Mongolian legends in the lyrics of Axen Suseev

The Mongolian theme in the works of Aksen Ilyumjinovich Suseev (19051995) is defined both by the ancestral homeland of the Kalmyks (Oirats) and his biography (work in the MPR during the Great Patriotic War), visiting the country in 1964, 1969 and 1971. His creation of small poems, the poem and the play that conveyed familiarity with the history, culture, and nature of the Mongols reflected Kalmyk-Mongolian literary contacts in the last century. Three Mongolian legends became the basis of three poems by A. Suseev 1964, written after exploring the local attractions: “Khuartin arshan” (“The Source of Khuzhrt”), “Cahan Nur” (“White Lake”), “Taihir cholun” (“Taihir Stone”). First published in the almanac “Teegin Gerl” in 1965, then included in the Mongolian section of the author’s book “Zurkna dun” (“Song of the Heart”, 1984), they differ in minor stylistic edits, the names of toponyms are transmitted not in Mongolian, but in Kalmyk. According to the poet’s memoirs, the first two legends were heard by him during a visit to the spring and lake. He did not mention the acquaintance with the third legend “Taihar chuluu”. Therefore, the article provides this folklore text with a Russian translation for introduction into scientific circulation. In general, the content of these works, indicating the genre of “domg” (legend), corresponds to Mongolian legends, differing in some details supplemented by the author, or, conversely, omitted. A. Suseev prefaces the texts about the Tahir stone and Tsagan Nur Lake with small introductions, in which he shares his impressions of the beauty of the local nature, the hospitality of the hosts, and the legend of the lake heard from them. The element of the miraculous, characteristic of the genre of legend, in the poem “Khuartin Arshan” is due to the healing properties of a natural spring. In the poem “Cahan Nur”, the hero Buhe Sart-agtai saves the world from flooding by plugging a gigantic stone into a well where a white bull used to live; as a result, a lake of wonderful beauty was formed. The third poem about the Tahir stone, contaminating elements of the legend itself and myths about the giant world serpent, glorifies another hero Buhe Belegte, who also protected people from mortal danger when he crushed a snake with stones. All three texts have a frame indicating the place and date of writing.