Mythologies of Mongolian Tribes
The Mongol mythology is the traditional religion of the Mongols. There are many Mongol creation myths. In the most ancient one, the creation of the world is attributed to a Buddhist deity Lama. At the start of time, there was only water, and from the heavens, Lama came down to it holding an iron rod with which he began to stir. As he began to stir the water, the stirring brought about a wind and fire which caused a thickening at the centre of the waters to form the earth. The wolf, falcon, deer and horse were important symbolic animals.
DEITIES
- Bai-Ulgan and Esege Malan are creator deities.
- Ot is the goddess of marriage.
- Tung-ak is the patron god of tribal chiefs and the ruler of the lesser spirits of Mongol mythology
- Erlig Khan (Erlik Khan) is the King of the Underworld.
- Daichi Tengri is the red god of war to whom enemy soldiers were sometimes sacrificed during battle campaigns.
- Zaarin Tengri is a spirit who gives Khorchi (in the Secret History of the Mongols) a vision of a cow mooing “Heaven and earth have agreed to make Temujin (later Genghis Khan) the lord of the nation”.
- The sky god Tengri is attested from the Xiongnu of the 2nd century BC. The Xiongnu may not have been Mongol, but Tengri is common to several Central Asian peoples, including the Mongols.
The Creation—Esege Malan
In the beginning there were Esege Malan, the highest god, and his wife, Ehe Ureng Ibi. At first it was dark and silent; there was nothing to be heard or seen. Esege took up a handful of earth, squeezed moisture out of it, and made the sun of the water; he made the moon in the same way. Next he made all living things and plants. He divided the world into East and West, and gave it to the highest order of gods. These gods are very strict, and people must sacrifice horses and rams to them. If angered, they punish by bringing sickness, especially to children. Some of the higher gods punish with disease or misfortune people who offend local gods. For instance, if a man calls to witness or swears by a local god, either he is punished by that local god, or judgment is rendered by one of the superior gods, for it is a great sin to swear by any Burkan, whether the man swears truly or falsely.
“The ancestors of Chinggis Khaan – Burte Chono (meaning grey wolf) and his wife Gua Maral (meaning a beautiful deer), came sailing across the ocean and settled in Mount Burkhan Khaldun, at the spring of the Onon river, and gave birth to a boy named Battsagaan. Thousands of years later, the existence of Mongolian nomads is as complicated to understand as the myths surrounding their origin. If you asked a Mongolian, “Are you a descendant of Burte Chono and Gua Maral?” They would probably agree with a nod and a vague smile. Of course, they know they are agreeing with a mythological belief, but, these ideas have been inherited from their ancestors. To most Mongolians, a wolf is not just another animal, but a spirit of nature and men. The deer is an aesthetic expression of beauty and has strong ties to early shamanism beliefs.
The Mongolian Death Worm is creature with origins in the mythology, legend and folklore of Asia. In particular, accounts of its existence are first recorded, naturally, in Mongolia. They are believed, by many, to be the inspiration for similar creatures in modern fiction, such as the enormous Sandworms in the 1965 Dune sci-fi/fantasy book series and the monstrous worm-like creatures in the Tremors monster movie series. Mongolian Death Worms are most commonly said to be between 2 feet to a meter (3.28 ft) in length, though recent depictions often show them to be massive in size as adults. Many believe that the discrepancy is caused by earlier accounts only having taken note of the available specimens–ie larval MDWs. However, others claim that, in adulthood, they are best compared to whales in size. Deep within the shifting sands of the Gobi Desert lies the elusive Olgoi-Khorkhoi, the Mongolian Death Worm – or so legend has it. The Mongolian Death Worm is a bright red worm, a mysterious cryptid said to inhabit the southern Gobi Desert. Local Mongolian tribesmen claim to have seen the creature in their travels but the stories have never been confirmed, even after many attempts by multiple research expeditions over the years.
The Mongol culture is one of the most unique and impressive in the world. Their people survive on the harsh frigid Eurasian Steppe and maintain many of their traditions and practices – some of which have been around since 3000 BC. Their falconry and horse-riding nomadism, their unique instruments, throat singing and traditional folk songs, their art, vertical script, and traditional garb, make Mongolian culture very well worth preserving. Storytelling and religion form two very important parts of this peoples’ intricate cultural history. Even today, epic songs and stories are a regular part of the nomadic tribes’ lives, and apprentices study for years to learn the instruments, throat singing, and the tales themselves.
Eej Mod – The Mother Tree of the Mongolians
“Today there is a considerable number of Shamans in Mongolia, though Buddhism is the dominating religion here. The festival in Seleng Aimag is the grand festival of Shamanism in Mongolia. All the Shamans from across the country gather at the site of a big tree called “Eej Mod” which means “Mother Tree”. Its not an organized religion. There is not a particular set of practices known throughout the entire Shamanism world. They don’t have any religious holy place like Church or Mosque. Many anthropologists have declared it a set of the oldest religious practices in human civilizations and most of today’s organized religions have roots of some practices from Shamanism.
Mongolian Dragons, Luu – Folklore & more
Mongolian folk religion, Tengerism or Shamanism, includes some mention of dragons.
The dragon is considered the king of the water, and if we disrespect the spirit and king of the water we can then get what in Mongolian we call “dragon illnesses,” which are a consequence of disrespecting the sacredness of water. This is why in Mongolian shamanic symbolism you see a lot of snakes, because in most Asian cultures snakes are considered little dragons, and by recognizing snakes in our symbolism we are thereby also honoring the Water Dragon, the king of that realm.
MONGOL MYTHS & STORIES
Mongolian Folk Tale – the Warrior Well (free powerpoint)
How the camel lost his good looks
Why the elk has such a long muzzle
The Seven Sons, The First Shamus, and more
The Twin Boys & Other Mongolian Myths
The Five Brothers (a short story)
Mythology of the Turkic and Mongolian peoples
The mythologies of the Turkic and Mongol peoples are related and have exerted strong influence on one another. Both groups of peoples qualify as Eurasian nomads and have been in close contact throughout history, especially in the context of the medieval Turco-Mongol empire. The oldest mythological concept that can be reconstructed with any certainty is the sky god Tengri, attested from the Xiong Nu in the 2nd century BC.Geser (Ges’r, Kesar) is a Mongol religious epic about Geser (also known as Bukhe Beligte), prophet of Tengriism.
There are 34 great queens in the history of the Mongolia. We rarely talk about mothers, queens of Mongolia. Because they were always behind of too powerful Khaans and heroes supporting them. Here are written five of the queens who have made a significant contribution to the history of the Mongolian state during the historical period in which they lived.
Oulen
Oulun is Olkhonuud person, in Hongirad tribe. She is the birth mother of Temuujin (Genghis Khan), the queen of Yesuhei hero. She gave birth four sons, Temujin, Khasar, Khachigun and Temuge, and 1 daughter named Temulen. Once Yesukhei hero poisoned to death by Tatar tribe, his own tribes left Oulen with her orphan children. Oulun raised her sons alone in extremely difficult lives and making them far-sighted, intelligent heroes. Thanks to the efforts of Oulun mother, in 1189 Temujin was proclaimed the King of Mongolia
Toregene
Toregene was the queen of Khudug, the eldest son of Togtoa Bekh, the leader of the Naiman tribe, and in 1204 he was captured in the war and Genghis Khan gave his son Ogedei as his 6th queen. Queen Toregene gave birth to five sons, Guyug, Godan, Khulgen, Khuchu and Hadaan. Toregene queen ruled the Great Mongol Empire between 1241-1246 after the death of Ogedei Khan. She was a queen and an indomitable hero, but she went down in history as a one who took part in the state conspiracy and provoked the internal crisis of the Great Mongolia.
Ogul Haimish
Ogul Haimish is the daughter of Khutuga Bekh of Oirat province. Ogul Haimish had two sons, Nagu and Hodja. She was one of the few queens who took the rule of Mongol Empire. After the death of Guyug Khaan, his widowed queen, Ogul Haimish, traditionally took over the affairs of state in 1249-1251 with the consent of Batu and many other princes. Sorkhugtani Bekh and Qinghai officials played an important role in the rule of Ogul Haimish.
Sorkhugtani
Sorkhagtani Bekhi, the queen of Tolui, was the daughter of Jaha Khambu, the younger brother of Tooril Khan of Hereid. She gave birth four sons, Munkh, Khubilai, Hulegu and Arigbukh. Among Genghis Khan’s sons, the Tolui’s descendants had the greatest influence on Mongolian history. His son Möngke became the fourth king of the Great Mongol Empire, his son Kublai conquered all of China and established the Yuan Dynasty, his son Hulegu conquered southwest Asia and established the Hulegu Kingdom, or El Khanate, and his son Arigbukh became the fifth Mongol emperor. She is said to have been Genghis Khan’s favorite daughter-in-law and died in 1252.
Manduhai
She was called “Wise Queen Mandukhai” because she was beautiful and intelligent. Mandukhai was born in 1448 as the daughter of Tsorosbai Tumur in Tumed province. Manduul Khan, who ruled Mongolia at the time, had no descendants, so he married 17-year-old Mandukhai in 1465 when he was 40 years old. When Manduul Khan died in 1467, Queen Mandukhai ruled the country for three years until a new king was appointed. She found Batmunkh at the age of 7, the last descendant of the Genghis khan, orphaned by his parents, and enthroned him in 1470, reunited Mongolia. By virtue of Queen Mandukhai, Batmunkh Dayan Khan ruled all of Mongolia for 40 years and brought peace to Mongolian people. She wisely rebuilt the Mongolian state during the difficult period of the disintegration of the Great Mongol Empire.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF MONGOLIA
MONGOLIAN ETHNIC – UNIQUE TYPE OF NATION
Although most people probably think of Mongolia as being inhabited by a single ethnic group – the Mongols – this is wrong. There are actually quite a few. There are over 20 different groups of Mongols.
Ethnic group, Percentage of total population:
Khalkh (Халх) – 84.5%
Kazakh (Казах) – 3.9%
Dörvöd (Дєрвєд) – 2.4%
Bayad (Баяд) – 1.7%
Buriad (Буриад) – 1.3%
Dariganga (Дариганга) – 0.9%
Zakhchin (Захчин) 1.0%
Uriankhai (Урианхай) – 0.8%
KHALKH
The Khalkh are the largest group of Mongols in Mongolia. In fact, they are the core of all the Mongol peoples across North Asia. The Khalkha Mongols are considered the direct descendants of Chinggis Khan and therefore, the true preservers of Mongol culture.
Khalkh Mongol Costume
In the thirteenth century, Chinggis Khan formed one of the greatest empires in world history by uniting all of the nomadic Mongol tribes. The Khalkha Mongol language, Halh, is the main Mongolian language, since all other Mongols speak variations or dialects of Halh. Halh is understood throughout Mongolia and by Mongols living in Central Asia.
Meet the wandering tribe of the Kazakh. The fierce tribesmen from this one are said to be fine horsemen who rode through western Mongolia since the 19th century. Their most distinctive feature is that they are known as eagle hunters. When referred to as “eagle hunters” it isn’t to be mistaken that they hunt the vicious bird in the sky. But they instead train eagles to hunt for them. From foxes to sheep and more, the bird plunges down from the sky to capture animals’ unseen by the human eye and helps their master. The descent of the Kazakhs is more widespread and goes beyond the Mongolic to even Indo-Iranian and Turkish ethnicities. Their belief in pre-Islamic cults is continued with a belief in good and evil spirits.
Bayan-Olgii Province, Mongolia
They use eagles to hunt foxes, marmots and wolves and wear furs of the prey they catch, with boys starting at the age of 13, when they can prove they can carry the weight of a golden eagle. Semi-nomadic, they have been moving around the Altai Mountains since the 19th century. They now number around 100,000 people, but there are only around 250 eagle hunters left.
Because young men are being drawn away, females are starting to break into this masculine-dominated activity to keep it alive.
Throat singing, or khoomii from the Mongolian word for throat, is a form of singing developed centuries ago by nomads in a region called Tuva, an independent republic between Mongolia and Siberia, though it is practiced in the Altai region of western Mongolia. The practice is said to have originated in a contest between rural herdsmen to see how far could get voices to carry through valleys, which has since developed into an annually held competition in Tuva. The songs that are produced are inspired by the natural sounds of the Mongolian landscape, and supposedly mimic noises such as trickling streams and howling winds. The tradition is linked to the Mongolian belief in animism, that natural object have souls or are inhabited by spirits and by mimicking these sounds, humans can harness the powers of these spirits.
Another traditional form of singing which is still practised is urtyn-duu, generally referred to as long songs (some songs are as long as 20,000 verses!) or drawling songs. Probably influenced by ancient Chinese traditions, these songs involve the relation of traditional rural love stories, which would have been sung while galloping across the steppes on horseback. Like throat singing, it involves complicated, and drawn out vocal sounds unlike anything else.
Shamanism is the oldest religious practice in Mongolia and centers on beliefs and rituals associated with a shaman, a man, or a woman regarded as having access to the “spirit world”.
Shamanism is faith without books. All teaching and instruction have been given orally, passed from shaman to shaman over the centuries, and its traditions learned by heart. Mongolian shamans enter an ecstatic trance state in which the shaman is empowered to engage with the spirits I order to protect and heal members of the community, to guide souls, and cure illnesses.
The shaman might wear a headdress to resemble a bird, with the tail of a pheasant and the body costume of a fish. Drums are used to help the shaman enter the trance-like state, as chanting begins and the shaman “transcends “into another world while the body dances, swirls, or totters with jerky movements. Shamanism went underground during the former communist period but has been revived recently.
The current population of Mongolia is 3,145,727, January 15, 2019, based on the latest United Nations estimates. 90 percent of the population are Mongolians, 8 percent are Turkish natives and there are few mongolized Khamnigan people of tungus origin. Mongols are one of the great races of mankind, including the greater part of the inhabitants of China, Japan, and the interior of Asia, with branches in Northern Europe and other parts of the world. Three quarters of all Northern Mongolians still live there, in a region that is now known as the Buriat Autonomous Republic.
The Northern Mongolians, also known as the Buryat, are believed to be the descendants of the western Mongols and the northern Siberians. They primarily inhabit the forested lowland regions along the Russia-Mongolia border. The territory that once belonged to the Northern Mongolian’s ancestors includes the regions along Lake Baikal, which is located in present-day Siberia.
The Northern Mongolians are very similar to the Khalkha Mongols, particularly in their physical features, dialects, and customs. In fact, they are often indistinguishable from neighboring Mongol tribes. However, they maintain a number of small differences, the most significant of which is their language.
URIANKHAI
The Tuvinian in Mongoloia inhabit a harsh mountainous region in the northern part of the country, near the border of Russia. There, the summers are hot and dry, while the winters are bitterly cold. Still, this region can have as many as 300 sunny days a year, and the extremely dry air helps people to withstand the cold winters and the hot summers.
Because the Tuvinian, like other Russian settlers, left their home territories in the Soviet Union many years ago and immigrated to Mongolia; their present “national” status is disputed. Some Tuvinian clans in Mongolia have maintained their native language, ethnic background, and traditional culture. Other Tuvinian clans have been absorbed by the Mongolian culture. Their original language, Tuvin, contains many Mongolian words and uses the Cyrillic script. Most Mongolian Tuvinian also speak Halh, the national language of Mongolia.
Durbet
The Drubet tribe is also referred to as the Dorvod. They originated from China’s Dzhungaria lands and spread across Russia and western Mongolia. The seasonal migrants raise horses, cattle and sheep. Their ability of riding horses has led them to indulge in activities such as horse racing as well. They live in portable tents or gers made on lattice frames draped with felt material on top. Historically, they were shamanists and animists who saw marriage as a sign of adulthood. Interestingly, a large part of their history has also been preserved through poetry. The recitation rather than the written form of such poetry has been passed down through generations to keep their traditions alive. In ancient times they would practice a form of “sky burial” and no, buddy, that does not mean floating off into the sky through some magical power (I wish!). Its actually way more drastic as a body of the dead is left in open fields to be pecked upon and eaten off by wild animals. Ah, when its my time, just burn me please?
Tsaatan
The Tsaatan people, also called the Dukha, are some of the last remaining reindeer herders not just in Mongolia but in the world at large. This Tuvan-Turkic tribe lives on the border side close to Russia. They are often called a “lost” tribe as they continue to live in their traditional ways, separated from the modern world and its methods. So, while we were raised as kids by singing Christmas carols about reindeers, the children of this tribe grow right in their presence. Reindeers are used by them to hunt and travel across regions and are very rarely fed upon, only when the animal becomes useless to them for the key purposes. They pass through harsh terrains with extreme winters such as the Mongolia Taiga. As their numbers dwindle with lesser families, they have started resorting to showcasing their lives and crafts to tourists to earn money.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF MONGOLIA
MONGOLIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
BAYAD (BAYAAD, BAYIT, BAIT), DARIGANGA, DURVUD(DURBET, DÖRBED, DÖRVÖD), KAZAKH (KAZAK, QAZAQ),KHALKHA (HALH, MONGOLIAN), MINGAT (MYANGAD),TORGUUD (TORGUT), TSAATAN (DUKHA, TSACHIN)
http://www.archaeolink.com/mongolia_history.htm
History of Mongolia __ “Although humans have inhabited Mongolia since the Stone Age, Mongolia only became politically important after iron weapons entered the area in the 3rd century BCE.” You will find an encyclopedic article along with links to additional resources. – illustrated – From wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mongolia
History of Mongolia __ A brief history of Mongolia since 1912. – From historyworld.net –http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac95
History of Mongolia __ “For centuries the Mongols were separate, warring bands or tribes inhabiting a remote area north of China. When they were welded into a unified army by Genghis Khan early in the 13th century, the Mongols conquered most of Asia.” You will find a brief overview of Mongolia’s history. – From howstuffworks.com – http://history.howstuffworks.com/asian-history/history-of-mongolia.htm
The history of Mongolia __ Several click-to-read articles and resources about the history of Mongolia. – From hartford-hwp.com –http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55/index-h.html
Mongol history and chronology from ancient times __ An extended and fairly detailed overview of Mongolian history. – From coldsiberia.org – http://www.coldsiberia.org/webdoc3.htm
Mongolia History __ “Signs of human habitation in Mongolia date back to the Stone Age. By the third century BC, tribal alliances had been formed which were looking to move south into China. Chinese historians record the repulsion of an invasion from the north by people known as the Xiongnu.” A general look at Mongolia history along with other information about the country. – From iexplore.com – http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Mongolia/History
Mongolia History __ “Archeological digs have uncovered human remains in the Gobi and other regions of Mongolia dating back nearly 500,000 years. Agriculture has rarely been attempted on the harsh steppes, although there is evidence that some clans grew crops 1200 years ago.” A colorful history of Mongolia. – From lonelyplanet.com – http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/mongolia/history
Mongolia – History __ “The Mongols arose from obscure origins in the recesses of Inner Asia to unify their immediate nomadic neighbors and then to conquer much of the Eurasian landmass, ruling large parts of it for more than a century. ” A general look at Mongolia history. – From countrystudies.us – http://countrystudies.us/mongolia/3.htm
Mongolia history, all about Genghis Khan and the Mongolian empire __ A combination of timelines and text make this an interesting site to visit. The text scrolling over the background design makes it a little difficult to read but a lot of good information. – From e-mongol.com – http://www.e-mongol.com/mongolia_history.htm
Mongolian History Resources __ You won’t need this page any more as you will find an extensive list of resources and articles about Mongolia’s history. (sigh) – From mongolianculture.com – http://www.mongolianculture.com/mhistory.html
Mongolia’s History and Background __ A brief overview of Mongolian history. – From asianinfo.org –http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/mongolia/pro-history.htm
The retrospective history of Mongolia __ Click-to-read articles and resources about Mongolis history. – From hartford-hwp.com –http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55/index-ha.html
Timeline Mongolia __ Annotated timeline of important dates and events in Mongolian history. – illustrated – From BBC –http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1235612.stm
Mongol women archers during Naadam festival
Mongolian Woman
Mongolia, 1920s
Mongol Girl
Mongol
Mongolian
The Mongols (Mongolian: Монголчууд, ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯᠴᠤᠳ, Mongolchuud, [ˈmɔɴ.ɢɔɬ.t͡ʃot]; Russian: Монголы, Chinese: 蒙古族) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, Mongolia and the Buryatia Republic of Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of Mongolic peoples. The Oirats in Western Mongolia as well as the Buryats and Kalmyks of Russia are classified either as distinct ethno-linguistic groups or subgroups of Mongols.
The Mongols are bound together by a common heritage and ethnic identity. Their indigenous dialects are collectively known as the Mongolian language. The ancestors of the modern-day Mongols are referred to as Proto-Mongols.
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