Broth (shorpo) from hedgehog is considered a medicinal remedy for many ailments among the Kyrgyz population in various regions. For example, in the Aksy district of the Jalal-Abad region, hedgehog shorpo is used to treat brucellosis (especially its recurrence), pneumonia, tuberculosis, and all diseases related to the lungs. In the Alabukinsky district of the same region, it is used for severe inflammatory processes and colds as an effective diaphoretic. The healing broth is also widely popular among the local population in the Osh region: in the city of Osh and its surroundings, it is used for thyroid gland diseases (endemic and diffuse toxic goiter), in the Nookat district for acute chronic tonsillitis (angina) and skin diseases (vitiligo, psoriasis), in the Karasuu district for the prevention and treatment of rabies, in the Alaï district for severe, recurring allergies, in the Aravan district for stomach ulcers, and in the Uzgen district (village of Kurshab) even for oncological (cancer) diseases.
Sometimes melted hedgehog fat is used externally for rubbing. The Kyrgyz of the Kadamjay district in the Batken region regard the mere appearance of a hedgehog near their home, especially with a litter of young ones, as a good, favorable sign...
Hedgehogs are also used for medicinal purposes by other Turkic peoples. Uzbek women from the Fergana Valley consumed hedgehog broth (in Uzbek, tipratikan; in dialects, kirpi, kirpi tikan) for infertility. In general, the mysterious female cult of hedgehog worship requires separate study. For now, it can only be said that there is a belief in the undeniable influence of hedgehogs on fertility. The Uzbeks of Osh still consume hedgehog meat for stomach and duodenal ulcers. Moreover, the hedgehog meat must be boiled for a long time, evaporating the broth to the amount of one bowl (i.e., a high concentration of beneficial substances). It is also known that in the past, Uzbeks used ash from hedgehog spines to treat skin diseases and the animal's skin to extract shards and bullets from wounds. For this, the fresh skin was placed on the wound with the inner side facing down. The properties of hedgehog skin to draw metal from wounds can be explained by the presence of a wide subcutaneous ring muscle on their back (which allows them to quickly curl into a spiky ball), which continues to contract for some time after death.
Here, an interesting parallel can be noted: among the Tatars of the Penza region in Russia, there is a belief that one can get rid of a hump by tightly tying a freshly skinned hedgehog's skin to the body. Preserving elements of traditional beliefs, the Bashkirs also long revered objects and phenomena of nature, heavenly bodies, birds, and animals (possibly including hedgehogs). At the same time, like their Central Asian relatives, the Bashkirs used hedgehogs (in Bashkir, terpe) in folk medicine. In the Kuyurgazinsky district of Bashkortostan, hedgehog broth is considered a good remedy for lung diseases, while in the Salavat district of the republic, it is used for malaria and severe chills.
Many have seen hedgehogs in nature and know about their ability to curl up into a ball, displaying their spines—modified hairs—when in danger. Therefore, a logical question arises: "How did people learn to catch and prepare hedgehogs?" In this, humans borrowed experience from foxes, which make hedgehogs unroll by pushing them into water or dousing them with urine. Usually, a caught hedgehog is thrown into a bucket of water... The existence of a cult is confirmed by the Kyrgyz variant of the animal's name—kirpichechen. The second part of the word "chechen" translates as orator. This coincides with a legend shared by a Kyrgyz language teacher from the village of Aktobo in the Aksy district, G. Bugueva. According to her story, in ancient times, a khan (bai) had a son who possessed the gift of eloquence (orator) and a quarrelsome character. Using his social position and caustic tongue, the chechen always emerged victorious in competitions among akyns—aytyshs... The people hated him, and he transformed into a small animal covered with tiny spines, just as sharp as his words. According to another version, the hedgehog also came from a noble family but was an orator championing justice, fighting against deceitful mullahs, greedy and despotic bais and manaps. For this, dark forces cursed him into a spiny animal. Perhaps this is why, in Kyrgyz traditions of visual art, when illustrating fairy tales, legends, and children's books, hedgehogs are always depicted wearing men's national headgear—white kalpaks, which are also considered symbols of wisdom and authority. The word "kirpichechen" in the Talas dialect also refers to a porcupine.
An identical name, considering phonetic features, exists in the Kazakh language—kіrpişeşen. In the Kyrgyz language, there are also several local names for hedgehogs, such as: kirpi (widespread) and kalmüshtök (Alabukinsky district). The latter is based on two words: kal—mole (which resembles the hedgehog's snout) and müştök—smoking pipe—possibly because the tip of the hedgehog's snout is elongated into a small, but noticeable trunk, resembling a pipe. The name kirpi (in Turkish—kirpi, in Tatar—керпе) can be considered derived from Turkic words "кирпик"—eyelashes (similar in shape, spiky, and hairy) or "көрпө"—blanket (because the hedgehog's belly is covered with soft fur).
