A is for Agu-Nogon-Abakha (Women's Epics A to Z)

This year my theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge is Women's Epics. My goal was to read 26 traditional epics from around the world that have women as their heroes. Because epics like this do exist, and they are fascinating! Read the intoduction post here.

Gar'julaj-Mergen and his brave sister Agu-Nogon-Abakha
Buryat 

This story is a Siberian Buryat epic song or üliger. I read it in a prose translation in this book in English, and another version in Russian (with Google Translate) here. There are other Russian versions here (with illustrations) and here. While the story is titled after both siblings, the brother doesn't really do much in the story, other than dying and being saved.

Further sources: Бурятские сказки [Buryat folktales], Volume I, edited by L.E. Eliasov (Ulan-Ude: Buryat Book Publishing House, 1959), 120. More book sources here.

What is it about?

TL;DR: A girl sets out to win three princesses who can revive her dead brother. She goes through a series of adventures and succeeds by her strength, bravery, and kindness.

The hero (mergen) Gar'julaj rides out on a hunt, and encounters a Mangathai (a multi-headed monster). The monster devours him, and his faithful horse returns home with his clothes. His sister Agu-Nogon-Abakha sets out, kills the Mangathai, and recovers her brother's bones. After she buries him, she decides to set out on a journey to find three princesses (the daughters of the deity Esege-malan) who have the power to revive the dead. She dresses in her brother's clothes, arms herself, saddles his horse, and travels disguised as a man.

Along the way, Agu-Nogon-Abakha gets into various adventures. She encounters an old woman who tries to poison her, saves an anthill by wrestling a bear (!), drinks the Water of Life that gives her extraordinary strength, saves three heroes that swear loyalty to her, and rescues an invisible dog. Eventually she makes it to Esege-malan, and since she doesn't think the princesses would help otherwise, she presents herself as a suitor for all three of them.

There are two other suitors at court, so Esege-malan gives all three of them a series of tasks. With the help of the beings she'd saved, Agu-Nogon-Abakha completes all challenges, and wins the three princesses for her wives. They suspect she might not be a man and test her, but she passes every test. On the way home she hurries ahead, retrieves her brother's bones, lays them out, and escapes before the princesses arrive (she is worried they would be furious about being cheated). Agu-Nogon-Abakha turns herself into a hare and runs into the woods. 

The princesses find the bones, realize what happened, but decide to revive the brother anyway. Once he is alive, they fall in love with him, and forget their disappointment. They tell him everything that happened. Gar'julaj rides out into the woods, finds the hare, and turns her back to her human form. The princesses forget about being tricked, and they live happily ever after.

The highlights

At first read, it seemed to me like the helpers were doing all the heavy lifting (pun intended). Agu-Nogon-Abakha is advised by her horse along the way, and to win the princesses she summons the dog, the ants, and the invisible heroes to assist her. But the more I thought about it, the more episodes I found where she faces challenges herself: when she rides out and kills the Mangathai monster, when she wrestles and throws a bear, or when she passes the tests devised to reveal her gender (e.g. the princesses lighting a fire on her chest while she sleeps). She proves her own skill and bravery more than enough - and the helpers she does win by her kindness and quick thinking. A "strong female character" doesn't need to do everything unassisted.

I also liked the small detail that every time something bad happens to her - her brother gets lost, or she has to bury his bones - she "cries for a long time" and then gets up, and makes a plan. Her strength is not illustrated by not crying, or immediately knowing what to do. It's okay to fall apart first, even for epic heroes.

Another endearing detail is the care the siblings show for each other. Agu-Nogon-Abakha cares for her brother's bones (it is described in great detail) until she can revive him. Gar'julaj immediately goes out to find her after his return, and doesn't rest until he lures the hare back to safety.

IN THIS EPIC, THE GIRL (actually four girls) RESCUES THE GUY.

Did the story go the way you thought it would?

Women's Epics A to Z: Epics in general knowledge

As I was preparing for this year's challenge, reading several epics with women as protagonists, it kept occurring to me how unfair it is that most of these amazing, special stories didn't make it into the general consciousness (as much as I can tell with my Hungarian/American, generally Western educational background). Back when I was in high school, we got a pretty comprehensive look at a few of them: we studied Gilgamesh, the Kalevala, had to read the Odyssey, skimmed over the Iliad, and even the Ramayana and the Mahabharata got a mention. But that is still pretty narrow compared to the richness of the world's epic traditions.

So I put together a survey, asking people how many epics they recognized, and which ones they were generally familiar with.

I listed 50 epics in the survey, asking people to mark if they heard about them / read them.

The survey received almost 200 responses, mainly from people in Europe and North America. Here are some interesting things I observed based on these responses:

There were only 3 epics out of 50 that were universally known

As in, no one clicked the "Never heard of it" option. Wanna guess? 

The Iliad, the Odyssey, and Gilgamesh. Beowulf held on for quite a while, but then it got 3 negative responses. The Aeneid came close with only 11 negatives.

More importantly to this year's A to Z: none of the top 10-15 epics included a woman protagonist. We're gonna rectify that.

Some surprises

There were some epics on the list that I would have guessed are better known than they are. The Kalevala, for example, got 50 "never heard of it" replies, and 80 people only "heart about it". More than half of the respondents didn't recognize the Táin bó Cúailnge at all (although more might have, see below). Also more than half didn't know the Mahabharata or the Ramayana, which surprised me because I thought if any non-European epics were kinda sorta in the public knowledge, these would have been the ones. Great Chinese classics (Journey to the West, Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms) also didn't fare well, which surprised me, given that the first one especially has a lot of modern adaptations.

The least well known epics were mostly about women, and/or not from Europe

No surprise there. Out of the 50, there were 22 epics that received almost all "Never heard of it" responses. 12 of them were about women protagonists. Most of them were from Africa or Central Asia. The most generally unknown epic was Umesiben Mama (mentioned last week; makes sense, since it doesn't have an English edition). It only got two "heard about it" responses. Close behind her was Shirin Mama, which you will encounter in April, and it was one of my favorites. Also almost fully unknown was Bidasari (coming up in April), and Ibong Adarna, which I blogged about before. I am happy to report, that out of these 12 unkown women's epics, 9 will be included in the A to Z posts in April :)

People don't always immediately recognize epics

I often wondered, reading the comments to the survey, if people recognize these stories just by title. For example, Journey to the West didn't seem to get strong responses, but then people commented about "Monkey King" missing from the list later on. The same with people missing "Cú Chulainn" while the Táin was on the list, or missing "Jason and the Argonauts" while the Argonautica was right there. It seems like people recognize stories by the hero's name more so than the name of the epic.

There are a lot more epics than these 50, but people also don't always know what an epic is

I got a lot of great suggestions in the comments for many, many more epics that could be included. And then a lot of other comments added things that are not traditional epics by definition: anything from Lord of the Rings to Waterworld, from The Hunger Games to Star Wars to various folktales. There is an argument to be made for modern day epics, and stories that fill that role in our current popular culture.

Anyway, it was interesting to see how responses outlined general knowledge of epics. I know the sample was not nearly representative enough, but it was still a fun survey to do just out of curiosity.

Which epics are you familiar with? Which ones were mentioned at school?

See you next week for A to Z!

Women's Epics A to Z: Stories I won't be including, and why

It was surprising how easily I found 26 epics about women for this project. In fact, the more research I did, the more I came across, and the list grew longer. In the end, a few factors decided which ones I added to my A to Z list:

- The epic had to be available in a language I can read (English, Spanish, or Hungarian) 

- Accessible in print or digital format

- Possible to get and read before April 2025

- Fit in a place within the alphabet (I did some sleight-of-hand with this one)

With all of that in mind, I also kept a list of epics I found but could not include. I thought it would be great to at least give them a mention here, so people can be aware of their existence. Maybe at a later date, I'll read them too. So, here we go.

Epics with no translation:

This category hurts the most. I found mentions of amazing, incredible women-led epics that sadly have not been translated into English (or Spanish, or Hungarian). Honestly this is my call to the people of the Internet: if you know a translator/publisher who could make it happen, let them know these stories exist!

Umesiben Mama

This is a Manchu epic that I could find no translation for, even though I moved every stone. It tells about a very powerful female shaman, from her birth through her adventures crossing the seas and changing her shape. It is online in Chinese here. There is a lovely partial graphic novel concept of it here. Chinese wiki has more about it here.

Gulaim

I actually blogged about this one for a previous challenge, but I could only find a short partial translation. I would love to read a fuller one. It is a Karakalpak epic about a warrior maiden and her forty companions, fighting against an enemy that invades their homeland.

Banu Goshasp

Banu Goshasp is another warrior maiden, from the Persian epic tradition. She is the daughter of the legendary hero Rustam. She battles her father (accidentally) and also challenges all her suitors, even overpowering her husband on their wedding night. Her story, the Banu Goshasp Nama, was not translated to English as far as I can tell. There is a Rejected Princesses page about her here.

Zhahutai Mama

Another Manchu epic, about a queen mother who helps her son and other conscutive rulers onto the throne. Couldn't find any English reference. It has a Chinese edition, and some info here.

Epics I have read before:

These stories I did not include because I have read them before. For this challenge I wanted to dive into stories that were new for me too.

Seven Wise Princesses

Nizami's long epic with a "story within a story" structure: seven princesses from seven kingdoms gather to marry the famous Bahram Gur. He visits each one of the in turm, each in her own, carefully designed and color-coordinated pavilion. Each princess tells him a story with a message that is symbolized by her color scheme. You can read it in full translation, or a lovely picture book here.

The Song of Butterfly Mother

A Miao epic song which is basically a creation story.

Inanna's descent into the Underworld - This one was on my list for a long time before swapped it out. I see it more as a myth, but it could also technically be an epic. Mostly I left it out because I am very familiar with it, and I wanted to read stuff that was new for me too.

Epics I left out for other reasons:

Epic of Siri - This is a Tulu epic about a princess, and it is more than 15,000 lines long. I really wanted to read it, but in the end, I didn't have time to get through it all, so I am saving it for later.

Kundalakesi - It is a Tamil epic which sounded fascinating, but sadly it only survives in fragments.

Song of Kudrun - A 13th century German epic, which also proved to be difficult to find, and too long to fit into my reading schedule. I am saving it for later.

Neelakesi - A Tamil Jain epic poem. It includes rhetorical debates between Buddhism and Jainism. I couldn't get my hands on a full English translation.

Grisandole - The story of this one is very similar to another that will be included

Stories that fall into other genres:

While I defined "epic" pretty liberally, I came across some stories which, after a lot of thinking and hesitation, I did not include based on genre. I am aware that some of these decisions are completely subjective, but here it is.

The Book of the City of Ladies - Written by Christine de Pisan, the book describe famous historical and legendary women and their achievements, to make a case for women's excellence. It is a literary work more so than an epic, but it is fascinating nonetheless.

Little Clay Cart (Mrcchakatika) - this one is technically a Sanskrit drama.

Le Fresne - A lai by Marie de France. It could have technically fit next to the other chivalric romances, to be fair.

Devi Mahatmya - This one is a Hindu philosophical text, rather than an epic, describing the Goddess in her many incarnations. It does contain stories though.

Mulan - Technically, the earliest known version of Mulan's story is a folk song / ballad, not a whole epic.

And of course it goes without saying that I also came across a whole host of epics new to me, which are not mainly about women. I saved those too on another list. Maybe in a few years I'll do a third Epics from A to Z round :)

Before April begins, I have one more post coming up. Stay tuned!

AND NOW, A GAME:

Name an epic with a woman hero, and I'll tell you if it will be featured in April! :)

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2025: Women's Epics A to Z!

Honestly, I already revealed this theme last year, but I am doing it again for good measure (for someone who has changed their theme multiple times every year, this is an accomplishment anyway). 

Also, I have a theme that aligns really well with International Women's Day, so I am announcing a day early :)

This is my 13th year participating! In the past 12 years I've always had a theme:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)
Tarot Tales (2021)
Gemstone Folklore (2022)
Body Folktales (2023)
Romance Tropes in Folklore (2024)

This year's theme came to me last April, just as I was finishing up the challenge. I have always loved epics, and I love reading new ones whenever I can get my hands on them. I started thinking about the epics I have read so far, and stories with women as heroes in general. And so, the theme was born:

WOMEN'S EPICS!

The goal was to read 26 epics with women heroes, and blog about each one for A to Z. It took a full year to schedule the entire series!

A couple of things in advance:

1. By 'epic' I mean traditional epics. Think The Iliad, The Odyssey, Gilgamesh, etc. Stories that have been passed down through centuries and generations, orally told, performed, belonging to a culture's intangible heritage. Not literary works or film. So no, no Hunger Games or Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. Sorry.

2. Sometimes it is hard to define if a story is an epic, a myth, a legend, or something else. Most of the stories I included in the 26 were labeled epics by researchers, collectors, and tradition bearers. Some belong to genres that are the equivalent of what we call "epic" in the Western world (for example, Japanese monogatari). Some I included because they are long narrative poems or prose stories that are based on a larger oral tradition, even if they are not technically epics (see: medieval chivalric romances).

3. All of the stories I included have women heroes. I use "hero" in the sense of traditional stories, as the main protagonist or central figure of the narrative. So no, I did not pick male-led stories and try to prove that "yeah, actually, Penelope is the real hero of the Odyssey!" Nope! I picked stories with women as lead characters. And yes, I found 26. Actually, I found a lot more! But I picked 26 that I could actually read, and fit into the alphabet for A to Z.

4. With that said, epics are a complex genre, with complex characters, and none of them can really be studied divorced from the time and culture it came from. On a practical level this means that you won't equally like all of these women heroes. Some of them do things that are very much questionable to our modern sensibilities, or have character traits we don't like. And that's okay. Odysseus, Gilgamesh, Achilles and the lot are also not exactly Lawful Good.

5. The good news is, the lineup I ended up with is really colorful in terms of origins. The 26 epics represent 4 continents and 21 different cultures!

In the next weeks before April I am going to have a few more posts coming up!

1. A post on epics that did not make the cut. I thought they deserve a shout out even if I did not end up reading them.

2. A post on an online survey I made about how well people generally know epics, and which ones are the most well-known ones. I thought it was a fascinating question to run by the people of the Internet.

I HOPE TO SEE ALL OF YOU HERE IN APRIL! If you are participating in A to Z, make sure to leave a link to your blog in the comments so I can visit back.

I dedicate this series to my epic-telling mentor, Cathryn Fairlee, the creator of Epic Day, an all-around amazing mentor, and a true lover of epics. 

I miss you, Cathryn.