Barchin
Uzbek · mortal · Uzbek traditional religion; continuing · Recorded classification
Barchin, most often called Barchinoy ('moon-brocade'), is the heroine of the Alpomish epic and the hero's paternal cousin, daughter of Boysari. Promised to Alpomish in infancy, she is carried off to Kalmyk country when her father quarrels with his brother and migrates. Besieged by Kalmyk suitors, she stipulates the four contests that structure the bride-winning half of the epic, and her steadfast refusal of the usurper Ultontoz during Alpomish's long imprisonment drives its second half. She embodies the ideal of conjugal fidelity celebrated in the dastan tradition.
Parentage
- paternal: Boysari
Domains
- conjugal loyalty
Powers
- set the four contests for her hand
- keep faith through the hero's long captivity
Epithets
- Oy Barchin — moon-fair BarchinZhirmunsky, V. M. Skazanie ob Alpamyshe i bogatyrskaya skazka. Moscow, 1960. (secondary)
Relations
- spouse: AlpomishReichl, Karl. Das usbekische Heldenepos Alpomish. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2001. (primary)
Sources
- Barchin (Barchinoy) is the heroine of the Alpomish dastan, betrothed to Alpomish from birth and won through the suitor-trials.: Reichl, Karl. Das usbekische Heldenepos Alpomish. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2001. (primary)