THE TURKIC CREATION STORY
In the Turkic version of the creation story, Tengri flew across the
sky as a white goose, over an enormous ocean symbolizing the
endless flow of time. He heard a being called the White Mother
asking him to create the world. Tengri made another being called
Er Kishi, and together they made the Earth and its inhabitants. But
Er Kishi was impure, and tried to seduce the people into leading a
life of evil. So Tengri sent his
sacred animals to Earth to
make the shamans, or
spirit guides, teach the
people about living
well and respecting
their creator.TENGRI AND NATURE
The early Turkic and Mongol people
attributed many of the strongest natural
phenomena to Tengri and other gods
and spirits. Thunder was supposed
to symbolize Tengri’s voice; lightning
was a means of punishment and a display
of Tengri’s power. Tengri’s storms were
beneficial as well, because the plants grew
and the crops flourished after the rain.
These people considered all living beings
- birds, animals, plants, and trees – to be
inhabited by individual spirits. This meant
that everything in nature was sacred.
TENGRISM
Tengrism is the modern term for the belief system
of the Mongol and Turkic people of ancient times.
Based on Mongke Tengri (representing the eternal
blue sky), Eje (a female fertility figure and
a Mother Earth goddess), and many other
benign and malign nature spirits, it involved
the practice of shamanism, or communication
with spirits. Tengrism was promoted
by later Turkic rulers such as
Genghis Khan (reigned 1206–27) and his
grandson, Batu Khan (reigned 1227–55).
Its followers respected nature spirits and
led a life of moral rectitude. If people lost
their balance with the natural world due to
their actions or the action of malign spirits,
the shamans would intervene to restore it.MaizeTHE GREAT SKY GODThe white goose
After creating all things, Tengri flew
high enough to reach heaven. He was
believed to return to Earth sometimes
in the form of a great white goose.A simple life
The early Turks and Mongols lived in harmony with nature. They settled
in fertile areas near rivers, which were conducive not only to agriculture,
but also provided suitable pastures for their cattle and horses.Bolts of lightning
Tengri was said to have lit the first fire with one of his lightning bolts.
Lightning and fire had long been worshipped in West and Central
Asia; they could not only cleanse the world, but ward off demons.TENGRI IN THE EAST
Linguists have long noticed the similarity between the name Tengri
and the Chinese word for sky, tian, which also means god. It is not
known whether one word led to the other, but the two are related, just
like the Chinese and Mongol cultures. The two terms appear together
in the names of mountains, which are considered sacred places. In the
Tian Shan (Sky Mountain) range on the border of Kazakhstan, the
second highest peak is known as Khan Tengri (Lord of the Spirits).“Tengri” in Orkhon
(old Turkic script)Turkic ruler Batu Khan89