls down to earth
He will pollute and defile the seven lands!”
Standing at the border of heaven and earth,
The heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen,
Believing that his arrow had reached its target,
Thinking that his enemy had nothing to stop his fall,
Neglecting his duty,
Went back to his own affairs.

The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
His great mouth gaping as he fell,
His lips peeled back from his jagged teeth,
Breaking off the tops of mountains as he fell,
Stirring up the surfaces of lakes,
Raising up dust on the earth,
Covering the world with clouds of dust,
Passing the crest of the sandy Manhan mountain
He disappeared into the waters of the yellow lake!

After he had fallen into the lake,
He lay there wanting to get up,
Standing up without fear,
Looking at the world around him,
He got out of the water and walked around the yellow lake.
When he was doing this,
By the slopes of the mountain Khan Uula,
By the Hatan River,
He recognized the home of Abai Geser.
He was filled with fear and embarrassment,
He crept back to the shore of the lake,
Hiding himself among the water plants,
The leaves completely covered his body as he lay there.
At the same time,
The heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen,
Saying, “I have defeated an indefatigable enemy,
I have won myself a mighty name,
Conquering the unconquerable,
I have grabbed the colt by the tail!
May the people of the earth increase in number,
May human beings prosper with large families!”
Thinking good thoughts,
Speaking beautiful words,
Taking out a pipe as big as a shin,
Taking out a tobacco pouch of velvety sheepskin
As big as a sleeve,
Taking out a bundle of tobacco
As big as a haystack,
He struck sparks with flint and steel,
Lighting a pile of tobacco
As big as a moose’s ear.

Thinking that he had killed Arhan Hara Shutger,
That he had saved humans and animals,
Saying that he had rescued the sun and moon,
The heavenly prince Huherdei Mergen said:
“Now that the work of the day is completed,
I want the dreams of the night.”
With those words he returned to the land
Of the fifty five tenger of the west.

This having happened,
The uncle of Abai Geser,
Who lived in a half-broken place,
Who had a handsome grey stallion,
Who thought malevolent thoughts,
Who was dark and evil inside,
Whose path was one of black clouds,
Who carried a black bow of rule,
Hara Zutan Noyon,
Driving his animals to the shore of the yellow lake,
Bringing his herds of cattle and horses to drink water,
Dismounting from his great grey stallion,
While dusting off the skirts of his deel,
He saw on the shore of the yellow lake,
Swinging and swaying in the wind,
A golden yellow elm tree
Growing in the water close to shore.

When malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Was staring at the golden yellow elm tree he said:
“This is certainly a product of Geser’s magic.”
He became very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury,
In his heart great black thoughts
Began to seethe and bubble.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Tucked the skirts of his deel above his buttocks,
Rolled his sleeves above his elbows,
He waded out to the tree.
When he came to the golden yellow elm tree
He broke off its trunk,
He broke off the branches,
Throwing them in the water.
The waters of the yellow lake
Began foaming and bubbling,
The sandy Manhan mountain
Began to shake and tremble,
A black tornado arose,
A hot wind began to blow,
A cloud of yellow dust arose,
Poisonous dust was swirling about…
From the waters of the yellow lake
A pair of red bloodshot eyes appeared,
A black round head erupted from the waters!
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Seeing this happening,
Was greatly afraid,
He was very terrified.
The head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
Raising himself with the broken trunk
Of the golden yellow elm tree,
Approached Hara Zutan as if to attack:
“Opening the door that is never opened
I opened it and came,
Closing the door that is never closed
I closed it and came to observe,
Whose son are you,
What kind of thing gave birth to you?
If you are able to talk, speak,
If you are not dumb, say something!
I will bite your head and gulp you down,
Grabbing your feet with my teeth I will swallow you!”
Saying this he gaped his enormous mouth,
Making as if he was going to eat Hara Zutan,
Showing his jagged yellow teeth,
Making as if to chew him up,
His upper jaw seemed to reach the sky,
His lower jaw seemed to bite the earth.
Many people could go up and be swallowed,
Ten thousand people could be gulped down at one time.
In his terror Hara Zutan forgot himself,
In his fear he could not remember his own name.
He began calling for his nephew Abai Geser,
He tried to frighten Arhan Hara Shutger:
“My nephew Abai Geser,
Remember your uncle and rescue him,
Come to defeat Arhan Hara Shutger,
Kill and destroy him!”
The demon powerful in magic,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Demanded of him:
“Your nephew Abai Geser,
If he were to try to defeat Arhan Hara Shutger,
If he tried to kill him,
What kind of powers would he use,
What kind of weapons would he fight with?”
Scheming evil deceit,
Thinking evil thoughts
While he was being asked these questions,
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Thought of a way to save his life,
He knew how to save his own skin,
So he explained the powers
Of his nephew Abai Geser:
“My nephew Abai Geser is powerful in magic,
He is sent on a mission from the western 55 tenger,
He is sent by the will of the five wise gods.
He is come to restore order
To the land of the three Tugshen khans,
He is come to restore the fortune
Which had been overturned!
He is come to kill evil and malicious enemies,
He is come to bring life and happiness to living things!
He has become the leader of thirteen khans,
He has seventy three allies who swear loyalty to him!
When he came to break and defeat his malicious enemies
He was given a silvery steel sword to cut them down!
He was given a bow made from the horns of seventy wild goats,
Made with seventy five laminations!
He has a great black arrow,
When he speaks magic words on its head
It flames with red fire,
When he speaks words of power on its fletching
It flames with blue fire,
This arrow was the gift of Han Hormasta Tenger!”
When he had recounted these things,
The wretched demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
His black chest contracting in despair,
Digging up the source of Hara Zutan’s malice said:
“It is well known that your nephew Abai Geser
Has taken two wives you wanted for yourself,
He having stolen away your name,
You are consumed with hate and jealousy.
When you travel far away who follows you?
When your hatred heats up in the crucible,
Who is going to help you?
Let us be anda for ten years,
Let us be blood brothers for twenty years!
I will go watching before you,
I will go watching behind you,
I will be your companion on your journeys,
I will be your best friend ever at your side!
If you take the weapons of your nephew Abai Geser,
This warrior of great magical power,
If you take them and bring them to me,
I will go together with you and be your ally.
For ten long years I will serve your hate and jealousy,
For twenty some years I will help wreak your revenge!”
The demon with magical power
Spoke long enough for foam to form on liquor,
Arhan Hara Shutger
Talked long enough for plants to grow on a flat stone.

Having listened to the words of Arhan Hara Shutger,
Malicious Hara Zutan Noyon’s great black thoughts
Began to seethe, bubble, and boil,
His many evil thoughts
Were splashing and stirring.
Remembering all the wrongs done to him in the past,
Scheming about the words he had just heard,
Fostering his hatred and jealousy,
He became anda to the demon,
Following his red-hot desire for vengeance,
He became brother to Arhan Hara Shutger.

Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Swore an oath to Arhan Hara Shutger:
“When the high heavens are dozing,
When the wide world is sleeping,
Halfway through the dark night,
In the middle of the black night,
I will take the quiver and weapons
Of my nephew Abai Geser,
Of that warrior with magical power,
In this way I serve you as ally!
I will break off the head
Of the arrow that always wins,
I will tear off the feathers
Of the arrow that never misses!
I will break apart the layers
Of the black bow
Made of the horns
Of seventy wild goats,
Then I will cut its string!
The sword that was never scratched by the hardest bone,
That will never melt in the hottest blood,
I will hide under the foundation of Geser’s house!
My anda and blood brother,
My Arhan Hara Shutger,
Halfway through the dark night,
In the middle of the black night,
When the high heavens are sleeping,
When the whole world is dozing,
Go to the house of my nephew Abai Geser.
Creep under the floor of his gold and silver palace,
Come out suddenly and kill him!”
When he was saying those things,
Arhan Hara Shutger’s eyes turned dark,
His ribs an ell wide contracted in,
He replied to Hara Zutan Noyon:
“In this place of our powerlessness and defeat,
Be ready to be of help to me,
In this place of our losing and being overcome,
Let us go together as allies!
We are jealous and hateful,
As certainly as the moon is full,
Our desire for revenge is red hot,
As certain as the color of silk,
I will take Urmai Goohon for myself as a wife,
You can take Tumen Jargalan as your own wife!
If we have defeated our enemies,
If we have grabbed the colt by the tail,
We two blood brothers
Arhan and Zutan,
Will have a hill of meat to feed on,
Taking the two wives for ourselves,
We will have a lot of pleasure!”
These two evil creatures,
Making promises to each other,
They grasped right hands,
Swearing oaths to each other.
They grasped left hands.

Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Having watered his herds,
Went back to his home.
Taking Arhan Hara Shutger with him,
He went back to his house.
“Having become anda and blood brother
To the demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
I will be able to take the herds and treasure
Of my heroic nephew Abai Geser.
When I have killed him,
I will take his subjects for myself!”
Thinking these black thoughts
Saying these words in his black heart,
He became very happy,
He was very excited.

This having happened,
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Halfway through the dark night,
In the middle of the black night,
Entered the house of his nephew Abai Geser.
Being overcome by jealousy and hatred,
He forgot that he was Geser’s uncle,
Thinking only evil and poisonous thoughts,
He came in as if he was a thief.
He broke off and threw away
The head of the arrow that finds its target,
He tore off the feathers
Of the great black arrow.
He broke apart the bow
Made of seventy five laminations,
Throwing away the pieces,
He cut apart the bowstring.
He slid the silvery steel sword
Under the foundation of Geser’s house,
He bent Geser’s black spear,
Crushing it with a large rock.
He made all of the bladed weapons
Blunt up to the hilt.
The quiver and all other things
Were altogether ruined.

When this was happening,
Geser was visiting his wife Urmai Goohon,
Coming as her guest he ate the best food,
He drank the strongest of liquor,
Talking about everything that happened before,
Remembering everything from the earliest times,
He talked in a happy and friendly way.
When the dark night had come,
When the yellow leaves were falling,
He went to the bed of Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the red sun,
Slipping under her thick soft covers,
He slept holding her in his arms.

Halfway through the black night,
In the middle of the dark night,
Suddenly these was a sharp noise.
The great brown stone door,
Creaked as a stranger entered.
The thirty three warriors
Slept on knowing nothing.
The three hundred guards
Did not see anything.

Urmai Goohon was roused from her sleep,
She understood what was happening,
She knew they were in danger.
Trying to wake him quickly,
Trying to make him come to his senses,
She said:
“My great hero,
My warrior Abai Geser!
Have your thirteen khans betrayed you?
Have your seventy three allies turned on you?
Under our black floor
There is the sound of an enemy’s footsteps,
Under our black floor
Some terrible thing is lurking!”
When she had screamed
Geser awoke and sat up
In the thick soft bed:
“What kind of thing has come to me?!”
He was greatly surprised,
He was very amazed.
“Has the day come to lock this black palace,
Is it time for us to be contacted at night?
I will meet my jealous and hateful enemy
On the white steppe,
By the five tall pine trees!”
When this had happened,
When he went to take his great yellow bow,
When he went to get his great black arrow,
The head was broken off,
The fletching was ruined,
The layers of his bow were separated,
The bowstring was in pieces,
He found his sword hidden under the house,
Its hard steel blade was blunted,
When he looked for his steel spear,
It was crushed under a stone,
Its head was bent,
Its shaft was broken.
All of his weapons lay scattered about broken,
All of his equipment lay here and there completely smashed.
Abai Geser was hardly able to speak,
Gesturing and calling his steed,
Beligen the bay horse,
The horse of powerful body,
The steed with bones full of wisdom,
Beligen the bay horse
Came galloping up immediately,
Kicking out the southwest window with his hoof,
He cried out to Geser with a great voice:
“What kind of great enemy have you heard from afar,
What kind of great enemy have you seen up close?”
When he was saying this
Geser put on his armor and helmet,
Climbing out the southwest window of his house
He mounted on the back of Beligen the bay horse.
He shouted out a challenge
To the enemy hiding under his house:
“If you are able to fight with me,
If you have the strength to do battle,
You must know that I do not allow
Demons to be lurking under my threshold!
Go quickly to the white steppe,
By the five tall pines we will fight!”
When he shouted his challenge
His voice crackled with anger,
Shouting with the voice of a thousand stags,
His voice thundering and roaring
He yelled with the voice of ten thousand stags.

This having happened,
Geser turned his steed to the right,
Turning Beligen the bay horse
In the direction of the sun,
He rode swiftly to the white steppe,
To the place of the five tall pines.

The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The demon with magical powers,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Crawling out from below the gold and silver palace,
Emerged from Geser’s house.
Not being able to take on a demonic form for battle,
He confronted Geser with his true red face.

Two enemies of great strength,
Two rivals with magical power,
Went into battle;
They fought on the white steppe,
In the shadow of five tall pines.
When this happened,
Geser said to Arhan Hara Shutger:
“You come in under the feet of those who are sleeping,
You sneak in under those who are lying down,
What father’s son are you,
From what were you born?”
When he was challenged,
The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The demon Arhan Hara Shutger replied:
“I should have come to smash you when you were a baby,
I should have pulverized you when you were an infant!”
When Geser had heard the words that had been said,
He became very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury:
“What kind of person talks about smashing a baby,
What kind of thing speaks of pulverizing an infant,
What kind of evil demon are you,
What kind of poisonous enemy are you?
I have strangled many with necks like axles,
I have defeated many warriors with silver bowcases,
Just as there can never be more than seven bones in the neck,
There will never be a man born who can overcome me!
Do you have the strength to fight me,
Do you have the craftiness to do battle with me?”
When he had heard these words,
The giant head of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
The demon Arhan Hara Shutger,
Stood before Geser,
His red heart pounding,
The tendons in his shins twitching.

This having happened,
The demon with great magic power,
Arhan Hara Shutger,
Shouted at Abai Geser:
“If I climb two mountains,
I will not get calluses on my feet,
There is no man
Of whose strength I am afraid,
Starting with your feet I can swallow you,
Starting with your head I can bite and gobble you!”
His many-colored eyes were glittering,
He ground his jagged yellow teeth.

Two enemies of great strength,
Two rivals with great magical power,
Lowered their heads and gored each other like two bulls,
Growing dark like a stormy sky they battled,
Their battle cries reaching the skies,
Their blows shaking the earth,
Battling like two bull mooses,
Butting like two bull camels,
Grabbing and strangling each other’s necks,
Yanking out each other’s hair.

Their blows resounded like steel hitting steel,
Their blows sounded like stone hitting stone.
The ground upon which they fought,
Was scraped up as if pawed by a stag,
The place where they tried to kill each other
Was rutted as if dug up by a wild animal.
Tearing off the flesh of each other’s backs with their fingers,
Biting off the flesh of their chests with their teeth,
Blood flowed in rivers,
Flesh piled up like a hill,
Taking power from the sky they fought,
Taking power from the earth they yelled,
The serene sky shook to its summit,
The wide earth trembled to its roots.

For three long days
The two enemies struggled,
For the length of seven days
They battled with each other.
Hardening their black chests,
Strengthening their thick white tendons,
Geser summoned extra strength to wrestle,
He battled with his whole being,
Summoning the strength of a warrior,
Showing the craft of a warrior,
He started to choke the neck of Arhan Hara Shutger,
Which was as strong as an axle,
He snapped his thick white tendons,
He dislocated his strong black back,
He caved in his eight black ribs.
Arhan Hara Shutger’s heart began to fail,
The strength of his body departed…

Geser squeezed the body of
Arhan Hara Shutger,
He brought him beneath his feet.
Breaking him like a dead tree,
Bending him like a living tree,
Black dust was kicked up,
Yellow dust rose in clouds,
Waves splashed on the shore of the Milk Sea,
The world mountain Humber Uula was trembling.
Geser grabbed Arhan Hara Shutger
Under his two red arms,
Swinging him to the west he struck the western taiga,
Swinging him to the east he hit the eastern taiga,
He grunted like a goat,
He cried like a fawn,
The demon Arhan Hara Shutger
Was thrown so that he stuck in the earth,
His head pillowed on the northern mountain,
His legs kicked up on the southern mountain.
He was laid out as if on the aranga,
He lay killed by Geser’s own hand…

Abai Geser said:
“I have defeated an indefatigable enemy,
I have won a mighty name,
I have conquered the unconquerable,
I have seized the colt by the tail!”
He rejoiced greatly,
His heart was filled with joy.
He was very happy,
He was very excited.
Looking above he smiled,
Looking down he was full of emotion.

This having happened
Geser uprooted three mountain ranges,
Burying Arhan Shutger beneath them.
By a bay of the outside lake,
At the navel of the Hulhe lake,
He built an oboo to reach the sky,
He raised a mountain to touch the heavens.
He spoke words of power:
“Whenever and forever,
For a thousand ages,
Below these three mountain ranges,
Remain decaying and rotting!”
When he had sworn this oath,
He took out a silver pipe as big as a shin,
Taking out a black velvety sheepskin tobacco pouch
As big as a sleeve,
Taking out a bundle of tobacco
As big as a haystack,
Striking sparks with flint and steel,
Lighting a bowl of tobacco
As big as a moose’s ear,
He inhaled with a great noise,
He exhaled with a whistling noise,
His exhalation was like steam,
His smoke was like a campfire.
In this way he sat and smoked…

This having happened,
He went back to his home,
Coming back to his palace
He called his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
His three thousand soldiers,
Calling his uncle Hara Zutan together with them,
They were all assembled together.
All the warriors and archers were there,
All the people and animals were there,
Knowing everything very well,
Understanding everything very well,
Geser called his uncle Hara Zutan before him,
Showing him a severe countenance he said:
“Take all of my weapons,
Take all of my equipment,
Have the great seven smiths forge them again,
Have the capable seven smiths temper them!”
Thus he spoke in a commanding and menacing manner.
When the thirty three warriors,
The three hundred leaders of the army,
And the three thousand soldiers
Saw what had happened,
When they heard what was said,
They were greatly surprised,
They were most astonished.
They blamed themselves for being naive,
They regretted their having been careless.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Was very frightened,
He was very terrified,
When he tried to speak
He could say nothing.

When Abai Geser spoke to his uncle Hara Zutan
He wanted to make good of what was wrong,
He spoke these words to him:
“You were part of the good things we were doing,
You were part of the good order we support,
Swearing on the points of the weapons,
May the weapons and the gods be witness,
In the sight of the white Zayaasha of fate I accuse you,
Before Zarlig and Solbon I accuse you,
Before the great white father Esege Malaan Tenger,
Before the white maker of fate I accuse you.
If we forget them harmony would be cut off,
If we are separated from them,
The gods of the skies would pass judgment on us,
The tenger of the heavens would accuse us!”
When Geser had said these things,
Malevolent Hara Zutan acted repentant before his nephew,
He cried and said:
“I cannot escape from the words you have said, my nephew,
I cannot hide from the truths you have said, my nephew,
I will remember until I die
The words you have said,
I will never forget
The beautiful deeds and fate of which you speak.
My nephew Abai Geser,
Please do not blame your uncle,
Arhan Hara Shutger had deceived and trapped me…
Go with fortune and good luck
To any place you intend to go,
May fate and destiny
Bring prosperity wherever you go!”
Malevolent Hara Zutan bowed and worshipped him,
He groveled shaking and trembling.

This having happened
Geser spoke true words
Before the humans and animals:
“Remember your carelessness of the past,
Forget your naivet  and credulousness,
Be ever alert and listening,
Be watching with a sharp eye
For enemies that may be nearby,
Be listening with keen hearing
For enemies that may be far away.
Those who have black thoughts,
Those who forsake the gods,
I cut down with hard steel,
I crush them under a great stone.
I send away those dirty things that never
Went to the water’s source,
Those who think wrong thoughts,
Know the wrath of Geser and the gods.
I am speaking true words,
I walk on the true path!”
Thus he spoke and taught.

Thirty three warriors,
Three hundred leaders of the army,
And three thousand soldiers,
Hearing these good words,
Loved Geser even more than they had before,
They listened to him even more than in the past.

Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Having had so much blame piled on him,
Looked like a very pitiful being,
Looking disheveled before the people,
Bereft of power and ability,
In his evil and dark mind,
In his black and malevolent heart,
Many malicious thoughts were stirring…
This having happened,
All of the warriors and soldiers,
All of the people and animals,
All thought to themselves:
“Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Following the will of the people,
Is abiding by Geser’s law!”
Thus they spoke to Abai Geser.

Geser said to his uncle Hara Zutan:
“My uncle, you allied yourself with Arhan Hara Shutger,
When you did this you became an enemy to living things.
There are many who would have hung you from a red pine,
There are many who would have strung you up with a thick rope!
A people must have its elders,
See the way I am saving you,
A deel must have a hem,
See how I repay your coldness with warmth.
Respect the old men with white hair,
Respect the old women with white canes!
Think well about the simple words I tell you,
Be ever mindful of the path you follow!”
Thus being humiliated in the face of so many people,
He lost his face and teeth before living things.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Feeling greatly embarrassed,
His face was red and flushed.
When he spoke his whole body shook.
Geser and all the people went to their homes,
Geser went to the house of Urmai Goohon.
She brought a golden table and served delicious food,
Bringing a silver table she served beautiful food.
Abai Geser said to her:
“It would not be foolish to say I defeated a great enemy,
I will not say that I conquered a great man!”
He talked with Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the red sun,
Until foam formed on the waters,
Until plants would grow on a flat rock
. When the dark of night had come,
When the yellow leaves were falling,
Geser slept under a soft blanket!

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch

The Second Branch
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 3)

After this had happened,
Nyuhata Nyurgai rode his mousy brown colt,
Strapping on his tiny bow and quiver
He rode about randomly,
Riding fast,
Riding mightily,
Going at a quick pace,
He galloped about his homeland.

When he came to one valley
He saw his brother Altan Shagai.
He was picking up a hammer
Weighing 1400 pounds,
Hoisting it up toward the sky.

Nyuhata Nyurgai came and stood by his side,
He asked Altan Shagai:
“What are you doing in such a far-away place?”
His brother replied:
“I did not come here to be far away.
I am practicing my strength
For the contest of Shaazgai Bayan Khan,
So I may win Urmai Goohon for my wife!”
Such was the answer of Altan Shagai.

Nyuhata Nyurgai traveled on further.
He came to another valley–
He saw that his brother Mungun Shagai
Was taking the mountain in the south,
And putting it in the north.
He was taking a mountain from the north,
And putting it in the south.

Nyuhata Nyurgai came and stood by his side,
He asked Mungun Shagai:
“Why are you making yourself powerful,
Why are you preparing your strength?”
Mungun Shagai answered:
“I have to make myself powerful,
I have to build up my strength!
I am thinking of going to the contest of Shaazgai Bayan Khan,
So that I may win his daughter Urmai Goohon for my wife!”
Such was the answer of Mungun Shagai.

Nyuhata Nyurgai traveled on to a third valley–
In that place Tengeriin Teneg (fool of the sky)
And Gazarai Gani (crazy man of the earth)
Were wrestling to test their strength.
When they went toward the north,
They tore away at a yellow mountain,
When they went toward the south,
They gouged a mountain in the south.
Goring each other like bulls,
Butting each other like camels,
Flying at each other like hawks,
Tearing each other like eagles.

Nyuhata Nyurgai came and stood next to them and asked:
“Are you fighting to break a black thing?
Are you wrestling to defeat a white thing?”
They replied to him:
“You loathsome thing of the earth,
Get out of here!”
They ignored him and continued wrestling.

Nyuhata Nyurgai left them behind,
Trotting on the khan’s straight road,
Galloping on the people’s broad road,
When he traveled further he saw the white palace of Shaazgai Bayan Khan:
Appearing from afar its glittering dazzled the eyes,
On its upper part countless windows reflected the sun,
On its lower part seven thousand windows reflected the moon.

At the gate of the khan’s palace many heroes waited:
Having necks as strong as axles,
Chests as hairy as a bull’s
Having bowcases made of silver,
Heroic yellow bows,
Quivers of gold and silver,
Yellow horn tipped arrows–
They talked loudly among one another,
They were making a great hubbub.

When the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai went among them,
They counted him as nothing,
He watched and observed them.

In order to win Urmai Goohon,
The daughter of Shaazgai Bayan Khan
As a wife,
Three contests had been declared:
The first contest was to lift a 1400 pound hammer toward the sky,
Holding it in the hand it could not be let to fall to the ground.
In this first contest the competitors were
Altan Shagai and Mungun Shagai,
Tengeriin Teneg and Gazarai Gani,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
And the prince Hara Zutan.
Six distinguished warriors
Were able to lift the hammer
.

The second contest:
To take a mountain from the north
And put it in the south,
To take a mountain from the south
And put it in the north.

Six powerful men,
Six capable warriors,
Tried themselves at this test.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
His strength failing,
Dropped out of the contest.

The third contest:
“The man who wins the wrestling competition
Will become my daughter’s husband!”
Was the declaration of Shaazgai Bayan Khan.

Five powerful men
Prepared for the contest.
Their red hearts pounded in their chests.
The first match started:
Altan Shagai and Mungun Shagai
Wrestled each other.
Altan Shagai threw Mungun Shagai on the ground.

The second match:
Tengeriin Teneg and Gazarai Gani
Wrestled each other.
Gazarai Gani defeated Tengeriin Teneg.

The third match:
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
Wrestled with Altan Shagai.
Nyuhata Nyurgai threw down Altan Shagai.

The fourth match:
Nyuhata Nyurgai wrestled with Gazarai Gani.
Gazarai Gani spread out his wide chest,
He flexed his white tendons,
Nyuhata Nyurgai circled around him,
He locked in battle with Gazarai Gani.
Goring each other like bulls,
Butting each other like camels,
Flying at each other like hawks,
Slashing at each other like eagles,
They were as evenly matched as the two sides of a camel.
They were as evenly matched as the two sides of a horse.
As they leaned against each other,
As they competed with each other,
Not being able to budge the other,
Not being able to move the other,
Red hearts were pounding,
Their eight short ribs were straining,
They pushed one another backwards
Until each almost sat down,
Yet neither could throw the other,
Jerking each other it was as if they were bucking.
Nyuhata Nyurgai began to prevail over Gazarai Gani–
Folding him like felt,
Gathering him up like clothing,
Stretching him like a string,
Coiling him up like a rope,
Gazarai Gani could not hold Nyuhata Nyurgai,
He lost the strength to wrestle him,
He lost the ability to stand,
Being picked up off the ground he felt weak,
His power departing he lost his place,
Being hoisted up in the air his legs were kicking,
Nyuhata Nyurgai grabbed him under the knee,
With a jerk he brought him under his feet.
Having done this he swung him westward,
Striking the trees of the western taiga.
He swung him eastward,
Striking the trees of the eastern taiga.
Trees were uprooted,
Trees were scattered,
Green trees fell down,
Torn from the ground with their roots,
Lying scattered here and there.
Living trees were bent,
Dead trees were broken.
Gazarai Gani’s cheeks were bulging,
His toes were sticking out,
Nyuhata Nyurgai threw him
So that he landed beyond three mountain ranges.

Gazarai Gani Bukhe lay stuck in the ground.
Shaazgai Bayan Khan’s strong warriors,
Strong as iron,
Had to dig him out with shovels and picks.
They said to him:
“You may be of help to us sometime!”

After he had won the match,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Taking the right hand of Urmai Goohon,
Daughter of Shaazgai Bayan Khan,
Saying, “Have I not won three contests?”
He asked for the khan’s approval.

Shaazgai Bayan Khan
Was repelled by the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai.
He declared a fourth contest:
There would be a horse race.
He gave his yellow horse,
Who could chase the sun
To a strong warrior to ride in the race.
Carrying with him the khan’s hopes for a favorable outcome
The warrior rode off to join the race.

The horses were quickly prepared for the race.
Ten khans from the north joined in the race.
Nyuhata Nyurgai prepared his mousy brown colt for the race.
He went off to a place so distant
It required three days journey to reach it.
When the race horses took off,
They raised a cloud of reddish dust.
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
Entered the race with his brownish colt.
Urging on the mousy brown horse,
He reached the other horses and left many behind.
In the middle of the galloping horses
He saw the malevolent prince Hara Zutan.
In front of him was the warrior Erhe Monsog,
Riding the yellow horse of Shaazgai Bayan Khan.
All at once Nyuhata Nyurgai’s brown colt,
Sprinting ahead of three other horses,
Leaping ahead of the others,
Took the lead in the race.

Nyuhata Nyurgai cried out,
Loud enough to shake eight heavens,
Shouting loud enough to make eight lands tremble.
Thus they trotted on the khan’s straight road,
They galloped on the people’s broad road,
The pounding of their hooves
Making the high heavens shake,
Making the broad earth quake,
Galloping and galloping,
Running out in the front,
The black dust kicked up by his horse
Burying the spotted horse of the khan who rode behind him.

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Returning ahead of the others,
Arriving in the first place,
Said to the khan and his princes:
“I have returned from the race!”
Their cheating having been revealed
They muttered among each other.

This having happened,
The other race horses came in far behind.
The riders asked:
“Did the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai return from the race?”
The khan and his princes talked among each other,
“The one who had left last came in first,”
Confirming the boy’s victory to the other riders.

This having happened,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
Came and stood next to Urmai Goohon:
“Now that I have won four contests,
Have you not become mine now?”
He stroked the right cheek of the khan’s daughter,
He kissed her on the left cheek.

The maiden Urmai Goohon,
When she was kissed and fondled by Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Was filled with embarrassment and revulsion.
Thinking he was no better than slime,
Thinking he was inferior to her,
Tears flowed from her eyes like two creeks,
She wiped her face again and again
With the yellow silk sleeves of her dress.
Her father Shaazgai Bayan Khan,
Feeling sad at his fate,
Trying to make good out of bad, said:
“This filthy boy,
This disgusting creature,
Becoming my son-in-law
Will be my entire life’s sorrow!”
He looked down and cried,
He looked up and his heart was broken.

Shaazgai Bayan Khan,
Seeing the crying and sorrow
Of his daughter Urmai Goohon,
Declared yet another contest:
“To win my Urmai Goohon,
You must shoot down the golden gem that captures the sun
From the top of the mountain!
This will be the fifth contest!”

Many powerful men,
Many men with strong thumbs,
Shooting their arrows,
Lacked the skill to hit the target.
After they were finished,
Nyuhata Nyurgai brought down the stone with one shot.

This having happened
Nyuhata Nyurgai said to Shaazgai Bayan Khan:
“Have I not won the fifth contest?!”
Shaazgai Bayan Khan,
Seeing that the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai had won,
Was filled with despair.
When he looked at the boy
Something strange appeared:
Sometimes he appeared to be handsome,
Then he would be ugly again.
Sometimes he rose up and appeared as a man,
Then he would shrink down and become a child again.

When he had seen this
Shaazgai Bayan Khan was very surprised,
He was filled with astonishment.
Remembering what he saw he was afraid,
His body felt weak.
Seeing the boy as a man his fears were calmed,
He felt proud in his heart.

After this had happened,
Shaazgai Bayan Khan beat his golden drum,
Summoning his subjects from the north,
Striking his silver drum,
He called his subjects from the south.
Serving portions of meat as big as a hill,
Serving liquor in portions as big as a lake,
The wedding party lasted eight days,
On the ninth day there was great discussion.
On the tenth day when people had sobered up,
Nyuhata Nyurgai said to his wife’s father:
“A guest cannot be detained in his visit,
A moose’s leg cannot be contained in a kettle.
Water must return to water,
I want to go back to my homeland.
I will be taking Urmai Goohon with me.”

Shaazgai Bayan Khan did not like what he heard,
He did not want to listen,
Yet he gave his daughter Urmai Goohon,
A dappled horse with a blaze,
Laying on a silk edged saddle blanket,
Putting on a saddle decorated with silver,
Giving her husband a gift of weapons,
A heroic yellow bow,
Fiery swift arrows,
And a bow case decorated with silver,
He sent them on their way.

Nyuhata Nyurgai and Urmai Goohon,
Walked their horses on the way home,
They galloped on the road to his homeland.

When Nyuhata Nyurgai returned to his home,
Even though he was congratulated by his uncle Sargal Noyon,
Even though he was given a party by his father Sengelen Noyon,
He did not sleep with his two pretty wives.
When yellow leaves fell in the dark of the evening,
He would bed himself between two stiff hides,
Thus he would go to sleep.
His two pretty wives were surprised every evening,
They were filled with wonder,
They were astonished,
Saying, “What kind of creature is this,
What thing takes on the form of our husband,
Bringing us here to suffer?
What kind of person is he
To keep two wives?”
Thus these two pretty women talked among themselves,
They tried sleeping in different beds.
Nyuhata Nyurgai made his wives sleep in his parent’s house,
He would go out in the dark of night,
Wandering about until morning.

Two pretty wives,
Seeing that he had this habit,
Became filled with jealousy,
Saying to each other:
“With what kind of creature
Have we come here to suffer?
The boy who brought us here
Is such a strange person.
Where does he go to in the dark of night?
Let us tie a thread to the back of his deel,
Then we can follow his trail.”
Thus the two wives schemed behind their husband’s back.

In the dark of the evening,
When the yellow leaves were falling,
Nyuhata Nyurgai once more crept between his hides.
His two wives tied a string to the back of his robe,
Then lay down as if sleeping.

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
In the late evening,
When it was darker than a fox fur,
Quietly pulled on his clothes.
Going outside he went quickly,
He sped along on his way.

His two pretty wives,
Following his trail,
Arrived at the foot
Of the world mountain Humber Uula.
When he had come to the mountain
Nyuhata Nyurgai turned into an eagle,
Flying straight up in the air,
He landed on the summit of Humber Uula.

The two pretty women
Were unable to ascend the mountain,
Trying to scale the cliffs
They slid back down.
When they gazed up at the summit,
An awesome thing was happening:
A man was standing there–
Seeing him from behind,
He was as massive as a yellow mountain,
He had the face of a real man,
Seeing him from the front,
He was as huge as a lofty mountain,
Having a dark red face,
White teeth like spades,
A strong broad chest,
A powerful back,
Bright eyes of many colors,
Black hair an ell long,
He was not a boy but a powerful being!
On an altar on the top of the mountain
He was doing a shaman ritual
Honoring Esege Malaan Tenger,
Praying to receive a suitable steed,
Begging for the instruments to do his work.

When they had seen this
The two pretty wives
Ran away toward home,
They were filled with wonder,
They will filled with astonishment,
They said, “This boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
This slimy faced child,
Is a being of great magical power.
Until now he has not revealed this to us.
Such an entity of great power
Is certainly come down from the upper world.
Why has he let us suffer so?
Why has he deceived us?
Why did he deceive us?”
Thus they wept and complained.

On the summit of Humber Uula,
Having sacrificed a white faced ram,
Nyuhata Nyurgai did his ritual.
Worshipping and sacrificing to the fifty five tenger,
To the white Zayaasha,
To the white god of fate,
To the father of his father,
Esege Malaan Tenger,
He was praying and worshipping:
The smell of the meat of the white faced ram,
Drifted up from the earth to the heavens.
The father and lord of the tenger,
Father Esege Malaan Tenger,
Smelling the odor of the sacrifice,
Knew its meaning without a doubt.
“What person on the earth
Is making this worship?”
With this thought he looked down to the earth from the upper world.

In the center of the earth,
The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Making his sacrifice,
Praying for his steed,
Calling for his equipment,
Asking for his thirty three warriors,
Summoning and worshipping the gods,
Offering the white faced ram,
He was making his ritual.

Father Esege Malaan Tenger,
Calling the ten thousand gods of the skies,
Calling the many tenger of the heavens,
Summoning them to the moon,
He made a beautiful gathering.
Calling the gods to the stars,
They made a wise assembly.
When they had met he commanded:
“The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Is ready to receive his steed,
He is ready to use his equipment,
He is ready to ride with his thirty three warriors.
Let us now send these down to the earth!”

When Nyuhata Nyurgai worshipped on the summit of Humber Uula,
A breeze started blowing,
A wind started blowing.

When this happened,
A horse came down from the sky,
Having a powerful body,
With a body full of wisdom,
Having hooves that never slip,
Having a spine that could not be broken,
With a body thirty ells long,
With teeth three spans long,
With a tail thirty cubits long,
With ears three spans long,
The bay horse Beligen.
Having a mane of three armfuls of hair
Spilling over his withers,
With a tail thirty cubits long
Lashing on his flanks,
A very fine steed,
Carrying all the equipment a hero needed to live,
His four fine black hooves
Striking sparks when he walked,
His two spirited black eyes
Full of fire and lightning.

Bukhe Beligte Baatar
Grabbed the red reins of
Beligen the bay horse.
Putting his foot in the massive silver stirrups,
With a single motion
He swung into the saddle decorated with Yakut silver.
Beligen the bay horse,
Taking his power from the sky,
Stood strong and straight,
Taking his power from the earth,
He stood bravely and proudly.
Thus the horse spoke to Bukhe Beligte Baatar:
“What power do you have to sit on my back?”
Thus Beligen the bay horse asked of Bukhe Beligte.
The warrior replied:
“If the world had a handle,
I could turn it around myself.
What kinds of powers do you have
To not be afraid of this?”
Beligen the bay horse replied:
“If I eat three handfuls of hay without finishing,
I can ride three times around the world!”
Bukhe Beligte said:
“If that is so,
Let us use our powers together!”
Bukhe Beligte started riding toward his home,
Galloping toward the earth below.

Beligen the bay horse
Traveled between heaven and earth,
Flying like an eagle,
Soaring like an eagle,
The sky trembled to the highest heaven,
The earth quaked to its roots,
Breaking off the tops of black mountains
Black dust was raised,
Treading against the summits of red peaks,
Red dust was raised.

Riding down toward a notch in the mountains,
Riding down to the sloped covered with red pines,
Thirty three warriors,
Bringing the joy of the people,
Bringing happiness and rejoicing,
Cried, “Our hero Abai Geser,
The mighty hero has come!”
They cheered as they came to him.
Smiling as they looked up,
Overcome with emotion as they looked down,
They came to greet him.

The blessing of the western fifty five tenger
Had come down to earth.
By the fate of the five wise gods,
The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Had come down to the earth,
Coming to kill the evil enemies
Of men and living things,
Coming to bring peace and happiness
To the inhabitants of the earth.
Coming to restore order in the land of the Tugshen khans,
Coming to restore their good fortune,
The elders of the land honored him,
Giving him the name Abai Geser!

When Geser came down to earth
With his fiery steed,
He had all the things he needed
For war and battle.
Followed by his warriors,
He had taken on his true form!

This having happened,
Geser came to the golden hitching post
Of his uncle Sargal Noyon Khan.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Meeting the mighty hero Abai Geser,
Honored him by doing dallaga
With a plate of milk foods.
He beat his golden drum,
Summoning his subjects from the northern lands,
He beat his silver drum,
Calling his subjects from the southern lands.
Serving portions of meat as big as a hill,
Serving liquor in portions as big as a lake,
He threw a feast that lasted eight days.
On the ninth day there was great discussion.
On the tenth day
People and animals alike
Honored him according to his greatness as a hero!

When the yellow sun arose one morning
Geser spoke these words:
“I grow tired of eating beef,
I miss the taste of wild game.
I will go hunting in the Altai Mountains!”
He prepared his mighty bodied steed,
His horse full of wisdom,
Beligen the bay horse.
Putting on his weapons,
He rode off to the hunt.
Geser hunted in the northern part of the Altai Mountains,
He hunted in the southern part of the Huhii Mountains,
Hunting and tracking for three days
In the Altai and Huhii Mountains,
He was unable to even bloody the nose of a black mouse.
Geser was surprised:
“It is said that the Altai Mountains are rich with deer,
Have they become empty of animals?”
He was most astonished.

This having happened,
In a clearing in the taiga,
A spotted deer was grazing peacefully.
When Geser had seen the deer,
When he spoke in a quiet voice,
It continued to crop grass,
When he spoke in a loud voice,
I continued to bend down and ignore him.

At this very time,
Another young warrior appeared:
Riding a blood-red horse,
With a vermilion colored saddle,
With a dark red face,
With white teeth like spades,
With bright many-colored eyes,
With black hair an ell long,
With a heroic yellow bow,
Armor made of steel,
The warrior came riding beside Geser,
Loosing an arrow the warrior killed the deer,
Grabbed it and rode off,
Picking it up while the horse was trotting.
When Geser saw this happen,
He became very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury,
“Whose father’s son is this,
Who would shoot a deer in front of another,
Who would grab it and take off?
Whose mother’s son is this,
Who would kill another person’s deer,
Who would steal it and run away?”
Saying this he started chasing the other hunter,
Yelling and yelling in a thin voice,
Shouting and shouting in a deep voice,
Urging on Beligen the bay horse
To the limits of his strength,
He was unable to catch up,
He was unable to reach the other rider.

This having happened,
Geser took out his red zadai stone,
Biting on it with his forty teeth,
He spat toward the sky,
Loosing a thousand storms.
It became hot enough for horse dung to catch fire.
The rider of the red horse with the red saddle said:
“How cold it is!”
And put on a hat of fox fur
And a coat of wolf skins.

Geser was still unable to overtake the warrior.
Gathering up the cold of three winter days,
It became cold enough to crack a cow’s horns,
It became cold enough for a fox’s tail to fall off.
A bitterly cold wind was blowing.
The red-faced youth said:
“How hot it is!”
Unbuttoned his silk deel
And went on riding.

Geser became even more angry,
His mouth gaping in fury,
Riding his horse that could circle the earth
Being fed only three handfuls of hay,
Chased the young warrior
Three times around the word,
But could not catch up.
Chasing the hunter around the world a fourth time,
He still could not get close.

This having happened,
Geser pulled the reins of his steed on the right side,
Striking Beligen the bay horse on the right flank,
This horse full of wisdom
Leaped fiercely into the air,
Flying between heaven and earth.
Taking power from heaven and earth
The horse soared between heaven and earth.
Jumping from the mountain range behind him,
Coming down on the mountains before him,
Springing across thirteen valleys,
He started to come closer to the warrior.
Jumping across twenty three valleys,
He was dashing mightily after the hunter,
Jumping from the peaks of mountains,
He rushed past the treetops.

Thus by going through the air
He was gaining on the other rider.
He was getting closer and closer,
On the shore of the yellow lake,
He was able to crowd the rider against the shore,
He had the warrior cornered.

This having happened,
The red faced warrior riding the red horse
Rode into the yellow lake without stopping.
The rider entered the water and disappeared.
Thus the warrior had escaped from Geser’s grasp.

This having happened,
Geser tied Beligen the bay horse
On the edge of the yellow lake.
Tucking the skirts of his deel above his buttocks,
Rolling his sleeves up to his elbows,
He waded into the water and folded back the edge of the lake.
Taking his black iron spear he propped the edge so he could enter
.

Abai Geser entered the land of Uha Loson Khan.
It was sunny and full of plants–a beautiful place.
Having mountains and hills–it was immense.
It was another world,
Like the earth of long ago,
The one who had come from the world above,
The warrior who rode into the lake on the red horse,
The world becoming dark before her eyes,
Rode to and entered the palace of Uha Loson Khan.

The palace of Uha Loson Khan,
Which stood tall reaching toward the sky,
Was gilt with gold on the north,
Reflecting light on the northern lands,
On the south it was gilt with silver,
Reflecting light on the southern lands.

Geser gathered thirteen magicks on his palm,
He let twenty three magicks dance on his fingers,
Rolling up the broadness of Uha Loson’s land,
Like rolling up felt,
In the blinking of an eye,
He stood before the gate of the palace.
The blood red horse was tied at a silver hitching post.

Geser opened the pearly massive door of Uha Loson Khan’s palace in a beautiful way,
He stepped over the massive granite threshold in a pure way.
He quickly entered into the palace.

When he had entered the palace
He heard a conversation going on behind several curtains.
When he came close to the curtains,
When he watched closely,
By a table placed in the hoimor
There was a white haired old man,
Sitting holding a white cane.
Sitting next to the old man was a woman,
He recognized her as being the one he had chased,
She was crying.
The two were talking affectionately to one another:
“There was no horse that could catch up with my horse,
There was no man who could overtake me,
Father, who was this?
Going up to the world above,
Hunting in the Altai Mountains,
Killing fat game,
Taking lean game,
Seen from the front he looked like a mountain,
Seen from the back he was like a yellow mountain,
Looking at him he was a real man,
With a dark red face,
Teeth like spades,
Bright eyes of many colors,
Hair an ell long.
A very yellow brave man
Was hunting and tracking game.
What kind of man was this,
Who hunted for three days,
Who could not find any deer,
Who could not even bloody a mouse’s nose,
Was this something come down from the sky,
Or a thing of the earth?
Traveling and not saying a word,
Coming to a clearing in the taiga,
He was hunting after a spotted deer.
I shot the deer first,
I took the deer first.
This heroic young man
Bringing down great heat,
Was unable to get close to me,
Bring down great cold,
He was unable to catch me.”
When she had said these things
Uha Loson Khan was very surprised,
He was very astonished.

Taking out a large shaman mirror
He looked at what was happening in the world.
When he had done this he said:
“The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Has been born on earth.
Long ago, at the tailgan for Bayan Hangai,
Saying hurai, hurai,
Han Hormasta Tenger and I
Pledging to be anda with our knives,
Speaking vows to each other,
Sharing our meat together,
Exchanging our deels,
Two khans became blood brothers,
Smoking a great silver pipe together,
Eating meat off the same spit,
Promising that if I had a daughter,
She would marry his son!
You have been born with this destiny.
This fate determined with the white god of fate.
The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Is fated to become your husband.
You having been born after this happened,
You were born to be married to him.
Abai Geser who you met in the Altai Mountains,
His steed Beligen the bay horse,
Is the only horse that could catch you.
You have met no one other
Than the man you are engaged to.
There is no other horse that
Could have chased you like that.
There is no one born in the wide world
Who would be able to catch my daughter.
There has never been a foal born
That could overtake my horse.
At the tailgan for Bayan Hangai
Beligen the bay horse came in first,
He was ridden by Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Who won all the games at the ceremony.
It was at the tailgan for Bayan Hangai
That he was given the name Bukhe Beligte!”
Uha Loson Khan told this tale
To his daughter Alma Mergen.
When he had explained these things
Alma Mergen suddenly became angry:
“From the time is was a little baby in my cradle
I never knew these things!
You are telling me this now?
When I was a little girl I never knew this!
Father, you only remember now?
I would rather hang myself than live on earth!
I will go find a rope!
I would rather kill myself than live outside the lake!
I will go find a noose!
Saying these words she ran outside.

Geser grabbed and caught her.
He quickly snatched up Alma Mergen,
Alma Mergen struggled and cried,
Taking her strength from heaven and earth.
Geser stood and held her firmly.
He said to her:
“Bring the man who has come from earth into your house,
One who has come a long way through the water
Needs to have something to drink!”
So he sent her house and he followed.

Geser greeted Uha Loson Khan according to custom,
Wishing him peace,
Wishing good health to his wife,
Uha Loson Khan greeted him with joy.
He sat Geser at his right side,
Bringing a golden table delicious food was served.
Bringing a silver table beautiful food was served.
Talking about all that happened from the earliest times
They talked together as friends,
Talking about all that happened before,
They talked and explained many things.
They talked until foam formed on the black waters,
They talked until plants grew on a flat stone.

There was no doubt that
Geser and Alma Mergen
Were perfectly suited for each other.
When Uha Loson Khan saw this
He understood this well,
He knew it very well.

Geser and Uha Loson Khan
Grasping each other’s right hand,
Made vows to one another,
Grasping each other’s left hand,
They spoke true words to each other.
Becoming the man-mount for Alma Mergen,
Two people united as one,
Giving out gifts of clothing,
The wedding party lasted for eight days.
On the ninth day there was great discussion.
On the tenth day Geser said:
“Evenks must make their migration,
Foals long for their pastures,
A son of a mother and father,
Longs for his homeland.”
When he said these words
Alma Mergen heard them with displeasure,
She did not want to hear of it.
Geser said to her:
A guest cannot be detained in his visit,
A moose’s leg cannot be contained in a kettle.”
He ceaselessly was agitating to leave,
He was ready to go home.
This having happened
Alma Mergen found a way to hold him in her hand.
She honored her husband very much,
She loved him with a wife’s true love.
Giving drugged food to Abai Geser
She made him stay by making him forget.
Abai Geser did not know his right hand from his left,
He could not distinguish his left hand from his right.
His mind became confused,
He became intoxicated,
For the duration of three years
He was a herdsman
For Uha Loson Khan’s livestock.

The eyes of Geser having become dark,
His powerful body having become confused,
The tenger up in the high heavens said:
We have stopped hearing Geser’s cries and yells,
We no longer hear the pounding of the hooves
Of his steed Beligen the bay horse.”
They were very surprised,
They were most astonished.
They told his three pretty older sisters,
“Go find him!”
And sent them down to earth.

The three lovely older sisters of Geser
Came down to earth,
Looking closely at hot trails,
Investigating cold trails,
They went around the world three times,
They went about the earth four times,
They could not find their younger brother
Abai Geser in any land.

This having happened,
Geser’s sister Erjen Goohon
Came to the entrance to Uha Loson Khan’s kingdom.
There on the shore of the yellow lake
The waters were folded back like felt,
Bent back like a reed.
Abai Geser’s black iron spear
Was holding it open.
Beligen the bay horse was drying up in the grass,
Moss was growing on his back,
A tree was growing between his hind legs,
His four black hooves had broken off,
His forty white teeth were falling out.
He had shrunk to the size of a foal,
He had withered to the size of a colt.
When she saw what had happened,
The maiden Erjen Goohon understood,
She knew well why Geser was gone.

For this reason Erjen Goohon,
Knowing the magic power of Alma Mergen,
Changed her shape so she would not be recognized–
Turning herself into an ongoli bird
She entered the kingdom of Uha Loson Khan.
She saw Abai Geser watching cattle,
Having eaten enchanted food,
He was forgetful and confused.

Erjen Goohon slapped Geser on the right cheek,
He vomited up a dark black substance,
She slapped him on the left cheek,
He threw up a shiny black substance.
Burning juniper from ten different taigas
She smudged and did ariulga,
Taking water from ten different springs
She made arshaan and cleansed him.
Abai Geser came back to his true self,
His face became as before,
Remembering his true nature,
His round red face returned.
Erjen Goohon said to him,
“Go back to your homeland!”
Then flew up and away.

Abai Geser went out and shot a moose.
Cutting off its one leg
He instructed his two year old daughter,
Telling her what to do when she
Went to her grandfather:
“When you come to his door,
Stumble on the threshold and fall down.
When you get up start crying,
Then give this to him.”
He then sent his daughter on her way,
The two year old little girl,
Stumbled and fell on her grandfather’s threshold,
Getting up she was crying and wailing.
She brought the moose’s shin
To her grandfather Uha Loson Khan.
Trying to soothe her he said:
“A guest cannot be detained in his visit,
A moose leg cannot fit in a kettle,
A foal longs for its home pasture,
A son of a mother and father,
Longs after his homeland.
Water must go back to water,
You may go back to your homeland.”
Uha Loson Khan,
Speaking affectionately to his granddaughter
Told her that she could go home,
That he would let her family leave.

This having happened
He called for his daughter and her husband.
Giving them half of his herds,
Giving them half of his treasure,
He said to his daughter and son-in-law:
“Water must return to water,
Go back to your homeland!”
Loving his daughter and her husband
And their two year old daughter,
He sent them on their way home.

When Geser came back up to the world,
He immediately ran to his steed
Beligen the bay horse.
Throwing his arms around his neck he kissed him.
Looking at his front legs he saw they had turned grey,
Looking at his back legs he saw they had withered,
The saddle had slipped around to his belly,
The girth lay across his back.

Abai Geser was very sad at what he saw.
Hugging Beligen around the neck he kissed him,
He spoke magic words over his flanks,
Beligen became like a foal,
He spoke magic words over his shoulders,
Beligen became like a colt.
Taking off his saddle and blanket,
He washed his horse in the clear waters,
Allowing him to graze on fresh grass
The horse improved with every day,
Returning to his original appearance
His health being restored with each passing day,
His body became as it was before.

When Geser went to take the spear that had held back the waters,
A birds’ nest full of eggs had been built on it.
By his magic the eggs became
Full grown birds and they flew away;
He pulled his iron spear loose and took it.
When the body of Beligen the bay horse
Had become strong again,
He rode with his wife Alma Mergen and their little girl
To the land where the Muren River flows,
By the shores of the eternal lake,
Returning to the waters he had drunk,
Returning to the land he had left,
He had finally come home.

His uncle Sargal Noyon Khan,
His father Sengelen Noyon,
And his mother Naran Goohon,
Were happy and rejoiced greatly.
Their son Geser and his wife Alma Mergen
And their pretty little new granddaughter
Were greeted with love,
They were greeted with great emotion.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Greeting Geser and his wife Alma Mergen
According to the custom of relatives,
Performed the wedding ceremony again.
When Alma Mergen offered fat
While worshipping at the gulamta,
Three flames came together,
Growing into a golden red willow tree.
The wedding party lasted for eight days,
There was great feasting and rejoicing.
On the ninth day there was great discussion.
On the tenth day the people gave their blessings
And returned to their homes.

When Geser’s wedding was over,
He went back to his old routine.
Meeting with his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of his army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
He announced to them:
“On the Hatan River,
Near the shores of the black lake,
By the river called Muren,
Near the shores of the eternal lake,
I want to build three houses
For my three beautiful wives!”
Those who did not have a taste for battle,
Those who did not have a liking for shooting,
When they followed their leader Geser,
They became afraid of nothing,
Becoming as brave as wolves,
Their hearts as hard as stone,
The thirty three warriors,
The three hundred leaders of the army,
The three thousand soldiers,
All together followed Geser into the taiga.

Cutting and dragging many trees in the forest,
Trimming and spreading them out,
They built a square palace
Tall enough to touch the blue sky.
They built a building
That reached the edge of the heavens.
Three beautiful houses
Were built along the river,
Homes in which the three wives could live,
On the earth there were fields
On which the plants could grow,
In the sky there were towers,
Reaching up from the earth below.
On the outside they were gilt with silver,
Making them appear as white as snow,
Inside they were gilded with gold and silver,
So that they appeared more lovely than gold.
With seventy thousand windows below,
Looking down at the seven lands of the earth,
With countless windows above,
Looking up at the nine heavens,
The walls bound with ribs of silver,
The ceilings made of coins’ silver,
Having eighty eight rooms,
Nine gleaming doors,
The beams made of pounded silver,
The foundation made of massive silver,
With massive pearly doors,
With thresholds made of granite,
With doors of carved silver,
With handles of precious silver,
With doorposts a foot thick made of silver,
With smokeholes of gleaming silver,
With thick silver floors
A mare and her foal could run on,
With layered silver steps
A mare and her colt could run on.

Tumen Jargalan was settled in the house
Furthest upstream on the Hatan River;
Becoming queen of a palace beautiful to see.
Urmai Goohon was settled
Downstream from her,
She became mistress of a house lovely as a precious gem.
Alma Mergen settled in a home
Near the mouth of the Hatan River,
Becoming owner of a house beautiful as gold.
This having been done
Geser would say happily:
“Is the sun in the sky beautiful,
Or is Tumen Jargalan beautiful?
Is the sun in the heavens beautiful,
Or is Urmai Goohon beautiful?
Is the golden sun beautiful,
Or is Alma Mergen beautiful?”

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch

The Second Branch
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 2)

When the yellow sun rose the next morning,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Gave his son Altan Shagai a cup of tea to drink.
He seated his in front of him
On an unbroken four year old ox.
Thus he traveled off to test his son.

They came to a taiga with tens of thousands of trees,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Asked his son a question to test him:
“What would you build with this fine wood?”
The boy Altan Shagai,
Being naive and innocent, said,
“This would be fine wood to build a temple!”

They went on further to a level open plain.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“What would you grow in this fine place?”
To the second question Altan Shagai said:
“Plowing while watching for rain,
I would plant rye on this fine land.”

When they had traveled further they came to a very dense forest.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“Take the lead rope of the ox,
Walk before me and guide him.
Make a pot out of wood
And prepare some meat to satisfy my hunger!”
When he had said this
Altan Shagai prepared a wooden bowl.
Sargal Noyon Khan spitted meat on a stick and roasted it.
When the father had eaten he rode further,
The son followed after, still hungry.

After this had happened a bird suddenly flew up,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan goaded
His four year old unbroken ox
Behind the front leg.
His four year old unbroken ox bucked suddenly:
Sargal Noyon Khan fell sprawling on the ground.

The boy Altan Shagai could not revive his father.
“Father, get up!” he cried and shouted,
“Let’s go home!” he cried and yelled.
Yelling into his ear,
He shook his body and shouted.
Being unable to awaken his father,
He became tired and went home.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Observing what had happened,
His great heart was broken.
He said within his poor heart,
“This is not the boy who was born
To correct pain and suffering!”
He returned to his home,
Having come home he slept.

When the yellow sun of the next morning had risen,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Tested his son Mungun Shagai in the same way.
Thinking to himself,
“This is not the boy who was born
To correct pain and suffering!”
He walked home grumbling,
He went to sleep feeling sad.

On the next morning,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Went out again to test his nephew.
On a lofty white mountainside,
In a stand thick with white birch,
He asked as they stood there:
“My boy, tell me what kind of land this is.”
In reply to the question Nyuhata Nyurgai said:
“After I have met my enemy,
When I have gone into battle,
I want to go to such a beautiful fine land,
I would bless such a quiet and cool forest.”

In his heart benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Praised his nephew.
Having gone further they came to a taiga of short red pines.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan asked,
“My boy, tell me what kind of taiga this is.”
Having been asked Nyuhata Nyurgai replied:
“After I have been fighting and battling,
I would often want to come to a place of good and beautiful pines,
I would want to go to a forest rich with sappy larches.”

After they had traveled further,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Goaded his unbroken four year old ox behind the front leg.
The short red ox suddenly bucked,
Sargal Noyon Khan fell sprawling on the ground.
His face was pale and he appeared as if he were dead.
Nyuhata Nyurgai cried, “Father, wake up!”
But he was unable to revive him.
When he yelled, “Uncle, let us go!”
He was unable to make him get up.

Because this had happened,
Nyuhata Nyurgai cut down trees,
He gathered up stumps and roots,
Cutting the trees into firewood,
The cut up the brush of the trees’ crowns,
Piling the wood in a circle around his father,
He lit a roaring and crackling fire,
As it burned he started doing ariulga.

It was time for benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan to get up.
Shouting “Ouch! Ouch!” he jumped up.
When this happened the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai grabbed him:
Saying “Bringing the dead back to life
Is unpleasant work for your nephew!”
He spoke magic words to the fire and it went out.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan promised,
“I am done with testing!”
As he spoke he was shaking and trembling.
Father and son forgave each other,
Speaking kind words to each other.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“This is the boy who was born
To correct the pain and suffering
That we endured in the beginning!”
He rejoiced and was excited.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan came home,
He was greeted by his wife,
Bringing a golden table she served delicious food;
Bringing a silver table she served beautiful food.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Eating this and that,
Muttering and talking,
Took out a silver pipe as big as a shin bone,
Took out a tobacco pouch of velvety black sheepskin
As big as a sleeve.
Filling the pipe with a pile of tobacco like a haystack,
Lighting it with sparks from his flint,
He burned a pile of tobacco as big as a moose’s ear,
Sucking on it noisily,
Exhaling the smoke noisily,
Each puff like steam,
Each puff like the smoke of a campfire.
As they sat together the sun set and it became night.

When the yellow sun rose on the following morning,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Rising from his sleep,
Cleaning his face and hands,
Straightening his hair and face,
Made some important orders.

This having happened,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Called his white oldest son Altan Shagai mergen:
“I am tired of eating beef,
I miss the taste of wild game.
Let us order a group hunt,
And we will go hunting and tracking.”
He sent the boy with this message
To his brother Hara Zutan.

The white oldest son of
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Altan Shagai mergen,
Bringing the message to his uncle Hara Zutan,
Conveying the message of his father,
Came and was talking.

Malevolent Hara Zutan Khan,
Hearing about the group hunt,
Clicked his tongue,
Looking up he laughed,
Looking down he coughed.
He had a hundred and twenty hunting companions,
Putting a massive silver bridle
On his handsome grey stallion,
Putting a massive silver bridle in his mouth,
Putting a silk-edge saddle blanket on his back,
Fastening on a saddle decorated with silver,
Putting on a fine silver crupper,
Laying a fine silver breast strap over its shoulders,
Tightening ten strong girths
That would not come loose for ten years,
Adjusting twenty girths
That would not come loose for twenty years,
He tied lovely reins to the horn of his saddle,
He tied his horse to the hitching post.

Having done this
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Beat on a golden drum,
His subjects were summoned from the north,
Hitting a silver drum,
His subjects were called from the south.
Announcing there would be a group hunt,
He shouted his orders to them,
They quickly made preparations,
They wisely made preparations.

When this had happened
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Sitting his nephew before him,
On his mighty buckskin horse,
Kicking up a cloud of dust,
Came to the place of the hunt.

Older brother and younger brother,
Embracing and wishing good health and peace,
Said the appropriate greetings to each other.
Grasping each other’s arms,
They said beautiful words to each other, saying
“I have become tired of eating beef,
I miss the taste of wild game,
Let us go hunting in the thirteen Altai ranges,
Let us go out in the thirteen Huhii ranges.”

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
An his younger brother
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Hunted in the northern part of the Altai Mountains,
They hunted together in the southern part of the Huhii Mountains.

The son of benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Shot the blackest of otters,
He bagged the brownest of minks.
Coming bravely among the dogs
He broke ribs and backs.
He provided food for those who were hungry,
He provided nourishment for those who hungered.

This having happened,
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Had not even been able to bloody the nose of a black rat.
When he encountered his older brother
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Looking jealously at all the game they had killed,
Said in great amazement:
“Why is it that even up to now
I have not been able to kill anything?
Why is it that up to now
You have been able to take so much?”
He grumbled and complained,
And benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said to him:
“My son Nyuhata Nyurgai
Is the one who has so much game.
Like you even until now
I have taken nothing.”

Malevolent Hara Zutan Khan
Pressured his brother, saying:
“Give your son Nyuhata Nyurgai to me!”
He persisted bothering his brother,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Gave the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai to him
And the boy sat in front of his uncle
Hara Zutan Noyon.

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
Grabbed and squeezed
The handsome grey stallion
Of Hara Zutan Noyon,
He grabbed on its legs
So that its hair came off in his hands.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Was very upset,
And immediately gave the boy
Back to his brother Sargal Noyon Khan.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
Who dandled his only nephew on his knee,
Who kissed him when he put him to bed,
When the boy was returned he also
Grabbed the great buckskin horse.
Where he touched its shoulders
Its hair shimmered with gold and silver,
When he sat behind his uncle
The withers of the horse
Glittered with gold and silver.

After this had happened,
The ruler of the lands of the northwest,
Temeen Ulaan Khan made a decree:
“She who goes about my house,
She with a face full of light,
My daughter Tumen Jargalan,
Will be married to the man
Who can win three contests!”
When this announcement spread
To the land of the Tugshen khans,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
Made preparations for the contest,
Getting permission from his
Father Sargal Noyon Khan,
He rode off to Temeen Ulaan’s kingdom.

This having happened,
The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
The daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
Said, “I go to do worship,
I go to see the kingdom,”
She filled an oxhide bag with yellow gold,
She filled a horsehide bag with gold and silver.
Preparing her nightingale sorrel horse
That was thirty ells long,
She made quick preparations,
She made wise preparations.
Going to make worship of the white Zayaasha,
She rode to make worship of the god of fate.

Her sorrel horse that was thirty ells long,
Trotting quickly to a very distant place,
Was seen by Nyuhata Nyurgai.
He knew very well,
He understood very well.
He came out to greet the maiden Tumen Jargalan.
On the khan’s straight road,
On the people’s broad road,
He stood to greet her,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
Reached out his arms to greet
The maiden Tumen Jargalan, saying:
“Of what land are you a daughter,
Of which khan are you a subject?
What is your father’s name,
What is your mother’s name?”
Thus he was bothering her.
The daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Was greatly surprised,
She was very astonished:
“I am from the northwestern lands,
My home is quite far from here,
I am Tumen Jargalan,
The daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan”
When she had asked this she said
“From where did you come and where are you going?”
Nyuhata Nyurgai stood blocking her way
Standing, staring, and wondering at her.
Tumen Jargalan wanted to be rid of him
She said, “To make you happy,
I have to give you gold,”
She gave two sacks of gold to the boy,
Nyuhata Nyurgai took the gold, and she said
“From the time I have come,
Be waiting here,”
Saying this she went home,
From there she rode toward her homeland.

The daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Regretting the time that she met him…
Being exhausted from the long journey,
Being tired from traveling so far,
Taking off her horse’s saddle,
Spreading the saddle blanket upon the ground,
Lay her head upon the saddle and slept a deep sleep.

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Hiding himself from being seen,
Went to an orphan boy,
Giving him the gold and silver,
Went back to where Tumen Jargalan slept.
When he came to her side
Not a blade of grass was disturbed,
Stems were not even bent,
A cow would not have been startled,
A fox would not have smelled him.
He took a wet little puppy
And put it inside Tumen Jargalan’s dress.

Having done this Nyuhata Nyurgai
Got up and waited by her side.
He started coughing loudly.
Tumen Jargalan jumped up quickly.
A wet little puppy fell out of her dress.

The daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan
The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Was very humiliated,
She was very embarrassed,
Nyuhata Nyurgai was laughing very hard and said:
“A woman who sleeps with dogs
Gives birth to puppies,
A woman who sleeps with men,
Gives birth to boys!
If a khan’s daughter gives birth to puppies,
People will say about you
‘What a bad, disgusting woman’!”
When he mocked her
The princess Tumen Jargalan
Who was as beautiful as the round bright sun,
Had no place to hide her shame,
She fell down hugging Nyuhata Nyurgai’s feet,
“Damn, I can do nothing!
I am powerless!
I have to have a good name,
Do not bring shame to me!
If my royal father heard of this
He would have me beheaded!
What do you want from me?
I can give you riches
Piled high as a horse’s ears!”
The daughter of a khan
Lay prostrate at his feet.
In his chest Nyuhata Nyurgai’s heart was pounding,
The tendons in his legs were twitching.
He replied to Tumen Jargalan:
“If our fortunes are united,
If we become as one,
If we are married,
No bad thing will be revealed,
All scandal will be repressed.”

The daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
The maiden Tumen Jargalan
Said to him deceitfully:
“”We will become as one,
We will be married.”

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai demanded of her:
“If you are speaking the truth,
Give me the ring you wear on your little finger!”

The maiden Tumen Jargalan
Who was as beautiful as the round sun,
Had no other choice.
She gave away her ring to the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai.
The boy said to her:
“After two or three days
I will come following you!”
Thus the maiden Tumen Jargalan
Turned back toward her home.
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Turning himself into a black fly
Sat on the horn of her saddle,
He watched what she was thinking and doing.

The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Whose face was a beautiful as the round sun,
Who had made a pledge and given away her golden ring,
Was full of regret for what she did.
Saying, “If I must become the wife of such an ugly boy,
I will kill myself by jumping off a high cliff!”
She rode toward the edge of a cliff.

When she had decided to kill herself
By jumping off the mountain cliff,
Nyuhata Nyurgai became a man again,
Grabbing her sorrel horse by the tail he said:
“What kind of girl are you who goes about telling lies?”
Pulling her backwards he sent her back to her home.

The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Who was as lovely as the bright sun,
Was very startled,
She was very embarrassed.
She said, “Now I will stop!”

When the maiden Tumen Jargalan came to her home,
She told her father about everything that happened.
Because of this Temeen Ulaan Khan
Having heard what she said,
Decided to hold the contest to determine
Who his daughter should marry
As soon as possible.
Thus the fate of the maiden Tumen Jargalan
Was turned around.

This having happened,
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Learning of the new decree of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
Prepared himself to go to the wedding.
He promised to himself
That the daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
The maiden Tumen Jargalan
Would become his wife.
He prepared his handsome grey stallion
Along with his three hundred followers,
Gathering his party together
They made quick preparations,
They made wise preparations.

After the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai
Has sent the princess Tumen Jargalan back to her home,
Nyuhata Nyurgai came to Hara Zutan Noyon’s party, saying
“I will go along with you.”
He joined up with the soldiers.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Cursing and swearing at him,
Immediately forbade the boy from going with them
And threw him out of the camp.

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Returning to the home
Of his father Sargal Noyon,
Prepared for his journey:
Taking a mousy brown colt,
He spoke a blessing on its legs,
Speaking words over its shins,
Laying on a saddle pad of the right size,
He put on a rawhide saddle.
Putting on a crupper made of mouse fur,
Putting on a breast strap made of marten fur,
Fastening it with a girth made of flying squirrel fur,
Tightening straps made of chipmunk fir,
He said: “Now that my horse is ready,
I will prepare myself!”
Pulling on a shirt made of rat fur,
He put on a deel made of badly scratched up leather.
He put on a hat made of fox tails
And hung a tiny quiver on his back.

His right eye had sight as keen as a hawk’s,
His left eye had sight as keen as a bee’s eyes.
Looking at the taiga in the west with his right eye,
Looking at the land in the east with his left eye,
Speaking a blessing on the legs of his
Mousy brown colt he rode off,
Finding the party of Hara Zutan Noyon,
He followed from behind.
They trotted swiftly on the khan’s straight road,
They galloped along the people’s broad road.
Going downhill they were swearing,
Going upward they were raving,
Going strongly and swiftly,
They left their own good land behind,
They entered into a very cold country.

When this happened,
The boy that had been following them
Caught up and joined a party of three men.
Seeing them from the front,
They seemed massive as tall mountains,
Seeing them from behind
They looked massive as yellow mountains.
With teeth as broad as spades
That showed when they smiled,
Having dark red faces,
There was the son of the sun Nagaadai Mergen,
The son of the moon, Haihan Mergen,
The son of the stars, Munhe Mergen.

These three good archers,
These men with swift horses,
When the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai joined them said:
“You troublesome thing of the earth,
Where did you come from,
Where are you going?”
They spoke to him arrogantly and reproachfully.

“I am going to marry Tumen Jargalan,
Daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,”
Was the reply of the boy Nyuhata Nyurgai.
“You loathsome thing of the earth,
You cannot come close
To matching great heroes as ourselves!”
Hitting him many times with their horse whips,
They rode away swiftly leaving him behind.

Nyuhata Nyurgai caught up
With the party of his uncle Hara Zutan.
Riding among the group of soldiers
He could not get warm.

When malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Decided to camp for the night,
There was no firewood to be found at their campsite.
The soldiers of Hara Zutan’s party shivered with cold,
They nearly froze to death.

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Finding a campsite nearby,
Lighting a fire at his feet,
Stood warming his hands and feet.

Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Was very astonished when he saw this.
He sent a group of soldiers, saying:
“Find out what he is doing,
Then do the same!”
Nyuhata Nyurgai said to them:
“If I burn my saddle in the fire
I can pull it out later
In the same condition as before!”
Having chopped up his saddle
He used it to kindle his fire.

Having learned this
The soldiers of Hara Zutan
Said to Hara Zutan Noyon,
“He says that if he burns his saddle
He can take it out again
In the same condition as before.
Having chopped up his saddle
He sits and feeds the fire with it.”
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon commanded them:
“Cut up your saddles and make a fire with them!”
Chopping up their saddles,
They made a fire to warm themselves.

When the yellow sun rose the next morning,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Taking his saddle out of the fire,
Saddled his horse and rode off.
The soldiers of Hara Zutan Noyon,
Looking in the fire found nothing.
They rode on with great difficulty.

When it became time to camp for the night,
Once again there was no firewood.
Nyuhata Nyurgai stood at his fire warming himself.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Sent a group of soldiers to
Find out what he was doing.
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai said:
“If I put my bow and quiver in the fire,
I will be able to take them out again!”
He sat feeding the fire
With pieces of his bow and quiver.

When the soldiers of the malevolent prince Hara Zutan returned
They said: The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Says that if he puts his bow and quiver in the fire,
He can take them out again.
He is sitting feeding the fire
With pieces of his bow and quiver.”
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon said,
“If he can do it, do the same yourselves!”
Thus the soldiers of Hara Zutan,
Chopping up their bows and quivers,
Kindled a fire for themselves.

When it had become morning,
Nyuhata Nyurgai pulled his bow and quiver out of the fire,
The soldiers of the malevolent prince Hara Zutan,
Finding only ashes in the fire,
Went on their way having nothing.
Trotting along without saddles,
Galloping along without bows or arrows,
Even if their destination was far,
They trotted on,
Even if the world is wide,
They galloped on.
Entering the kingdom of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
They saw a palace that reached to the heavens.
The gold on the north side,
Reflecting light to the people to the north,
The silver on the south side,
Reflecting light to the people to the south,
The windows at the top
Reflecting the world,
The windows at the bottom
Reflecting the earth,
A multitude of cattle and sheep
Made a great noise,
Mooing and baaing.

When malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Reached the gate of Temeen Ulaan’s palace
He tied his handsome grey stallion
At the khan’s golden hitching post.
This having happened,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Blessing the legs of his mousy brown colt,
Speaking to the shins of his horse,
Tying his horse at the post,
Re-tied the rope of the grey stallion the wrong way.

The malevolent prince Hara Zutan,
Seeing the arrival of his nephew,
Was very offended:
“This smelly creature,
With yellow-stained clothing,
Where did this dead thing come from?
Have you come to destroy my good name?
Have you come to defile my good reputation?
You bring scandal to my name,
You bring shame to my reputation!
Get out of here, scram!”
He followed the boy,
Cursing and swearing.

After this had happened,
The three great warriors
Arrived and dismounted.
Five powerful men,
Five strong men,
Met each other at the khan’s court.
Coming for the festival,
Coming for the wedding,
With necks as strong as axles,
With chests as hairy as a bull’s
With great bowcases and quivers,
With heroic yellow bows,
With horn tipped arrows of silver,
With armor of black iron,
With round red faces,
Warriors of great fame,
Archers of great skill,
They had come to win three contests.

Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Three great warriors,
Entered the palace of Temeen Ulaan Khan.
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Following after them,
Opening the massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
Stepped over the massive granite threshold in a clean way.

Five powerful men,
Five able heroes,
Standing before Temeen Ulaan Khan,
Wishing peace to the khan,
Wishing good health to the khan,
The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
Invited them to sit on the west side.

Temeen Ulaan Khan asked them:
“Where is your homeland,
Who is your khan?”
Asking this, he sat down.
The first to answer:
“My name is Nagaadai Mergen,
I am son of the sun!”
“My name is Haihan Mergen,
I am son of the moon!”
“My name is Munkhe Mergen,
I am son of the stars!”
“My name is Hara Zutan Noyon,
Red middle brother of the three Tugshen khans!”
“My name is Nyuhata Nyurgai,
I am a simple herdsman!”
Thus the guests introduced themselves,
One after another.
The khan asked the Nyuhata Nyurgai:
“You chubby round faced boy,
Where did you come from,
Where are you going?”
He bravely answered Temeen Ulaan Khan:
“I have come to become a son-in-law,
I have girded on my belt for a wedding!”
Temeen Ulaan Khan then spoke:
“When one is selecting a steed,
One picks the best from a herd of horses,
When one selects a son-in-law,
One picks a man with fire in his eyes!
I have made a decree to find
The most able of warriors,
The most skillful of archers!”

The khan then declared:
“The daughter of Temeen Ulaan Khan,
The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Will be given as wife to the man
Who wins three prizes,
Who is a victor in three contests!
The first contest–
To shoot the liver-black rock as big as an ox,
So that it shatters into flints!
The second contest–
To shoot the short red pine standing out in the field,
So that it breaks into pieces!
The third contest–
To shoot into the knot of the crowberry bush,
So it shatters into splinters!”
Thus the three tests were announced.

The strong warriors muttered among each other,
The skillful archers talked among each other.

At the great festival,
At the elegant celebration,
The men who had arrived for the games,
Watched each other carefully,
The warriors and archers
Who had come to win the khan’s three contests,
Were discouraged by the difficulty of the tests.

This having happened,
The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Having strung his own bow,
Came and stood tall before Temeen Ulaan Khan:
“It does not matter what anyone has said,
Can my ability be tested?”
The warriors and archers,
Mocked him and said:
“This loathsome thing of the earth
Has come here for what reason?”
They laughed and snickered at him.
One of them said:
“Look at the tiny bow he has!”
Another said:
“Look at this ‘warrior’ who has come,
His right eye looks at the high heaven,
His left eye is staring at the east!”
In this way they made fun of him.
In this way they spoke with derision.

These famous warriors,
These skilled archers,
Whose strength was to be tested,
Began the competition.
Nagaadai Mergen,
Son of the sun,
Was the first to shoot.
His arrow was unable to reach
The liver-black rock the size of an ox.
It fell short of its target.
Haihan Mergen,
Son of the moon,
Shot after him.
When he loosed his arrow,
It fell closer to
The liver-black rock the size of an ox.
Munkhe Mergen,
Son of the stars,
Shooting next,
When he loosed his arrow,
Fell down halfway to
The liver-black rock the size of an ox.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
The red middle brother of the three Tugshen khans,
Being the fourth to shoot,
Hit the liver black rock the size of an ox,
But could not break it,
His arrow shattered on the hard rock.

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai,
Preparing to shoot his arrow,
Taking his tiny bow,
Nocking an arrow made from a splinter,
Spoke these words to his weapon:
“Shooting like a warrior,
I shall win a woman!”
After saying this he spoke magic words on the head,
He spoke words of power upon the shaft,
He said a blessing upon its fletching,
He enchanted the arrow so that fire appeared upon it.
He said: “The arrow shall speed to its target,
The bow is bent to send it!”
As he pulled back,
The muscles of his body bulging,
Laughing as he prepared to shoot,
His thumb pulling mightily,
His arrow loosed with great power.

Nyuhata Nyurgai was the last to shoot,
The last arrow to be loosed,
Left his thumb mightily,
Left his fingers with a great noise.
With the song of the arrow,
With the voice of the arrowhead,
It hit the liver black rock the size of a wolf,
Striking it so that it smashed into flints.
The arrow continued flying–
It struck the red pine standing out in the field,
Breaking it into pieces.
The arrow kept on flying–
Striking the knot on the crowberry bush
Shattering it into splinters,
Thus this arrow,
Precious as the golden beam of the smokehole,
Passed through the waters of a lake to cleanse itself,
And flew back into its quiver with a ringing sound.

When the three prizes were won in this way,
The watchers of the contest were most surprised,
They were greatly astonished.

Temeen Ulaan Khan,
Being displeased that his daughter Tumen Jargalan,
Who was as beautiful as the round sun,
Should be given to this snotty slimy boy,
Declared a new contest:
“He who can kill a yearling lamb,
And can share the meat among ten thousand people,
Can take my daughter as a wife!”

Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon said:
“I am able to do it!”
He killed a yearling lamb
, Ten thousand people waited to receive the meat.
Temeen Ulaan Khan asked him:
“Are you sure you can make the meat of a yearling lamb
Sufficient to satisfy ten thousand people?”
When he had asked this Nyuhata Nyurgai said:
“Father khan, look at this!
Does a yearling lamb have ten thousand legs?
If it is a yearling lamb,
Will it not have only four legs?
Will the legs of a yearling lamb not be small?”
The boy took a leg of the lamb
And threw it up in the air.

Temeen Ulaan Khan was surprised and said:
“How are you going to get so many lamb legs?”
He was most astonished.
Nyuhata Nyurgai answered:
“Father khan, watch me!
In the time of the blinking of an eye
I will give out meat to all!”

Temeen Ulaan Khan
Did not like what he heard,
He did not want to listen.
He said distastefully:
“If you can do it, distribute the meat!”

The boy Nyuhata Nyurgai killed a yearling lamb–
In the blinking of an eye
Ten thousand people were given meat.
Having accomplished what Temeen Ulaan Khan had asked,
Having fulfilled his words,
The khan was obligated to give him Tumen Jargalan.
When the khan looked at Nyuhata Nyurgai
He recognized the golden ring the boy wore on his little finger.

Being united in marriage,
Nyuhata Nyurgai became a husband.
Taking her by the right hand he spoke his vows,
Taking her by the left hand he spoke true words.
The two of them standing together,
Like a fox and a mink,
Speaking together a day and night,
The wedding was celebrated.
The wedding party lasted eight days,
On the ninth day there were great discussions.
On the tenth day,
When people began to sober up,
They returned to their homes,
Those who came from the north,
Returned to their country,
Those who came from the south,
Returned to their homeland.

Nyuhata Nyurgai declared he wanted to go home.
Going to his wife’s father he said:
“The fawn misses its mother and goes back to her,
The son of a mother and father misses his home.
A guest cannot be detained on his visit,
A moose’s leg cannot be contained in a kettle.
I come to tell you it is time for me to go home.
Temeen Ulaan Khan replied:
“Your words are true, you may go!”
Nyuhata Nyurgai and Tumen Jargalan received their dowry:
Half of the subjects of Temeen Ulaan’s kingdom,
Half of the gold in Temeen Ulaan’s treasury.
Loading the gifts on an iron wagon,
Receiving the blessing of the khan,
They made the long journey home.

The multitudes and herds
Following Nyuhata Nyurgai and Tumen Jargalan
Were enough to fill a valley,
Enough to fill a river,
As they marched toward his home,
When they returned to the land of the Tugshen khans.

When Nyuhata Nyurgai and Tumen Jargalan
Reached the land of the Tugshen khans he said:
“We will sleep the first night at my father’s house.
The following night we sleep in my house!”
After telling her this they went hastily to the home of Sargal Noyon.
He told Sargal Noyon about all that had happened,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan rejoiced and was happy.

This having happened,
Sargal Noyon Khan beat on his golden drum,
The people came from the northern lands.
Striking his silver drum,
His subjects came from the southern lands.
He served enough liquor to satisfy all,
He served enough meat to satisfy everybody.
Blind people walked to the party,
Lame people came on stretchers.
A great festival was held,
A wedding party was celebrated.

The maiden Tumen Jargalan,
Who was a beautiful as the round sun,
Slept the first night at her husband’s father’s house.
The next day they came to the home of Nyuhata Nyurgai.
When this had happened,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Traveled a long way to give his greetings to his daughter in law.
Nyuhata Nyurgai and his wife Tumen Jargalan,
Making an elegant party,
Making a great celebration,
Received their blessing from his true parents,
Sengelen Noyon and Naran Goohon.
Becoming as one,
They became mounts to one another.

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch