Turco-Mongol Religion

Turkic mythology refers to myths and legends told by the Turkic people. It features Tengrist (a religion originating in the Eurasian steppes, based on shamanism and animism that generally involves worship of the titular sky god Tengr) beliefs along with many other social and cultural constructs related to the nomadic and warrior way of life of the Turkic and Mongol peoples in ancient times. Turkic mythology shares many of the attributes of Mongol mythology. It has also been influenced by other local Asiatic and Eurasian mythologies. For example, in Tatar mythology the elements of Finnic and Indo-European mythologies co-exist. The ancient Turks practiced every current major religions of inner Asia such as Tibetan Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Judaism, and Manichaeism before the majority converted to a form of Islam modified by preexisting Persian and Central Asian culture and the preaching of Sufi Muslim wandering ascetics and mystics (fakirs and dervishes). Often, these other religions were assimilated and integrated through syncretism into their prevailing native lifestyle, worldview, and mythological tradition. Turko-Mongol mythology is essentially polytheistic but became more monotheistic during the imperial period among the ruling class and centered around the worship of Tengri, the omnipresent Sky God. After the Turks started to migrate and leave Central Asia and encounter monotheistic religions, Tengrism became modified from its polytheistic roots. Only two of the original gods remained: Tengri, representing goodness and Uçmag (a place like heaven), and Erlik who represents evil and hell. Deities are personifications of creative and ruling powers, but even when they are anthropomorphised, their supernatural qualities always stand in the foreground. İye are guardian spirits responsible for specific natural elements, but are so numerous that they often lack personal traits. Although most entities can be identified as deities or İye, there are other supernatural entities such as Genien (Çor, or jinn which may either be good or evil) and unmistakably evil demons (Abasi). Tengri rules the fates of all people and acts freely, but is fair when he awards and punishes humanity. The welfare of the people hinges upon his will. Other Turkic dieties from the polytheistic era include Umay (goddess of fertility), Öd Tengri (possibly the god of time), Boz Tengri (possibly the god of the ground and steppes), Kayra (son of Kök Tengri and the spirit of god; a primordial god of the highest skies, upper air, space, atmosphere, light, and life), Ülgen (son of Kayra and Umay and the god of goodness), Mergen (brother of Ülgen who represents the mind and intelligence), Kyzaghan (another brother of Ülgen who is associated with war), Erlik (god of death and the underworld), Alara (a water fairy from Tatar mythology that lives in Lake Baikal with functions similar to those of Cupid), Ak Ana (the White Mother, primordial creator-goddess of the Turkic peoples and also the goddess of the water), Ayaz Ata (a winter god), Ay Dede (the moon god), Gün Ana (the sun goddess), Alaz (the god of fire), Talay (or Dalai, the god of the ocean and seas), and Elos (the goddess of chaos and control.