The world of the «Ural-batyr» epic
Six dimensions of the Ural mythological system: from the first ancestors and the three worlds to philosophical concepts of immortality.
Characters of the epic
Ural-batyr
Урал батыр
The epic's main hero, creator of lands and defender of the people
Youngest son of the ancestors Yanbirde and Yanbike. Sets out in search of the Living Water (Yanshishma) to...
Shulgan
Шүлгән
Ural's older brother, the antagonist, ruler of the underground/underwater world
Eldest son of Yanbirde. Breaks his father's prohibition, chooses the easy path and sides with the divs....
Humay
Һомай
Samrau's daughter, a bird-maiden, Ural-batyr's wife
Embodiment of light, sun and wisdom. Gives Ural-batyr the winged horse Akbuzat and a diamond sword.
Akbuzat
Аҡбуҙат
The winged heroic horse (tulpar)
Mediator between worlds, flies through the air and swims underwater. Ural-batyr's faithful horse.
Yanbirde
Йәнбирҙе
Father of Ural and Shulgan, the first ancestor
First human, living according to the laws of wild nature. Establishes a prohibition on drinking the blood...
Yanbike
Йәнбикә
Mother of Ural and Shulgan, the first ancestor
Wife of Yanbirde, ancestress of mankind. Together with her husband, she teaches her sons hunting and the...
Places and Prototypes
Home of Yanbirde and Yanbike
Йәнбирҙе менән Йәнбикә йорто
An unnamed wild region where the ancestors Yanbirde and Yanbike dwell. Their sons Ural-batyr and Shulgan are born...
The Crossroads
Юл айырымы
The place where the brothers Ural-batyr and Shulgan part ways at a crossroads, choosing between an easy path and a...
Kingdom of Padishah Katil
Ҡатил батша иле
The realm of the cruel ruler Katil, through which Ural-batyr passes on his journey. The epic text provides no...
Serpent Kingdom of Kahkaha
Йылан батшалығы (Ҡаһҡаһа иле)
The underground and underwater realm of the serpent king Kahkaha. Ural-batyr and Zarkum enter this kingdom in search...
Palace of Azraka
Әзрәҡә һарайы
The court of Azraka, the padishah of the divs. Here stands the maidan, a place of contests where the fate of...
Yanshishma (Living Spring)
Йәншишмә
A spring whose waters grant immortality. Ural-batyr finds it but does not drink from it himself; instead, he...
Mythological concepts
Life and Death
Ural learns of Death's existence from a captive old man. All his subsequent motivation is to defeat Death and find Yanshishma.
Immortality
Ural finds Yanshishma but does not drink the water himself. He anoints the earth with it. He dies physically—but his body becomes a...
Water
Water appears in several key contexts: Yanshishma—the source of immortality; the flood organized by the divs; the poisoned lakes that...
Water of Life (Yanshishma)
A living spring that grants immortality. Ural finds it but gives it to the earth.