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Killed his brother over a fish
An Elder Brother's Rule
Among Mongols an older brother has complete authority over his younger siblings, down to a special pronoun they must use when they speak to him. Bekter could take what he wanted from them, including a fish or a bird Temujin had caught. The record mentions the fish once, and the boys had even taken sewing needles from their mother to use for fishing.
A Custom's Pressure
Custom added another pressure. When a man died and his brothers did not marry his widow, a son by another wife could take her as his own wife, which would have made Bekter a stepfather to Temujin as well as an older brother. Temujin and Hassar decided to kill him, and they shot him with arrows.
Hoelun's Anger
Afterward Hoelun screamed a long tirade at Temujin about how he would have nobody in his life but his own shadow. Bekter's mother, Sochigel, said nothing that survives in the record, and she stayed with the family along with Bekter's younger brother, Belgetai. Belgetai remained loyal to Temujin his entire life and rode with him to rescue Börte.
How did levirate marriage work on the steppe?
Levirate marriage let a widow marry a relative of her dead husband so that she and her property stayed within his family. It was practiced among many herding peoples across Eurasia, including the Mongols. In some forms a son could marry a widow who was not his own mother, as the story describes. The practice is also described in the Hebrew Bible.
How did Hassar fare under Genghis Khan?
Hassar, also written Khasar, was famed for his strength and his skill with the bow. He became one of Genghis Khan's senior commanders and received a large share of land and people. The Secret History says Genghis Khan later grew suspicious of him and had him arrested. Their mother, Hoelun, came and made him release Hassar.
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