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
Conclusion of the First Branch
The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger
