Tengri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tengri is the god of the old Turkic, Mongolian and Altaic religion named Tengriism.
Contents |
[edit] Mongol version
The core beings in Tengriism are Sky-Father (Tengri/Tenger Etseg) and Mother Earth (Eje/Gazar Eej). In history, Chinggis Khan (Gengis Khan), the unifier of the Mongolian nation, based his power on a mandate from Tengri himself, and began all his declarations with the words "by the will of Eternal Blue Heaven." Father Heaven is worshipped for what he is, the timeless and infinite blue sky. He is not visualized as a person, although he is said to have at least two sons. Worship of Sky Father/Father Heaven and Mother Earth is almost universal among Turks and Mongols, and is found in North America as well.
The symbols of Tengri were a cross, the skies and the sun. It is often confused with a sun-worshipping religion, but the sun is merely a symbol of Tengri. A dramatic pyramidal mountain peak, long believed to be the highest point on the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, is called "Khan Tengri".
Geser is the mythical founder of Tengriism. His story is recounted in a very long epic text, meant to be performed over the course of several days with a horse head fiddle (moriin huur).
[edit] Turkic and other versions
Tangri or god, in ancient Turkish mythology, is a pure, white goose that flies constantly over an endless expanse of water, which represents time. Beneath this water, Ak Ana ("White Mother") calls out to him saying "Create". To overcome his loneliness, Tangri creates Er Kishi, who is not as pure or as white as Tangri and together they set up the world. Er Kishi becomes a demonic character and strives to mislead people and draw them into its darkness. Tangri assumes the name Tangri Ulgen and withdraws into Heaven from which he tries to provide people with guidance through sacred animals that he sends among them. The Ak Tangris occupy the fifth level of Heaven. Shaman priests who want to reach Tangri Ulgen never get further than this level, where they convey their wishes to the divine guides. Returns to earth or to the human level take place in a goose-shaped vessel.
Traditionally Turks' ancestors were animists and nature worshippers. Through their Shamanistic beliefs, they revered celestial gods and the natural forces on earth that were important to them. In the ancient Turkish world as it is now, the word for god is "Tangri". In their religious beliefs, the sky is identified with Tangri. Tangri is considered to be the chief god who created all things. In addition to this celestial god, they also had minor divinities that served the purposes of Tangri.
In modern Turkish, the derived word "Tanrı" is used as the generic word for "god", also for the Judeo–Christo–Islamic God, and is often used today by practicing Muslims to refer to God in Turkish as an alternative to the word "Allah", the originally Arabic Islamic word for "God".
It is said to be derived from "Tan" or "Teng" which literally means sky and "ger", which is the Mongolian name for the Central Asian nomadic tent (yurt). No connection with the Sumerian word for god (DINGIR) has been verified. It is also used in other Turkic languages in such forms as Teñri, Teñggri, Teñgeri, Teñir, Teñger, Täñre and Tengere.
Tengriism, a monotheistic religion, replaced an earlier polytheistic Turkic religion; it was also the religion of the Huns, Eurasian Avars, early Hungarians and Bulgars.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Gods of the Turks (Tengrianism)
- Circle of Tengerism: an organization dedicated to the preservation of Siberian and Mongolian shaman traditions
- excerpt from Tengrianizm: Religion of Turks and Mongols, by Rafael Bezertinov
- Shamanism (Tengerism) in Mongolia
- Julie Stewart's course in Mongolian shamanism--introduction
- Bog je Jedan blog: Avar Tengrism in Croatia
[edit] References
- Brent, Peter. The Mongol Empire: Genghis Khan: His Triumph and his Legacy. Book Club Associates, London. 1976.
- Creation myths from Central Asia to Anatolia, by Can Göknil
- Search For the Origin of the Crescent and Star Motif in the Turkish Flag
- References to Tengri occur also in Paulo Coelho's novel "The Zahir".
