​

The Disaster Bird and the Prophecy of Gijum Yixi

​

While the people of Ling Gabu were discussing the disaster bird, the three kings of Hor were gathered in the White Tent King's main camp with all their officials. The White Tent King said, “It’s been eight days since we sent the disaster bird to scout, but it hasn’t returned. Sinba, go find it immediately!”

​

Sinba Meruze took 100 riders from each of the White Tent, Yellow Tent, and Black Tent divisions and sent them in all directions to search. Finally, they found the tailless disaster bird hiding in shame in the crevices of the rocky mountain Zarijama. Sinba and his men brought it back to the camp. After eating a corpse and drinking a barrel of blood, the disaster bird slowly recounted everything it had observed.

​

After hearing its report, the Hor kings and officials fell silent. After a long pause, the Yellow Tent King said, “The disaster bird’s words don’t seem false. Since this concerns the survival of Hor, we should ask the female diviner Gijum Yixi to perform a divination.”

​

Hearing this, Zaqing, the general in charge of security and artillery, immediately mounted his horse “Windwing” to fetch Gijum Yixi.

​

Gijum Yixi, the daughter of Prince Garbena of Hor, was not only beautiful but also incredibly intelligent and skilled in divination. Her predictions were extremely accurate, and she was well-loved and respected in Hor. Upon hearing that the White Tent King wanted her to perform a divination, Gijum Yixi brought her tiger-skin divination mat, white conch divination arrows, red silk divination cloth, and turquoise dice to meet him. The White Tent King asked her to predict whether their expedition would succeed.

​

After hearing the reason for the divination, Gijum Yixi said, “There’s no need for a full divination; I can use dream divination instead.” She set up a divination altar, placed white, black, and multicolored arrows on it, and offered roasted barley flour, butter, and various foods. She prayed as she lay down and soon fell into a deep sleep.

​

After a long time, she suddenly woke up and jumped to her feet. By then, the multicolored and black arrows had fallen, and only the white arrow remained standing. Gijum Yixi began to sing the scenes she saw in her dream:

​

In the land of Hor, there are three great masters:

One with the head of a tiger, one with the head of a leopard, and one with the head of a bear.

They are responsible for overseeing religious rituals.

​

In the land of Hor, there are three great shamans:

One with the head of a fish, one with the head of a conch, and one with the head of an eagle.

They specialize in summoning spirits and performing divinations.

​

I am the Conch-Head Shaman of the Six Valleys of the Yellow River.

At night, I interpret dreams, and by day, I read omens.

I possess prophetic knowledge of things that are "imperfect" in this world.

​

When I began my dream divination,

I passed through three phases of clarity:

At first, my mind was restless due to six distractions.

In the middle, I couldn’t sleep due to six obstacles.

Finally, I had this dream:

​

I dreamed of lame men riding lame horses,

Coming from Ling Gabu into Hor.

The sacred altar of Jue La was destroyed,

And a large herd of fine horses was stolen.

​

I dreamed of a tiger from Ling,

Its sharp teeth blood-drenched.

A lone white man riding a white horse

Killed a thousand warriors.

​

I dreamed of a fox shaking its fur,

Pretending to be a leopard with golden spots.

A black dog raised its tail like a bear,

Pretending to be a lion with a green mane.

​

They gave their dens to evil wolves,

Unable to tell friend from foe.

A fierce wind brought torrential rain,

Dark clouds covered Ling Gabu.

​

But then, a soft breeze passed through,

Clearing the rain and clouds, and the sky brightened.

​

I dreamed of a golden-winged garuda spreading its feathers,

While four black eagles fell onto the plains.

A hawk lost all its feathers,

And six fingers were stained red with blood.

​

I dreamed of the summit of Yarlasa Snow Mountain,

Where a lion crouched atop the sacred peak.

It faced the green-maned Achin Valley.

A yellow fox, terrified,

Fell into the valley in panic.

​

Later, I dreamed of dark clouds,

As thunder roared and lightning struck fiercely.

The lightning’s tongue pierced Achin Valley,

And the white cliffs were shattered to their roots.

​

I dreamed of a fierce tiger leaping out of a sandalwood forest,

Grinning as it faced Hor.

The Riwa tribe suffered great misfortune.

​

I dreamed of toxic fog spreading north of the Yellow River,

While sunlight shone brightly to the south.

Between the light and the dark,

The White Tent’s conch stands were torn down.

The Yellow Tent’s main beam broke in two.

​

All the arrows had their tails split in half,

And not a single feathered arrow remained intact.

The precious war bows were dismantled,

And none of them had strings left.

The spearheads and tassels were separated from their shafts,

And no sharp spears could be found.

​

Only one arrow remained whole,

Only one bow had a string,

Only one knife still had its sheath,

And only one spear still had its tip.

​

I dreamed of a round, white conch,

Falling into a hollow in the grasslands.

The blue sky turned dark with storm clouds.

Where the raging fire pointed,

Even a man running with all his strength could not escape.

Where the snake’s tongue stretched,

Its venom splashed and killed without mercy.

​

I saw a lion cub strike a stone cliff with its claws,

And even the diamond-hard rock shattered to dust.

On the hillside, boulders rolled down,

And there was no chance to escape.

​

Suddenly, a violent wind swept across the plains,

And there was nowhere to hide.

The eighteen great plains became seas of blood.

The eighteen great valleys were filled with corpses.

​

Wolves grew sick at the sight of the blood,

And eagles vomited at the sight of the flesh.

The dome of the women’s city was destroyed,

And beautiful peacocks fell into traps.

​

The sacred iron gates and copper barriers turned to ash,

And the eternal symbols of power were burned to nothing.

​

This is the dream I saw.

​

Let me know if you'd like further edits or explanations!

​

The White Tent King's Anger and Gijum Yixi's Release

​

The White Tent King believed he already had full control over the situation against Ling Gabu. He had only summoned the female diviner, Gijum Yixi, to hear some auspicious words that would unite his officials and soldiers for the attack. However, her ominous prophecy deeply upset him. Before she could even finish her song, the White Tent King loudly rebuked her:

​

“Bah! You wicked woman! You’re spouting nonsense, and not a single word of it makes sense! How could one person possibly destroy tens of thousands of soldiers? We don’t even know if Gesar is alive or dead, and yet you claim he will turn Hor into a barren wasteland with dried rivers and flattened mountains? How could such a thing ever happen? People like you, who spread lies and confuse others, shouldn’t even be allowed to live!”

​

After saying this, he ordered Sinba Meruze and nineteen other senior Sinbas to tie up Gijum Yixi and execute her. They led her to the back of the mountain to carry out the order.

​

On the way, Sinba Meruze said, “The White Tent King must have gone mad today! He hasn’t even determined whether the female diviner’s prophecy is true or false, and yet he’s already decided to kill her. This is truly reckless and tyrannical. Acting so impulsively will anger the gods! I’m afraid we’ll see some kind of sign before sunset today. We absolutely cannot kill this woman. Let’s release her instead!”

​

The other Sinbas agreed with Sinba Meruze’s suggestion. In the end, they released Gijum Yixi. When they returned to the White Tent King, they lied and reported, “She has been executed.”

​

Notes

​

Youlou: A Buddhist term referring to the faults and suffering caused by human afflictions and delusions. It signifies the endless cycle of wandering in the illusory world, making it difficult to escape the sea of suffering and the cycle of birth and death.

​

Laze: A transliteration of a Tibetan term. It refers to stone heaps built at mountain passes or crossroads, adorned with prayer flags and banners, symbolizing offerings to mountain deities or the subjugation of demons.

​

​

​

​