Ostmongolische orale LiteraturOral Tales of Mongol Bards
Balǰinima
Balǰinima was born in
1941 in
J̌ile-yin
Süme, what is now known as
Ulaγan Balγasun of
Sayiqan Tala district in
Aru Qorčin. His father,
Gombo, was a bard. Balǰinima was famous for his performance of two
rare tales set during the Yuan dynasty. They are entitled Ögedei
mergen qaγan-u üliger “The Story of the Wise Emperor Ögedei” or Qubilγan odod-un šastir “The Story of the Incarnated Stars”,
and Qubilai sečen qaγan-u üliger “The Story of the Sage
Emperor Qubilai” or Γarudi γalbingγ-a-yin tuγuǰi “The Story
of Garuḍa Kalaviṅka”. The two tales were handed down orally to him by the renowned
bard Buyannemekü (1903-1983). Balǰinima also composed
his own tales.
Further Information
For a full English translation of the biography, see Elisabetta Chiodo, “Life Stories and Achievements of
Eastern Mongol Bards”, Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher NF 22,
2008, pp. 202-211. The Mongolian texts of the biographies of the bards,
on which the English translation is based, are published in Rinčindorǰi, Tuuličid quγurčid-un
namtar böge mörgöl-ün iraγu nayiraγ, Beijing 2010, pp. 157-177,
195-214.
