THE BIRTH OF GESAR
Dzeden was a shape-changer, who had transformed
into a human girl when she inadvertently wandered
far away from her home and took shelter in the
kingdom of Ling. One night, she had a prophetic
dream, in which a great lord told her that she would
give birth to her country’s saviour. Nine months
later, an egg popped out of her head. She nursed it,
and her son hatched from the egg. Dzeden named
him Joru, and he grew up to be a strong man.GESAR’S BATTLES
Tibetan and Mongol life centred on the horse,
and warfare generally involved aggressive
cavalry charges by armoured warriors, who
could be swift and ruthless. But Gesar
found out that besides aggression,
cleverness was also needed for victory.
One of his enemies, Lutzen, had a
castle guarded by three defensive
rings, comprising gods, human
soldiers, and demons. Gesar took
over the castle by persuading the
gods and humans to fight on his side
and help him defeat the demons.GESAR RESCUES HIS QUEEN
Gesar Khan rescued his wife, Sechan Dugmo, from a sorry fate on two
separate occasions. By marrying her after the horse race, Gesar freed
Sechan from a miserable life with her miserly father. He also saved her
from the demon Kurkar, who had seized Gesar’s kingdom and imprisoned
his queen. Gesar’s deep afection for his beloved queen equalled his
love for his homeland, which he saved twice from tyrannical rule.
GESAR’S PASSING
Todong’s son married the daughter of the demon Shingti, and
the pair became the new king and queen of Gesar’s kingdom.
In spite of their demonic parentage, they were virtuous rulers,
and Gesar was convinced that the kingdom would be safe in
their hands. So Gesar and Sechan Dugmo decided to retire.
They went on a retreat to the side of a mountain in the Kham
region, and disappeared the next day. It was believed that they
had ascended either to the next world, or to the paradise of
Shambala, the mythical home of the spirit kings.THE EPIC OF GESAR KHANLadakh
Home to people of
Tibetan descent, Ladakh,
a plateau between the
Kunlun Mountains and
Greater Himalayas in
Kashmir, is believed by
some to be the birthplace
of Gesar Khan.
Dzeden
One version of the myth says that Dzeden, in her
vision, drank nectar from a golden vase with an image
of a lord on the side, and became pregnant.Horseman’s armour
Suits of plate armour and strong helmets
helped protect Gesar’s mounted warriors from
the slashing sword blows of their enemies.Tibetan sword
Gesar succeeded in distracting Kurkar
by posing as a metalworker who could
forge fine weapons for the demon.The Kham region
From Mount Margyer Pongri in the Kham region of eastern
Tibet, Gesar Khan and Sechan Dugmo bid farewell to their
faithful and loving subjects, and disappeared forever.Racing horses
Gesar, a poor outcast, turned up in tattered rags for the
race organized by Todong, but the other riders dressed
up in fine clothes, as horse races were grand occasions.
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