A Journey in Southern Siberia by Curtin Jeremiah

Author:Curtin, Jeremiah [Curtin, Jeremiah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Global Grey
Published: 2015-02-11T00:00:00+00:00

DRYING FUEL—COW DROPPINGS—ISLAND OF OLKHON.

CHURCH NEAR A POST STATION ON THE ROAD TO LAKE BAIKAL.

The place which I called "Ragats"

Gesir and his young wife had a pleasant life for the first day and first night. The second evening the old wife scolded, and quarrelled with her husband and his bride.

The next morning the young wife said: "I cannot live thus, I would rather be with the hundred and nine headed Mangathai than with thee in this yurta. Remain with thy old wife, I will go to the Mangathai."

Gesir begged her to stay. "I ought to have married thee first," said he, "since that was the agreement between our fathers. But I was young. Bow down to my old wife, and stay with me."

"I will promise to stay and be thy wife if thou wilt turn into a six-year-old horse, and for one day eat grass in the field out there."

Gesir consented, for he was greatly in love; he turned himself into a horse and went to graze outside in the field. Then the bride began her magic, and chanted. She chanted that Gesir must be a horse and draw a plow as long as the hundred and nine headed Mangathai lived. She chanted "Gesir is in my hands; come hither thou hundred and nine headed Mangathai," and her voice reached the Mangathai.

The Mangathai appeared that same night, rode in on his terrible black stallion. Gesir was then out in the field eating grass like any other horse, one of his fore feet tied to a stake while he pastured. Gesir's young wife, whose name was Apha, sprang up, opened the door and let in the Mangathai. All that he asked for she gave,—food, drink, and everything. "Where is thy husband?" asked the Mangathai while he was eating.

"He is out in the field gnawing grass; each day thou wilt plow with him, and each night put him in an iron stable without windows or opening other than the door, so that he may never escape from thee."

The next morning the Mangathai rose and began to plow. He plowed all day with Gesir Bogdo, then tied him firmly in the iron stable, and closed the door securely.

Sangha Gohun with her son left the yurta and went southwest to Red Mountain. There the son made a box of bark, put his mother inside, raised up the mountain and placed the box under it; then he turned himself into a falcon, and flew away to Khan Tyurmas, his grandfather. When he had told him all his trouble Khan Tyurmas said: "I will summon the thousand Heavenly Burkans to assemble on Dolon Odun" (The Great Bear).

From the time when the Mangathai came to Gesir's yurta till all the Heavenly Burkans assembled nine months had passed, and every day Gesir had drawn a plow and been driven by the hundred and nine headed Mangathai, who had settled in his yurta and was living with Apha, Gesir's young wife.

Ashir said to the thousand Burkans, "Ye created a

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