Grey wolf (mythology)
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Grey wolf (Old Turkic: Böri) is a sacred animal and national symbol in Turkic mythology.[1]
Significance of the grey wolf
[edit]The wolf Ashina (Kökböri) plays a great part in the Epic of Ergenekon which is the founding myth of all Turkic and Mongolian tribes.
According to the legend when Ötöken, the capital city of the Göktürks was attacked and all residents killed by the enemy - only one boy survived the massacre. Near death he was found by Asina the grey she-wolf who nursed him back to health. They would later have ten sons, and one of these sons founded the Asahina clan.[2] Therefore, Göktürks have a wolf on their blue flag.
The grey wolf represents war, the spirit of war, freedom, speed, nature. According to their beliefs, when something happens to the Turkic nation, when a threat arises, the wolf appears and guides them. They placed golden poles with wolf heads on top in front of their tents to protect them. Their warrior spirits took on the appearances of wolves. A sixth-century Turkic stone monument depicts a boy suckling milk from a wolf.
In Turkic folk culture, it is believed that carrying a wolf tooth in your pocket will protect you from the evil eye. In the Yakut documents their guardian wolf is referred to as Bosko. For Kyrgyz people, seeing a wolf while walking in the steppe was seen as a sign of good luck and safety. Seeing a wolf in a dream was also a good sign. They used to put wolf teeth or skin under their pillows to protect the pregnant woman from the evil eye. Diving into a flock of sheep or entering a barn was considered a favor to the wolf. According to Bashkir mythology, a wolf fell in front of the ancient Bashkirs and showed them the way. Therefore, they were called Bashkirs, which means "with a wolf on their heads."[3]
Other
[edit]During the 1930s the Kemalists issued a grey wolf picture on postage stamps.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Kemaloğlu, Muhammet (2015-05-08). "Türk Rivayetlerinde "Boz kurt" / The Boz kurt in Turkish Mythology". Journal of History Culture and Art Research (in Turkish). 3 (4): 103–110. doi:10.7596/taksad.v3i4.334.
- ^ DK (2018-05-03). The Mythology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained. Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-35321-9.
- ^ "Bozkurt işareti nedir? Ne anlama geliyor? İşte Bozkurt işaretinin tarihçesi…". www.sozcu.com.tr (in Turkish). 10 March 2018. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- ^ Şeyhun, Ahmet (2014-10-30). Islamist Thinkers in the Late Ottoman Empire and Early Turkish Republic. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-28240-7.
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