Introduction
Understanding Tengricism
Tengrism links sovereignty, destiny, heaven, territory and lineage. Tengri is not necessarily a personal god comparable to that of monotheisms; according to the times, it represents the supreme heavenly power that grants fortune and legitimacy.
The Turkish inscriptions of Orkhon in the eighth century evoke Tengri and the Earth-Water in the imperial order.
To be retained
Four essential principles
- Tengrism links sovereignty, destiny, sky, territory and lineage.
- The Turkish inscriptions of Orkhon in the eighth century evoke Tengri and the Earth-Water in the imperial order.
- Ancestors, mountains, springs, fire and heaven receive respect and offerings.
- tengrism thinks human life and power under the horizon of Heaven, ancestors and territory.
Small timeline
A tradition shaped by history
Origins and training
The Turkish inscriptions of Orkhon in the eighth century evoke Tengri and the Earth-Water in the imperial order.
Historical developments
The Mongols of Gengis Khan's time invoked eternal Heaven while practicing a great variety of cults.
Ritual life and teachings
Ancestors, mountains, springs, fire and heaven receive respect and offerings.
A living and plural tradition
Islam, Tibetan Buddhism, Eastern Christianity and local traditions then interacted with this heritage.
History and development
The Turkish inscriptions of Orkhon in the eighth century evoke Tengri and the Earth-Water in the imperial order. The Mongols of Gengis Khan's era invoked eternal Heaven while practicing a great variety of cults.
Islam, Tibetan Buddhism, Eastern Christianity and local traditions then interacted with this heritage.
Worldview, beliefs and practices
Ancestors, mountains, springs, fire and heaven receive respect and offerings. Specialists often translated as "shans" perform divination, care and mediation.
The fate or *qut*, vital and political favour, can be granted or withdrawn. Community rites vary considerably between Turkish and Mongolian populations.
Texts, symbols and transmission
Orkhon inscriptions, Mongolian chronicles, epics and oral traditions. Symbols: blue sky, tree of the world, mountain, sun, ancestral wolf in some stories.
The blue flag and the tengrist term also have modern political uses.
What research can and cannot say
Contemporary movements sometimes rebuild tengrism as a systematic national religion. This current identity is real, but it does not automatically reproduce all medieval practices.
References