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Totemism of the peoples of Altai origin

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Religion and State in the Altaic World
This chapter is in the book Religion and State in the Altaic World

Abstract

This article is about totemism, the earliest religion of peoples in Eastern Siberia. Animals, plants or natural phenomena can serve as symbols of totems. Totems give protection and prosperity to tribal communities. Totemism is found in primitive hunting and gathering societies since the Paleolithic age. The genesis of cult is related to mythological ideas about the structure of thought. There are no fundamental differences in the perception of the world between different peoples of Altai origin. It is understood that primitive tribal beliefs were connected by genetic continuity. Wolf, deer, mountain goat, bars (leopard) and mother Umai can serve as emblems of totems of the peoples of Altaic origin. Images of totems were portrayed on stones, rocks, cave walls and weapons. Peoples of the Altai still practice ceremonies and beliefs that are based on their belief in kinship with animals.

Abstract

This article is about totemism, the earliest religion of peoples in Eastern Siberia. Animals, plants or natural phenomena can serve as symbols of totems. Totems give protection and prosperity to tribal communities. Totemism is found in primitive hunting and gathering societies since the Paleolithic age. The genesis of cult is related to mythological ideas about the structure of thought. There are no fundamental differences in the perception of the world between different peoples of Altai origin. It is understood that primitive tribal beliefs were connected by genetic continuity. Wolf, deer, mountain goat, bars (leopard) and mother Umai can serve as emblems of totems of the peoples of Altaic origin. Images of totems were portrayed on stones, rocks, cave walls and weapons. Peoples of the Altai still practice ceremonies and beliefs that are based on their belief in kinship with animals.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Material Culture: Shagreen in the Bābur-nāma 1
  5. Polysemy of the Word “Täŋri” 19
  6. Return of State-Supported Buddhist Rituals to Modern Mongolia 29
  7. Disasters — Acts of Heaven? Records of Disasters in the Draft History of Qing 39
  8. Totemism of the peoples of Altai origin 59
  9. From the Sanskrit-Tibetan transliteration system to the Mongolian and the Manchu ali-gali script 65
  10. Moghul Tribal Traditions in Mirza Haydar Dughlat’s Tarikh-i Rashidi 75
  11. Two Primary Accounts on the Sino-Mongolian Negotiation (1449–1450) 93
  12. On the Buddhist Feature of the Uighur Pintung Documents 101
  13. An Old Uyghur text fragment related to the Tocharian B “History of Kuchean kings” 111
  14. Shamanism in the Secret History and the Kojiki 125
  15. Tibetan Buddhism and Nomadic Mongolian Regimes 143
  16. Old Turkic runic inscriptions in the Altai Mountains and their reflection of traditional beliefs and religion of the ancient Turkic population: the case of the inscription Kuttuu-I 153
  17. State and Church in Mongolia, a multidimensional relationship 161
  18. Роль мечетей Кыргызстана в религиозном воспитании молодежи 171
  19. Tengrism in the life of Turkic peoples 177
  20. “Meskhetian Turks”: an analysis of their ethnic self-identification and religion based on a sociolinguistic survey in 2013–2018 183
  21. Polyglot Names of Imperial Horses and Dogs 199
  22. A New Analysis of the Kalbak Taš XV (A-33) Inscription 223
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110730562-005

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Material Culture: Shagreen in the Bābur-nāma 1
  5. Polysemy of the Word “Täŋri” 19
  6. Return of State-Supported Buddhist Rituals to Modern Mongolia 29
  7. Disasters — Acts of Heaven? Records of Disasters in the Draft History of Qing 39
  8. Totemism of the peoples of Altai origin 59
  9. From the Sanskrit-Tibetan transliteration system to the Mongolian and the Manchu ali-gali script 65
  10. Moghul Tribal Traditions in Mirza Haydar Dughlat’s Tarikh-i Rashidi 75
  11. Two Primary Accounts on the Sino-Mongolian Negotiation (1449–1450) 93
  12. On the Buddhist Feature of the Uighur Pintung Documents 101
  13. An Old Uyghur text fragment related to the Tocharian B “History of Kuchean kings” 111
  14. Shamanism in the Secret History and the Kojiki 125
  15. Tibetan Buddhism and Nomadic Mongolian Regimes 143
  16. Old Turkic runic inscriptions in the Altai Mountains and their reflection of traditional beliefs and religion of the ancient Turkic population: the case of the inscription Kuttuu-I 153
  17. State and Church in Mongolia, a multidimensional relationship 161
  18. Роль мечетей Кыргызстана в религиозном воспитании молодежи 171
  19. Tengrism in the life of Turkic peoples 177
  20. “Meskhetian Turks”: an analysis of their ethnic self-identification and religion based on a sociolinguistic survey in 2013–2018 183
  21. Polyglot Names of Imperial Horses and Dogs 199
  22. A New Analysis of the Kalbak Taš XV (A-33) Inscription 223
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