Tradition / Region: Mongolian Mythology, Russian Mythology
Alternative names: Ongoli Bird
Category: Bird
The Myth
After the hero Abai Geser defeated the mangadhai Abarga Sesen, his wife Tumen Jargalan bewitched him with enchanted food out of jealousy, causing him to lose his memory and remain in the land of the demons as a simple herdsman. Unable to find their missing brother, Geser’s three sisters searched the world until they discovered him tending the demon’s cattle. To rescue him, they transformed themselves into three ongoli birds and flew into the kingdom of the mangadhai.
The three ongoli birds circled around Geser, beating him gently with their wings before disappearing. They then resumed their true forms as his sisters and struck him on each cheek, forcing him to vomit the black substance that had clouded his mind. His memory and strength immediately returned, and the sisters once again transformed into ongoli birds before flying back into the sky. Restored to himself, Abai Geser departed the land of the demons with Tumen Jargalan and continued his journey home.
Sources
Jamba, T. (Trans.). (n.d.). The Battle with Abarga Sesen Mangadhai (Seventh Branch). BuryatMongol.com. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://web.archive.org/web/20070613200651/http://www.buryatmongol.com/halaa7.html