IDEL

IDEL is a character of Bashkir folklore, the son of Ura-batyr and Khumay. “Ural-batyr” epic shows that as an infant he defeated a diyu that had assaulted his mother. With his mother’s blessing he went to his father to help him to defeat the evil powers. Ural­-batyr, I. and his brothers Nugush, Yaik and Khakmar defeated their enemy. Being loyal to his father’s orders, I. felt responsible for his people’s destiny. In order to provide water for the people, he carved the Iremel mountain with his damask sword and afterwards the river called Idel (Agidel) appeared from the crack; he also carved the Yamantau mountain as it obstructed the way to the river, which resulted in the Karkty mountain (from Bashkir kyrkty – cut). “Idel and Yaik” epic registered by M.A. Burangulov from Gabit-sesen and K.K. Almukhametov (the notes are not preserved; reconstructed by G.B. Khusainov based on the motifs of Bashkir folklore and Kazakh versions of the epic) shows that I. and his brother Yaik continued the good deeds started by their father.