The Amur River 1116. The Origins of Tegemer
The origins and birth of the Great World Khan Tegemer Jurchen, favoured son of Heaven and First Stallion of The Mergids – By Chretien Of Edessa. (Cerca 1300)
In the Christian year of 1116 the Emperor of Cathay (1), a certain Yeludash (2), went into the land of the Jurchens (3)to fish and hunt for bear. He ordered a reunion of the khans of the Jurchen tribes, so that they might dance for him and do him homage at the Amur river. Amongst the Jurchens was Lord Hamarin Shiyin (4), who was recently married to a maiden of the Mergids (5) called “Sky flower”, and was a proud and lusty warrior, though small of stature.
Along with his peers, Shiyin did homage to Yeludash, with gifts and obeisance, as the Jurchen customs decreed. But Yeludash, in his pride, had decreed that the Jurchens must also entertain him with the bear dance, a dance sacred amongst them. All the khans complied, save Shiyin, who let it be known that he considered dancing for the foreign emperor to be degrading as well as sacrilegious. Yeludash said nothing on the matter and merely smiled, though already he had planned his revenge.
That night, men serving a Jurchen chieftain named Wanyan Wuquian crept into the encampment of Shiyin’s people and kidnapped “Sky Flower” from Shiyin’s tent. When the abduction was discovered in the morning, it was immediately clear that the Wanyan were to blame, for Wuquian’s magician was famous for his power to cause sleep and uneasy dreaming. Shiyin went directly to Yeludash and made complaint against Wuquian, for he could not attack his enemies because all fighting was prohibited for the duration of the act of homage. The emperor listened sympathetically to Shiyin’s complaint, and promised that the matter would be resolved at a great council that afternoon.
When the Khans and their followers were gathered, Yeludash asked Shiyin to restate his grievance for the benefit of the assembly, this he did, though with some embarrassment, for the capture of a wife brings great shame to the peoples of the East. Then Yeludash called Wuquian to account for his actions. To general surprise, the Khan owned up to the abduction and admitted that the Princess was even then held prisoner in his camp. Thus the emperor pronounced his judgment:
“Wuquian, by the laws of Cathay and the Jurchens you are a criminal, you have caused great harm and indignity to my vassal Shiyin, and the only thing that prevents me from ordering you punished is that the girl is as yet unviolated. I should like therefore order her return to Shiyin. However, I find myself unable, under our laws, to do that. For the nature of Wuquian’s homage to my imperial person is more complete than that of Shiyin, and by law I am unable to decide in favour of a man merely oathboud to me, when he pleads against a true vassal. In order for me to decide in his favour, Shiyin must complete his homage. He must dance alone for me now.”
Thus Shiyin discovered the true author of his misfortune. Shiyin spat on the ground, and, without further speech, left, leading the Hamarin tribe away from the Amur.
So began many years of warring between the tribes of the Jurchen, for many sympathised with Shiyin, and respected his dignity and steadfastness in standing up to the emperor. In 1117, Wuquian was killed by Shiyin, shot in the back as he fled from an ambush. In retaliation, his son Wanyan Aguda permitted great mistreatment of Sky Flower, who he then left for dead, naked in the snows of January. Sky flower was found by wolves (6), who by God’s intervention did not consume her, but sheltered and fed her in their den. When the snows had melted, a Hamarin horseman chanced across her in the forest, big with child and wild as the wolves who had been her companions. Recognising her as the princess, he took her to Shiyin.
Shiyin was overjoyed to be reunited with Sky Flower, and did not mind that she was with child, for none could expect a woman captive for two years to remain a virgin, but her wolfish behavior greatly vexed him. Shiyin’s wizard (7) performed certain ceremonies, and advised him that only by killing all those who had violated Sky Flower could he repay the wolves with enough blood for them to allow his wife to regain her humanity. Hearing this, Shiyin struck out for the land of the Wanyan with ninety-nine riders, and came with such speed to the camp of the Khan Aguda that no warning was received. The Hamarins and their allies fell on the camp with great savagery, killing every man and boy who had hair below his eyebrows, and carrying off the women and girls. Khan Aguda was given the woman’s death, that is, made a Eunuch, but given none of the medical treatment required to staunch the bleeding.
Back in the camp of the Hamurin, Sky Flower was giving birth, with unearthly animal howls. Just as the last drop of blood dripped from Aguda’s body, her son was born. When the midwife put the babe to her breast she asked her this:
“Well wolf princess, what shall we call your cub?”
She was amazed to hear the princess answer, quite herself again.
“Well, crone, I had thought to call him Noktesi (wolf-prince), what think you of that?”
And so was born Noktesi, father of the Great World Khan Tegemer (8) Jurchen, favoured son of Heaven and First Stallion of The Mergids.
Shiyin had his vengeance, so he decided to move his people westwards, away from the malign influence of the Cathayan Emperor. They travelled far, and arrived in the lands of the Mergid, who were like the Jurchen, but mixed with Mongols and Turks, and they were welcomed there, for the Jurchens helped greatly in their battles with the Mongols.
And Shiyin and Sky Flower lived for many years, begetting many children, but despite his abundant legitimate offspring, Shiyin treated Noktesi as his son, and Noktesi rose to be Shiyin’s heir.
(1) Actually the Kingdom of Liao.
(2) In Chinese Yeilu Dashi.
(3) A Tungusic speaking people related to the Manchu, coastal dwelling, but with many Steppe Nomad cultural features.
(4) Hamarin is a tribal name I’ve invented, because of lacking data. It’s Tungusic for “swift ones”.
(5) The Mergids are a shady tribe or tribal confederation that lived north of the Mongols. There is a difference of opinion over whether they were Tungusic, Mongol or Turkic. So, I’m making them Turkicised Tungusic speakers who are in the process of being Mongolised, when the Tungusic Jurchens turn up to shake up the mix.
(6) In the original Mergid legend the Wolves were actually wolf-spirits, but the Christian author couldn’t quite bring himself to write that.
(7) Actually a Shaman.
(8) From Tungus meaning "Great King".