Bembya Fedorov, About the Heroic Epos Geser

Duration: 4 mins 20 secs

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Description:	Bembya displays two pictures of Geser and explains that there are many legends about this epic hero. In 1802 during his trip to the Volga Kalmyks, the German scholar Benjamin Bergmann wrote down the 8th and 9th chapters of the epos Geser and published them later in 1804. Bembya relays two legends about Geser. Legend One is about how Bogdo Mountain helped Geser. When the Kalmyks arrived in the Volga region, they fought with various tribes. Geser decided to come and help the Kalmyks out. In Kalmykia he stopped at the foot of Bogdo Mountain near lake Baskunchak. The mountain had a mortal power and anyone who looked at it died. Before climbing up the mountain, Geser covered it with fog. Once on the top he saw in the distance the palace of an enemy khan. He shot the palace with an arrow slashing it into two. That is how the Mount Elbrus was created with two peaks. Legend Two is about Geser’s trip to the Azov Sea. When Geser reached the sea, on its shores he met a woman who was half human and half snake. The woman bore Geser three sons. Before leaving his family, Geser gave his bow to his spouse telling her to test their sons with it. Only one son who could pull the bow could stay on the shores of the sea. The others were supposed to leave the maternal place. It was Geser’s youngest son who successfully passed the test and stayed with his mother. The two other sons had to leave the sea. In faraway places they started their own tribes.

Description:

Bembya displays two pictures of Geser and explains that there are many legends about this epic hero. In 1802 during his trip to the Volga Kalmyks, the German scholar Benjamin Bergmann wrote down the 8th and 9th chapters of the epos Geser and published them later in 1804.
Bembya relays two legends about Geser.
Legend One is about how Bogdo Mountain helped Geser. When the Kalmyks arrived in the Volga region, they fought with various tribes. Geser decided to come and help the Kalmyks out. In Kalmykia he stopped at the foot of Bogdo Mountain near lake Baskunchak. The mountain had a mortal power and anyone who looked at it died. Before climbing up the mountain, Geser covered it with fog. Once on the top he saw in the distance the palace of an enemy khan. He shot the palace with an arrow slashing it into two. That is how the Mount Elbrus was created with two peaks.
Legend Two is about Geser’s trip to the Azov Sea. When Geser reached the sea, on its shores he met a woman who was half human and half snake. The woman bore Geser three sons. Before leaving his family, Geser gave his bow to his spouse telling her to test their sons with it. Only one son who could pull the bow could stay on the shores of the sea. The others were supposed to leave the maternal place. It was Geser’s youngest son who successfully passed the test and stayed with his mother. The two other sons had to leave the sea. In faraway places they started their own tribes.


Created:	2017-01-30 15:24
Collection:	Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FAIRY TALES)
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	University of Cambridge
Language:	rus (Russian)

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