It appears that in ancient times the Tengri cult thrived
for only short periods; nevertheless, it developed rapidly. Sac-
rifices of white horses or other animals were offered to Tengri
annually or daily, usually on fixed dates or during special
events. Prayer itself spread and became an essential element
in the Tengri cult in the thirteenth century. Great orisons
were conducted by the sovereign from an elevation where,
over a period of time lasting from one to three days, he con-
tinually bowed in prayer to the sky with bare head and loos-
ened belt. It has always been common practice to go around
in a circle on horseback: this is called “going around the sky.”
It is a common belief among practitioners of the Tengri
cult that souls reside in Tengri before their incarnation and
that the souls of the deceased return to him. In fact, when
a death is announced, one says “He flew off” or “He became
a gyrfalcon.” The destination is specified: “He climbed to the
sky with his body” and “In the sky you will be as among the
living.” However, beliefs probably concern particularly great
personages and those who will be needed in the beyond to
serve them.
SEE ALSO Buriat Religion; Chuvash Religion; Mongol Reli-
gions; Turkic Religions; Ülgen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
For the most part, the sky god of the Altaic peoples has been stud-
ied in works relative to their religion, particularly contempo-
rary beliefs. Wilhelm Schmidt, in his perspective of primitive
monotheism, accords Tengri an eminent place in Der Urs-
prung der Gottesidee, vols. 9–12 (Münster, 1949–1955). Paul
Pelliot has written primarily a linguistic work: “Tängrim>
Tärim,” T’oung pao 37 (1944): 165–185. The only mono-
graph is my “Tängri: Essai sur le ciel-dieu des peuples al-
taïques,” which appeared in four parts plus additional notes
in Revue de l’histoire des religions 149 (January–March 1956):
49–82, (April–June 1956): 197–230; 150 (July–September
1956): 27–54; (October–December 1956): 173–212; and
154 (July–September 1958): 32–66.
New Sources
Birtalan, Ágnes. Die Mythologie der Mongolischen Volksreligion.
Stuttgart, 2000.
Rona-Tas, Andras. “Materialien zur alten Religion der Turken.”
In Synkretismus in den Religionen Zentralasiens: Ergebnisse
eines Kolloquiums vom 24.5. bis 26.5.1983 in St. Augustin bei
Bonn, edited by Walther Heissig and Hans-Joachim Klim-
keit, pp. 33–45. Wiesbaden, 1987.
JEAN-PAUL ROUX (1987)
Translated from French by Sherri L. Granka
Revised Bibliography
TENRIKYO ̄. A monotheistic Japanese religion estab-
lished in 1838, Tenrikyo ̄ preaches a doctrine of world renew-
al and individual salvation. Its founder, Nakayama Miki
(1798–1887), received a revelation from Tenri O ̄ no Mikoto
(also known as Oyagami, or “God the parent”), and became
Kami no Yashiro (“the living shrine of God”). According to
Tenrikyo ̄ church tradition, God revealed himself through
Nakayama in order to deliver people from individual suffer-
ings and social evils, and to prepare the way for the kanrodai
sekai (“perfect divine kingdom”), in which humankind will
enjoy yo ̄kigurashi (“joyous and blissful life”) in union with
God the Parent. Tenrikyo ̄ spread rapidly throughout Japan
during the tumultuous eclipse of the Edo period (1600–
1868).
HISTORY. The eldest daughter of Maekawa Masanobu and
his wife Kinu, Maekawa Miki (later, Nakayama Miki) be-
came a pious devotee of Pure Land Buddhism early in life.
Although she wished to become a nun, in obedience to her
parents’ wishes she married Nakayama Zembei in 1810. In
her marriage she affirmed the values of worldly life through
moral compassion toward others and devotion to Shinto ̄ dei-
ties. The revelation she experienced in her forty-first year re-
sulted in a dedication to almsgiving, leading her family into
extreme poverty. She affirmed her credibility by working
miracles, teaching that divine protection was attainable only
through a life of sincere piety. Her mission to achieve the
new world order of kanrodai sekai was misunderstood by
many, and she and her followers were persecuted for many
years, she herself being imprisoned several times.Despite intensifying persecution, Nakayama wrote two
books, the Mikagurauta and the Ofudesaki, taught her disci-
ples the movements for the Kagura Zutome (“salvation
dance service”), the essential rite in Tenrikyo ̄, and deter-
mined the location of the jiba, the sacred spot that is believed
to be the original birthplace of humans. On the morning of
January 26, 1887, she urged her disciples to perform the
Kagura Zutome (which had been prohibited by the police),
asking them to decide for themselves whether the laws of hu-
mankind or those of God are supreme. As they performed
the service around the Kanrodai, a symbolic monument
erected at the jiba, Nakayama died. Her followers believed
that she had passed from a corporeal to a spiritual state, re-
maining in her sanctuary and helping them to realize God’s
kingdom in this world. Nakayama’s ascension to this new
state, together with the hinagata (“model life”) she exempli-
fied, became the focal point of the Tenrikyo ̄ faith.
After her passing, God spoke through Iburi Izo ̄ (1833–
1907), Nakayama’s most trusted disciple. The Osashizu was
compiled from revelations made to him and fostered the
emergence of a structured Tenrikyo ̄ church system. Tenrikyo ̄
was sanctioned by the government and officially classified as
one of the sects of Sect Shinto ̄ in 1888. The church was then
forced to alter its teachings and activities to conform to gov-
ernment policies. Nevertheless, Nakayama’s teachings were
retained intact and spread throughout Japan by 1895. Mis-
sions were established in the United States in 1896, in Tai-
wan in 1897, in Korea in 1898, and in China in 1901. After
World War II, with the guarantee of religious freedom under
the 1947 Constitution, the Fukugen (“restoration of the
original teachings”) movement was carried out to purify
Tenrikyo ̄ teachings, which had been distorted by the influ-9082 TENRIKYO ̄