APIFantasy | Myth and Folklore Anthology

Mongolian Mythology - Folkloric Legends #2

Before Jangar's Birth

The Epic of Jangar is a Mongolian oral epic told up to 100 chapters. Most storytellers, recited by traditional Jangarchi, tell the story within 25 chapters.

The story follows a hero child's, Jangar, journey. It begins with Jangar's great great grandfather, who established the city of Bomba as the people's khan. It was a land of paradise. His son, Jangar's father (Ujung Aldar), who came from a long line of khans, decided to marry a woman from a neighboring tribe. For two years, they tried to have a baby, but were unable. They visited a herder who had 19 kids to ask him for his secrets. The herder passed along his secrets and Jangar's father was desperate to have a son so they decided to try out the herder's methods. The suggestion worked and his wife became pregnant with their first child.

The Birth of Jangar

When the baby was born, they are horrified to see a grotesque red sack instead of a healthy baby. The father ordered for it to be destroyed, but before they carried out the task, a baby's wails stopped them. They discovered the baby was trapped and suffocating inside the sack. They cut into it to use a special jade sword (normal swords were unable to penetrate the tough exterior of the sack) and the baby comes out healthy.

The Invasion of Bomba

When a devil known as Guljin attacked the city of Bomba with 10,000 troops on black horses, they quickly defeated Ujung Aldar's soldiers. To protect his son, Ujung Aldar placed a stone of white jade in his mouth and sent him off with a trustworthy servant to hide in the forests. Ujung Aldar and his wife are killed, allowing Guljin to take the throne. The servant left the baby in a cave and returned to his master, only to see all the bloodshed. In an attempt to avenge his master, he is killed, leaving the baby all alone.

Jangar's Life in the Forest

The baby sucked on the white jade to calm his hunger and fear, but he soon cried. A hunter found him and decided to take him to raise him, giving him the name Jangar. Jangar loved his new name and declared he would become master of the world, frightening the hunter. The hunter second guessed adopting Jangar. He decided to only bring food and water, leaving him to live in the forest.

Despite the rejection, Jangar crawled into his cave and let out a ferocious roar, making all the nearby animals curious of his presence. They soon become interested with the small baby. As Jangar grew, he learned how to run with the antelopes, roar with the tigers, and forage for fruit with the deer. For two years, he lived in the wild amongst his animal friends, until an old man found him sitting under a tree. The man explained what happened to his parents, deciding to train him in magic and martial arts. Jangar woke up and realized it was all a dream, and yet, he now possessed the ability to uproot trees and destroy giant boulders.

Return to Bomba

At the age of three, Jangar returned to Bomba to reclaim the throne. Fighting his way through the palace, he came face to face with the devil who killed his parents. Without hesitation, he killed the devil. He ascended to the roof, calling for his people to return and they all return from where they fled to and hid during the invasion to quickly rebuild a new prosperous nation.

This isn't the end of Jangar's story as he continues defeating enemies of all sizes and strength, despite being so young.

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