Special Papers
Special Papers are republications of important works about Mongolia in a variety of languages.
Publications of Special Papers are published in an ongoing manner and current members receive them at discounted prices when first published.
Special Papers, Issue 16 (2007)
Franz August Larson, Memoirs
This is the never-before published diary of Franz August Larson, known as the Duke of Mongolia, who spent over 46 years in China and Mongolia in the 1880s to 1930s. It includes personal reminiscences and comments not found in his published books. The diary is held by the Larson family collection. It is reprinted in its English original and Mongol translation done by G. Ganbold, who has also written an introduction to explain the significance of the work and to introduce Larson to new generations of Mongols and Mongolists. ISBN: 978-0-910980-36-4.
Special Papers, Issue 15 (2004)
Peter Michalove, A Guide to Reading Mongolian Texts in the ’Phags-pa Script
In this little guide, Dr. Michalove introduces the ’Phags-pa Lama’s so-called “Square Script” in a way that makes it easier for someone who already knows Classical Mongolian to master this Tibetan-based alphabet. It can be used independently or in conjunction with Poppe and Krueger’s 1957 guide to the ’Phags-pa script. Dr. Michalove has reprinted several ’Phags-pa script texts in a large and readable font and added supplementary information on the characters and their use, an updated bibliography, as well as a glossary of words and grammatical forms. 31 pages.
Special Papers, Issue 14 (2001)
Journals of the Lamas
Text in Tibetan and Mongolian scripts, with an introduction in English by Stèphane Grivelet. A journal put out by the Mongolian government in the 1930s to propagandize its policies to the large lama population. Written partially in Mongolian script and partially in Mongolian written in Tibetan letters. 86 pages.
Special Papers, Issue 13 (2007)
Early Kalmyk Primers and Other Schoolbooks
Samples from textbooks 1925-1930. Selection and preface by György Kara. Among the nations of the Russian Federation, the Kalmyks had the most laborious experiments with writing systems. Since the October Revolution in Russia (1917) their Western Mongol language has seen at least six reforms of orthography. The extracts reproduced in this publication are taken from four Moscow publications as examples of the different Cyrillic and Romanized orthographies that have been used. This publication also contains readings and illustrations depicting Kalmyk life and tradition. 133 pages.
Special Papers, Issue 12 (1993)
Kalmyk Song Collection (Sbornik kalmytsskikh pesen)
Originally published in Moscow, in 1934, this very rare work in the Latin script that was used only between 1931 and 1937. It contains 21 Kalmyk melodies plus five other items, including a lengthy excerpt from the Janggar epic. Notes are given on a treble clef (the Janggar has a treble accompaniment). Each song has several verses. The publication also contains prefaces in Kalmyk and Russian languages. 52 pages.
Special Papers, Issue 11 (1991)
Mongol bicgiin zöv bicix dürniin xuraangui
In the early 1990s, the Mongolian Republic intended to change from the Cyrillic script to the traditional vertical script. This re-issued manual presents the official guidelines for the conversion. 23 pages.