Protectors of Livestock and Attitudes Toward Them
Karakoil-Susamyr
solto
If a camel does not stumble while crossing the mountains, they say: "Babedin!"2, i.e., the protector of livestock must be offered seven flatbreads (chavat). These are distributed to people in gratitude for having safely passed the danger.
bugu
Babedin is a servant of God. He is remembered in all circumstances during moments of danger, etc. If a person falls from a cliff in the mountains or encounters some other misfortune that ends well, they make a tilik — a vow, exclaiming: "Toguz tokach, Babedin!"3 — at that moment, just like "Kuday koldo!"4, i.e., they promise to offer nine flatbreads.
If a golden eagle fails to catch a fox, the hunter shouts: "Ha, Babe-din!
Talas
kainazar
Cholpon-ata is the protector of sheep; Zenchi-ata is the protector of cattle; Kambar-ata is the protector of horses;
Aysul-ata is the protector of camels. "Babedin: a! Kuday babedin koldo!"
Customs
Alamedin
solto-bolokbai
When a stallion is first introduced to the mares (forming a new herd), a piece of cotton is tied to its forehead5.
When establishing a new gel (a type of ritual), a cup of millet (taruu) with milk is brought, and two or three spoons are thrown at the spot where the gel is set6.
Tuld is a sacrifice, a feast held in case of having safely passed a threat or fright.
When moving to a new location, a piece of fat7 is left in the hearth at the site of the former yurt.
kainazar
When establishing a gel, flatbreads, tea, and other food are brought, and a ritual is performed with the entire village. A piece of cotton is tied to the stake of the gel8.
In the past, when leaving the place where the village stood, they would fill the holes from the stakes of the gel with fat, so that the place would remain fertile9. While the village stood in one place, the gel was not moved.
Chonkur-Talas
chong-kainazar
When establishing a gel for the first time, seven chava (flatbreads) are brought to the site and sprinkled with ayran. This is called kuday or teleu10.
Ak jalghasyn — a piece of cotton tied to the forehead of a young stallion when it is introduced to a new herd.
When a lamb is born, they touch its forehead with their hand, then kiss the tips of their fingers.
When establishing a kotpon (a type of gel), they only say: "Bismillah!"
When moving, where the gel or koton stood, ayran is poured into the holes from the stakes.
Song-Koshoy
solto-karamoin
In the past, when leaving a pasture, they would insert stakes of freshly cut wood into the hole from the gel11.
Sarybulak
butu
When moving, they sprinkle wheat at the site of the gel12. Before wheat (before agriculture among the Kyrgyz), they would pour ayran or kumys into the holes from the stakes to keep it ak (pure).
When establishing a gel, foals are sprinkled with a handful of wheat.
Kara zhilik — without touching with teeth, only cleaned with a knife, it is stuck behind the uk in the yurt (to the right of the door, the second or third uk) or thrown to the dog, so that the herds remain safe13.
rch. Big Kebin
When cows calve (in spring) and give the first milk, this milk is boiled, taken from the cauldron with a spoon, poured into the fire, and smeared on the calf while saying: "Kulooy14, kulooy, kulooy, kiin kalsang kashkir zht" (Calf(? — F.F.), calf, do not lag behind, the wolf will eat you). "Ilgeri barsang uuri alat (If you go forward, thieves will steal you). "Oorto zherden chykpay zhyr!" (Always stay in the middle (of the herd)!). The remaining milk is drunk by all the guests, they pray, and then disperse. This is done with each cow; otherwise, the calf will not be good.
When a camel calf is born, the owner bites off the tip of its tail and sews this tip onto a small child's chapan (robe) at the back. Then they pierce the camel calf's ears and thread strings through the holes; pierce the nasal septum and thread a string; insert fingers into the nostrils to make them larger. A horse bridle is put on the female camel, then her head is tied with a scarf, covered with a carpet or colored felt, and they whisper in her ear: "Bura, bura, bura ekan!"15, so that the female camel rejoices, and from this joy, her burden would be light. Then the owner gathers the neighbors, prepares bread and oil, and treats everyone (zhentek).
Strings are threaded through the camel calf to ensure it walks well. The bandage on the female camel is made to prevent bleeding after giving birth; it is covered with a carpet so that it does not catch a cold (for three days). If the tail of the camel calf is not bitten off, the camel will be bad; the bitten tip cannot be thrown on the ground, which is why the tip of the favorite camel's tail is sewn onto the back of the beloved child16. This is not done for other animals.
If the owner has no shepherd and the rams graze unattended, he says that they are being watched by Babedin (the saint). "Babedin, sening zholungda (Babedin! On your path)17," he says and makes seven flatbreads or жарма (a type of dish) so that the wolf does not kill the rams and so that they do not fall from cliffs or into pits.
Sayapkir — trainer (and doctor? —F.F.) of horses for bayge18
Koktomyo — the first spring pasture, which is not found everywhere (translated as "greenery"). It lasts from the end of wintering (approximately the end of March) until May, when the summer pastures are ready.
Otor — winter and autumn pastures,
Tebenovat from the word "tebet" — to beat the snow with hooves to obtain feed19. When there are many wolves in the summer pasture, they throw ropes from yurt to yurt in the village, even if high. Then the wolves cannot reach the herd, surrounded by this chain inside the village.
Comments:
1 On this topic (though about livestock breeding among the Kazakhs), F.A. Fielstrup managed to publish an article "Livestock Breeding and Nomadism in Western Kazakhstan" // Kazaks (Kazakhs. — B.K., S.G.). Anthropological Essays (Materials of the Special Committee for the Study of Union and Autonomous Republics). L., 1927. Vol. II. Series Kazakh.
2 Babedin (more precisely, Baabedin) — 1. Bakhautdin (the name of the protector of Bukhara; heroes of the Central Asian epic usually call upon his help); 2. A sacrifice made in the event of being freed from some misfortune (Yudakhin K.K. Op. cit. P. 89).
3 Literally "Nine flatbreads, Baabedin!" — a joyful exclamation upon being freed from a great misfortune (Ibid.).
4 Kuday kol do! — "God, help!"
5 The white (ak) piece of cotton was presumably meant to symbolize a wish for good luck, good growth (ak — whiteness, happiness, good fortune).
6 Milk, ayran, and butter among the Turks had a sacred character and played an important role in various rituals aimed at asking Mother Nature for an abundance of livestock, a good harvest, and hunting spoils (Traditional worldview of the Turks. I. P. 30—31, 33). In this case, the offering of two or three spoons of millet porridge with milk is a request to preserve and increase the herd.
7 On the offering to the hearth, see notes 43, 79 in the section "Wedding Rituals".
8 See note 5.
9 See note 6.
10 Kuday, kudayы — a treat with a godly purpose (Yudakhin K.K. Op. cit. P. 437). Teleu (tulb) — a sacrifice.
11 The most important property of plants in general and trees in particular, according to archaic worldview, is extraordinary strength and fertility. A separate part of them (a branch, for example) or products made from them (in this case, a stake) retain this property (Sternberg L.Ya. Op. cit. P. 440). Therefore, they inserted a stake into the hole from the gel, hoping not only to preserve but also to increase the herd.
12 Wheat is sprinkled into the holes from the gel for the same purpose as inserting stakes (see note I).
13 The bone of kara zhilik (more precisely, kary zhilik) (the radius bone) was used in the past in other cases as well: it was enough to drive two such bones into the ground in a certain place so that no noble offspring would appear among the enemy (Yudakhin K.K. Op. cit. P. 254). The Kazakhs believed that this bone protects against various misfortunes, so it was hung at the doorframe (Toleubaev A.G. Op. cit. P. 159).
14 "Kuloy!" — an exclamation calling the calves (Yudakhin K.K. Op. cit. P. 443).
15 Literally "Male camel, male camel, male camel, it turns out!"
16 The tail is one of the most sacred parts of an animal, which is why it is often sewn onto children's clothing as a talisman (see note 51 in the section "Birth Rituals and Child Rearing").
17 More precisely: "Protector Baabedin on your path" (or "with you on your journey").
18 The word sayapkir is not found in K.K. Yudakhin's dictionary. But one of the meanings of the word say is outstanding, famous, when it comes to a horse (Yudakhin K.K. Op. cit. P. 621).
19 Tebenovat from tebet — "to beat with a hoof"; kar tep — (about horses) to tear up the snow with a hoof to obtain feed (Yudakhin K.K. Op. cit. P. 726).
Ash. Ritual Life of the Kyrgyz in the Early 20th Century. Part - 17