Turkic mythology

The oldest recorded belief-system of the Turks is named Tengrism. It is attested by the oldest available sources known from the inscriptions of the Kül-Tegin-Stele, which also mentions the three potentials Sky (täŋri), Earth (Yer), and human (kişi), characteristical for these beliefs. Tied to this belief is the concept of Kut and the Khan as evident in the title of Bilge Khan who is described as "the heavenly, from the sky complied noble (türk) Bilgä Khan". Since the 8th century Turks increasingly adopted foreign (non-Central Asian) religious-systems prevalent across the Silk Road. Buddhist influence is still notable in modern Turkish phrases. the Turkish term "güneş tutulması" (solar eclipse) literally means "the sun is seized". The term goes back to a story from Samyutta Nikaya about a titan (asura) named Rāhu seizing the sun. After Turks converted to Islam, this story was no longer known but remaied in the language of the Turks. The Northern Turkic languages, such as the Jakuts and Dolgans, speak of the "Death of the Sun" (kün ölüte) instead. Since they departed too early from Central Asia, Buddhist idioms have not influenced their language. During the Medieval Age, most Turk tribes become Muslims. The first were the Karahanides and the Seljuks, who converted in the 10th century. The dervish Rumi, who became highly reverted in Turkish Islamic beliefs, composed in this period his masterpiece, the Masnavi, which he believed to be "sent down" from God and understood it as the proper explanation of the Quran (tafsīr). Šams al-Dīn Aḥmad Aflākī, integrated the invading Mongols and Turks into his hagiography and stated that the Turks stopped invading at the gates of Konya due to Rumi's devotion to God and they believed that assaulting him would cause the wrath of God upon them. ==Mythical creatures==

• Archura, an evil forest demon. • Qarakorshaq, a hiding animal-like creature that can be scared away by light and noise. • Tepegöz, a cyclops-like creature with only one eye on his forehead. • Tulpar, a winged horse. • Yelbeghen, a creature described as a seven-headed giant or dragon. ==Mythical locations==

• Yalbuz (Bald Mountain), a mysterious and legendary mountain. ==Gods and spirits in Turkic mythology==

'' ("Book of Divination") from Dunhuang, written in Old Uyghur language with the Orkhon script, is an important literary source for early Turko-Mongol mythology. Turko-Mongol mythology is essentially polytheistic but became more monotheistic during the imperial period among the ruling class, and was centered around the worship of Tengri, the omnipresent Sky God. Tengri Kök Tengri is the first of the primordial deities in the religion of the early Turkic people. After the Turks started to migrate and leave Central Asia and encounter monotheistic religions, Tengrism was modified from its pagan/polytheistic origins, Tengri's appearance is unknown. He rules the fates of all people and acts freely, but he is fair as he awards and punishes. The well-being of the people depends on his will. The oldest form of the name is recorded in Chinese annals from the 4th century BC, describing the beliefs of the Xiongnu. It takes the form /, which is hypothesized to be a Chinese transcription of Tengri. Other deities Umay (The Turkic root originally meant 'placenta, afterbirth') is the goddess of fertility. Erlik ( is a deity associated with the dead and the underworld. According to the Khakas, Erlik resides in a palace in the lowest region of the netherworld. Worship of Erlik is usually frowned upon, After conversion to Islam, Erlik becomes associated with the Şeytan. ==Symbols==

Horse As a result of the Turks' nomadic lifestyle, the horse is also one of the main figures of Turkic mythology; Turks considered the horse an extension of the individual, particularly the male horse. This might have been the origin of the title "at-beyi" (horse-lord). As such, horses have been used in various Turkic rituals, including in funeral rites and burial practices. Turkology researcher Marat Kaldybayev has suggested that "the presence of a horse in funeral rites is one of the ethnocultural markers uniting Turkic cultures, starting from the ancient Turkic time and ending in the late Middle Ages." Dragons The dragon (Ejderha; Evren, also Ebren), also depicted as a snake. In Eastern Turkic myths, the dragon is a symbol of blessing and goodness. Tree The World Tree or Tree of Life is a central symbol in Turkic mythology, and may have its origin in Central Asia. The tree of life connects the upper world, middle world and underworld. It is also imagined as the "white creator lord" (yryn-al-tojon). According to the Altai Turks, human beings are actually descended from trees. According to the Yakuts, Ak Ana sits at the base of the Tree of Life, whose branches reach to the heavens and are occupied by various supernatural creatures which have been born there. Yakut myth thus combines the cosmic tree with a mother goddess into a concept of nourishing and sustaining entity. Deer Among animals, the deer was considered to be the mediator par excellence between the worlds of gods and men; thus at the funeral ceremony the soul of the deceased was accompanied in their journey to the underworld (Tamag) or abode of the ancestors (Uçmag) by the spirit of a deer offered as a funerary sacrifice (or present symbolically in funerary iconography accompanying the physical body) acting as psychopomp. In the Ottoman Empire, and more specifically in western Asia Minor and Thrace the deer cult seems to have been widespread, no doubt as a result of the meeting and mixing of Turkic with local traditions. A famous case is the 13th century holy man Geyiklü Baba (ie. 'father deer'), who lived with his deer in the mountain forests of Bursa and gave hind's milk to a colleague. Material in the Ottoman sources is not scarce but it is rather dispersed and very brief, denying us a clear picture of the rites involved. :In this instance the ancient funerary associations of the deer (literal or physical death) may be seen here to have been given a new (Islamic) slant by their equation with the metaphorical death of fanaa (the Sufi practice of dying-to-self) which leads to spiritual rebirth in the mystic rapture of baqaa. ==Epics==

Grey Wolf legend The wolf symbolizes honor and is also considered the mother of most Turkic peoples. Ashina is the name of one of the ten sons who were given birth to by a mythical wolf in Turkic mythology. The legend tells of a young boy who survived a raid in his village. A she-wolf finds the injured child and nurses him back to health. He subsequently impregnates the wolf which then gives birth to ten half-wolf, half-human boys. One of these, Ashina, becomes their leader and establishes the Ashina clan which ruled the Göktürks (T'u-chueh) and other Turkic nomadic empires. The wolf, pregnant with the boy's offspring, escaped her enemies by crossing the Western Sea to a cave near to the Qocho mountains, one of the cities of the Tocharians. The first Turks subsequently migrated to the Altai regions, where they are known as experts in ironworking. Ergenekon legend The Ergenekon legend tells about a great crisis of the ancient Turks. Following a military defeat, the Turks took refuge in the legendary Ergenekon valley where they were trapped for four centuries. They were finally released when a blacksmith created a passage by melting a mountain, allowing the gray wolf to lead them out. A New Year's ceremony commemorates the legendary ancestral escape from Ergenekon. Korkut Ata stories The Book of Dede Korkut from the 11th century covers twelve legendary stories of the Oghuz Turks, one of the major branches of the Turkic peoples. It originates from the state of Oghuz Yabghu period of the Turks, from when Tengriist elements in the Turkic culture were still predominant. It consists of a prologue and twelve different stories. The legendary story which begins in Central Asia is narrated by a dramatis personae, in most cases by Korkut Ata himself. Korkut Ata heritage (stories, tales, music related to Korkut Ata) represented by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkey was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO in November 2018 as an example of multi-ethnic culture. The Prince and Three demons An Uighur Manichaean text fragment, narrates a story about a prince and three demons. The demons quarrel over three magical items: a cap which turns people invisible, sandals which can bring people to any place they wish, and staff which belongs to the sandals. The demons request the prince to distribute the magical items among the demons. Therefore, he shots three arrows into three different directions and claims that the demon who brings back an arrow first will receive the cap, the second one the staff, and the third will receive the sandals. Once the demons start chasing the arrows, the prince puts on the cap on his head and vanishes with the power of the sandals and the staff. ===Epic of King Gesar in Turkic peoples=== They conclude that the stories of the Gesar cycle were well known in the territory of the Uyghur Khaganate. == Orkhon inscriptions and creation narrative ==

The Old Turkic Orkhon inscriptions tells about Father-Heaven and Mother Earth giving raise to Mankind (child): "When the blue Heaven above and the brown Earth beneath arose, between the twain Mindkind arose." ==See also==