Jangar: The Heroic Epic of the Kalmyk Nomads (World Literature in Translation)

**The first English translation of a Kalmyk epic nearly lost to history.** This is the first English translation of __Jangar__, the heroic epic of the Kalmyk nomads, who are the Western Mongols of Genghis Khan’s medieval empire in Europe. Today, Kalmykia is situated in the territory that was once the Golden Horde, founded by the son of Genghis Khan, Juchi. Although their famed khanates and cities have long since disappeared under the sands of the Great Eurasian Steppe, the Kalmyks have witnessed, memorized, and orally transmitted some of the most transformative developments, both victorious and tragic, in the history of civilizations. A tribute to the protectors of the mythical country Bumba, __Jangar__ reflects the hopes and aspirations of the Kalmyk people as well as their centuries-long struggle for their cultural existence. This new English translation is more than a tribute to the artistic creativity and imagination of the Kalmykian people—it is also an important step in their struggle for cultural survival. It was only after centuries of oral transmission that the songs and stories surrounding __Jangar__ were written down. When the first translation, into Russian, finally appeared, Stalin had the entire Kalmyk population deported to Siberia and ordered that their national literature be eliminated from the published world. This Soviet repression has had enormous consequences for world literature, silencing nomadic voices and keeping hidden their distinctive contributions. Making __Jangar__ available in English is a landmark event, bringing a lost classic to the world’s attention and restoring the voices of an almost-erased tradition at the heart of the history of Eurasia.

The first English translation of a Kalmyk epic nearly lost to history. This is the first English translation of Jangar, the heroic epic of the Kalmyk nomads, who are the Western Mongols of Genghis Khan's medieval empire in Europe. Today, Kalmykia is situated in the territory that was once the Golden Horde, founded by the son of Genghis Khan, Juchi. Although their famed khanates and cities have long since disappeared under the sands of the Great Eurasian Steppe, the Kalmyks have witnessed, memorized, and orally transmitted some of the most transformative developments, both victorious and tragic, in the history of civilizations. A tribute to the protectors of the mythical country Bumba, Jangar reflects the hopes and aspirations of the Kalmyk people as well as their centuries-long struggle for their cultural existence. This new English translation is more than a tribute to the artistic creativity and imagination of the Kalmyk people—it is also an important step in their struggle for cultural survival. It was only after centuries of oral transmission that the songs and stories surrounding Jangar were written down. When the first translation, into Russian, finally appeared, Stalin had the entire Kalmyk population deported to Siberia and ordered that their national literature be eliminated from the published world. This Soviet repression has had enormous consequences for world literature, silencing nomadic voices and keeping hidden their distinctive contributions. Making Jangar available in English is a landmark event, bringing a lost classic to the world's attention and restoring the voices of an almost-erased tradition at the heart of the history of Eurasia.

"This is the first English translation of Jangar, the heroic epic of the Kalmyk nomads, who are the West-Wing Mongols of Genghis Khan's medieval empire in Europe. Today, Kalmykia is situated in the territory that was once the Golden Horde, founded by the son of Genghis Khan, Juchi. Although their famed West-Wing khanates and cities have long since disappeared under the sands of the Great Eurasian Steppe, the Kalmyks have witnessed, memorized, and orally transmitted some of the most transformative developments, both victorious and tragic, in the history of civilizations. A tribute to the protectors of the mythical country Bumba, Jangar reflects the hopes and aspirations of the Kalmyk people, their centuries-long struggle for their cultural existence. This new English translation is more than a tribute to the artistic creativity and imagination of the Kalmykian people-it is also an important step in their struggle for cultural survival. It was only after centuries of oral transmission that the songs and stories surrounding Jangar were written down. When the first translation, into Russian, finally appeared, Stalin had the entire Kalmyk population deported to Siberia and ordered that their national literature be eliminated from the published world. This Soviet repression has had enormous consequences for world literature, silencing nomadic voices and keeping hidden their distinctive contributions. Making Jangar available in English is a landmark event, bringing a lost classic to the world's attention and restoring the voices of an almost erased tradition at the heart of the history of Eurasia"-- Provided by publisher Contents List of illustrations Introduction Jangar Prologue Cycle 1 How Shaman Golden Heart Joined Jangar’s Khanate Cycle 2 How Scarlet Lion Khongor Got Married Cycle 3 How Scarlet Lion Khongor Fought with Mighty Hero Jilgan Khan Cycle 4 How Scarlet Lion Khongor Defeated Khan Iron Head Mangna Cycle 5 How Alya Monkhlya Stole Khan Jangar’s Eighteen Thousand Golden Palominos Cycle 6 How Mingian, the Finest Man in the Universe, Stole Ten Thousand Pintos from Turk Khan Cycle 7 How Mingian, the Finest Man in the Universe, Captured Mighty Kurmen Khan Cycle 8 How Serious Sanal Defeated the Country of Half-Human Giants Cycle 9 How Savar Heavy Arm Defeated Kilgan Khan Cycle 10 How Three Sons Captured Mighty Badmin Ulan Glossary