“I will teach you how to pray in aid of the four winds and enable the vision of the Gods,” she said majestically. “Sit down facing the east and take the beads in your left hand at breast height.”
Saosh Yant turned and sat facing the rising sun. It had just got out of its night cradle and tinted the surroundings with soft pink and purple. A few of its rays fell upon the beads and they lit up with beautiful soft turquoise. The young man was astonished and nearly dropped them out of his hands.
“Hold them firmly,” the Princess smiled indulgently, “and invoke Tengri, the God of Eternity, by counting the beads to the beat of your heart. Start uttering the sound ‘Grinnn’, move the beads from the main one counterclockwise so that they move toward yourself. Use your thumb and forefinger. Take one bead for each sound. Feel Tengri Khan’s blessing flow into your heart.”
Saosh Yant stood still and silent. He breathed in and out, then listened to the beating of his heart. And all of a sudden, in his mind there was such a silence, as if he had just heard and begun to realize all that was happening around and inside him for the first time in his life. He started counting his beads to the beat of his heart.
“Grinnn! Grinnn! Grinnn!” And at once a perfect ringing silence settled in the space around him and there was great, eternal peace.
The starry sky spread over him. Its fathomless, dark velvet canopy stretched above his head, enchanting with its peculiar mystery and anticipation of something new and inconceivable at the same time. The entire dome of the sky was gemmed with myriads of crystal clear and amazingly bright starts. They seemed to be talking to him in a language only they could understand. The endless inexpressible mystery was inviting and magnetic. Through the top of the young man’s head the starlight began to flow into the whole of his being. Then it filled his heart. He gave a start and began to tremble like delicate feather grass in the breeze. He had never experienced anything like that. He had a feeling that he was alive for the first time in his life.
Overflowed with energy, an exclamation escaped Saosh Yant, “I love you, Lord, and all of Your creations!”
And instantly all the stars burst with magical heavenly light. Their glow blended and became one. Saosh even had to screw up his eyes because of such radiance. Then it began to grow dim. And when Saosh Yant opened his eyes again, in each of the stars he saw the eyes of the God Tengri. Each of the eyes seemed to be watching him from Eternity, calling to him. Then this glow became faint, more quiet, uniform and soft. And suddenly the astonished young man saw Tengri Khan himself sitting against the canopy of the sky.
Majestic, calm and handsome, he was looking at him with all the myriads of his eyes. Clad in a high headdress and blue national costume, he had eyes on his hands, feet and between the eyebrows. And the entire canopy was scattered with infinitely many eyes that were looking from Eternity.
Saosh Yant made a low obeisance to him. He held out his hand over him and the next moment the prayer beads lit up with dazzling bright turquoise and vanished into nothing.
Saosh straightened his back and again saw the Princess standing before him.
“Now turn to the south,” she said majestically.
Saosh Yant turned around ninety degrees and sat up straight.
“Take these,” said the Princess and gave him yellow beads.
He accepted them with awe. The next instant the beads in his hands lit up with amber yellow, as bright as the sun. He was slightly surprised unable to get used to it. But the next moment he raised his eyes at the Princess.
“Finger them in the same way,” she said, “but this time with your thumb and middle finger. Take one bead at every beat of your heart. Count the beads saying ‘Gannn’ and invoking Ülgen, the God of the Future. Hold them at waist height.”
Saosh acted accordingly. Listening to his heartbeat, he began to count his beads.
“Gannn! Gannn! Gannn!” the sunny beads began to twirl. He felt his solar plexus kind of broaden, and then dawn appeared before his eyes. The sun was rising, coloring everything gold and burning away the night shadows and the hoary shreds of the fog. Lighting the feathery clouds with its first gentle rays, it tinted them with the most extravagant tinges of pink, golden and lilac. Saosh Yant went on counting the prayer beads.
“Gannn! Gannn! Gannn!” A soft warm breeze was blowing in his face, bringing the scent of flowers and freshly cut grass. The awakened birds cheerfully flitted and chirped in the sky. And beneath was a beautiful pure mountain stream flowing toward him, as if bringing from the future all the things that he could wish for. Any thought, any of the most daring dreams could come true right now, he only had to wish for it to happen. Everything was ahead of him. He had a feeling that a blue prospect had opened before him, filled with the anticipation of something new, lively, light and joyous. He caught a glimpse of Ülgen’s benevolent face in the feathery clouds. There was something in him that reminded of the arch but kind-hearted Grandfather Frost from a Russian folk tale. Or Santa Claus from western stories. With a long white beard and mustache and poppy red cheeks. With cunning sparkling screwed-up eyes. And a little bald-headed. Three accurate smooth horizontal lines furrowed his well-rounded forehead. He was dressed in a traditional white kaftan, trimmed with ermine on the collar, sleeves, front and lower edge. In his left hand Lord Ülgen held a staff – a symbol of the future, from which all the things, events, people and phenomena come to us. Watching him, Saosh Yant felt some unusual new inspiration fill him.
He was ablaze with unspeakable enthusiasm. He wanted to create, play, sing, dance, make great scientific discoveries. To do something to the good and joy of all men on earth, to make everyone on our planet feel so good!
“Thank you, Ülgen Khan,” said Saosh Yant with respect, making a low bow to him and touching the ground with his head and hands.
After a while the beatific vision vanished away as quickly as it had appeared. The prayer beads in the young man’s hands lit up with dazzling yellow and disappeared too. Again he realized he was sitting before the Altai Princess.
“Now turn to the west,” she said giving him red beads.
Saosh Yant took them and couldn’t take his eyes off the main bead. It was the biggest and consisted of three: a big one, another one a bit smaller and the third the tiniest.
“These are the masculine and feminine parts of the deity,” explained the Princess, seeing his silent question and amazement, “and the smallest one joins their spirit, their conscious, the Aiy. Always begin with this bead, for it is the most important one. Tune in to Umai and, fingering the beads with your fourth finger and thumb, holding them at the bottom of the stomach, and say ‘Khem’.”
Saosh did what he’d been told. Listening to the beating of his heart, he began to count the beads. “Khem! Khem! Khem!” sang his heart and his entire body. “Khem! Khem! Khem!” the purple of the beads glittered. The next thing he saw was a beautiful forest lake covered with bluish mist, with lovely soft yellow water lilies blooming on its surface. The white heap clouds were hanging in the blue sky, their vertical caps towering high into the air. The warm summer sun was shining brightly, bringing joy and happiness to every living thing. The logs were crackling in the fire that was burning in front of the young shaman. Its murmuring insatiable flame was rising high, as if wanting to fly away to the clouds. The trees blossomed and smelled sweet. Their many fragrances blended into a wonderful, incredible palette; on many of them the fruit had already grown, ripe and juicy, ready to drop to the ground. The wind was whirling, playfully stirring the tongues of the flames, swaying them to-and-fro; now calming down, then continuing with his mischievous tricks. The entire atmosphere was filled with joy, peace and merriment. Saosh Yant felt some kind of a protective and guarding aura around him. He felt like a child beside his loving mother ready to protect, comfort and feed him. Like he had become a baby again and returned to the warm embrace of his affectionate mother. The next instant he caught a glimpse of Umai’s form in the mist that floated over the lake.
Young, rosy-cheeked and cheerful, she appeared before him. Dressed in a white national costume adorned with red Altai ornamental pattern, she radiated light, youthfulness and beauty. The young man was looking and her and feeling the thrill of joy run through his entire body. It was that incomparable feeling that a man has when he sees a very beautiful woman before him. Saosh was captivated, fascinated, absolutely crushed by her beauty, grace and the incredible light emanating from her youthful face.
He began to peer at her features. The head of the Goddess was crowned with a big tiara richly decorated with diamonds and rubies. “That’s a truly regal ornament,” he thought, “suitable for Gods only. A plain woman just wouldn’t look good in it! If I am to meet a girl in my life, I want her to be like her. To be no worse than her. And I will surely give her such a tiara. Yes! That’s the way it’ll be!” the young shaman was dreaming. “Just like this one!!!”
He gazed at the Goddess more intently. This time his eyes themselves on her beautiful young face with strong oriental features. It radiated peace, beauty, quiet and harmony. Umai was smiling, as if inviting him to be with her at this feast of life, abundance and prosperity, at which she herself eternally abode. “That’s what a wife must be like,” Saosh kept on dreaming. “With her one should feel easy, comfortable and happy. I would always return to such a woman after my exploits. And she would be proud of me. Yes! That’s the wife I would want for myself!” Some incredible light emanated from Umai. Sitting against the full silver moon, she herself was the personification of the Orb of Night, the symbol of everlasting womanly beauty and charm. Her long silvery hair, cascading to the ground, radiated amazing light. Saosh took a closer look at her hair and just gasped with surprise: the hair seemed to be emitting soft pleasant silver glow from within. It was LIVING! “What is it?” he thought, puzzled. And the next instant he understood. “But these are… these are… the Moon’s rays! Yes! YES! It is not just hair, but THE RAYS OF THE MOON!” The Goddess’s hair glowed with soft moonlight. “Enough! I can’t bear it any longer!” Saosh was losing his patience. “I’ll marry her. Yes! Umai will be my wife! That’s what I want, that’s what I desire!”
He was just drooling over the Goddess and went on looking hungrily at her. Sitting on the thick green spring grass, against the forest and the night sky adorned with plenty of stars and the full moon, Umai was holding a cup in her right hand – a symbol of plenty and prosperity, and a spruce twig, a symbol of the world of the present, where she reigned. Not far from her, a little in front, there was a strip of fertile land, on which Saosh saw three “babies”, so to speak. They were a fawn – a symbol of luck and agility, a bear cub symbolizing strength and confidence, and a child lying on a sheepskin – the image of the human-to-be and his best qualities. A carpet of scarlet tulips blazed before the beautiful Goddess – a reminder of her everlasting flowering, love and beauty. Behind her, not far away, animals were peacefully grazing and a playful colt was prancing. On her left was a yurt with the curtain invitingly raised. “Ah, I wish I could go inside and see what’s in there. Enjoy the peace and harmony. The love and care of a woman which gives strength and energy. The youthfulness and beauty!” He at once gave himself a slap on the wrist, “Don’t! Don’t dare to dream of such a thing! She is a Goddess! She might not like it…”
But Umai wasn’t showing any signs of resentment. She was just watching the young man, as if smiling internally at him.
He made a low obeisance to her but he didn’t want to get out of this state. Suddenly the beads lit up with scarlet and then disappeared.
Saosh straightened his back unwillingly and saw the Altai Princess again.
“Now turn to the north,” said the Princess. “Take these black beads.”
Saosh accepted them automatically, giving them a quick glance and the next instant cried out in surprise. He threw them off.
“A-a-ah!!! Damn!” he shrieked as if scalded.
The Princess laughed cheerfully at his eccentric behavior. The next moment the prayer beads again were in her hands. He made an effort to pull himself together and took a good look at them. Each bead was carved in the image of a skull. Noseless, with a “nice” grin and empty eyeholes. “Dear me!” he thought. “Isn’t that something?”
“Have no fear,” the Altai Princess merrily winked at him. “Some day all of you who live on earth will become ‘nice’ and ‘cute’ just like these beads.”
“Phew! I didn’t expect that!” he gasped.
“Ha-ha-ha!” she gave a sincere and melodious laugh.
“What a charming laughter she has!” before he could think of anything else, he heard:
“Take them in your right hand and this time finger them with your thumb and little finger clockwise, away from yourself. As if pushing away all that is obsolete, burdensome and idle. All that you want to let go, to get rid of. What you’ve decided to destroy and eliminate. Put the hand on your right knee and start saying ‘Kennn’ invoking Erlik.”
Saosh began to finger the beads once again. The skull beads twirled to the beat of his heart. The time wheel twirled too. “Kennn! Kennn! Kennn!”
He at once felt a breath of deathlike cold on his skin. The cold that struck through him, chilling him to the marrow. Dreadful groans and indistinct lamentations were heard all around. An owl was hooting in the distance. Sinister black clouds covered the gloomy night sky with their shaggy, scraggly beards. And glancing furtively through the gaps between them, a lonely, sad and always hungry moon was shining from above. The cold north wind was driving these clouds into the total darkness, away from Saosh Yant. The young man looked down involuntarily and was stupefied with terror. In the breathtaking abyss under him there was a turbid stream roaring and sweeping all before itself. Flowing away from him with a deafening crash and rattle, rolling the huge rocks and boulders at the bottom like grains of sand. Carrying away branches, dry leaves and even trunks of old rotten trees. Taking with it, into the abyss of timelessness, the obsolete, idle and old. All hopes and aspirations, dim expectations, sorrows and woes of people. Everything that had once given joy and pleasure and made people happy, was now broken. Together with the masses of the dry leaves, rocks and rotten tree trunks, they were floating away at the mercy of time, into the void. Into the vale of woe and despair. Saosh Yant stared into the distance, into the gloom, and saw Erlik Khan’s silhouette show up and quickly disappear. The young man could only make out and “grasp” his features. Very thin, tall and swarthy. With a long narrow face and burning, coal-black eyes that looked grimly from under the heavy hanging brows. With a narrow black forked beard, long mustache tucked up behind the ears, and sharp fangs protruding from his sinister grin. Clad in black attire, he was sitting backwards on a bull of a dark color, riding against a ruined castle. An evil fire of human passions and unfulfilled desires was burning in its windows.
Erlik Khan waved his right hand, and Saosh Yant saw a snake in it. Like a whip, it soared upwards, produced a sharp crack almost at the young man’s ear and urged the bull. It quickened its pace and ran off. The last thing he saw was a lasso in Erlik’s left hand with which he caught the souls of lost sinners and dragged them away with him into the abyss.
The vision was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Everything was silent at once, the roaring stopped. The next instant the young shaman felt some burdensome and heavy load heave off his heart. The years, filled with worry, fear and trouble, were over. And he felt easy and refreshed, as if reborn, as if life had just begun.
“Thank you, Lord Erlik Khan,” said Saosh Yant reverently, making a bow to the ground. And before he knew it, he found himself in Kudai Kam’s chaadyr. Astonished by what he had seen, he shook himself like a dog shakes off water, but could not come round.
“Phew! What was that?” he asked in amazement.
“Remember everything that you’ve seen. And recall these visions when you practice sorcery,” said Kudai Kam.
“And the beads? Do I need to have such beads for each deity?” asked Saosh Yant.
“Yes,” answered Kudai Kam. “You’ll have to make them yourself. I’ll teach you how to do it.”
“All right, whatever you say. And you, Kudai Kam, do you have beads like that?” wondered the young man.
“No, mine are different, my friend.”
Out of the little waist bag he took a thick string of round bone beads that looked like big buttons, there were not many of them. They had about them an aura of strength, power and quiet. The young shaman couldn’t understand what they were made of. He involuntarily reached for them.
“It’s too early for you to have beads like that,” Kudai Kam took away his hand. Saosh Yant was a little embarrassed and fell silent.
“They’re made of the skull bone of dead shamans and store their power.”
“Wow! How about that!” Saosh Yant even bit his lip with envy.
“Don’t you worry,” grinned Kudai Kam. “I’ll give these beads to you before I die.”
Saosh sighed with relief.
“When my body has decayed and the skeleton, lying on the arankas[1], has exposed, you will cut a small plate out of the place above the nose bridge,” he pointed to the space between the eyebrows. “Right here. See?”
“Ah! I see,” he nodded.
“It will connect you to my Kut, with my Power, when you count these beads. I and all the previous shamans will come to you and help you in your ritual. You will feel our Power, aid and support. You will know that you are not alone. And that we are helping you.”
“All right. I’ll do that!”
“And then your successor will do the same with your bone.”
“And then I’ll be helping him together with you all?”
“Of course! But this will not happen until he gains his power.”
“Or else?..”
“Or else the powers of so many shamans can drive him mad, he won’t be able to bear it. And the power that we cannot control, be it authority, fame or money, becomes destructive to us. We have to be able to be aloof and seeking the good for the entire world and the creation. Then this power will help us. But it will destroy an egoist wallowing in his selfish dreams,” said Kudai Kam hiding the beads in his waist bag.
“So that’s it…”
“Yes, my friend. And now it’s time to sleep. Get ready to go to bed.”
Lying on the soft and warm deerskins that emitted a distinctive but familiar smell, Saosh Yant was dreaming of becoming a Great Shaman some day in the distant future. He would also have such powerful magical beads. Falling asleep, he suddenly saw his decayed body rest upon the shaman arankas under the dazzling starry sky. And his successor, a new mighty shaman, cut a bead out of his nose bridge. And Saosh’s Kut was transferred to him. He himself became free and flew up to Tengri Khan, the God of Eternity. And dissolved in the embrace of Eternity…
[1] A wooden platform on which a dead person is put. It is placed between four trees above the ground (translator’s note).
