Geser. The Вuryat heroic epic

Thus there were very few orphans or beggars.

The Buryats treated their routine work with great diligence. The epic says that the worth of man is in his doings, the worth of woman is in her sewing. Good attitude to one’s work and duties was inseparable from the Buryats since childhood. Life itself prompted them to be hardworking people, or else they would not survive. The Buryats wanted their children to be modest enough and restrained. They taught them not to shout out, not to cry out his/her mind when not asked to, not to talk too quickly as if saying a tongue-twister, not to laugh too loudly showing the teeth.

The Buryats were always ready toВ give aВ rebuff toВ the enemy, toВ fight him if the necessity arose. But despite their being quite ready toВ rebuff if necessary. The Mongolian tribes as well as the other people inВ the world strived toВ peace and quiet life without any battles, without shedding blood. They took up their swords only when there was aВ need toВ safeguard the motherland and strengthen the status ofВ theВ kin.

They were ecologically-minded, loved their native place and took care of it. This is evidenced by the following episode. The epic narrates of Loir Khara Lobsogoldoi, Geser’s enemy. He was taken as the embodiment of such prime element as water. Having defeated Lobsogoldoi Geser tells not to kill him for otherwise the vegetation would not grow without water. One can understand that he did that because he was devoted to his motherland, he was anxious that the Nature should flourish.

The epic gives much material for discussing the traditions ofВ the Buryat people. Besides the traditions mentioned above there is much material on suit before the marriage. There were the tournaments, trials, seeing off and meeting aВ bride. There also were the various methods for killing aВ sheep for donation. There were some prescriptions for organizing the feasts, games, dancing inВ circle, for holding the tayilgans (aВ religious ceremony, festival) and the rituals like purifying, telling the fortune, smudging, offerings, invocation,В etc.

All the habits, customs and traditions ofВ the Buryat people are generous, benevolent. They disapprove ofВ the unworthy deeds. The Buryat people are careful and scrupulous about the children, loving towards their native land and nature.

Naturally there is no marked development ofВ the images inВ the epic.