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Since the early 1950s, the Institute of Language and Literature at the Academy of Science (ILL) has been sending survey teams one to three times a year to research and gather data on oral literature and local dialectics. These activities set the groundwork for officially establishing a new archive with written documents and magnetic audio tapes that could be used for research purposes and be maintained. Preserved on magnetic tapes are languages and dialects that have gone extinct, have lost their distinctiveness, or have been adsorbed into other languages or dialects. However, most of the magnetic tapes being kept at the ILL are more than sixty years old, and the expiration date on many tapes has already lapsed. Also, improper storage conditions have caused some tapes to dry out, cling to one another, or fracture. For these reason, it would be hard to transmit to next generation. Accordingly, since 2008, efforts have been made towards restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes within the internal capability and capacity of the ILL. The lack of training, finance, and proper tools and technical equipment has, nevertheless, created several obstacles and the digitizing results have not been very successful. At this crucial state, the ILL introduced a cooperative request to the Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage (FPNCH), and the FPNCH proposed that ICHCAP continue the joint project and take measures for restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes and distributing and disseminating the data among the general public. According to the above decision, the FPNCH and ICHCAP implemented the Joint Cooperation Project of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage by Using Information Technology from October 2011 to April 2012. As the first stage of the project, the Expert Meeting for Safeguarding ICH by Using Information Technology was held in the Republic of Korea to exchange information with experts for digitizing and restoring the analogue data. The experts of Mongolian National Public Radio, the ILL, and the FPNCH started the project after sharing restoration and digitization knowledge with the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) of Korea, the National Archives of Korea, and the Korea Film Council. As the main outcome of the project, a total of 715 hours of superannuated magnetic tapes including epics, folk tales, tales accompanied by the morin khuur, traditional arts, khuumei, chor, long and short folksongs, and traditional customs were restored, digitized, and categorized. Among them, 128 audio clips were selected and reproduced in a ten-CD collection called Sounds from the Mongolian Grasslands. The collection also includes a twenty-page handbook in English or Korean. Through this project, the general public’s, involved organizations’, and domestic and international experts’ awareness about Mongolian ICH increased, and the archive and music contents of regional ICH were strengthened.
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Mongolian well-wishing is a powerful expression of the miraculous capacity of words. It is one of the genres of Mongolian oral poetry that uses melodies. Briefly, benedictions (well-wishing) propitiate people’s future happiness and well-being through skilfully composed and recited poems. There are thousands of benedictions on various subjects. For instance there are benedictions recited while beating the sweat cloth of a saddle, while distilling milk vodka, while celebrating a birth, and while cutting an infant’s hair for the first time. Besides ancient benedictions, many contemporary benedictions are being kept at the ILL. These include benedictions for a new ger, weddings, a child’s first haircut, endowment practices, mare-milking ceremonies, foal-branding ceremonies, the People’s Revolution, and others for the military.
Audios
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No. Title Performer Country Manage No Running Time 1 Benedictions Mongolia AA00000027 Benediction of Felt, Esgiinii Yuruul N. Gombojav (60-year-old male) from Jargalan, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000200 0:00:15
Benediction on Negdelchdiin, Negdelchdiin Tukhai Yuruul D. Sungarav (male, Durvud ethnicity) from Durgun, Khovd Mongolia AI00000176 0:02:09
Benediction for a Young Man who is Steering Camels, Ilgeeltiin Ezen Temeechin Zaluuchuuddad Zotiulsan Yuruul G. Orgoi (47-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Mandal-Ovoo, Umnugovi Mongolia AI00000183 0:04:32
Benediction on the Army, Tsergiin Tukhai Yuruul J. Chalkhaa (67-year-old male, Dariganga ethnicity) from Sainshand, Dornogovi Mongolia AI00000208 0:01:13
Benediction of Shepherd, Malchnii Yuruul Ch. Agvaandanzan (Khalkha ethnicity) from Battsengel, Arkhangai Mongolia AI00000181 0:03:29
Benediction of Branding Cattle to a Foal, Unaga Tamgalah Yuruul B. Manaljav (54-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Darkhan, Khentii Mongolia AI00000190 0:03:59
Benediction of Bayan Tamgiin, Bayan Tamgiin Yuruul B. Manaljav (49-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Darkhan, Khentii Mongolia AI00000189 0:02:49
Benediction of Bringing Mare’s Forth, Guunii Urs Gargah Yuruul G. Orgoi (47-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Mandal-Ovoo, Umnugovi Mongolia AI00000174 0:02:04
Ritual of Cutting Downy Hair of a Baby, Khuukhdiin Usnii Yuruul Sandag (Durvud ethnicity) from Ulaangom, Uvs Mongolia AI00000195 0:00:39
Benediction of Uutsnii, Uutsnii Yuruul G. Khainzan (Durvud ethnicity) from Chandmani, Uvs Mongolia AI00000184 0:01:21
Benediction of Party, Nariin Yuruul S. Chultem (75-year-old male, Tuva ethnicity) from Tsengel, Bayan-Ulgii Mongolia AI00000163 0:01:13
Benediction of Wedding, Khurimiin Yuruul D. Sungarav (Durvud ethnicity) from Durgun, Khovd Mongolia AI00000179 0:03:59
Benediction of Geriin, Geriin Yuruul Danai (Durvud ethnicity) from Khyargas, Uvs Mongolia AI00000173 0:01:12
Benediction of Geriin, Geriin Yuruul S. Meeten (50-year-old male, Durvud ethnicity) from Khyargas, Uvs Mongolia AI00000169 0:01:10
Benediction of Geriin, Geriin Yuruul P. Tserendulam (55-year-old female, Khalkha ethnicity) from Bayangol, Uvurkhangai Mongolia AI00000166 0:07:47
Blessing Ritual, Dallagiin Yuruul Dembee (Khalkha ethnicity) from Erdenetsoggt, Bayankhongor Mongolia AI00000205 0:01:33
Jagsaa Blessing Ritual, Old Benediction, Jagsaa Dallagiin Khuuchnii Yuruul N. Gombojav (60-year-old male) from Jargalan, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000180 0:01:43