Maria Petrova
(St-Petersburg, Russia)

Poet About Poet: G. Mend-Ooyoo’s Novel about D. Ravjaa

(57th Annual Meeting of the PIAC Vladivostok, 2014)

One of the traditional genres in Mongolian literature is a historical novel. It originates in the oral tradition and chronicles. Since the second half of the 16th century historiographical activity in Mongolia is mentioned by the researches. This is primarily due to the penetration of Buddhism in its Tibetan form – Lamaism into the Mongolian steppes, which is certainly reflected in all areas of social and cultural life of the Mongols, including their written tradition. Biographies of Buddhist saints — Namtar or tsadig — was widespread in medieval Mongolian literature and had an independent cultural significance. Namtar did not belong to the canonical nor church service literature. They were works of so-called popular Buddhism and intended for common people reading.

Person of Danzanravjaa (1803-1856) – Lamaist saint and poet has attracted the attention of Mongolian literature researchers as well as writers.

The new novel by the famous Mongolian poet, chairman of the Mongolian PEN club G.Mend-Ooyoo (born1952) “Gegeenten” (2012) is a namtar or biography of the most famous Buddhist saint and poet of the 19th century in Mongolia 5th Gobi Noenkhutukhta Danzanravjaa (1803-1856).

Namtar, Historical and Biographical Novel, Ravjaa, G.Mend-Ooyoo, Gegeenten

The historical novel is the traditional Mongolian language arts genre. It originates in the oral tradition, chronicles and chronicles. Since the second half of the XVI century historiographical activity activates the Mongols. This is primarily due to the onset of penetration into the Mongolian steppes of Buddhism in its Tibetan form, which is certainly reflected in all areas of social and cultural life of the Mongols, including their written tradition . Namtar did not belong to the canonical nor church service literature. They were works of so-called popular Buddhism and intended for lay people reading that determine the specificity of type Namtar biographical
literature. Personality another Lamaist St. Danzanravzhi (1803-1856) has long attracted the attention of researchers as Mongolian literature and writers themselves. Roman G.Mend-Ooyoo “light” (” Gegeenten “) can be called the first prose work, where the image of the great Gobi Noenkhutukhta and poet D.Ravzhi found artistic expression.