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Secret History of the Mongols

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Submitted By letiger
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Epic Hero The Hero of the epic would definitely be Chingis Khan aka Genghis Khan because he was the one who united all of the nomadic tribes into the great Mongol Empire. However, he did it with great cunningness and cleverness by betraying his close enemies and manipulating his friends. Since Temujin was his birth given name Genghis Khan (universal ruler) would be his greatest epithet along with many other titles as he conquered other enemy tribes. He embodies Mongolian cultural values such as extreme loyalty to one’s family. For example his main priority is his family’s well being just like when he announces Ogodei as his successor for when he dies. In addition, he is extremely strong, courageous, and unmerciful when facing enemy tribes during battles. He would executed all the male captives and give the women and children to the nobility as slaves and servants.

Sensational Descriptions “When Temujin came back to the camp he ordered that the nobles of the Chinos clan be boiled alive in seventy iron kettles. Then he cut off the head of their chief, Chaghagan Uua, tied it to the tail of his horse, and dragged it behind him. I like this passage because it shows how the Mongols were very cruel and heartless towards near by tribes. It’s hard to believe that they were daring enough to do such a thing without any conscious thoughts they think will haunt them later on.

Comparison to Gilgamesh
• Comitatus Theme- During certain moments of Genghis Khan’s rise to power, he befriends many tribal chiefs and display strong relationships with them. For example when Genghis and Jamugha teamed up to rescue his stolen wife from the Merkid clan showed the bond between the two of them.
• Role of Women- seen as prized possessions since polygamy was popular with the Mongols. Having more than one wife was a sign of wealth and political power. This is why wife-stealing became

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