Statue of Gelenkhüü in front of Mörön's airport building

Gelenkhüü (Mongolian: Гэлэнхүү, 1877 - 1938), full name Khainzangiin Gelenkhüü (Хайнзангийн Гэлэнхүү), also known as Gelenkhüü Shükherch (Гэлэнхүү Шүхэрч - Parachute-Gelenkhüü), is a semi-legendary figure from Northern Mongolia. The Mongolian language (mn [[ImageMonggol kelesvg 17px]] Mongɣol kele, Cyrillic: Монгол хэл Mongol khel) is the best-known member of Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East There are numerous tales about him, but the deed he is most remembered for is his attempt to fly by using self-made wings.

Early life

Gelenkhüü was born around 1877 in the Sain Noyon Khan Aimag's Dalai Choinkhor Khoshuu, in what belongs today to Jargalant sum in Khövsgöl aimag. Jargalant (Жаргалант is a sum of Khövsgöl aimag. The area is about 2550 km² of which 1470 km² are pasture Khövsgöl (Хөвсгөл is the northernmost of the 21 aimags (provinces of Mongolia. He is said to have been a lively and bright kid. Spending some years as a novice in a local monastery, he seems to have developed technical and creative attempts early on. After having been expulsed from the monastery for rejecting certain religious teachings, he became a herder.

The quest for a male heir

Although being married and father to six daughters, Gelenkhüü's desire for a son eventually grew so strong that he left his home for two years and travelled to the Darkhad areas in northwestern Khövsgöl in order to consult the shamans living there. The Darkhad (Дархад craftsmen) are a Mongolian tribe living mainly in the Bayanzürkh, Ulaan-Uul, Renchinlkhümbe, and When he returned, he brought a female shaman as second wife. She got pregnant, but only to give birth to yet another daughter.

Being an outcast in a community both fearful and suspicious of shamanism, she left Gelenkhüü soon afterwards and returned home. Gelenkhüü, afraid of her possible revenge and evil spirits, erected a suvarga close to his home, using a white-spotted black yak to collect the building material and burning incense sticks and butter lights upon its completion. A stupa (from Sanskrit and Pāli: m स्तूप stūpa, literally meaning "heap" is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist The yak ( Bos grunniens) is a long-haired Bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Qinghai -

The northward-facing suvarga still can be found some 20km north-east of Jargalant's sum center. In the late 1920s, Gelenkhüü finally adopted a son from a local woman. As of 2000, the son lived in Mörön. Mörön (Мөрөн river; also Murun, Moron, Muren) is the administrative center of Khövsgöl Aimag (province in northern

The flight attempt

During the lama uprising of 1932, Gelenkhüü saw airplanes for the first time. The Mongolian People's Republic ( Mongolian: Бүгд Найрамдах Монгол Ард Улс (БНМАУ Bügd Nairamdakh Mongol Ard Uls (BNMAU) was a He became so fascinated that he began to secretly make a pair of wings from sheepskin and eagle wings. Eagles are large birds of prey which are members of the Bird order Falconiformes and family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera He chose a 170m high cliff as the site for his first flight attempt. Fortunately had been prudent enough to drive his sheep to the foot of the cliff before jumping into the abyss and got away unharmed.

Gelenkhüü died in 1938. A statue in his honour has been erected in front of Mörön's airport building. Mörön (Мөрөн river; also Murun, Moron, Muren) is the administrative center of Khövsgöl Aimag (province in northern Mörön Airport is a public Airport located in Mörön, the capital of Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.