Turkish Mythology - Formation, Creation and Gods
Turkish Mythology
As is known, the source of all mythologies in the world are epics. Some are legends compiled from the public, while others are legends written down. Turkish mythology also takes its source from epics as in other myths.
However, it is observed that identifying the content of Turkish epics with real people in history causes a general misconception that Turkish epics are not Myths.
In order to give an explanation to this subject, the studies on what mythology is and what is not should be looked at. According to the results of these studies; Legends belonging to people we know lived in history are called epics.
Giving human qualities to natural beings, which are not mentioned in history, where great heroes take place, is called mythology. According to this explanation, other Turkish epics such as the Creation Epic of the Altai-Yakut Turks, the Oghuz Epic of the Huns, the Gokturks, the Ergenekon and the Bozkurt Epic are generally Turkish mythology.
Turkish mythology consists of different legends that are not developed around a single myth like Greek Mythology, which is well known in the world. But in their origin they are all similar legends. I want to tell you the most known of these myths today.
Turkish Mythology - Creation
Although there are many different Creation Myths, the most well-known and largest of these are the legends of the Altai Turks. Since the Altai Turks remained under the Mongol rule for a long time, it can be thought that there were Mongolian influences in the Altai Creation Myth; However, although traces of the Mongolian religion are not seen, more Iranian culture influence is observed.
The reason for this is that there were Iranian influence and cultural relations with Iran among the Turks before the Göktürk era. In addition, the element affecting the Altaic Creation Epic in the second degree is the Manichaeism religion. But the most important effect on these is that it is fused with the old Central Asian customs and beliefs.
There are many different accounts of the Altai Creation legend in Turkish mythology. According to this legend, there are only two entities in the creation of the entire universe. These are god Ulgen and Erlik. In the epic, it is stated that the god Ulgen, the symbol of goodness, and Erlik, the symbol of evil, were flying while the universe was still nothing.
According to a different interpretation of the Altai Creation Epic, it has been seen that Ulgen is not the great God himself. It is known that he was the creator of the whole universe where Kayra Khan was before God Ulgen. It is stated that Kayra Khan is located on the seventeenth floor of the sky. Based on this information, Ülgen is mentioned as one of the three great gods in the sky. A female spirit, Ak Mother, gave Ülgen the power to create.
Ülgen and Erlik
Returning to a different narrative again, Ülgen, a god of goodness; lives above the moon, sun and stars. It is stated that he lived in the sixteenth floor of the sky. Ülgen, who has a golden gated palace and a golden throne, is generally depicted as a human. It is seen that Ülgen has many attributes.
In the prayers, expressions such as White Bright, Bright Hakan, noisy, burning, lightning were told. The phrase Şimşekçi may remind us of Zeus from Greek Mythology. God Ülgen plays a leading role in the creation of man and the world. He created the sky, the sun and the moon. He rules the stars by regulating the atmospheric events. Ülgen has seven sons and nine daughters.
Again, according to a different narration of the same legend, Erlik, who was with Ülgen even before the existence of the universe, was created by Ülgen in some others. But in all the epics in Turkish mythology, Erlik is the devil himself. Sometimes he sits in hell, sometimes on the fifth or ninth floor of the sky.
It is the permanent symbol of all kinds of evil. God is in constant opposition with Ülgen. He is depicted in iron, with a sword and shield, usually as a human on a bull. Erlik has 9 sons and 9 daughters. After the Turks accepted Islam, Erlik was mostly united with beings such as Satan and Jin.
While the creation of the universe and the first gods developed in this way in the Altai Creation epic, the myths of other gods and goddesses were mixed with different legends and developed scattered.
Turkish Mythology Gods
Generally known Turkish mythology God, Goddesses and holy spirits; The Yenisey Inscriptions are derived from different narratives of the Göktürk myths, the Yakut Turks myths and the Altai Creation myths. Some of these God-Goddesses and holy spirits are known as;
WITH WATER
Altai is the name of a spirit that protects people, according to the epic of Creation. It was created from parts of water, moon and sun. It protects people and lives among them.
It has eyes that see as well as an eagle. He is one of the spirits that serve Ülgen. His job is to inform about what can happen in people's lives. The spirit named Karlik is considered the closest friend of Sıla.
KARLIK
It is a spirit that appears with water and does the same thing as it. It occurs with smoke.
UTKUCI (UTKUUÇI)
God is a holy spirit who takes the sacrifice presented to Ulgen, welcomes the Shaman in the sky and conveys his wishes to Ulgen. It accompanies the shaman on his way. The name means friendly welcoming.
YO BLOOD
It is one of the most powerful gods living on earth. He lives in the center of the world where there is a pine that is thought to have reached Ülgen's house. It is the protector of animals and nature. This god, who is believed to be sitting on large beech trees and wandering in green areas in the form of a hurricane, has been said to cry very sadly at the damage to nature.
TALAY KAN (YAYIK HAN)
Talay Kan is the ruler of the seas, the protector of the dead and the god of all the waters on earth. His house is where seventeen seas meet. It corresponds to Poseidon in Greek mythology.
AYIZIT
Yakut is a mythological creature believed to protect children, give life to the child and come to the aid of the newborn woman. He goes to the milk lake in the sky and brings a drop of water and milk from that lake and pours it into the child's throat. This drop is the soul and soul of the child.
Thus, thanks to the power of this goddess, the child begins his life. According to the belief, when the pregnant woman is on the eve of childbirth, she comes down from the sky and stands next to the pregnant woman to relieve her labor pains. He is depicted with a swan bird and a white crane, the color of holiness.
UMAY
Information about the Goddess Umay mostly comes from the Göktürk Inscriptions. There are various epics about Umay in Turkish mythology. It is similar to Ayızıt in the Mythology of Yakut Turks. She is depicted in many places as a goddess who protects women, children and nature and ensures fertile lands.
It was believed that puerperant women, also known as "al board" in Anatolian Turks, were protected by Umay from Al Wife who was believed to kidnap their children.
Although it is also referred to as Mother Nature, it is mostly expressed as Humay in Azeri Turks. In some sources, he is involved in the creation of the world with Ülgen. The Huma bird has taken its place in many motifs with it.
Elements of Turkish Mythology are not as precise and regular as the myths in other mythologies. It consists of scattered and shamanist elements. This is why we cannot give clear and detailed information about the subject as in Greek mythology.
References;
• Prof. Dr. Bahaeddin Ögel - Turkish Mythology Vol 1-2
• Yaşar Çoruhlu - Outline of Turkish Mythology
• Celal Beydili - Turkish Mythology Encyclopedic Dictionary
