TV Anime 'The Tent of Jadugar' Episode 4 Impressions and Analysis: 8 Years Pass, Sitara's Life in Mongolia and the Empire

Corrections to the articles for Episode 1 and Episode 2

Before I begin my impressions and analysis of Episode 4 of the TV anime 'The Tent of Jadugar', there are two things I would like to correct from my previous articles.

The first is regarding the instrument used in the music played in Episode 1. In my previous article, I wrote that it might be a 'setar', but this was incorrect; it was actually a 'santur' instrument.

'Santur' is a traditional hammered dulcimer representative of Iran. It consists of a trapezoidal wooden box with numerous metal strings stretched across it, played by striking the strings with thin wooden mallets. It is characterized by its clear tone and delicate ornamentation, and it is still widely used today in both solo and ensemble performances of Persian classical music.

While researching for this article, I found a video where international political scientist Kazuo Takahashi, who is in charge of Islamic supervision for this work, explains that 'that instrument is a santur'.

Mr. Takahashi highly praises the work of the staff at Science SARU, who are in charge of production, and the original author, Tomato Soup, and he shares many interesting stories about this work. I have included the video here, so please take a look if you are interested.

And there is one more correction. Regarding the place where Sitara and the others arrived after their long journey from Tus in Episode 2, I thought it was 'Karakorum'. However, considering the era and the descriptions in the work, it seems more natural to think of this place not as 'Karakorum', but as the 'Great Ordo', a court encampment that was an important base for the Mongol Empire at the time.

At that time, the 'Great Ordo' was located in a place called Avraga, even further east than 'Karakorum'. This was in the basin of the Kherlen River, where Qiu Chuji (Changchun Zhenren) witnessed a total solar eclipse.

At this time, 'Karakorum' was not yet the 'capital of the empire' as it would be in later generations. 'Karakorum' would not be fully developed until 1235, during the era of Ogedei Khan.

Episode 4 began with the meeting between Sitara and Sorghaghtani, and depicted the passage of 8 years in one go, from the death of Genghis Khan to the enthronement of Ogedei. However, the content was dense, and personally, I felt it was an episode full of highlights, with 'scenes of interest' appearing one after another, even more so than in previous episodes.

During this time, Sitara had become completely accustomed to life in Mongolia, having spent the same amount of time in Mongolia as she had in Tus. It had already been 8 years since she became a guide for Sorghaghtani on the 'Elements'. However, she had not yet been able to retrieve the 'Elements', which was her goal. Sitara, who was a young girl, is now 21 years old, a fine adult woman.

'Wise Lady' Sorghaghtani Beki

Tolui's wife, Sorghaghtani Beki (1199–1252), is depicted as a very intelligent woman. She surveys the entire Mongol Empire, which is becoming enormous, and thinks about 'what this country lacks' and 'what kind of country it should become in the future'. Her interest in the 'Elements' is likely not just mere intellectual curiosity.

In order for the Mongol Empire, which rapidly expanded its territory through military force, to continue to exist as a nation thereafter, it must absorb the knowledge and technology of the conquered regions. Sorghaghtani seems to have already realized this. This depiction is likely conscious of the fact that she was a person who would be called a 'wise lady' in later generations.

And, the background to her interest in Western learning may also be related to the fact that the historical Sorghaghtani was a Nestorian Christian.

Considering that she had connections to the Christian cultural sphere, which also originated in the West, it is persuasive that she would show interest in the learning from Greece that had been inherited and developed in the Islamic world—this makes her a convincing choice as the person who sought the 'Elements'.

This kind of religious diversity is also one of the interesting aspects of the Mongol Empire.

In this work, rather than simply creating a 'Mongol vs. Islam' composition, I feel it is trying to depict a massive empire where Christians, Muslims, and people of various ethnicities and religions are all intermingled.

An important life resource for nomads: 'Livestock dung'

In Episode 4, various aspects of Mongolian life and customs are depicted. I would like to delve deeper into some of them.

There was a scene where Sitara was collecting 'livestock dung.' It was a scene where she was knocked over from behind by livestock and lamented that there were too many animals in Mongolia.

In the Mongolian plateau and the grasslands of Central Asia, there are few forests, making it difficult to secure large amounts of firewood. Therefore, dried 'livestock dung' from cows, horses, camels, sheep, and goats has been an essential fuel used for heating and cooking. Since the dung of herbivores contains a large amount of undigested plant fiber, it burns well when sufficiently dried.

Livestock were beings that provided humans not only with meat, milk, wool, hides, and transportation, but also with fuel. Generally, women and children were responsible for collecting dung, and it was an important daily task alongside making dairy products.

Furthermore, interestingly, the Mongolian language has many names for dung that distinguish it by the type of livestock, season, dryness, and shape. For example, dried cow dung is called 'argal,' horse dung is 'khomool,' and the round dung of sheep and goats is called 'khorgol.' More than 30 different names have been identified, showing how deeply dung was integrated into nomadic life.

Looking at scenes like this, we can see that nomadic life was a highly rational living system that thoroughly utilized nature and livestock within a limited environment.

'Smearing fat on the thumb': The ritual of the first hunt

Next, what left an impression was the scene of a banquet held in the summer of 1224 on the banks of the Emil River, south of the Altai Mountains, while the Mongol army was returning from the western expedition. Here, Tolui's children, Kublai and Hulagu appear.

Kublai is famous as the fifth emperor of the later Mongol Empire and the emperor who changed the country's name to 'Yuan.' For Japan, he is a figure familiar from the 'Mongol invasions.' Meanwhile, Hulagu is also an important figure who later led an expedition to West Asia and founded the Ilkhanate.

At this time, the two were on their first hunt; Kublai shot a rabbit, and Hulagu shot a deer. Historical records state that in Mongolia, when a boy participated in a hunt for the first time and killed prey, there was a custom of rubbing the meat and fat of the prey onto the thumb of his hand. In fact, the anecdote that Genghis Khan himself rubbed the meat and fat onto his grandsons' thumbs is reflected directly in the anime.

Nomadic peoples of Central Asia, including the Mongols, used their thumbs to pull the bowstring when shooting arrows. In other words, the thumb is a very important finger for archery. Therefore, the act of smearing meat and fat on the thumb of a boy who has killed his first prey is thought to have carried meanings such as 'celebrating the first step toward becoming a full-fledged hunter' and 'wishing for his archery skills to improve in the future.'

Here, Genghis Khan is depicted not just as a 'conqueror,' but as a grandfather who is happy about his grandsons' growth. I think this is also one of the charms of this work.

The slaughter ritual: 'In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest'

More than two years after the death of Genghis Khan, the Kurultai (a grand assembly of tribes) to decide the next Great Khan was finally held, and there were many very interesting depictions in this scene as well.

First, there is the scene where Sitara chants, 'In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest,' while washing animal entrails. This phrase is 'Bismillah, Allahu Akbar' in Arabic.

Strictly speaking, this phrase is not chanted when washing entrails, but at the moment of slaughtering an animal. When slaughtering livestock in accordance with Islamic regulations, one chants this phrase before cutting the throat. Sitara remembers this phrase being chanted during the slaughter of livestock back when she lived in Tus.

The Quran contains regulations regarding eating things over which the name of God has been pronounced. These teachings lead to the concept of 'Halal' in Islam, which means permitted food. However, this phrase is not simply a 'spell to make meat Halal.'

An animal's life is not something humans own at their own discretion, but something given by God. When receiving that life as food, one chants the name of God. Embedded in this is a sense of gratitude and reverence for life.

I think this scene shows Sitara's strong will that no matter how accustomed she becomes to life in Mongolia, she will never forget the teachings of Islam. While she adapts to Mongolian society on the surface, she protects her roots and faith in everyday situations like meals and prayer. I feel this was her own quiet form of resistance against Mongolia.

Differences in Slaughter Methods Between Islam and Mongolia

In the following scene, the difference in slaughter methods between Islam and Mongolia is also depicted. In Islam, the throat is cut in a prescribed manner to drain the blood. On the other hand, from the Mongolian perspective, it is said that this method soils the earth with blood, and draining the blood makes the meat taste bland, which is considered a waste.

Conversely, Sitara recalls the explanation she heard in her hometown: 'Cutting the throat does not make the animal suffer for long, and meat that has been drained of blood looks better and is easier to preserve.'

Here, rather than depicting one as 'correct' over the other, it shows that each has its own reasons based on their respective environments and religious views.

Sitara does not unilaterally deny the Mongolian way as 'barbaric.' Because she has lived with them for a long time, she has come to understand Mongolian customs as well. That is precisely why I think she is frustrated that she has not yet been able to retrieve the 'Elements.'

In the story, the new Emperor Ogedei Khan was chosen at the Kurultai, and a grand banquet was held. This scene depicted various manners and customs of Mongolian banquets.

Manners for Passing Around Alcohol

First, in the story, the person who receives the cup dips their finger into the alcohol and flicks it toward the sky or elsewhere. In traditional Mongolian banquets, one uses their right hand to receive alcohol, or supports their right arm with their left hand, to show respect to the other person. Also, the act of dipping a finger into the alcohol and flicking it around is a ritual performed as an offering to the heavens, the earth, and ancestors.

The alcohol drunk in Mongolia in the 13th century was airag, fermented mare's milk. In modern Mongolian, it is generally called 'Airag.' It is a drink made by fermenting mare's milk with lactic acid bacteria and yeast; it is acidic and slightly effervescent. It does not have as high an alcohol content as distilled spirits, and it was a drink inseparable from the lives of nomads.

Hearty Eating of Bone-in Lamb

Along with alcohol, what stood out at the banquet was the huge bone-in meat. The characters were eating it by biting into it directly or slicing the meat off with a knife. In the story, they were eating it by biting into it whole or slicing the meat off with a knife.

At Mongolian banquets around the 13th century, it was standard to slaughter sheep or horses and serve the meat, fat, and entrails without waste.

Current Mongolian cuisine also has boiled meat called 'Chansan Makh.' Large pieces of bone-in meat are boiled in a pot, and the seasoning is basically very simple, centered on salt. Unlike dishes that use plenty of spices, it is a dish that enjoys the taste of the meat itself and the fat.

In the story, they hold the bone-in meat in their hands and eat it while slicing the meat with a small knife they carry. In nomadic life, a knife is not just a weapon, but also an important tool for daily life.

Moreover, this work shows this scene in quite a close-up and careful manner. Every time I see scenes like this, I am impressed by how far they go in their depiction. They don't just show food on screen; they even depict how it is eaten. I believe this accumulation of details gives the world of 'The Tent of Jadugar' its unique sense of reality.

The women's red costumes and the 'Bokta'

At the banquet, the costumes of the Mongolian women are also very eye-catching. Many women wear outfits based on red and tall hats on their heads. These tall hats are generally called 'Bokta' and are known as attire that symbolized married women, especially those of the upper class, during the Mongol Empire era.

The 'Bokta' is a very distinctive hat made by creating a high frame out of wood or bark, covering it with cloth, and decorating the top with feathers or ornaments.

In 13th-14th century Mongolia, the appearance of upper-class women wearing such tall hats and wide robes has been preserved in various records and art materials.

Regarding the red costumes, it is not that all Mongolian women always wore red, but the depiction of them wearing gorgeous, red-based outfits at a glamorous event like a court banquet is sufficiently persuasive.

'Khoomei' powerfully supporting the soundtrack

It was playing in the soundtrack in Episode 3, but there was also a scene in Episode 4 where a low, groaning voice resonated. This is called 'Khoomei,' a traditional Mongolian singing method. A major feature is that it sounds as if one person is producing two sounds at the same time by producing a low voice from the throat while emphasizing the 'overtones' contained in that voice through movements of the mouth and tongue.

I also thought I had heard it somewhere before, but I remembered that it was called 'Khoomei.' I feel like I was told it was named that because the sound sounds like 'Khoomei Khoomei'.

It is said that Khoomei was born from imitating the sounds of nature surrounding nomads, such as the cries of animals. It has a unique resonance where a high, flute-like sound overlaps with a low, echoing voice, and it is a traditional musical expression deeply connected to Mongolia's nature and nomadic culture.

And in this work, I think the low, powerful resonance of this Khoomei is used very effectively. It expresses the unfathomable strength of Mongolia, the harshness of nature, and an unsettling atmosphere.

The 'Morin Khuur' (Horsehead Fiddle), the instrument representing Mongolia

I believe various Mongolian folk instruments are used in the soundtrack of this work, and among them, the traditional folk instrument that represents Mongolia is the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle). It was also depicted in the scene of the Kurultai banquet in the work. As the name suggests, a major feature is that it has a carving shaped like a horse's head at the end of a long neck.

It has two strings stretched over a trapezoidal body and is played by rubbing them with a bow. Horse tail hair is used for the strings and bow, and its tone has a unique resonance that somewhat reminds one of a horse's neigh. It has been played in the lives of nomads, at rituals, and at celebrations, and has also been used to accompany Khoomei.

It is still an indispensable instrument in Mongolian folk music today, played in various situations such as vocal accompaniment, celebrations, and performances with Khoomei. For the Mongolian people who have lived with horses, the fact that an 'instrument with a horse's head' has become a symbol of their culture is itself very interesting.

Summary of Episode 4

That concludes the various things I noticed while watching Episode 4 this time as well. Even so, it was truly an episode with a huge amount of information.

While depicting a major turning point in the history of the Mongol Empire—from the death of Genghis Khan to the accession of Ogedei—the show also portrays the daily life of gathering animal dung, hunting rituals, how to slaughter livestock, how to drink alcohol, how to eat meat on the bone, women's clothing, and even music.

Grand history and small, everyday life coexist on the same screen. Isn't this exactly what makes 'The Tent of Jadugar' so interesting?

What left a particular impression on me this time is that even after living in Mongolia for eight years, Sitara has not completely become a 'Mongolian person.' She has come to understand Mongolian life and has mastered the skills to survive there.

At the same time, she has not erased or forgotten her faith as a Muslim. In order to take revenge on the Mongols, she must understand them. It is precisely because Sitara is determined to do this that she is able to view this massive empire from both the inside and the outside simultaneously.

Furthermore, her relationship with Sorghaghtani has also changed significantly over these eight years. The side that stole the 'Elements' and the side trying to take it back—two people who should naturally be in conflict are sharing a long period of time through their studies. I am very curious to see how that relationship will change from here on out.

There is still so much more I want to write, but if I keep going like this, it really feels like it will never end, so I will leave it at this for Episode 4.

The subtitle for the next episode, Episode 5, is 'The spots of a snake are on the outside, the spots of a person are on the inside.' The Jada stone, which made a brief appearance this time, will take on more significant meaning from Episode 5 onwards. I would like to discuss this topic in depth next time.

Until next time.