Horses play a large role in the daily and national life of the Mongols; traditionally it is said that "Mongols are without horses like birds without wings." Elizabeth Kendall, who traveled through Mongolia in 1911, observed, "To honor the Mongols, you must see him riding, and indeed you rarely see him otherwise, for he does not set foot if he can help." Mongol without a pony is only half Mongol, but with a pony he is as good as two men, it is a good sight to see him tear the plain plain, the reins, the easy seating, like a Western cowboy, but with a slight splash. "(See also A Wayfarer in China ).
Mongolia has more than 3 million horses, a population of horses that exceeds the human population in the country. The horses live outdoors all year round at a temperature of 30 ° C (86 ° F) in summer to -40 ° C (-40 ° F) in winter, and are looking for food themselves. Horse milk is processed into a national drink, and some animals are slaughtered for meat. In addition, they function as animal riders, both for the daily work of the travelers and in horse racing. Mongol horse was a key factor during the 13th century conquest of the Mongol Empire.
Of the five species of animals that are usually recognized in Mongolia (horses, camels, oxen, sheep and goats), horses are considered to have the highest prestige. A nomad with many horses is considered rich. Mongolians individually have a favorite horse. Each family member has his own horse, and some family members like the horses of their choice by letting them get out of heavy work.
Horses are generally considered to be a male province, although women also have extensive knowledge of horseback riding. Men do grazing, racing, and making tactics. Traditionally, men (or in modern times, women) also flushed horses.
Video Horse culture in Mongolia
Care and Maintenance
Compared to Western methods, Mongolians take a very "hands-off" approach to horse care. Horses are not bathed or given special foods such as wheat or straw. Instead, they are only allowed to graze freely in the meadows, digging snow for food in the winter. Because nature provides excellent for Mongol horses, they do not cost a little to improve. Thus, horses are not expensive luxuries as in Western culture, but the practical necessities of everyday life. The shepherds consider their horses as a form of wealth and the source of everyday necessities: transportation, food, and drink. Mongol riders have individual ponies. Each family member has his own horse, who may receive special treatment.
In Mongolia, barns, grasslands and stables are exceptions, not rules. Horses are generally left to roam free; if required, they can be tied up temporarily. The stakes used for this purpose differ from the usual Western concept of a bar placed in two posts. Such creations are wood intensive, and on rare steppe trees. Instead, the horses can be tied to a wooden pole or a boulder. Because horses are allowed to live just like wild horses, they just need a little nail care. The nails are left unclamped and not jagged and the farrier is essentially non-existent. Despite the lack of attention, Mongol horses have strong and strong nails and rarely experience foot problems. During the summer, Mongolian horses will often stand in the river, if available, to repel insects.
Mongolians say that the fat horses have "grass in their bellies" while the lean horses have "water in their stomachs." Shepherds prefer to make long trips during the season when horses are well fed to keep animals tired or underweight from exertion. Particularly in the spring, horses are vulnerable to fatigue: "At the end of winter, the animals are a horrible sight.... The horses are too weak to drive and some can hardly walk... When the new grass However, genuine Mongolian descendants of animals tend to recover very quickly. "Horses, along with sheep and goats, have a better chance of surviving the tough winter conditions than cattle and sheep because they can separate the snow from the grass with their lips the deft. When zud hits, the typical pattern is for the first dead cow, then the sheep, the horse, and the last goat. Thus, the horse is the second most enduring winter animal raised by Mongolians.
Mares began foaling in May and continued throughout the summer. Children who are sick or cold will sometimes be taken to ger, wrapped in leather or felts, and placed next to the fire.
A typical Mongolian herd consists of 15 - 50 horses and geldings under one horse. Some stallions are allowed to manage flocks of up to 70 animals, though these are considered to be outstanding individuals. The horse is assigned to lead herds, foals, and defend the herd against the wolves. Male horses, rather than human owners, are entrusted with day to day management of the herd. Elizabeth Kendall observed in 1911 that, "Every horse driven by a steering horse after horses, quarreling with another horse trying to join the flock, I was told that the owner only needs to count the stallion to make sure that all the horses have go home. "(see also A Wayfarer in China )
Because horses are used for foals and milking, they are not often used for work; this is the work of geldings. Geldings rather than horses are the preferred work animals. Members of the Darkhad ethnic group ride their horses only once a year, on three special days during the winter. There are special horses in every flock used for horseback riding, racing, beauty, or horseback riding. A shepherd may have one or more herds of horses, each led by his own stallion. The newly married couple will be given a horse gift by parents on both sides of husband and wife. Each family will give the pair 10 - 15 horses each and two stallions so they can start their own flock. Extra male horses are sold or traded.
Mane pruning varies by region. Male horses are always left without pieces; long and thick mane is considered a sign of strength. Geldings, however, are cut off. Among the Darkhad ethnic groups, the crest is cut short and the stretching curve is left uncovered. Sometimes the horse's mane will be cut short unless one patches close to wither. Mongolians kept the horse's mane for spiritual reasons. Both the tail and the hair of the mane can also be made into various spiritual and utilitarian products, namely spirit banners or ropes. Meninya always left in the winter to keep the horse warm. The only treatment tool used is a brush. The tail is generally left undamaged. When the horse is welded in the spring, the tail end may be cut off. Branding may or may not be done; if yes, it's done in autumn.
During the race, the crest was placed in a crest that stood out of the horse's head. The hairy tail section may also have a tie placed around it at the bottom. For horse racing, the owner will also have wood sweat dredging to clean the horse after the race. After Naadam, the audience will come to touch the victory horse's mane and sweat as a sign of respect and a way to absorb fortune. The winning horse is also sprinkled with airag.
Gelding is done when a horse is 2 - 3 years old. The date selected for the event can be set by a long time to ensure good luck. The castrated horses were captured and their feet tied up. The animals were pushed aside. Hindleg's top-most horse tied around his neck, showing his balls. The genitals are washed, then cut with a knife that has been cleaned in boiling water. After that, the wound was rinsed with horse milk, a practice intended to promote healing. An observer reported, "The animal does not seem to have much pain during surgery, but tends to be in a state of confusion when it is released in the meadow." The whole family will usually join in the castration process; depending on the number of castrated colts, some households may participate so castration can be completed in one day.
When the castration work is complete, testicles are used for ritual purposes. One of the amputated testicles was punctured with a knife to allow the insertion of the rope; the rope is then tied to the new tail of the stump with the assumption that after the testicles dries, the wound will be cured. The remaining testes are cooked in the ashes of the fireplace and eaten by the head of the household to gain the strength of the stallion.
Maps Horse culture in Mongolia
Up and Training
Mongolian monkeys have long been considered some of the best horsemen in the world. During the time of Genghis Khan, Mongol horse archers were able to do things like shift the sides of their horses to protect their bodies from the enemy arrows, holding their bow under the chin's chin and return fire, all racing. In 1934, Haslund described how a shepherd who violated a semi-wild horse was able to exhale and release his mount as the horse curled beneath it. He wrote, "It is wonderful to see the Mongols in relation to their horses, and to see them on horses is joy... [T] he strength, speed and elegance of a Mongol goes beyond the ballet dancer." Horsemanship the same is true in ancient times. Giovanni de Carpini, a Franciscan monk who visited Mongolia during the 1240s, observed that "their children begin as soon as they are two or three years old to ride horses and organize horses and run around on it, and they are given bows to fit their stature and taught to shoot, they are very agile and also brave Young girls and women rise and run fast with agility like men "Today as in the Middle Ages, the education of modern Mongolian horsemen began in child. Parents will put their child on a horse and hold them there before the child can survive without help. At the age of 4 years, children ride horses with their parents. At age 6, children can ride racing; at the age of 10, they learn to make their own tactics.
Carpini notes that the Mongols did not use spurs (this was not known in Central Asia at the time); they do it, but use short whips. This whip has a leather node at the end; when the rider does not use it, he will let it hang from his wrist so he can free his hand to do the task, eg archery. It is a taboo to use whips as a buffer or to touch arrows to whip; Such crimes can be put to death. It could also be put to death to hit the horse with a bridle. Haslund notes that in 1934, it was considered a crime to attack a horse with a whip in the area in front of the stirrups.
Mongolian cultural norms encourage humane treatment of horses. After spending many years in the country, Haslund can not recall even one example of seeing a horse being treated badly. Indeed, he discovered that the Mongols who had been to China and observed the use of their horses were usually "filled with sincere anger and resentment over the heavy burdens and cruel treatment of humans there against their animals." In the days of Genghis Khan, there are strict rules that dictate the way horses are used for campaigns. Khan instructed his General Subutai, "Make sure that your people keep their cruppers hanging loosely on their mounts and a little restraints are coming out of their mouths, except when you allow them to hunt.That way they will not be able to race against their desires [ unnecessary horses] After setting these rules - make sure you seize and beat anyone who violates them... Everyone... who ignores this decision, cuts off his head where he stands. "
Mongolian tactics are different from Western tactics that are made almost entirely of raw leather and use knots instead of metal connectors. The Tack design follows a "one size fits all" approach, with saddles, halters and bits all produced in a single size. Mongol tactics are very mild compared to western tactics; hobbles in particular about half the weight of their Western counterparts. The Mongol pack saddle can be adjusted to fit the camel and camel bactria.
The modern Mongolian horse saddle is very tall, with wooden frames and some decorated metal discs protruding from the sides. It has a hilt and a high cantle, and is placed on a saddle to protect the horse's back. The thick horse coat also provides a barrier that helps prevent saddle wounds. In the Middle Ages, the Mongols used different saddle styles, the main difference being that the cantle was leveled at the rear rather than climbing to the top like a modern Mongolian cantad cantle. This allows the rider to move more freely; with a minimal saddle, the mounted archer can more easily rotate his body to shoot an arrow toward the back.
Mongolian saddles, both medieval and modern, have short stirrups like those used by modern race horses. The design of the stirrups allows the rider to control the horse with his feet, allowing his hands to be free for tasks such as archery or wielding a spear. Motorists will often stand on the stirrups while riding.
Mongolian saddle design allows only marginal control of the gait. In most situations, the horse will decide its own style of walking, while the rider is busy with other tasks such as herding cattle. Very often, Mongol horse will choose to canter. The Mongol horse will occasionally have a gait, which says that it will lift both his left nails at a time, then his two right nails at a time, etc. The horse is called joroo, and it is said that they "slide as if on the ice, so smoothly that one can run over who holds the full cup and does not spill any of its contents." The Mongols, who rode hundreds of miles on horseback across unbroken prairies, placed horses with a very high gait.
Mongolian horsemen are required to learn everything needed to care for horses. This is because they usually do not hire outside experts like trainers, farriers or veterinarians and have to do it all on their own. For a very difficult problem, local elders may be called or even an outside veterinary if one can be found. Materials such as books on horse training or medical care are rare and rarely used. Informal knowledge is inherited verbally from parent to child.
Although Mongolian horses are small, they usually carry large, large riders. This ability is partly due to the riders' habits often turning horses off so as not to burden a particular animal. However, the Mongol horses are also very strong. A Darkhad horse weighing only 250 kg. can carry a load of 300 kg - the equivalent of carrying another horse on his back. When pulling the train, a team of four Mongol horses can draw 4400 pounds worth for 50-60 km per day.
Horses are usually not ridden until they are three years old; a two-year-old horse can be broken with a very light rider to avoid back problems. The process of solving is quite simple: the rider just rises and lets the horse run out. Then the horse was taught to respond to the pull of the reins. In the province of KhÃÆ'¶vsgÃÆ'¶l, the horses can be done in a round cage. This practice is not common throughout Mongolia however; wood is too rare to be thrown on the fence.
Because individual horses are driven relatively rarely, they become almost wild and must be caught and broken back whenever they are used. A breeder must first catch the horse he wants; To do this, he rode the horses that had been trained for that purpose. Bringing a urga, a lasso attached to a long pole, he pursued the horse he wanted and turned the urga around his neck. The male horse helps the shepherds pull back the circular horse until he gets tired and stops running. At this point, another rider will show up and put the saddle on it and go up. Horses will run and money to remember previous training and allow themselves to be ridden. The capture section may take up to several hours, depending on the terrain, capturing skills, and equipment used.
As a ledge
Mongolian horses are famous for their role as Genghis Khan war horse, which is considered to have said: "It is easy to conquer the world from a horse's back." The Mongol army relies on his horse to feed him, beverage, transportation, armor, shoes, ornaments, string, rope, fire, sport, music, hunting, amusement, spiritual power, and in case of his death, a mountain to ride in the afterlife. The Khan army, weapons, war tactics, and military tactics were built around the idea of ​​cavalry archers installed, and to a lesser degree and heavy riding. In the Secret History of the Mongols, Genghis Khan is recorded as urging his General Subutai to pursue his enemies as if they were wild horses with a circle of catchers around their necks. The captured enemy ruler is sometimes trampled to death by horses.
As a vehicle of war, Mongol horse is better than any other race used at the time. Mongol horse needs a little water and does not need to be fed wheat every day, as do European breeds. Their ability to feed under the snow and find their own fodder allows the freedom of the Mongols to operate without a long supply cart, a factor that is key to their military success. Mongolian horses were bred to survive in harsh conditions, making it possible for the Mongols to carry out successful winter campaigns against Russia. The excellent long-range resistance of the Mongol horse allows soldiers to live longer than the enemy cavalry during combat; the same resilience gave Mongolians the benefit of communication across their widespread fronts, as messages had to be conveyed by horses. The main disadvantage of the Mongol horse as a war horse is slower than some other breeds it faces on the battlefield. However, these losses are compensated by the fact that it is usually necessary to carry lighter weight than other cavalry horses. Although the Mongol horse is almost a horse, it earns a frightening reputation among the Mongol enemies. Matthew Paris, an English writer in the 1200s, described a small mount as a "great, strong horse, feeding on branches and even trees, and they [the Mongols] had to climb with the help of three steps because of their short thighs." ( Though brief, the Mongols actually did not use the steps to mount.)
It is said that the Mongol horse will come to his whistle and follow him around like a dog. Each soldier will bring a small herd of horses with him (3 - 5 being average, but up to 20) as remount. They will take turns of horses so they always ride a fresh horse. Giovanni de Carpini noted that after a Mongol soldier rode a certain horse, he would not be driving it again for three or four days.
Soldiers prefer to ride a breastfeeding horse because they can use it as a dairy animal. At the time of despair, they will also split the minor veins at the necks of their horses and drain the blood into the cups. This they will drink "plain" or mixed with milk or water. This blood drinking habit (applied to camels and horses) shocked the Mongols' enemies. Matthew Paris, an English writer of the 1200s, wrote cynically, "... they [Mongolians] have abused their prisoners because they have mares, because they are inhuman and cruel, more precisely a monster than a man, thirsty and drink the blood... "
The Mongols did not have long trains; on the contrary, they and their horses live off the land and the people who live there. Ibn al-Athir observed, "Moreover they [the Mongols] did not need a commissariat, or delivery of supplies, because they had sheep, cows, horses, and four-legged animals like them, the meat they ate, nothing else. they dig into the earth with their fingernails and eat the roots of the plants, without knowing the barley, so when they descend everywhere they need nothing from the outside. "It is important for the Mongols to find good shepherd for the herd remount them, or fail, to catch enemy food. During the conquest of Bukhara, Genghis Khan shouted, "Feed the horses!" indicates that the army must loot and slaughter the population. Genghis Khan warned Subutai to be careful to save the powers of his horses on a long campaign, warning that it was no use saving them after they were exhausted.
Mongolian horse has long been used for hunting, regarded as sport, means of livelihood, and as training for military endeavors. Animals such as deer are taken with bows and arrows from horseback, while other games are rounded up by riders who are mounted. For the Mongols, the tactics used in the hunting game of a horse are slightly different from those used in cavalry hunting on horses. Soldiers will also hunt for food while marching, an activity that could extinguish the horses. Genghis Khan, concerned that his troops would use their horsepower before reaching the battlefield, instructed General Subutai that he should limit the number of hunts carried out by his troops. In 1911, horsemen were still hunted by wolves from horses. Elizabeth Kendall observed, "The Mongol wolf is big and ferocious, often attacking the herds, and one will pull a good horse or drive in. Those men are waging a war that is less successful on them and sometimes they organize some kind of battle. , armed with lasso, placed at strategic points, while others, directing the wolves from their nests, pushing them within reach. "(See also A Wayfarer in China ).
The Mongols used many means intended specifically for attacking the mounted rider. The spear used by the soldier has a hook on the end that is used to insult an opponent and grab the enemy's hooves. They also use a whistling arrow to frighten the opposing horses. The Mongols did not hesitate to fire mounts from under the other cavalry troops; there are even special types of arrows designed specifically for that purpose. For this reason, horses of wealthy people wear armor with iron or hardened leather plates are called lamellae. The armor is a full body cover with five distinct parts that protect the head, neck, body and back. The Mongols preferred to use whips to push their horses during battle, while their European opponents preferred spurs. Whips give them a tactical advantage because it's safer and more effective than spurs: whips can be felt through armor and do not endanger horses, whereas spurs can not be felt through armor and injure horses. When the Mongols wanted to hide their movements or make themselves more visible, they occasionally tied tree branches to their ponytails to lift up the dust, blur their position and create the illusion of a larger group of horsemen.
A story says that Jebe shot the horse out from under Genghis Khan during the battle. The animal has a speckled white muzzle. When Jebe was arrested later, he flatly admitted to Khan's face that he had fired a questionable arrow. Genghis Khan admired his courage, and instead of killing Jebe, he took him to his own army. Years later, when Jebe had become a general, Genghis Khan became concerned that his subordinates had ambitions to replace him. To eliminate Khan's suspicions, Jebe sent him a gift of 1,000 horses with a speckled white muzzle.
Horses are used to guide Mongolian emergency boats crossing the river. Pian de Carpine describes the procedure as follows: "When they arrive at a river, they cross it in the following way, even if it is large: the head has a round and light skin, around the apex they have a very close gap together through which they pass and they stretch it so that their stomachs come out, and this they fill with clothing and other things, and then they tie it very tightly, after which they put saddles and other hard stuff in it, and people also sit on Then they tie up a boat made into a ponytail, and a man swims in front of him, or they sometimes have two oars, and with them they row across the water, so cross the river, some poor people have leather pouches, sewn with well, each one has one, and in this bag or sack they put their clothes and all the goods m ereka, and they tie the mouth of the bag tightly, and tie it to the ponytail, then they cross over as mentioned above. "
The Mongols traveled the continent's distance on horseback. In particular, the European troops of Subetei generally fought as far as 5,000 km from their homeland in Mongolia. Because his troops did not travel directly but made various diversions on the route, 5,000 kilometers actually translated into a riding trip that had been estimated to reach 8,000 km in total length.
Messages are brought quickly throughout the Mongol kingdom by an express horse style relay system where the rider will deliver messages from station to station, switching to a fresh horse every time. A similar system of accelerated horse mail was still practiced in Mongolia in 1911. Elizabeth Kendall described it as follows: "Under the treaties of 1858 and 1860, a post-border route between Russia and Kalgan was established, and apart from competing with trains through Manchuria, the horses are still passing through the desert three times a month, and the Mongols employed for the work go from city to city in seven days, walking galloping along the road, with frequent horse shifts and, less often, men. "
Spiritual conviction
It is believed that the spirit of the horse is in its mane; thus, long and thick mane is considered a sign of a strong animal. The stallion's blade is never cut, despite the mane of geldings. After the horse dies, the owner can keep the mane. The first foal of the year will also have a blue scarf tied around his neck; This foal is believed to represent the power of children's harvest this year. When a Mongol rider passes ovoo, they may offer some of their horsehair's tail before continuing.
A family may have a holy horse among their flock, which is marked by a blue scarf tied around the neck. Horses are generally never ridden, although on rare occasions the head of household may do so. Historically, horses were sacrificed on special occasions; it was recorded that 40 horses were sacrificed at the Genghis Khan cemetery. When a Mongol warrior died, his horse would be killed and buried with him. In 1253, William of Rubruk observed a recent funeral scene in which sixteen horse skins were hung on long poles, with four skins pointing to every corner of the compass. There is also a mustache (horse milk) for a dead person to drink.
Mare milk is used in various religious ceremonies. In "The Secret History of the Mongols," it is noted that Genghis Khan sprinkled horse milk on the ground as a way of honoring the mountain for protecting it. Before the battle, the Mongols would sprinkle the horse's milk on the ground to ensure victory. The watered milk is also used for purification; Envoys to Khan were asked to pass between two fires while sprinkled with horse milk to clean them of malicious devices and magic. William of Rubruck noted in 1253 that, "If he [a Mongolian master at home] should drink [liquor while sitting] on a horse, he first before he drinks a little pour on the neck or horse mane."
In modern times, Mongol horse can be blessed with a sprinkling of horse milk before the race. After Naadam's national race, the winning horses were sprinkled with horse milk, and the top five horses in each racing category were named "five planes". After the Naadam wrestling match, the winner will take a sip of airag and throw some into the air. Milk can also be sown after people who leave the trip.
When the favorite horse dies, the owner can dispose of the corpse in several ways. To show respect, they may take the horse's skull and put it in an oovo, a pile of stones used in shamanic religion. Others believe that when a horse is killed to be eaten, its skull must be left in the field because of the purity of the horse. It is considered disrespectful to the skull or hoof of the horse to be trodden; for this reason, such remnants may be hung from a tree.
Horses are believed to have spirits that can help or hurt their owners after death. When the deceased's horse's spirit is satisfied, the owner's flock will flourish; if not, then the group will fail.
Horses in Myths, Songs, and Folklore
Mythology
According to the shamanic tradition, one's soul is called the wind horse ( ???????, Khiimori ). The wind horse is depicted on the official Mongolian emblem, which features winged horses. Among the shamanic tingries, the 99 supreme gods of Tengerism, there is an equestrian deity called Kisa? A Tngri who protects the soul (as well as wealth). Another divinity, Ata? A Tngri, is the protector of the horses themselves. The drums used by shamans are often made of horse skins, the drum itself stands for "the saddle animals where the shaman goes up or the mountain that carries the spirits that are summoned to the shaman."
In the epic Gesar, the devil rides unnatural horses that have no tail.
Folklore and Song
Like many cultures, the Mongols have stories of magical horses. In one story, a Robin Hood figure from Mongolia stole livestock from the rich and gave it to the poor. One day he was chased by lawyers on a horse, and he came to the river, his horse could not cross. It seems he will soon be arrested, but seeing a mountain in the distance, he prayed for help and his horse rose from the ground and flew over the river to the top of the mountain.
In Mongolia, the horse "is everywhere in song, in story, and in art." One legend revolves around the invention of a horse violin, a favorite instrument of Mongolia. In this story, a shepherd named Namjil the Cuckoo receives the gift of a flying horse; she will put it up at night and fly to meet her lover. A jealous woman has a horse's wings cut off, so the horse falls out of the air and dies. The grieving shepherd makes the horse's horse heads off the skin and hair of the now-devastated ponytail, and uses them to play the poignant songs about his horse.
Another legend about the origins of violin horses claimed that it was created by a boy named SÃÆ'¼khe (or Suho). After the evil master killed the precious white horse, the horse's spirit came to SÃÆ'¼khe in a dream and ordered him to make a tool of the horse's body, so that both could still be together and would not be lonely. So the first horses horse fiddle was assembled, with the horse's bone as its neck, the horse's strap, the horse's skin covered the wooden box, and the scroll was carved into the shape of the horse's head.
Horses are a common character in Mongolian folklore. The motive of repeatedly young children who are separated from their families and must make their way in the world itself is the kind of story that has been described as endemic to Mongolian culture. The horse is also prominent in the song. In 1934, Haslund wrote, "Of the forty-two Mongolian songs I have recorded in my years in Mongolia no less than seventeen are about horses, they have titles like: 'Little black with velvet back,' 'Dun with live ears, 'and they are all full of touching evidence of Mongol love for his horses. "
Given the deep integration of horses into Mongolian culture, Mongols have a great vocabulary of horse terminology. There are over 500 words in Mongolian explaining the properties of horses, with 250 terms for coat color/pattern only. In Mongolian literature, this rich vocabulary leads to a seemingly long-winded construction in English, a Mongol poet might say, "He rode a three-year-old rabbit with a black line on his back" rather than "he rode a horse."
Epic poem
Mongolian epic poetry always commissioned a special horse for heroes. The horse may have been born at the same time as a hero or just before him. It has incredible strength, speed, magic, and intelligence. The horse may have the power to magically change its shape; it gives the hero with advice, and even can predict the future. Regarding the last ability, one repetitive plot development is a disaster that occurs when a hero ignores his horse's advice. In other epics, the hero can not defeat his dreadful enemy mangus without asking for help from his horse. The horse can even use his magical powers to help the hero in seducing his lover. "From the frequency of horse motifs in this tradition, one can easily get the impression that horses are as important as their masters.We have yet to find an epic in this nomadic tradition that is without horses and the help it provides."
In Jangar Epic
One of the three traditional Mongolian oral epics is Jangar, in which the horse plays a role that is almost as important as the hero. The most famous horse of this epic is Aranjagaan, Jangar mountain. Aranjagaan was hired by a seven-year-old Heavenly Horse who descended to mate with a fierce horse on the shores of the lake. (There is an intertextual conflict about this later in the epic, where Aran's father is described as an ordinary horse driven by Jangar's father.) The ability of Aranjagaan is described in the epic style: "He is red and has a body the size of a hill He has a tail and a ear He has a hoof as big as a sheepfold and butt as hard as a cast iron.As he was born, he hissed and frightened the wolf, who had lurked near the kiosk.At the age of one year, he joined the war.At the age of two, he fought in the north and south, he was at his heyday at the age of seven.Aranging hiss, making the leaves of trees, grass and stone thunder and even the frightening monster of dozens His power seemed to emanate from within him, One leap forward would carry the rider for hundreds of meters, His power will make anyone so amazed that his brilliance is blazing and makes everyone who sees him...... even Aranjagaan rumbling shakes the enemy and weakens their knees. "Also this epic description is confined to Aranjagaan, and even nameless horses like the red spear of Altan Gheej have a poetic venerable ability.The red horse is described as having an 80-foot tail and a pestular ears.can run at full speed for two consecutive months and swim across the sea for 25 days.The red horse Moligen Tabuga is described as forty-nine oceans.The Sanale red horse has iron-like ears.The size and capability is typical for all epic mounts in Jangar.In particular, the size of the tail, ears, and nails praised, though sometimes people will find hooves that are depicted as tree trunks, etc.
This is a horse, not a hero, who claims a divine ancestor. In fact, the motif of a divinely-born horse is repeated in the epic, as when the stunning history of Ales Kale's white horse and white horse is given: "The horse's father from heaven Heavenly horse meets and mates with a beautiful mare on the Bank of the Cash Lake, licked his face and flew away, leaving a broken-hearted companion, the horse giving birth to fans and white horses with endless hope. "Horses like fans and whites and Aranjagaan themselves are considered sacred because of their descendants.
In the Mongol epos, horses save their riders in battle and even fight with them. When Jangar is hit with a poisoned arrow, Aranjamanan realizes what has happened and carefully brings Jangar to safety. In order for his swaying master to not sway, the horse skillfully leaned back and forth, even going a step further to squat on his front legs or hind legs as he climbed and descended the hill to keep his back level. When they arrived at a house, he laid down to let the rider gently fall. On another occasion, Aranjagaan ran to the place where the battle took place and started fighting, without a rider, with the hero. During the fight, the epic narrative usually shifts back and forth between describing the riders' battle and the action of their horses, the heroes throwing the spears, the horse hero bends forward to chase the enemy. In battle, poets describe horses as strong-willed actors. There are some descriptions of pullers or foot guidance; on the contrary, the impression that the horse chose the best way to do the fight because he worked with the driver. The horses bite and kick the enemy, and will even bite enemy horses. During the battle, the red horse of Sanale "gave him an inexhaustible power: he kicked the enemy eighteen thousand times from the left and then eighteen thousand times from the right so that the spear, the big sword, and the broken arrows fought like a great eagle. wings. "Horses can get hurt. In a long-running battle, the red horse Altan Gheej was "beaten black and blue and stabbed all over." With his eyes covered with blood, the horse was almost trapped by the enemy several times. swimming for a while, Blood cleansed and wounds healed miraculously. "The horses desperately wanted to fight. When Hongor's mad horses saw Hongor equipped for war, he kicked and snorted with delight.
The horses often have their own adventures, such as being trapped in a whirlpool and fleeing by grabbing branches in their teeth and hauling themselves to shore. The poet did not fail to describe the collapse of the horses' horse in the bank, the attention of the rider, and the rest of the horse as he stood, happily shook his mane, and began to plant grass. The Mongolian poet considers it important to describe the feelings and actions of horses as well as human characters. For example, when Jangar stops drinking in the cold currents and pleasures in natural beauty, the poet also notes that Aranjagaan graze and enjoys rolls on the grass. On another joyful journey, Aranjagaan's riders started to sing, and Aranjagaan moved his toenails on time with the song.
Heroes and horses talk to each other regularly. The hero will urge and reprimand his horse, demanding more speed, as when Altan Gheej said to his red horse after 50 days and nights running, "Are you not known as 'flying arrow' or 'blue eagle'? Why did not you cross your cage after some if we can get to our destination? "or when swimming in the ocean," A hero in need is a hero Where is your great power? How can you be swayed like this? " The horses will also tell their riders when they can not give anymore. For example, when Sanale ran away from the devil, his sweaty and exhausted horse said, "My lord, I have tried my best and can not run faster, please get rid of the devil, or we'll both have trouble." On another occasion, the Sanale red horse whinned loudly to wake his master from a deep, drunk sleep, then rebuked him for sleeping when he had to kill the devil. Sanale, embarrassed, apologized to the horse. A red horse replied without expression, "Drink delays and drink hard kill."
The heroes in Jangar show great affection for their horses. They will rub their horse's nose lovingly and take care of them in difficult times. When Sanale was forced to flee to the Gobi desert, he and his horse became tired from hunger and thirst. The horse saw a plant he knew to be poisonous, but could not help it. Immediately it collapsed in agony. Crying, Sanale grabs the horse's neck and says that he has nothing but his own flesh, but that they must go or their enemies will kill them. The horse was deeply touched by his master's attention and wept. This heroically managed to rise and bear the Sanale away. When the horse then collapsed, Sanale tried to help her up. Finally, fearing that his pursuers would harm a weak horse, Sanale hid it in a cave while he fought them. During the exhausting battle, the maroon twilight, "Sir, we have fought for seven days, and I feel dizzy and dizzy from lack of food and water.can we rush out and look for something to eat?" Patience leaves the battlefield, finds food for his horse, naps while eating its contents, then returns to battle and continues to fight.
Epic horses are considered treasures, and the quality of a human horse reveals its status and wealth. When introducing a new hero, the poets inevitably include descriptions of valuable hero horses. One description of Sanale, for example, is that "he rides a rare red horse visible on the steppes." Patience is introduced by describing that it has "an unrivaled horse of 100,000 slaves." Horse equipment is also important. The poet describes Jangar's beautiful outfit, then adds that Aranjagaan is equipped with a gold dumbbell and a long silver rope. Because of their value, horses are also important in peace negotiations; for example, Jangar sought to buy peace from Sanale by offering him the best twelve horses in his flock. The horses, Aranjagaan in particular, are also subject to ransom demands by the greedy enemy Khanna. On various occasions, the hostile clans demanded Aranjagaan as a tribute to avoiding war. One of the consequences that threatens to the defeated enemy is to have all the horses driven by the winner.
The horses play a key role throughout the story, providing information and helping the heroes against the enemy against the enemy. Sanale was almost seduced by a hungry demon masquerading as a beautiful woman seductress, but his horse grunted and blew his skirt, showing his hairy legs. The red horse Altan Gheej is tied to the roof of Khan's enemy palace and pulls until the entire palace collapses. The Sabar horse miraculously discovered that the Patient's homeland was attacked and delivered a message from Jangar to Patience, asking him to return and rescue him.
The fact that horses function as meat animals in Mongolian culture is not neglected in the epic. Sanale warns her red horse that if their enemy catches them, they will eat it and make the horse's skin into boots. Heroes carry dry horse meat for lunch as they go. During the critical moment of the battle, Hongor said to his horse, "You are my dear brother, a rare horse, you have never been beaten, if you fail today I will skin you and eat your flesh!" The horse finds fresh strength and fighting. On another occasion, a different hero warns him that the horse will suffer the same fate if he does not arrive in time to help in a critical battle. Aranjagaan responds that he will arrive on time, but if the hero does not win the battle when they arrive, Aranjagaan will deflect it and break his neck.
Catalog of Horses
In keeping with the Mongol tradition of not naming horses, most of the horses in Jangar had no names, but were identified by their physical characteristics. Each horse has a color that makes it different from the others.
Characters - Horses
- Jangar - Aranjagaan, Aranzhale
- Altan Gheej - red horse
- Wants Shigshirge - Oyomaa, black horse
- Sanale - crimson/red horse
- Big Belly Guzan Gongbei - black horse "like an elephant"
- Moligen Tabuga - red horse
- Patience - reddish brown horse with white nose, maroon horse
- Hongor - angry horses
- Princess of Wuchuuhen Tib - yellow horse
- Jaan Taij - a yellow leopard horse
- Odon Chagaan - yellow horse
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In Mongolian chess, the most powerful part is the horse.
Products
In Mongolia, horses are a fairly inexpensive commodity. In 2014, a good Mongol horse can be bought for $ 140; one worth for $ 100, and a horse racing for $ 800- $ 1000. In 1934, Henning Haslund reported seeing endless swarms stretching as far as he could see. A man of his acquaintance possesses no less than 14,000 horses.
Mongolian horse is appreciated for their milk, meat and hair. William of Rubruck described the process of milking history as follows: "They stretched a long rope in the ground mounted on two pegs stuck in the ground, and to this rope they tied to the third hour of the horses they wanted to milk, and then the mothers stood near their children, and let themselves be silently milked, and if someone is too wild, then a man takes a horse and brings it to him, lets it suck a little, then he picks it up and the blusher takes his place. "Many of the same procedures still in use today. In summer, horses are milked six times a day, every two hours. A horse produces an average of 0.11 lbs of milk each time, with a total annual production of 662 lbs. This milk is used to make fermented drinks in Mongolia, airag and whiskers everywhere. One special variety of "black" mustache, caracosmos, is made entirely of black horse's milk; it is reserved for the aristocracy. William of Rubruck reports that the Khan Stone has milk of three thousand horses collected and sent to his palace every day. In large groups, the softest animals are the preferred milk horse. Milk is also boiled and dried into hard white pieces that can be stored and eaten on the way. During the communist era Mongol factories and mines continued to maintain special horse herds for the purpose of providing airags for their workers, deemed necessary for health and productivity.
Flowering the horse starts from mid-July to late November, sometimes until early December. Of the various animals Mongolian milked, horses provide milk for the second longest period (cows feeding milk for a longer period of time). A longtime suggestion can be searched for the best date to start milking. A gift from the first milk may also be made for spirits at this time. For example, during springtime, a lamama may sow the first mare's milk this year on an ovoo.
Horses are regarded as meat animals in Mongolia. Every 600,000 lb Mongolian horse produces about 240 pounds. meat. The horse in question may be an old, barren, wounded or unneeded animal, like a horse that has lived through its prime. Horse meat is considered safer to eat than other livestock meat. As a Mongolian says, "Because horses do not get diseases that make other cattle sick, [sic] like tuberculosis and other inflammatory diseases, meat and milk are considered clean." William of Rubruck reports that Mongols use horse intestines to make sausage. Horses are considered to have the fourth most desirable type of meat, after sheep, cattle and goats. Animals are preferred for the young, because it feels better. The horses were slaughtered at the end of November when the animals were in the fattest; it is considered bad practice to slaughter them in the summer.
They will also use the skin from the back of the horse's skin to make shoes. The horse skin is one of the materials used to make a bowstring from a famous Mongol composite bow. The horse's skin is preferred over other animals because it is said to maintain its versatility despite the cold temperatures of the meadows. Mongol warriors also wore armor made of horse skins soaked in horse urine. The drums used by shamans in rituals are often made of horse skins.
Horse hair can be used for a number of products. The horsehair bond is part of a traditional Mongolian tent house. Hair can also be used to make a rope; it is considered better than the skin in wet conditions, because water can easily be shaken from the rope of the horse but not the skin. One of the traditional rope-making techniques asks for a combination of one horse's hair to three to two thirds of wool.
Tailed hair is also used in the manufacture of musical instruments. The traditional Mongolian violin horse has two ropes made of horse hair. The "male" strings are made of 136 hairs from a stallion, while the "female" rope is made of 105 hairs from a mare. The bow is also made of horse hair coated with resin.
Due to the spiritual significance of the horse mane, black hair and white manes are used to make spirit banners (tugs). Black hair shows the pull of war and white hair tug peace. Black hair is taken from the horses of the bay. Soldiers wore helmets that culminated with horsehair on top.
Because there is little wood in the pasture, dried animal waste is collected as fuel for fire. Bruun notes, "... especially horse shit (and perhaps surprisingly for the uninformed) emit a fragrant aroma that resembles frankincense."
Famous Horse
Mongolians do not name their horses; instead, they identify them based on their colors, marks, scars, and brands. Perhaps because Mongol habits do not mention their horses, there are some people who are widely known from this breed. One exception to this rule is Arvagarkheer, an 18th-century horse race that defeated more than 1,000 other horses in the race. The town of Arvaikheer is named after him, and he has a statue painted with a blue scarf tied around his neck in the valley of Arvaikheer.
When Vice President Joe Biden visited Mongolia, he was given a Mongol horse as a gift. He named it "Celtic" and tied two ceremonial knots in a blue silk scarf around the horse's neck. It frightened the horse and the horse was kept, and taken away.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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