warriors of the steppe in movies, music and art

[hun]

Here's another wolf origin of the ancient Gaoche (sometimes known as Tiele or Dingling) from wikipedia:



The Book of Wei preserved the Gaoche's origin myth.

According to legends, the Xiongnu Chanyu had two daughters, both extremely beautiful. The people of the country all thought them to be spirits. The Chanyu said: "How could I find husbands for my daughters! I am going to give them to Heaven." Thereupon, at a desolate place in the north part of the country, he erected a high platform and placed his two daughters on the top, saying: "Oh Heaven, please come and receive them yourself!" After three years, their mother wanted to bring them back but the Chanyu said: "You may not, their time is not up yet." After another year, there was an old wolf who guarded the platform day and night, howling. It dug a hole underneath the platform and would not leave for a long time. The younger daughter said: "Our father put us here, wanting to give us to Heaven. Now this wolf came here, it is probably a heavenly being, sent by Heaven." She was about to descend and approach the wolf but her elder sister said in horror: "This is a beast! Do not bring disgrace to our parents." The younger sister did not listen to her, she descended and became the wolf's wife and gave birth to children. Later on, they multiplied and formed a state. This is why their people like to sing long-songs with a drawn-out voice, similar to the howling of wolves.

Wikipedia link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiele_people

[hun]

Intriguing look at language of the Khitans, founders of the Liao dynasty (916-1125AD) and probably the linguistic forebears of the Daur Mongols found in North-East China.


Khitan: deciphering China's forgotten Para-Mongolic language

Description:
A steppe empire's undeciphered glyphs are at the verge of recovery. Meet the Khitan language!

[hun]

Nov 12, 2024 0:18:22 GMT -5 kemp said:

The more I look into it, and going from the information presented by sources such as you on this thread, not to mention the links and other material, I'm convinced that the Turks and Mongols did not exist in a cultural vacuum, but have borrowed from each other almost after the Turks first came on the scene in the Altai and Siberian regions, the mingling of people and cultures in South Siberia, so the association of the first Turkic Khaganate with the Epic of Ergenekon makes sense, even if the myth was originally Mongolian before being incorporated by the Turks.

Also interesting is the early Turkic and Iranian interactions, probably starting with the aforementioned first Turkic Khaganate, but perhaps even earlier in Scytho Siberian areas, also in what is now Khazakhstan by way of the Scythian Saka, although early Scythians and Sarmatians had an Indo Aryan/Iranian origin, but that is also true of the Persians.

Scythian Saka Pyramid some 3400 years old. 

Sorry, I missed this post. There is also a Wolf origin for the Wusun (probably Indo-European speakers):


The Folkloric Origin Tale Of Kunmo Liejiaomi

The Wusun were one of several nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples in Asia who were literally pushed around by a powerful nomadic confederation known as the Xiongnu. Shanyu Maodun, leader of the Xiongnu from approximately 209 and 174 BCE, was said to have indirectly caused chaos for the Wusun people by driving a group known as the Yuezhi into Wusun territory near the end of his reign. The then khan, or kunmo, of the Wusun was reportedly named Nandoumi, and he fought back against the Yuezhi incursion into his land. Nandoumi, however, died in battle and the Wusun people had to flee to the Xiongnu for protection. During the retreat, possibly due to politics after the kunmo’s death, Nandoumi’s young son, Liejiaomi, was reportedly left behind to face the wild alone.

Yet—as folkloric origin stories of kingly or heroic figures often go—mother nature and her animals took pity of young Liejiaomi and cared for the abandoned boy during this vulnerable time. Grand Historian Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), citing an explorer who interacted with the Wusun, wrote that Liejiaomi, “then only a baby, was cast out in the wilderness to die. But the birds came and flew over the place where he was, bearing meat in their beaks, and the wolves suckled him, so that he was able to survive” (Shi Ji 123). Living on bird regurgitation and wolf milk, Liejiaomi stayed alive long enough to be rediscovered by the Xiongnu, who were impressed by his survival skills. By this time Shanyu Jizhu was reportedly in power, a position he would have over the Xiongnu from around 174 to 159/158 BCE. As the stories go, Jizhu gave shelter to Liejiaomi and took interest in raising the boy, encouraging his education in the ways of leadership and war.

When Liejiaomi grew to adulthood, he was given a military command and eventually was supported by the shanyu in becoming the next kunmo of the Wusun. In conjunction with the Xiongnu, Kunmo Liejiaomi was able to have his revenge against the Yuezhi, pushing them westward toward the region of modern Uzbekistan, allowing for the Wusun to claim the vacated land left by the Yuezhi. Despite this partnership, Kunmo Liejaomi and the Wusun would eventually be recruited by the expansionist Emperor Wu of Han China (r. 141-87 BCE) to combat the Xiongnu.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Link:
thehistorianshut.com/2020/01/14/the-folkloric-origin-tale-of-kunmo-liejiaomi/

[hun]

Probably the best Youtube channel on the Mongols - The Jackmeister talks about the ancient extant literature of the Mongols:


Medieval Mongolian Writing: How Much Survives?

Description:
This video looks at the history of writing amongst the Mongols and other nomadic peoples, with special focus on the writing of Mongolian during the days of the Mongol Empire. From the pre-Chinggisid inscriptions (Bugut, Khuis Tolgoi, Orkhon) to the adoption of the Uyghur script by Chinggis Khan in 1206, to the evolution of the writing system in the centuries after the Mongol Empire. Here you'll find an overview and introduction to this topic, as well as many suggestions for further reading.