Tootaydyn Ogu (stars I and V, located below the Belt of the Three Kings).
The ancient Kyrgyz were unable to explain many natural phenomena, deifying celestial bodies and the mysterious processes occurring in the heavens. For example, many shining celestial bodies were transformed into Kudai — God and his apostles. Lunar and solar eclipses, the movement, and "wandering" of planets in the sky — all of this was attributed to the influence of supernatural forces.
They interpreted many natural phenomena related to the life of the people (for example, the change of day and night, the seasons, the onset of favorable times for hunting and grazing livestock on the jailoo, etc.) in a peculiar way, connected with the laws of the Earth's rotation around its axis and its orbit around the Sun. This movement of the Earth, as is known, causes the visible movements of celestial bodies throughout the day and year. The brightest stars were called first-magnitude stars in ancient times, while the faintest, barely visible ones were referred to as sixth-magnitude stars. In the visible sky, stars constantly rotate around the North Star, sometimes disappearing below the horizon (north) and then rising in the zenith (south).
It can be assumed that the stars mentioned in the ancient Kyrgyz myth, Rajal and Kair, correspond to the stars "Mu" and "Lambda" of the constellation Ursa Major. The galactic (i.e., pre-dawn) rising of "Mu" and "Lambda" of the Ursa Major constellation coincides with the sequence of the appearance of these stars of magnitudes 3 and 3.5 mentioned in the myth, which people can see with the naked eye.
Since ancient times, the Kyrgyz paid kalym — a bride price, and kun — a price for a killed person, with livestock amounting to nine heads. Here’s how it is described in the epic "Manas" regarding the payment for work at the funeral of Koketai:
Counting the akys, he took
Sixteen and nine livestock.
For his labor, he received in full —
For his labor, he received in full —
Six times nine heads.
Gifts to the khans were made based on the number nine: nine camels, nine trotters, nine rams, nine falcons or golden eagles, nine saddles, nine harnesses for riding, decorated with gold or silver, nine sable skins, nine snow leopard skins, etc. There was a saying among the people: Khan tartuusu toguzdan — A tribute to the khan in nines. To help a sick person recover or to prevent a bad dream from coming true, they specifically baked nine thin kalama — flatbreads and gifted them to people (often children). To protect a single son or beautiful daughter from the evil eye, they tied a thread with nine red beads around their neck or wrist (Red is the color of fire. The Kyrgyz believed that fire cleanses people from "unclean forces" and drives away the shaitan — the devil). At this time, they would say: May Chulpon, the protector, keep us safe.
To protect thoroughbred horses and trotters, as well as other animals from various misfortunes, people worshipped not only Kambar-Ata — the protector of horses, but also sought help from the star Chulpon. This is evidenced by the fact that good racehorses participating in important races were adorned with nine red amulets:
Covered in brocade,
Nine amulets were put on
On the battle horses.
Taraza Zhyldyzy — the Libra stars (more precisely, the Belt of the Three Kings), according to the Kyrgyz, influenced people's lives and atmospheric phenomena. In the epic "Manas," there are lines such as:
You mounted your horse on a lucky day,
You set out on your journey on such a festive day.
You travel on such a great day —
The Libra stars favor you on the tenth day of September.
The Kyrgyz divided days into favorable and unfavorable (i.e., determining which day of the week or month to set out on a journey, start a major undertaking, etc.); odd numbers of the month were considered favorable (this probably explains why nomads set out only on the first or fifteenth day).
With the adoption of Islam by the Kyrgyz, there appeared "lucky" and "unlucky" days of the week. For example, ishembi kun — Saturday was considered a favorable day, as indicated by the folk saying: Saturday is a favorable day for any undertaking. Unfavorable days included juma — Friday. This day was considered оор кун — a heavy day among the Kyrgyz. Those who took on this day visited the mosque, prayed to Allah to forgive them their earthly sins, and grant them health and prosperity in the future.
The ancient Kyrgyz considered the month of miiizam — September to be a time of fertility and abundance. Wars or journeys would begin in this month, as it was possible to take along a sufficient supply of food. It was during this time (the second half of September and the beginning of October) that, according to the epic, the hero Manas led the troops and set out on the Great Campaign under the favorable sign of the Taraza Zhyldyzy (at night during this time of year, the stars are quite clearly visible).
By the position of the Libra, the Kyrgyz determined the beginning of the new year (the first day of the new year) and judged whether it would be dry or rainy. The new year began on March 21. It was believed that during the transition from winter to spring, the Sun was positioned between these three stars of Libra.
Kyrgyz astronomers typically conducted their observations in the early morning. They noted the setting of the constellation Orion in the western part of the sky, using ground objects (mountain peaks, tall poplars, etc.) as reference points. They monitored the sunset according to the already established landmarks.
Often, folk signs that had formed over many centuries correspond to data from modern astronomy and meteorology. The sunset of the Sun to the right of the Belt of the Three Kings — the constellation Orion — indicates good weather, as the Sun rises above the horizon during this period and approaches its highest point. In spring, as a rule, rainy weather begins in the second half of March. In Southern Kyrgyzstan (specifically referring to it), cyclones are observed during this time of year. The predominance of anticyclones causes dry weather, which, of course, adversely affects agriculture and livestock breeding.
The Kyrgyz oriented themselves by the Libra when determining the time of day. For example, night watchmen determined the time of night and the beginning of dawn by the position and disappearance of the stars. In the epic "Er Teshstuk," it is stated:
With the setting of the Libra
Dawn arrives.
The Libra, bringing a new day, were attributed with sacred power. The Kyrgyz said: Every person is born and lives under their star; the higher their star and the more it differs from other stars, the luckier a person is in life. About successful people, it was said: Their star is high; they are lucky, circumstances are favorable for them, etc. There is also an expression: When a person dies, their star sets. Elderly men, blessing the young, would usually say: May your life be long, and your star strong. When meeting a good, sensitive, kind person, it was said that they have a bright star, or they are a star person.
Thus, the ability to distinguish individual stars, constellations, and planets, and to determine their position in the sky was practically necessary for the Kyrgyz to navigate time and space. Despite the mystical overlays, the astrological beliefs of the Kyrgyz reflected the patterns connecting celestial phenomena with earthly ones, particularly the change of seasons with the onset of migration. These observations have long been widely used in practice — long before they found scientific explanations.
