Eggsquisitely Mythical #15: Mongolia
- Wera Niyom
- Apr 1
- 8 min read
Hello, fellow eggs and mythology lovers!
For our next Eggsquisitely Mythical issue, we are doing a deep dive on the legends of Mongolia.
BACKGROUND
Mongolia is a country in East Asia that shares its northern border with Russia and its southern border with China. It is called a landlocked country because its territory doesn't connect to a body of water. With a population of 3.3 million people, it is the largest landlocked country that doesn't border a closed sea. The capital and largest city of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar, where it is home to half of the country's population. The national language is Mongolian.
DEITIES
Before we begin, it should be noted that Mongolian and Turkic mythology share many of the same gods and beliefs as Mongolian ancestry traces to Central Asia.
Tengri is considered the greatest god in the Mongolian pantheon. He is the god who created all, the father to all, leader of the gods, the skies, and the bringer of death. Mongolian rulers believed they were sons of Tengri because he allowed them to rule. One of Tengri's forms is Daichi Tengri, the red god of war. Soldiers would offer sacrifices to Daichi to gain his favor ahead of battle.
Erlik Khan is the god of death and the underworld. He is often represented by a totemic bear, but has also been described as having a human body and a pig's face. He participated in the creation of mankind, but his pride led him to banishment to the underworld. It is said that when sickness appears in a village, he must be given sacrifices humbly as he is often the cause of that sickness.
Bai-Ülgen or Ülgen is a creator god who is sometimes seen as the same being as Tengri. He represents goodness and abundance, an opposite to Erlik. He is also considered the patron of the shamans and protector of humanity.
Atugan / Etugen / Ötüken is the virgin earth goddess who is considered the source of all life. It is said that one can determine her mood by observing the condition of trees. If they were healthy and bore fruit, she was pleased with humans and wouldn't punish them. If they were dying, one could expect to receive her wrath.
Od / Od Iyesi / Od Ana is the goddess of fire. She is often referred to as the 'queen of fire' or the 'fire mother' because she was born during the creation of the world, when the sky was separated from the earth.
Od Khan / Od Ata is the male form of Od, who is often depicted as a red-colored man riding a goat.
Tung-ak is the patron god of Mongolian tribal chiefs.
Manzasiri Kalmyk is a primaeval god whose body formed either the Mongolian people, or the Mongol lands.
Indra is the god of sun and light.
MYTHICAL CREATURES, GHOSTS, & SPIRITS
Ajarai Buhe is the spirit of the Lena River. People make offerings to her for blessings and protection.
Almas are believed by some to be hairy and huge demons, similar to the Yeti or Bigfoot, while others think it's a witch with only one leg, one hand, and one eye.
Barisaa is a powerful prayer tree brings peace and reduces violence by calming people and giving them peaceful thoughts. The Barisaa could also give people inspiration. Barisaa come into being when shamans perform the ariulga, a ritual to cleanse the tree and people of evil spirits.
Bayan Ahaa / Bayan Hangai is a spirit who rules over the forest, and whom the hunters pray to for success. People are careful not to throw things into the woods as this might insult the Bayan Ahaa and cause him to curse the person.
Burkhan is a powerful spirit which most shamans can't control but can be negotiated with to leave people alone when they cause illness.
Chotgor are spirits that cause illness. Some are spirits of the dead who couldn't find their way to the underworld.
Endur are spirits of the sky, who are considered the strongest of all spirits.
Gazriin Ezen are spirits of a place, which include mountains, water, rocks, villages, buildings, nations, trees, and so on. Many were once souls of humans. For most, they don't remember ever being human.
Golomt Eej is the spirit of fire.
Loon is a spirit of water and sky, who are believed to be the mediators between worlds.
Suld / Usen Fayenga is an ancestral spirit that protects their descendants. They typically live in natural places like trees, springs, and rocks.
Usan Khan / Uha Loson is a spirit of the lord of the water.
LEGENDARY STORIES
Namjil and the Morin Khuur
This tale revolves around one of Mongolia's most beautiful and well-loved instrument, the Morin Khuur.
There once was a young horse herder who entered the Mongolian army. There, they discovered he could sing so beautifully that they named him Namjil the Cuckoo and ensured his only duty was to create music in order to soothe the spirits. After some time of doing only this task, Namjil missed the horses and asked his commander if he could take care of the horses of the troops. The commander gave him permission.
One day, he meets a beautiful woman who asked who to play for her and her family. He agreed to it, having been enchanted by her beauty. They fell in love and spent their days happily making music. However, one day, Namjil had to return to his home and wife. The woman gifted him with a flying horse so that he could return to the woman he fell in love with every night. She gave him instructions, telling him he needed to stop a little before reaching his village and walk the horse the rest of the way, so it could tuck its wings away from prying eyes.
This arrangement worked for a long time, but eventually, his wife became jealous and confused about why her husband kept disappearing every night. One night came and Namjil was in so much of a hurry that he flew his horse right into the village, which his wife saw. In a fit of jealous rage, she ran out and cut the horse's wings off, leading it to bleed out and die.
Devastated by the loss of his horse and the woman he loved dearly, he made the first Morin Khuur from the horse's hair, skin, and bones and carved its face into the headpiece. With it, he played mournful songs, lamenting the loss of love.
The Central Asian Epic of King Gesar
When the world was created, violent spirits were also born. These evils ran rampant, leading the gods to believe that a divine hero must be born in order to save the earth. This divine hero is a child that is born into the world to a human couple. Overtime, people come to fear his superhuman strength and fearless nature, which lead him and his mother getting kicked out of the kingdom. For years, they live in the wilderness.
One day, there is a horse race to determine who will marry the princess and take the throne, so this divine hero wins and assumes the title of 'Gesar' and the throne, with the princess by his side as his wife. His campaign is against a demon king, whose wife placed him under a spell. This spell makes him lose his memory for six years, so when he finally returns home, his wife has fallen in love with the enemy. The epic of Gesar leads him to different lands, fighting his foes across the earth. Some of his adventures lead him to hell, but at the age of eighty, he considers his mission completed and returns to the heavenly realm.
The Epic of Jangar
Before Jangar’s Birth
The Epic of Jangar is a Mongolian oral epic told up to one hundred chapters. Most storytellers, recited by traditional Jangarchi, tell the story within twenty-five chapters.
The story follows a hero child’s, Jangar, journey. It begins with Jangar’s great great grandfather, who established the city of Bomba as the people’s khan. It was a land of paradise. His son, Jangar’s father (Ujung Aldar), who came from a long line of khans, decided to marry a woman from a neighboring tribe. For two years, they tried to have a baby, but were unable. They visited a herder who had nineteen kids to ask him for his secrets. The herder passed along his secrets and Jangar’s father was desperate to have a son so they decided to try out the herder’s methods. The suggestion worked and his wife became pregnant with their first child.
The Birth of Jangar
When the baby was born, they are horrified to see a grotesque red sack instead of a healthy baby. The father ordered for it to be destroyed, but before they carried out the task, a baby’s wails stopped them. They discovered the baby was trapped and suffocating inside the sack. They cut into it to use a special jade sword (normal swords were unable to penetrate the tough exterior of the sack) and the baby comes out healthy.
The Invasion of Bomba
When a devil known as Guljin attacked the city of Bomba with 10,000 troops on black horses, they quickly defeated Ujung Aldar’s soldiers. To protect his son, Ujung Aldar placed a stone of white jade in his mouth and sent him off with a trustworthy servant to hide in the forests. Ujung Aldar and his wife are killed, allowing Guljin to take the throne. The servant left the baby in a cave and returned to his master, only to see all the bloodshed. In an attempt to avenge his master, he is killed, leaving the baby all alone.
Jangar’s Life in the Forest
The baby sucked on the white jade to calm his hunger and fear, but he soon cried. A hunter found him and decided to take him to raise him, giving him the name Jangar. Jangar loved his new name and declared he would become master of the world, frightening the hunter. The hunter second guessed adopting Jangar. He decided to only bring food and water, leaving him to live in the forest.
Despite the rejection, Jangar crawled into his cave and let out a ferocious roar, making all the nearby animals curious of his presence. They soon become interested with the small baby. As Jangar grew, he learned how to run with the antelopes, roar with the tigers, and forage for fruit with the deer. For two years, he lived in the wild amongst his animal friends, until an old man found him sitting under a tree. The man explained what happened to his parents, deciding to train him in magic and martial arts. Jangar woke up and realized it was all a dream, and yet, he now possessed the ability to uproot trees and destroy giant boulders.
Return to Bomba
At the age of three, Jangar returned to Bomba to reclaim the throne. Fighting his way through the palace, he came face to face with the devil who killed his parents. Without hesitation, he killed the devil. He ascended to the roof, calling for his people to return and they all return from where they fled to and hid during the invasion to quickly rebuild a new prosperous nation.
This isn’t the end of Jangar’s story as he continues defeating enemies of all sizes and strength, despite being so young.
That concludes today's discussion about Mongolian myths and legends! We hoped you enjoyed learning about them and understand how these important stories shape Mongolia and the people's beliefs today.
Check out these other articles written by former team members:
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