Tengri
746138
222789643
2008-07-01T03:19:23Z
195.174.21.72
{{Mergeto|Tengriism|date=June 2007}}
[[Image:Ohin Tengry.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Tengri'' - god of sky in modern Mongolian [[mythology]] art.]]
'''Tengri''' is the supreme god of the old [[Xiongnu]], [[Xianbei]], [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]], [[Bulgars|Bulgar]], [[Mongols|Mongolian]], [[Huns|Hunnic]] and [[Altaic]] [[religion]] named [[Tengriism]].
There are no official symbols of [[Tengriism]], however the symbol of the World Tree and the four directions symbol are common. It is often confused with a [[Sun worship|sun-worshipping religion]], but the sun is merely a [[symbol]] of Tengri. A dramatic [[pyramid]]al mountain [[pyramidal peak|peak]], long believed to be the highest point on the border between [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]], is called "[[Khan Tengri]]".
==Xiongnu version==
First appeared in Chinese records as [[Cheng Li]] (Chinese: [[wikt:撑|撑]][[wikt:犁|犁]]).<ref>《[[汉书]]·匈奴传》:“匈奴谓天为撑犁”</ref><ref>《[[册府元龟]]·300》:“撑音田庾切”</ref>
==Mongol version==
The core beings in [[Tengriism]] are Sky-Father (Tengri/Tenger Etseg) and Mother Earth ([[Eje]]/Gazar Eej). In history, [[Genghis Khan]], the unifier of the [[Mongolia]]n nation, based his power on a mandate from Tengri himself, and began all his declarations with the words "''by the will of Eternal Blue Heaven''." Father Heaven is worshipped for what he is, the timeless and infinite blue sky. He is not visualized as a person, although he is said to have at least two sons.
[[Geser]] is a great hero of [[Tengriism]] and he is a reincarnation of a sky spirit sent to earth to help serve people as a shaman. His story is recounted in a very long [[Epic poetry|epic]] text, meant to be performed over the course of several days with a horse head fiddle ([[morin khuur|moriin huur]]).
==Turkic version==
[[Image:Orkhon.png|thumb|right|200px|The word ''tengri'' in [[Orkhon script]].]]
'''Tengri''' or the [[Sky deity|god of blue sky]] was the main god of the Turkic [[Pantheon (gods)|pantheon]], controlling the heavenly universe.<ref>Abazov, Rafis. "''Culture and Customs of the Central Asian Republics''". [[Greenwood Press]], 2006. [http://books.google.com/books?id=MrjiisjS4AIC&pg=RA1-PA62&dq=tengri+sky+god&hl=tr&sig=RMa8iOhXvoejfKxv0ntcQHYv2pE ''page 62'']</ref> In the ancient Turkic [[mythology]], Tengri is a pure, white goose that flies constantly over an endless expanse of water, which represents time. Beneath this water, Ak Ana ("White Mother") calls out to him saying "Create". To overcome his loneliness, Tengri creates ''Er Kishi'', who is not as pure or as white as Tengri and together they set up the world. ''Er Kishi'' becomes a demonic character and strives to mislead people and draw them into its darkness. Tengri assumes the name ''Tengri Ülgen'' and withdraws into [[Heaven]] from which he tries to provide people with guidance through sacred animals that he sends among them. The ''Ak Tengris'' occupy the fifth level of Heaven. [[Shaman]] priests who want to reach ''Tengri Ülgen'' never get further than this level, where they convey their wishes to the divine guides. Returns to earth or to the human level take place in a goose-shaped vessel.<ref>Göknil, Can. ''"Creation myths from Central Asia to Anatolia"''. Yapı Kredi Art Galleries, 1997. [http://www.cangoknil.com/english/essays/creation.html]</ref>
In former Turkic states before the [[Middle Ages]], among them the [[Göktürks]], the [[Khan (title)|khans]] based their power on a mandate from Tengri themselves. These rulers were generally accepted as the sons of Tengri who represented him on Earth. They wore titles such as ''tengrikut'', ''kutluġ'' or ''kutalmysh'', based on the belief that they attained the ''kut'', the mighty spirit granted to these rulers by Tengri.<ref>Käthe Uray-Kőhalmi, Jean-Paul Roux, Pertev N. Boratav, Edith Vertes. "''Götter und Mythen in Zentralasien und Nordeurasien''"; section: Jean-Paul Roux: "''Die alttürkische Mythologie''" ("Old Turkic Mythology") ISBN 3-12-909870-4</ref>
Traditionally Turks' ancestors were [[animist]]s and nature worshippers. Through their shamanistic beliefs, they revered celestial gods and the natural forces on earth that were important to them. In the ancient [[Turkic peoples|Turkish]] world as it is now, the word for god is "Tengri". In their religious beliefs, the sky is identified with Tengri. Tengri is considered to be the chief god who created all things. In addition to this celestial god, they also had minor divinities that served the purposes of Tengri.<ref>Kaya, Polat. ''"Search For the Origin of the Crescent and Star Motif in the Turkish Flag"'', 1997. [http://www.compmore.net/~tntr/crescent_stara.html]</ref>
According to [[Mahmud Kashgari]], Tengri was known to make plants grow and the lightning flash. Turks used the adjective ''tengri'' which means "heavenly, divine", to label everything that seemed grandiose, such as a tree or a mountain, and they stooped to such entities.<ref>Baldick, Julian. ''Animal and Shaman: Ancient Religions of Central Asia''. I.B.Tauris, 2000. [http://books.google.com/books?id=JhQtVH4-fW8C&pg=PP1&dq=Animal+and+Shaman&sig=9FC6T0djNtmPYj56Y4uw-JpSrxM]</ref>
In modern [[Turkish language|Turkish]], the derived word "''Tanrı''" is used as the generic word for "god", also for the [[Abrahamic religion#The Supreme Deity|Judeo–Christo–Islamic God]], and is often used today by practicing [[Muslim]] [[Turkish people|Turks]] to refer to God in Turkish as an alternative to the word "[[Allah]]", the originally [[Arabic language|Arabic]] [[Islam]]ic word for "God". Also, "Tengri" is the oldest known [[Old Turkic|Turkic]] word, believed to have originated in the 6th century B.C.<ref>TDK Online Dictionary - [http://www.tdk.org.tr/TR/SozBul.aspx?F6E10F8892433CFFAAF6AA849816B2EF4376734BED947CDE&Kelime=tanr%c4%b1 ''Tanrı''], [http://www.tdk.org.tr/TR/SozBul.aspx?F6E10F8892433CFFAAF6AA849816B2EF4376734BED947CDE&Kelime=allah ''Allah'']</ref>
[[Tengriism]], a [[monotheistic]] religion, replaced an earlier [[polytheistic]] [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] religion; it was also the religion of the [[Huns]], [[Eurasian Avars]], and early [[Magyars|Hungarians]].
==Similarity with Chinese ''Tian'' "Sky"==
{{main|Tian}}
Tengri is analogous with [[Tian]]. The [[Germans|German]] [[Sinology|sinologist]] [[Axel Schüssler]] suggests ''tengri'' as an etymology for ''tian'' 天 "sky; heaven; god":
<blockquote>"Because the deity Tiān came into prominence with the Zhou dynasty (a western state), a [[Central Asia]]n origin has been suggested, note [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] ''tengri'' 'sky, heaven, heavenly deity'" (Shaughnessy ''[[Sino-Platonic Papers]]'', July 1989, and others, like Shirakawa Shizuka before him). (2007:495)</blockquote>
While some linguists argue that actually the word ''tian'' is the etymology for ''tengri'' {{Fact|date=September 2007}}, some other linguistic studies accentuate a [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] etymology.<ref>The Tower of Babel. ''Turkic Etymology'' by Anna Dybo. [http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=config&morpho=0&basename=\data\alt\turcet&first=1832 ''teŋri'']</ref>
==See also==
*[[Sky father]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
==References==
*Brent, Peter. ''The Mongol Empire: Genghis Khan: His Triumph and his Legacy''. Book Club Associates, London. 1976.
*Sarangerel. "Chosen by the Spirits" Destiny Books, Vermont. 2001
*Schuessler, Axel. ''ABC Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese''. University of Hawaii Press. 2007.
== External links ==
* [http://www.ethnikoi.org/tengrianism.htm The Gods of the Turks (Tengrianism)]
* [http://www.Tengerism.org/ Circle of Tengerism: an organization dedicated to the preservation of Siberian and Mongolian shaman traditions]
* [http://aton.ttu.edu/OLD_TURK_DEITIES.asp Excerpt from ''Tengrianizm: Religion of Turks and Mongols'', by Rafael Bezertinov]
* [http://www.face-music.ch/bi_bid/historyoftengerism.html Shamanism (Tengerism) in Mongolia]
* [http://members.tripod.com/Mongolian_Page/shaman.txt Julie Stewart's course in Mongolian shamanism--introduction]
[[Category:Altaic deities]]
[[Category:Creator gods]]
[[Category:Sky and weather gods]]
[[Category:Turkic mythology]]
[[bg:Тангра]]
[[de:Tengrismus#Tengri]]
[[it:Tengri]]
[[ja:テングリ]]
[[ru:Тенгри]]
[[sv:Tengri]]
[[tt:Täñre]]
[[tr:Tengri]]
[[uk:Тенгрі]]
[[zh:腾格里]]