Yánren the father of Ásinnár

Yánren was the human spouse of Walmai, the mother of Hero Ásinnár. His story is told in the songs of Ásinnár's youth, although little is known apart from how he influenced the life of Ásinnár.

Birth of Ásinnár

Ásinnár was born as the first daughter of the couple. Soon after, the parents were visited by divine Leitandár, and he learned that she was fathered by the God, not him. He was not happy about the news, but let jealousy fill his heart. Every time the god visited them, he hated the daughter more.

Misfortune

Few years after Ásinnár a son was born, and finally having an heir of his own, he drove the yong Ásinnár out of the house to live on the streets. Ásinnár survived begging on the street and gathering herbs in the forest, until the goddess Yerbe Tuim, the Lion mother, found her, and alerted Leitandár of how his child had been mistreated.
Leitandár's anger was great, and he let his judgement fall on the parents. Drought and pestilence came, and their crops failed. Soon they were left with no other choise than selling themselves to slavery to a giant Patella. They became their lowliest slaves. The mother was forced to do the giant's dirty laundry, and the father's task was to cut his rotting toenails.

Rescue

After Ásinnár left the Garden of the Heavenly Lord where father Leitandár had brought her to grow up, she returned to the mortal land, and wondered what had become of her mother. She returned home, but found only the ruins of the old house, and the widow Sasinfa Greyhair, who told what had happened.

Ásinnár went to Patella's cave, and when she learned how he treated his slaves, she made a deal with the giant, that she would win herself all of his slaves if she won him in the game of bones, but if she lost, Patella would have her instead. But the giant tricked her, because his bones were dragon bones that were so heavy that Ásinnár could not even lift them. But Leitandár sent a great eagle down from the heavens to lift the bones, and it helped Ásinnár win.

Then the old man burst down in tears, and thanked the God for his rescue, and that he had got his daughter back finally. In this moment Leitandár forgave him too.

Children

• Ásinnár

Literary analysis

The tale has been interpreted as a cautionary warning againts disrespecting the gods, and hurting those who are innocent and helpless. Ásinnár was later known to the protector of the poor, disabled and mistreated, which is here explained as stemming from her own childhood.

Naming

While the names of Yánren and his wife are existing Faren names, it seems they are more likely to be descriptive of the characters, rather than actual personal names. The naming of Yánren 'a great man' and Walmai 'righteous woman' seems ironical considering how they mistreated their child in the story. The fact that many versions of the myth don't give them any names, just calling them mother and father, seems to support this view.