Қазақстан республикасы білім жəне ғылым министрлігі ғылым комитеті ш. Ш. УƏлиханов атындағы тарих жəне этнология институты

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KAPEKOVA G.A.

Doctor of historical sciences, Professor

Department of “Kazakhstan’sUnion of Scientists” Almati region (Almaty, Kazakhstan)

NESSIPBAEVA K.R.

Doctor of historical sciences, Professor

Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University

(Almaty, Kazakhstan)

THE MYSTERIES OF AN ORNAMENT

There are a variety of concepts, one needs to interpret the value and importance of an ornament in daily life. 

This is a special area of interpretation that is often difficult to understand within a single field, such as that of 

the arts. In order to define of the necessary “concepts” needed to fully appreciate the aesthetic and every day 

value of an ornament or decorative motif, it is necessary to apply an historical perspective. How did a particular 

motif originate in the material culture of the Kazakhs, and what were the main philosophical and world views 

that inspired craftsmen and master artists to employ a motif. In the case of Kazakh arts and crafts, one must 

consider at the foundation of this rich tradition, the ideas of nature, space, and magic. Only those master 

craftsmen who had a particular type of knowledge, could execute these motifs. Such knowledge served as tools 

or reference points for the production of such ornaments, demanding skills, both theoretical and practical. For 

those of us who wish to interpret the symbolic importance of a Kazakh ornament, we also must adopt those 

concepts used by the original craftsmen. 

At the heart of ornamental art, we must aspire to learn secret of world around the creation of such objects, 

and the reflection of cultural symbols in these objects. 

The main explanation for the origins of art in general and for ornaments and decorative arts, in particular, 

starts with a knowledge of aesthetic beauty, and its pleasurable sensations, inherent in the person – a type of 

hedonism, and the desire to create an original work of art.. 

One perspective on recognizing the origin of an ornamental motif is derived from biological theory. Human 

nature and cognition has evolved so as to aspire to ideals of beauty and harmony.. The instinctive feeling of 

symmetry , appreciated by humankind, became a basis for the creation of the objects with a sense of correct 

proportions. In woven objects or in the use of ceramic design, the craftsman employs the rhythmic repetition of 

similar elements, as the earliest examples of ornamental art. Further, according to this theory, the evolution of 

a decorative motif, then follows the imitation of natural forms such as animals and plants, and then the natural 

phenomena.

The ancient person aspired to reach the depth of the essence of natural processes. Therefore the ideas of 

harmonious balance were formed. The knowledge of world began with human control over various natural 

phenomena. Such control or command over the elements was first carried out by the five senses, by which 

a sensual perception of reality was formed. The artist or craftsmen lived in the mundane world and accepted 

the nature of such a world, with emotional feelings. And only then, in evolution of human society and its 

accumulation of knowledge, emerges a certain world view– a general concept about the universe: Sun, Solar 

system, the movement of planets. Humans not only perceived such natural phenomena, but attempted to 

realize and reproduce them in their consciousness, and produced such materials in drawings, in crafts and the 

production of everyday objects. A certain complex of motifs and symbols may be considered universal to all 

humans. Such motifs however, take on the creativity of different cultures and historical traditions, although 

they all have a universal origin. 

At the heart of a ‘natural’ understanding of humankind the foundation of their perception and judgment, is 

guided by the phenomenon of life itself, and its relationship to surrounding natural elements. They represented 

the closest aspects of life itself: a circle – the sun; a cross – four parts of the world, four elements: autumn, 

spring, summer, winter; a square – the earth; a triangle — mountains; a spiral — development, movement, a 

family; the house – or the motif of a world tree. Perhaps in the very beginning of this creative impulse, these 

images (ornaments) did not possess formal decorative qualities, since they could have remained hidden from 

the eyes of others, placed on the bottoms of pots, the backs of crafted objects, and on secret amulets. These 

symbol represent a distillation of knowledge, a conventional sign for known phenomenon, idea or a request put 

forth through its execution. In turn these conventional signs became an essential element of many crafts. These 

signs were incorporated into the whole ornament, and were elaborated upon in more complex compositions. 

One universal sign complex is represented by the World tree. It symbolizes spatial structure of the world. 

The threefold vertical partitioning of the tree (its roots, trunk, and branches) reflects a universal picture of 

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organized space, a figurative model- trigrammy. The underground world represented by the roots – at the 

bottom, water; the middle or the trunk– land or earth; and the top – sky. The horizontal structure of space, was 

represented by a circle or a square with four sections: the right-left; the forward-back; North-South; West-East; 

four gods; four mythological heroes. The existence of the World tree as a key symbol, can be found in texts 

and iconographic representations among various people of Eurasia.

As the symbol of for the elements of the earth and the material world the expression of ancient people 

the square, a cross, a swastika was often used. With these symbols connected magic of number four: seasons 

– winter - spring – summer - autumn, time (days) – a dawn, day, a decline, night. 

The cross – a symbol derived from two lines crossed at a right angle, was another universal symbol. At the 

point of intersection of these lines – there is an absolute zero. According to ancient beliefs the number zero, 

stands for infinity, eternity, movement, and the beginning of all beginnings.

«The movement making a motionless point 0, it is possible to call rotation round a point 0 …». Thus, 

according to G. Veylya, as presented in his work “Symmetry”, zero represents its own and as well as reflected 

rotations. The simplest type of movement are rotational transitions. All these movements form groups of 

automorphisms - automatic replacement which can be designated by the corresponding symbols. So, if in our 

group of symmetry there is a rotary movement and corners of all the rotations are found around a central point 

we call zero, or a single or multiple pole of the axis. This is thus the symbol of symmetrical rotations. So, 

the swastika (fylfot), the four branches can be designated a symbol of the number 4. In ornaments with axial 

symmetry (rotary movement), two combinations of figures at a complete revolution revolve round a central 

axis. All variations of a 5-shaped figure, a chief representation are reminiscent of the symbol of the yin-yang 

(Chinese symbol?). This figure is associated with the unstable balance of forces or masses. In such cases, 

where the axes are greater than two around a central point, these figures can form vertical rosettes (sockets), or 

swastika-like (fylfot) signs. All perfectly express a rotary motion.

The mirror reflection found on a symmetrical plane — shows also a kind of transference of the original 

rotation — or a reflection of a combination of rotations — along a single plane. This type of symmetry is 

characterized by one axis and the planes which were intersected are designated by a single symbol. Often all 

types of sockets or rosettes repeated, or contained as a series of concentric circles represent an original notion 

of rotation. Usually figures that use different intersecting planes of symmetry are quiet, static.

After the period of “Early Nomads,” the cross-shaped motive becomes complicated by the addition on the 

ends of a cross, shamrocks, palmettes, (keroid) horny curls, spirals, and thick diamond-shaped motifs. From the 

Turkic time to the present, the cross ornamentation with horns or plant or flower motifs becomes the favourite 

style in steppe ornamental art. The model of the world specifying four directions, four parts of the world (this 

subject was especially characteristic for sirmak), and in the center of the model, a fifth element — a vertical 

axis was most likely present. Probably, this vertical axis had a sacral or ritual importance, one that could have 

embedded the importance of a figure such as the tsar or the shaman.. Only in such ritual context the sense of 

the modern name of a covering carpet — sirmak — the events from ancient Turkic culture — koshma for the 

rise of a given ruler, that is a choice of the khan, or from east Turkic and Mongolian — a throne might be 

represented as the vertical element. Thus at the center of a universe, the most powerful and best of humankind 

was placed the khan, kagan, the tsar. 

Throughout the millennia, the world view of many cultures was infused with an understanding of the 

heavenly beginning of humankind, which was often associated with a circle seen in all ancient religions. The 

heavenly arch of stars is often seen as infinity where all stars are equally removed from the center. In the 

center of the sphere, the Sun represents a zenith which radiates light and allows to all of natural life to exist 

on Earth. Through this contemplation of the heavenly star arch, there was a reflection of solar signs in human 

consciousness often expressed in solar ornaments, one of which is the swastika. This is one of the earliest 

symbols. During ancient and medieval periods of history, the swastika was characterized as a beneficial sign. 

This solar ornament connected with movement and power of “sun”. This representation can be found in the 

Buddhist doctrine as a sense of «eternal rotation of the world».

The swastika was considered as a symbol of good fortune, associated with ideas of wellbeing and the fertility 

of the earth. In ancient Chinese manuscripts, the concept “country” and homeland” area” were represented by a 

form of swastika -- often associated with the notion that Chinese desired the safe development of the state. 

Today the concepts of the ancient are forgotten since the person of the XXI century owns or uses electricity, 

an iPod, a car, or can contemplate space travel, all would seem alien to the ancestors. However, the foundations 

of our knowledge originated thousands of earlier. At that time learned ancient people knew that the basis of all 

“matter” was the atom.« Surrounding all of us, - as confirmed by Plato, - were atoms and emptiness, a various 

combination of atoms and emptiness, as represented by a stone, water, a plant and the person …». Egyptians 

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calculated distances to the moon and stars, exactly at that time there were such sciences as mathematics, 

philosophy, physics. Two thousand five hundered years ago philosopher Cronus spoke about “communism” 

and Aristotle offered five forms of democracy. The people of the Maya created a calendar till December, 

2012, when the world should end … Then there were main concepts: morals, rights, economic advantage, and 

beauty. The understand of moral deviance such as: treachery, meanness, infidelity, injustice, envy – continued 

to hold importance as they did in their initial expressions.« … The person lives in passions and thanks to them 

ennobles themselves», - Socrates spoke. And even the clothes which we carry are invented not by us. The 

modern person, generally, created nothing new, it only alters and adapts …

Already the earliest, dated second millennium BC decorative motifs consisted of difficult dynamic patterns 

that speak a language using concepts of harmony and a cosmogonic world view. The sign of the yin/yang 

belongs to such patterns - the circle divided by a spiral that means a unification of male and female principles. 

This sign of the yin/yang became the basis for Daoism -- the Chinese philosophical doctrine about morals 

– The way. This idea was probably brought to the Eurasian steppes through trade networks.

Along the Silk route in all directions and on innumerable branches and routes, travelers – people came to 

acquire knowledge of the world and other cultures, religions, and traditions [1]. Travel demanded geographical 

knowledge and broadened the horizons of people. «Travel relieves prejudices», as goes the old saying. Some of 

the wanderings to the east were considered as charitable business, and expansion of the geographical horizons 

– as a pious act. Wanderers always flooded roads, and «life in a way» was represented by an ascension to God. 

In Europe the Christ set an example to pilgrims looking for to sanctity: «All wandering without discrimination 

are accepted, precisely Christ» for he said: «I was a wanderer, and you accepted me …» Islam ordered to 

people to be “hospitable” to the strangers carrying a good reputation: not to lock a door before merchants and 

dervishes. Travel were encouraged in the Koran as a way to comprehend the beauty of the world, means of 

self-knowledge and an exchange of cultures.

Poet Sabir Termezi wrote:

Only in wanderings we learn –

We, as in prison, are grounded in the house:

While the pearls are concealed in a sink,

To it we truly won’t find the price. 

«In Traveling, you please your heart, you take benefits, you see different wonders, you hear about miracles, 

you examine the cities, you see fine architecture, you list the covered domes, you talk to friends, you expand 

education and knowledge, you multiply wealth and a condition, you get acquainted with people and you push 

luck», - so wrote and so there lived “” poet Muslikhiddin Saadi from Shiraz at the end of the XIII century 

(1292). He spent 30 years studying of sciences, 30 years on travel and 30 years, having chosen a way «the 

husband of truth», on reflections, contemplation and creativity.

Thanks to ambassadors, travelers and missionaries, geographers and wanderers there were district 

descriptions, maps, historical layers toponimos (from Greek topos – a place and onima – a name, the 

name), among which gidronimies (names of the rivers, lakes and the seas), oronims (from Greek oros – the 

mountain), oikonimies (from Greek оikos – the house, the dwelling) are now known. Such districts as Zhetysu 

– Semirechye, Lake Balkhash, tops of Zailiysky Ala Tau, probably, were known, according to researchers, 

already from the ancient text of “Avesta’” the book of Zoroastrianism, dating back to I thousand B.C.: it 

“hafta-sind” - «seven rivers» (Zhetysu), «Varukash’s wide sea» (Lake Balkhash), «The world mountain Tyra-

Jara» - top of Zailiysky Ala Tau – Talgar. Chinese, Anceint Turks, Arab, Persian, Armenian, Syrian authors 

call toponimos which lived about the present days: Mount Tien Shan; rivers Or, Choo, Talas; the cities of 

Talkhirs, Almaty, Talas – Taraz, Asbara – Aspara, Worlds – the Measure, Saylan – to Sauries, Shymkent, 

Turkestan and many other.« The great Silk Route» is the name of transcontinental overland caravan trade in the 

ancient times and during the Middle Ages, existed more than twenty centuries. It started to function, from the 

capital of China to the Roman Empire, in the second century B.C., the extent made it more than one hundred 

thousand kilometers. In the VI-V centuries B.C. the Chinese silk began exported to other countries, including 

to the west. A silk burial shroud with the phoenixes embroidered on it was found at the excavation of Pazyryk’s 

“imperial” barrows on Altai, dating to the V century B.C. Silk fabrics and a fringe hemmed to products from 

wool, are found in burials of the VI-V centuries B.C. in regions of the Southern and Western Europe [2]. In 

Zhetysu, at some ancient settlements were found the remains of silk fabrics. Nomadic tribes of Wusun and the 

Scythians promoted the trade of exotic goods to Central Asia and the Mediterranean participated in distribution 

of precious Chinese silks.

Silk arrived in India, known by the word “sinapatto” - «the Chinese silk» testifies, met in the treatise 

“Artkhashastra” («A policy science»), written in the IV century B.C. The extent of the Great Silk route covered 

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about 7000 km, and to travel from one end to the other required a three year caravan trek. Branches of the Great 

Silk way changed eventually the direction and the name, disappearing, appearing again, depending on climatic 

conditions, the market conditions on the goods, and safety conditions of trading caravans along the route. The 

movement of Central Asian nomads to the west has been established for the historical record - in the Scythians 

occupied vast areas from the 8

th

 century BC through the 2

nd

 century BC, the Huns at the beginning of the 

Christian Era, Turkic groups in the 6

th

 to 7

th

 centuries AD, and then in the 13

th

 century, Tatar-Mongol groups. 

Great empires and the small states, nomads and farmers landowners and diplomats, commanders and scouts, 

dealers and missionaries - all of them tried to establish the control over any part of the route. The conquerors 

constructed caravanserais, decorating them finely, built fortresses, kept military garrisons, created alliances 

among different groups, and helped spread religious traditions. Along the Silk Route, there was the mixing of 

peoples, cultures, artistic traditions, and crafts, either from east to west, or vice versa. 

Ornaments, already incorporated the use of linear designs, both horizontally and vertically rendered. 

These lines are based on energy principles: active and passive. The vertical line represents identity of ideas, 

a suggestion of the harmony of the sky and the earth. Still this sign is proves an ability to resist and fight The 

horizontal line is an imagined line of contact of the sky and the earth, a passive principle. In such condition , a 

person lies, resting, or animals stay subdued. 

The triangle 

 

 is a symbol of mountains. This sign - a triangle on a square means the house, and 

dressing chapan and the baseline a cue, we symbolically declare: «You are host». The triangle can be shown 

in various directions, depending on its semantic value changes. The triangle directed edge up, symbolizes a 

spirit ascension from matter, and, on the contrary, the triangle directed edge downward symbolizes a spirit 

descending into matter. The periodic alternation of similar elements – one a well recognized aspect of the 

Kazakh ornamentation, was more often used on cloth, a houseware object, house furniture. This could symbolize 

the idea that “We are hosts, and that we in the house will have a good fortune. “ 

Since ancient times amulets – Tumarsha, worn around the neck, protect a person from damage, malefaisance 

or trouble. We believe in the unusual properties of an amulet. Tumarsha — an amulet that has a triangle form. 

Subsequently jewelers made silver in the form of a triangle which was attached to a thin chain. For a number 

of amulets-oberegov carried also the conditional image of the four parts of the world «a demon tanba» - five 

signs, and a fifth element – the sky.

One of the methods for protecting oneself against evil ghosts was Tumar - a talisman. The best way to do 

so was with Tumar elbow bones, that protected one from wolves and thieves. The wolf paw protected from 

evil and rheumatism. In order to protect against malevolent ghosts - the head, feathers and feet of an eagle owl 

was used And to protect against both gossips and evil ghosts, stones known as “ishek-tas” worked as protective 

aids. 

The spiral is a symbol of the development of increasing forces which express movement. It has two aspect 

: the left as knowledge; and right as strength. 

«Koshkar muiz» (sheep horn) 

The Kazakh ornament «Koshkar muiz» has both elements of strength and movement. «Koshkar muiz» is 

found in various compositions, that will determine its message or meaning. If a composition depicts a running 

wave, it may stand for a wind rustling across the steppe, or huge herds are grazed on dzhailiu. 

In spatial composition (a yurta, the mausoleum) the pattern text on a dome symbolizes heavenly level.

In the ancient time the Kazakh master craftsmen never used cliches, and instead created original ornamental 

compositions by hand. The discrepancies arising from these compositions and occasional violations of strict 

symmetry gave to their works vivacity and an organic character, inherent in the real world. Color contrasts 

were used in a discriminating manner. The color white was never contrasted with the color black. The 

conscious use of shaking of absolute symmetry was not the ultimate goal. Instead there was a consecutive 

method of creation closely connected with elements that violated symmetry and even consciously employed 

non-symmetry. As biologists have also shown, at the morphological level, the size of symmetry of organisms 

during evolution tends to decrease, and at macrolevels— a non symmetry occurs,— demonstrating a process 

towards the violation of symmetrical elements. Thus, the dissymmetry found in the design of an ornament may 

be an accurate reflection of the natural properties inherent in wildlife. 

Among objects of worship forces of nature - fire, a wind, water, tops of mountains were main. Trees 

and animals were idolized: «there is no number to rocks, animals ancestors, figures and other receptacles of 

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soul connected with invisible kind or malicious forces; by means of a prayer, cult ceremonies and spells it is 

possible to call kind and to banish evil ghosts». The Chinese sources report that «... they above all hold sacred 

fire, esteem air and water, sing the anthem to the earth; worship only to the one who created the sky and the 

earth, and call him God Tengri».

The Persian historian al-Gardizi (the XI century) reports that people living at the rivers, render respect 

to the river, esteem her, worship to it and speak:« the river - God of the person». Were esteemed not only 

the rivers, but also springs (especially in desert zones) and if at water the tree or a bush grows, “sanctity” of 

a source increases even more. Skulls of sacrificial animals were found in springs - архара, a deer, and on a 

branch of trees ribbons which personify the appeal to spirits (Aruakh) became attached. It is considered that 

if in a ribbon to wrap a coin or a slice курта, and the traveler having a rest at the river, will untie a ribbon, the 

desire will be executed, it is possible to stick simply a rag with a wish, dream. This pagan tradition lives the 

millennia, and today it is possible to meet at the river, at a stream a tree, with ribbons on branches. Widespread 

fire cult was same. These pagan traditions in childhood of the world existed in various forms at all people of 

the Earth, and many remained and until now. The fact of such distribution is reflected in papyruses of ancient 

Egypt (the II millennium BC) in texts of homeric “Illiada” (the I millennium BC) where bodies of the lost 

heroes of Trojan war were set fire. To a fire the body of Macedonian tsar Philippe - the father the well-known 

Alexander (330 BC) was betrayed; at the Roman forum Guy Julius Caesar’s killed by conspirators body (44 

years BC) was burned. The Arab chronicler ibn-Fadlan watched legend ceremony to fire of the died notable 

Russian merchant (the IX century). There was a ceremony of a ptomaine burning –truposozheniye - and at 

ancient tyrants of Kazakhstan. 

Head of a tribe quite often was a priest. About it eloquently tell the Arab sources, for example, Shakhib 

al-Harrani (the VIII century) wrote: «The tsar of Turkic peoples Hakan (has) a certain day in which light for 

it huge fire fire. The tsar speaks over fire, prophesying. He looks at fire, then raises the wet face from fire. If 

the person of green color, points it to fertility and good, red – on pro-lithium of blood, white – a crop failure, 

yellow – an illness, the person of black color specifies to death».

At the tataro-Mongolian tribes the spirit of fire of Ut (or Ot) was especially esteemed, and in practice of an 

everyday life a ban was executed with special severity: it was impossible to concern some fire with a knife or 

to take a knife meat from a copper, to cut with an axe near a fire.

Sources, and including Russian, report the following (The Rostov chronicle of the XIII century): «Ruled 

to the magicians (shamans) to put two fires and to lead princes of Russian and their boyars through fire and 

bow to a bush both their idols and fire» [3]. So passed a clarification ceremony. The Ipatyevsky chronicle 

reports that on September 20, 1246 in a rate of the khan of the Golden Horde Batyya «were executed the Cue 

and the Chernigov voivode Mikhail Vsevolodovich and his boyar Feodor» for refusal to undergo procedure of 

clarification by fire. All ambassadors of the overseas states were obliged to execute a clarification ceremony 

if they wanted to get on reception to the Great khan. Such procedure there passed in 568 the ambassador of 

Byzantium the Zemarkh directed to Turkic kagan. The Byzantian historian Menandr wrote: «People of a Turkic 

tribe had ability to drive away misfortune. They came to Zemarkh, took the things, which Romans carried with 

themselves, combined them together, and around dissolved a fire from boughs of a tree of Lebanon, whispered 

barbarous words in Scythian language. The branch cracked from fire and released things from the evil. They 

led the Zemarkh through a flame, thereby they cleared themselves of misfortune which it could bring». In «A 

gold branch» J. Freser also writes about the same ritual.

In the ancient time Kazakhs had also such custom (which it is observed and on nowadays): in the spring, 

coming back from wintering, flocks of sheep carried out between fires, considering that animals are released 

from everyone are nasty. If someone the lightning kills, that, on beliefs, and living with died people should 

pass clarification by fire. 

From the most ancient times there is a custom: the bride, entering into the house, threw into fire mutton 

fat. The mother-in-law heated up a palm on fire and drove them on a face of the bride. Fire were treated. From 

seven parts of a body of cattle pieces were taken out, heated up and put to a sore point. Oil and steam warmings 

up were applied. For clarification of the dwelling use a smoke from a grass - adraspan (clearing home).

There was also other pagan ban: it is impossible to lean on a lash which drive a horse, to beat horses a bridle, 

to break a bone about a bone, to spill on the earth milk or other liquid food, it is impossible to attack a yurta 

threshold - for these violations strict punishments followed. If who mortally fell ill, before an entrance in its 

yurta stuck to the earth a spear which staff wound with a black tape. When the notable person died, together 

with it in a sepulchral hole put the dishes full of meat and milk, buried a mare with a foal, a horse with a bridle 

and a saddle and other things of the dead, including - it is a lot of gold and silver. Then buried a hole, and from 

above put a grass that it was impossible to find this place. As a rule, on burial banished herd of horses. It is so 

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hidden buried only very notable and rich to complicate a grave robbery. For this reason archeologists can’t find 

burial of outstanding Turkic leaders (there is an opinion that Chingizkhan and Kenesara Kasymov’s rebellious 

khan so was buried)

Shamanizm. An evil ghost – albasty, kind – sari ene. Was considered that if the woman in the evening or 

at night goes one, in it can be installed albasty. Sorel (wood goblin) is presented in many rock paintings. It is 

represented in scenes of fight by the tall man with long legs in an environment of people. Gin is the devilish 

spirit of uncertain age having both a man’s and female appearance.

The shaman (baksy) was the central figure in a number of pagan cults. Literally it is the “raised” person 

being in a condition of obsession. People believed that with the help «spirits heavenly» the shaman can prevent 

epidemic, cause a rain, remove damage, cure of an illness, foresee the future. 

Men were shamans more often. The main ritual subject of the shaman was kobiz – a bow instrument with two 

strings from a horsehair which in folk beliefs was allocated with wonderful properties. Some shamans forbade 

strangers to touch the tool. The staff (the expert, the expert - concealing қ) with iron rings and suspension 

brackets on the top part was other attribute baksy. From the second half of the XIX century the lash and a 

knife were used as ceremonial attributes. Shamansky ceremonies assumed communication бақсы with spirits 

therefore appeals of spirits began. To frighten and banish the spirits which have caused an illness, бақсы 

swung knifes, beat patients with a lash. The belief of patients in effectiveness of ceremonies promoted fight 

of an organism against an illness.

Different activity of sorcerers, gadatel, sorcerers, doctors were combined with shamansky practice also. 

Treatment was based on action of herbs, diets, heat, massage and some ceremonies based on magiko-animistic 

beliefs. These ceremonies protected from harmful forces, providing health, strong posterity, prosperity and the 

world in a family. The recover of the patient with spinning round it was widely widespread. Spinning round 

the patient the shaman took an illness up. Not without reason Kazakhs have a caressing expression «ainalin» 

(darling, I will bypass you, being turned round you, I will assume your problems). C.Valikhanov wrote that «is 

in the olden days frequent, philoprogenitive fathers ran with a belt on a neck round a yurta where the sick son 

lay, offering the sky of instead of the patient». 

Religious representations were extremely motley: totemizm, cult of ancestors and others. In art nomads an 

animal or a plant - the patron of a sort - was an one of totems

The sacred ram — an ancient symbol of good fortune and vital energy — is peculiar to many cultures 

from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Its cult was widespread both among ancient Iranian, and 

among ancient Turkic tribes. The ram was considered as the purest being possessing the heavenly, solar nature, 

personified power and force of the power. The ram was one of main totems. Not casually the image of a ram 

which is esteemed and carefully protected, received reflection in stone sculptures in mountains Torbagataya, 

on Mangyshlak, in the Central Kazakhstan), on handles of ceramic ware of juice - monuments of the Kelessky 

steppe, etc.

Images of a ram and relatives to it wild animals — archar (a mountain ram) and the Siberian goat (tauteke), 

are the most widespread subjects in ancient East art, since an era of a neolith and finishing the late Middle Ages. 

In shape of a sacred ram Ancient Egyptian god Amon and the Indian god Indra acted. Even Zeus, according 

to Lukian, had mutton horns on some images. In burial Kudyrge (Altai) was found a stone boulder with the 

image of the woman with the child and three horseback riders. Interest represents of three-horn headdress of 

the woman which associates with custom of worship ancestors of their tombs. Consider that this headdress 

resembles Kyultegin’s wreath. The image archar can be seen on the press of khans Turkic kagan. 

Tengrianstvo. Long before emergence of religion, in the Turkic tribes living in various parts of Asia, there 

was a belief in “ Көк Tengri” and «Tengri’s Fat» (A nature of the Sky and Earth Nature). A sky cult – Tengri 

at the heart of whom the spiritualizing of forces of nature lay. Helpless before forces of nature and behind 

each natural phenomenon to people manifestation of unknown “spirit” saw. On views of ancient tyrants, their 

welfare depended from sky. They worshipped to Tengri, asked a good harvest and wellbeing. Was considered 

that Tengri’s strength is shown in a lightning and on fire. Ibn-Fadlan says that if «happens with it (the nomad. 

- an edition) any business unpleasant to it, he lifts head to the sky and also tells the «bir tengry», and it on 

Turkic means «one god»». [4] Along with it honoring of heavenly bodies, worship the sun, the moon, stars, 

water and the earth is noted. According to this theory in national creativity found reflection of their idea of the 

world structure, connected with ritual ceremonies and ancient mythology. 

Unlike the religions created by prophets and their followers, the tengrianstvo (tengry Young) arose a natural 

historical way on the basis of the national outlook connected with the relation of the person to the surrounding 

nature and its forces majeure. For the Turkic peoples wandering in wide steppes of Asia, the sky, mountains, 

hills, the rivers, trees were sacred. Tengriansky ceremonies were executed at tops of mountains, on coast of 

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the rivers, under sacred trees for Turkic peoples, a beech wood, a juniper ordinary. Used камами musical 

instruments – the drum, a tambourine, kobiz (kubiz, gopuz), were made of wood of sacred trees and skin of 

sacrificial animals. Nomads, despite a numerous ban of Moslem doctrine, carried by many beliefs and customs, 

for example, equality of the husband and the wife, sanctity of a home and a threshold, sanctity of mountain 

tops as they considered that is closer than top of mountains to Cook Tengri. In similar sacred places in certain 

seasons sacrificed animals. The Tengriansky belief had virtual character. Everything was based only upon oral 

and visual base, the simply and small by quantity ritual stock. The belief kept power of tradition.

Tengrianstvo was confessed by unity of the person with the nature. The person acted as nature continuation. 

The world shared on Top, Median and Nizhny. The top world – Tengri (sky). In ancient Turkic runic letters it 

is written down: «The sky, directing from the heights my father Ilterish kagany and mother my Ilbilgyakatun, 

ennobled them». That is everything that occurred in social arrangement, was connected with the Sky. The 

median world represented Zemlyu-Zher and Vodu-Su. Zher-Su allowed people to live, being a source of 

their existence. The median world depends on the Top world, from Tengri, after all the Sky gives a rain (SU), 

and Earth (Zher) gives livelihood to the person. These are gods patrons. V. V. Bartold wrote:« the sky, the 

earth and water as a uniform deity» means. The Chinese sources note that Zhetysu’s tyrants worshipped to 

mountains. At ancient Turkic peoples the high mountain at which top there are neither trees, nor plants was 

sacred. She was called as Bodyn-Inli (Spirit patron of the country). It as an umbilical cord connecting Tengri 

with Zher-Su, the Sky and Earth. 

Earth shared on personal and others’, native and hostile. «Ata-konis» - sacred concept and for modern 

Kazakhs. Of this year Klyashtorny writes: «Earth was represented to founders (runic) texts by the quadrangular 

space occupied along the edges by the people, hostile to Turkic peoples. For designation of border of the world 

in a runik the term “bulun” (corner) is used. All people living on four corners of light, were enemies.... All parts 

of the world became absolutely gloomy.... Yshbara-kagan mentions «four seas» that are an absolute limit of 

the world in the letter. As Nebo-Tengri represented a machismo directed vertically up, it called the Sky father. 

Fatness and fertility of Zher-Su was considered as Earth mother. From time immemorial Kazakhs carried out 

a ceremony «тасаттық», that to propitiate gods (to cajole the Sky that the rain on the earth spilled). Along 

with Zher-Su in ancient Turkic outlook there was also a female goddess – Umay. On a monument in honor of 

Kyul-tegin it is written: « for its majesty of my mother-katun, similar Umay my younger brother, Kyul-tegin 

began to be called the husband». Умай was considered as the patroness of a family, a home, children, arts. The 

goddess spoke about itself so (the runic letter):« This our name Umay-bek... You don’t separate from my kind 

customs and my desires, my valor at the internal people». The word “Umay” is meant by “afterbirth”, “womb”. 

Умай the umbilical cord of the child which sewed up in a small leather sack is called, suspended it on a lace to 

a cradle of the baby and believed that Umay protects the child, his health and force. If he cried at night or fell 

ill, was considered that Umay abandoned the child. If ceased to cry, Umay came back. If the child long was 

ill, various spells Umay asked to return. Till 7 years protects Umay of the child. It speaks that even if it fell, it 

won’t break. It will be helped by Umay [5].

In Christianity and Islam there is a concept of “shower”, of a tengrianstvo is «kut». But they aren’t identical 

on value. If the soul abandons the person, he dies, and if leaves the person kut, it remains live, but ceases to be 

the person. «Кut» in tengriansky religion not soul, but spiritual strength of the person, his intelligence.

The magic for the ancient person is there was a method of knowledge of reality. By means of magic of 

people tried to affect secrets of the nature and thus to stand in the center of the world surrounding it. 

Myths at the first breeding unions are closely connected with mysticism and ceremonies. Myths transferred 

beliefs about an origin of the universe, natural phenomena, about gods and legendary heroes. In legends 

contained system of a natural and social order. To mythological thinking was logic and psychological features 

are peculiar. 

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