Hongor, called the Scarlet Lion, is the greatest of the warriors of Bumba and the most fully drawn hero of the Jangar epic after Jangar himself. The son of the old herder Mengen Shigshirge, he is foster-brother to Jangar and stands at his lord's right hand, his heart wholly bound to the safety of the land. Renowned for reckless courage, fidelity and prowess in single combat, he carries the burden of Bumba's defence against a succession of invading khans; his marriage and his duels form some of the best-loved cantos of the epic. His epithet marks him as a lion among men and links him to the auspicious chestnut colour of his name.