In ancient times, during a bitter war with the Kalmyks, the detachment of a warrior named Elenke was completely routed. All his warriors perished, and he remained alone on the battlefield.
Elenke had the opportunity to retreat and save himself, but for him, fleeing from the enemy was more terrible than death.
"I will fight as long as I have strength," the warrior decided.
He continued the fight alone until numerous opponents surrounded him from all sides. The Kalmyk Khan had previously heard of Elenke's bravery, but now he saw for himself how fearless this man was.
"Take him alive!" the Khan ordered.
Elenke was seriously wounded and only after a long resistance was he captured. By the Khan's order, doctors were ordered to nurse the warrior back to health.
However, the Khan had a special goal in mind. He wanted such a mighty warrior to leave offspring, and every day he sent young girls to the captive.
But Elenke rejected them. "If my sons grow up among enemies, won't they one day wage war against my own people? It's better to die than leave behind an enemy to my native land," he said.
Upon learning of this, the khan himself came to the captive.
"Submit to my will, and I will let you go home. Refuse, and you'll lose your head," he threatened.
Yelenke didn't even flinch.
"It's better to die honorably for your people than to leave offspring to the enemy out of fear of death."
Realizing that it was impossible to break the batyr, the khan ordered his execution. He also ordered the executioners to immediately bring Yelenke's heart.
When the order was carried out, the khan summoned experts and asked them to carefully examine the heart of the man who had shown such incredible fortitude.
Tradition says that, upon cutting it open, they discovered a single hair inside. Since then, when admiring a man of extraordinary courage and strong character, Kazakhs say: "Жүрегінің түгі бар" – "he has a heart with a hair."

Thus, the name Elenke-batyr has remained in the people's memory as a symbol of courage, loyalty to his native land, and unbending will.