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Folktale: Subsurin Baatar


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Authors

Bulag, Uradyn E. 
Fuerwa, Dorjraa 

Abstract

Subsurin Baatar, initially an ordinary herder from the Jurgan Sum Banner in Hobogsair, faced a harrowing situation when his wife and children mysteriously vanished. Determined to unravel the mystery, he sought guidance from the teacher of the thirteenth Shliwan Gengen in Obootin Khüre. There, he learned that an ominous force around his winter camp had claimed the lives of his family and posed a grave threat to him unless he prepared himself. Subsurin Baatar returned home, taking proactive measures by boiling a yearling and consuming its meat, all in anticipation of the impending battle with the ghost. Adhering to an old proverb, “the ghost has iron hands”, Subsurin Baatar circled his belly and arms with leather ropes to protect against potential attacks. In the dead of night, the ghost revealed itself through the top of his yurt, seizing Subsurin Baatar’s chest with its iron hands and hurling both him and the yurt a considerable distance. Undeterred, Subsurin Baatar swiftly rose to his feet, engaging in a fierce battle with the ghost throughout the night. As dawn approached, he discovered that his formidable opponent had transformed into a black stone, devoid of any trace of its ghostly nature. Seeking further counsel, Subsurin Baatar returned to the mentor of Shaliwan Gegen and received a response that the ghost had fled with mortal injuries and would never return to Hobogsair again. The mentor credited Subsurin Baatar’s unwavering determination in the battle, asserting that it brought happiness to the Torghuts in Hobogsair. The mentor also emphasized that, otherwise, the ghost could have triumphed over humanity.

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Keywords

Torghuts, Hobogsair, Jurgan Sum Banner, Subsurin Baatar, Ghost, History

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Publisher

Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Documentation Project, University of Cambridge

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Sponsorship
Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.