Alan Gua facts for kids
Alan Gua (pronounced "Ah-lun Goo-ah") is a legendary figure from an ancient book called The Secret History of the Mongols. Her name means "Alun the Beauty" in Mongolian. She lived many generations before the famous leader Genghis Khan.
Alan Gua is important because her five sons are believed to be the ancestors of many different Mongol groups. She is also known for a famous story about five arrows, which teaches about the power of staying united.
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Alan Gua in the Secret History of the Mongols
The book The Secret History of the Mongols tells us about Alan Gua's life. Her family originally came from an area called Khori Tümed. They later moved to a place called Burkhan Khaldun. This happened after their hunting lands were taken away.
Alan Gua was first noticed by a man named Duva Sokhor. Later, she married Duva Sokhor's brother, Dobun Mergen.
The Story of the Five Arrows
Alan Gua had two sons, Begünütei and Belgünütei, while her husband Dobun Mergen was alive. After her husband passed away, she had three more sons: Bukha Khatagi, Bukhatu-Salji, and Bodonchar Munkhag.
Her two older sons wondered if the three younger sons had a different father. They suspected an Uriankhai servant.
When Alan Gua heard about these suspicions, she called all five of her sons together for a meal. First, she gave each son one arrow and asked them to break it. Each son easily broke their single arrow.
Next, she tied five arrows together into a bundle. She then asked her sons to break the bundle. This time, they could not break it. This showed them that there is great strength in unity. This lesson was later shared by Hogelun with her own sons.
The Glittering Visitor
Alan Gua explained how her three younger sons were born. She said that a bright, glittering visitor came into her yurt (a type of tent) every night through the roof opening. This visitor would leave each morning by crawling away on the sunbeams or moonbeams. She described the visitor as moving "like a yellow dog."
Because of this, Alan Gua believed her younger sons were special children from heaven. She told her sons that it was wrong to compare them to ordinary people. Her older sons, however, still thought their family's Bayad servant might be the father.
Alan Gua advised her five sons that if they tried to live on their own, they would be easily broken, just like the single arrows. But if they stayed together and supported each other, like the bundle of five arrows, nothing could harm them.
Alan Gua's Statue
The Secret History says that Alan Gua's family came from a place called Arig usun, which means "pure water." Some writers in Mongolia think this refers to the Arig gol river in Khövsgöl aimag.
In 1992, a three-meter-high statue of Alan Gua was built there. It stands at the spot where the Arig gol river meets the Khökhöö gol river. This location is about twelve kilometers from the center of Chandmani-Öndör sum.
