Zhalgyz Töbe I (A-34)

Description

The inscription is situated on the top of the hill Zhalgyz Töbe (Kaz. ‘lonely hill’) in the Chuya steppe 10–12km to the South of the village Kosh-Agach; its relative height is 1935m, the absolute one is about 100m. The inscription was found by the archeologist V.D. Kubarev in June of 1980, that year it was studies by V.M. Nadeljaev. The height of the rock surface with the inscription is 1,2m, its width 40–55cm. The surface faces the North. It is a vertical inscription в consisting of 39 runic signs. The inscription hast two lines; the bigger is 39,5cm long, it consists of 27 signs, the smaller is 14,5cm long, it is to the left of the bigger one and consists of 12 signоs; the height of the characters is between 1,6cm and 2,9cm.

Reading В. М. Nadeljaevа

Transliteration:

t² l² g č q b¹ č d²·j² n² t² l²(l)¹ j¹ o(u) γ d² m·t² ŋ l² g b² r² l² a l¹ t i(ї) j² n² t² l² j¹ q k l² d²

Transcription:  

Ätälig Ačїq bїčdi. Ijin Atäl joγadїm. «Täŋälig birlä al!» - tijin Atäl ajїqї käldi.

Translation:

Etel was killed (cut) by Achyk. Therefor I organized a funeral feast in memoriam of Etel. (And then I) swore (lit.: came (an oath)) (concerning) Etel: «Take with the equal hand» (i.e. take a revenge?)

(Nadeljaev 1984: 90)

Nadeljaev V.M. thnks that the genre of this inscription is unusual: it is not an epitaph, but information on a murder and an oath to take a revenge.

Reading of I.L. Kyzlasov

Transliteration:

1) t² l² q č q b¹ š¹ di : j² n² t² ŋ² j¹ u/o kl² di m :t² ŋ² l² q b² r² ŋ² ä/a

2) l¹ t² i/ї j² n² t² ŋ² j¹ u/o k l² di

Transcription:

1) t(a)lγ(ï)č q(a)b(ï)šdï : j(e)n(i)t(i)ŋ jüklädim: t(e)ŋ(i)q b(e)r(i)ŋ{ä}

2) (e)lti j(e)n(i)t(i)ŋ jükl(ä)di

Translation:

I) The sticks holding the load together got tied. Get (the load) lighter. Pay equally.

2) Taking away (~bringing away), get lighter (what) he had loaded.

(Kyzlasov 2004: 67–68)

According to Kyzlasov, the inscription is an instruction for a caravan: the animals are loaded with goods, it is time to start and sell the goods out (and get the load lighter) for appropriate money.

Reading of L.N. Tybykova, I.A. Nevskaya and M. Erdal

Runic transliteration:

Transcription:

1) t² r²/l² g² č k¹ p/b^{1 i}č/s¹ d² : y² n² t² ŋ²/l² y¹ U k²+l²/g¹ d² m : t² ŋ² l² g² b² r² l² A

2) l¹ t² I y² n² t² ŋ²/l² y¹/n^{1 I}k/U k² ŋ²/l²

Transliteration:

1) t(i)l(i)g č(a)kïp (ä)š(i)d / t(i)r(i)g čak(ï)(p) b(ï)čd(ï): y(ä)n(ä) ... yükläd(i)m // y(ä)nt(i)l(ä)yü k(ä)ld(i)m: t(ä)ŋl(i)g b(i)rlä

2) (e)lti …  // (e)lti y(ä)nt(i)l(ä)yü k(ä)l[dim]

Translation:

1) telling bad things, he heard / he killed living beings : again … loaded // Yentiläyu, I came, together with the equals (of mine)

2) took away …// took away. Yentiläyu, I came.

Comments

1. It is a preliminary reading of this inscription.

2. The sequence y² n² t² ŋ²/l² y¹ U is present in both lines. It could be a proper name.

3. The verb č(a)k- is used in Buddhist texts in the meaning ‘to beat’, МК mentions it in the meaning ‘kill, stone’, Clauson has ita as ‘kill’. The expression tilig čak- means ‘to say bad things’ (lit.: to beat the tongue), tirig čak- bïč- ‘beat and kill living beings (also while hunting)’, probably, one should read čak(ï)(p) bïčd(ï), meaning assimilation of the converb –Xp to the next word: ‘He beat and killed living beings’. The reading seems more likely to us.