Ochi-Bala and Kan-Altyn
Ochi-Bala and Kan-Altyn are two of the most important Altai heroic tales, recorded from the legendary kaichy (epic singer) Aleksei Kalkin in the 20th century. Ochi-Bala tells of a warrior woman of extraordinary skill who defends her people with a bow made of birch and arrows tipped with the teeth of defeated demons. Kan-Altyn ('Blood-Gold') recounts a hero who must retrieve a magical golden sword from the underworld to save his people from an ice demon that freezes the land. The hero travels through the underworld on a winged horse, receives aid from the spirit of his ancestor, and battles Erl