THE LAME MAGPIE AND HER SEVEN EGGS
Description: Mariia Mantysheva narrates an animal fairy tale about a magpie and a fox. The fox forces the magpie to give him all of her eggs. A mouse living close by explains to the magpie how to get rid of the fox. When the fox finds out what has happened, he catches the mouse. However, the mouse manages to outwit the fox and escape.
Cite as: Dolán öndigtä́ doγlýng šaazγá – The lame magpie and her seven eggs; performer: Mariia Mantysheva, camera/ interview: Thede Kahl, Ioana Nechiti, interview assistant: Tatiana Oliusheva, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0006a.
THE HUNTER AND THE HERMIT MONK
Description: Dordzhi Nandyshev narrates one of his favourite fairy tales about a hunter and a Buddhist monk, which gives us an impression about how Kalmyk people have interpreted the concept of karma. The Hunter, who has been killing living beings all his life, acknowledges his guilt, repents, and committed suicide. However, he reincarnates as a more desirable being than the Buddhist hermit monk who has spent twenty years in prayer, but who has let one bad thought spoil all his efforts.
Cite as: Aŋγucɪ́ bolýn dajancɪ́ lamə́ – The hunter and the hermit monk; performer: Dordzhi Nandyshev, camera/ interview: Thede Kahl, Ioana Nechiti, interview assistant: Olga Erendzhenova, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0007a.
THE WOLF AND THE WHITE OLD MAN
Description: Dordzhi Nandyshev tells the legend of a wolf and its special relationship with the White Old Man (Tsagan Aav), one of the main gods of Oirat-Kalmyks. When the wolf kills and eats some cattle, the Kalmyk people believed that the White Old Man told the wolf to do that. Therefore, when cattle are eaten by wolves, drowned or stolen, Kalmyks should try not to rue the loss.
Cite as: Conə́ bolýn Cagán Aavə́ – The wolf and the White Oldman; performer: Dordzhi Nandyshev, camera/ interview: Thede Kahl, Ioana Nechiti, interview assistant: Olga Erendzhenova, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0004a.
ABOUT THE KHOSHUT WARRIOR TÜÜKÄ
Description: Boris Boktaev narrates a folk tale about adventures of Tüükä́, a warrior of the Khoshut clan, who joined a group of other warriors who go to the Caucasus to get loot for the Kalmyk land. On the way back to the Kalmyk steppe, they had run out of food. At that moment, five birds land close by. Tüükä́, a sharp shooter who had his best rifle with him, goes hunting. After a while, he fires and kills all five birds with one shot.
Cite as: Hošudá Tüükä́ baatýr – About the Khoshut warrior Tüükä́; performer: Boris Boktaev, camera/ interview: Ioana Aminian, interview assistant: Feliks Shorvaev, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0012b.
STORY ABOUT THE RIFLE OF RICH MAN AƔǦI
Description: Boris Boktaev narrates a folk tale about a rifle with golden muzzle that belonged to the Khoshut clan’s rich man Aɣdǧɪ, who had ordered it from a very talented artisan rifle maker. Soon the rifle is finished and its muzzle covered with gold. Although the rifle is very accurate, its sight shifts slightly to the right. When a sharpshooter shoots from the rifle to the edge of a scythe, its lead bullet is sliced in two, the right side weighing a little more than the left one.
Cite as: Aɣǧɪ́ bajná altýn amtá bu – Story about the rifle of rich man Aɣǧɪ́; performer: Boris Boktaev, camera/ interview: Ioana Aminian, interview assistant: Feliks Shorvaev, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0013a.
STORY ABOUT TEN WOLVES
Description: Dordzhi Nandyshev narrates an aetiological tale explaining why wolves have less fur on their hind legs. In the story, a pack of wolves meet a shaman wolf and ask him to help them find prey in the winter. The shaman wolf tells them where they can find a herd of horses. They find the herd, eat one horse and move away. Soon afterwards, herders catch and kill all of the wolves using whips, all except for the shaman, who manages to escape despite his hind leg being injured.
Cite as: Arvýn čonýn tuuǧɪ́ –Story about ten wolves;performer: Dordzhi Nandyshev, camera/ interview: Thede Kahl, Ioana Aminian, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0005a.
THE FROG AND THE ANT
Description: Zinaida Imkinova narrates a fairy tale about two friends, the frog and the ant. The frog spent spring and summer having fun. When winter came, the frog, who had no supply of food, went to the ant to ask for food. The ant had prepared a lot of food for winter and gave the frog the leg of a grasshopper. The frog became angry and left.
Cite as: Meklä́ šorγylǧɪ́n hojír – The frog and the ant;performer: Zinaida Imkinova, camera/ interview: Ioana Aminian, Thede Kahl, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0018a.
THE FOX AND THE HARE
Description: Mariia Muhlaeva narrates a short fairy tale about a fox and a hare and tells a few riddles. The fairy tale begins with a fox and hare that went hunting together. After a while they stumbled upon a trap. The fox asked the hare to have closer look at the trap, but the hare became stuck in the trap and the fox ate him. At the end of the video, Mariia tells a few folk riddles and asks other participants to find the answers.
Cite as: Aratə́ tuulá hojír – The fox and the hare; performer: Mariia Muhlaeva, camera/ interview: Ioana Aminian, Thede Kahl, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0017a.
THE OLD MAN AND THE HUNGRY WOLF
Description: Tamara Dolginova expresses ʹʹjörä́lʹʹ (well-wishings) to the interviewers and narrates a fairy tale about an old man and a wolf. One day, a hungry wolf comes to the house of an old couple who have a daughter, a few goats and a dog, and asks for a food. The wolf lavishes praise on the entire family. This causes the old man to feel pity for the wolf and he is deceived into giving it his dog, his goats, his daughter and his old wife. At the end of the story, the old man manages to kill the wolf and save his family and his animals.
Cite as: Övgɪ́n bolýn ölɪ́n conə́ – The old man and the hungry wolf; performer: Tamara Dolginova, camera/ interview: Ioana Aminian, Thede Kahl, transcription/ translation/ editor: Chingis Azydov, retrieved from www.oeaw.ac.at/VLACH, ID-number: kalm1244RUV0030a.