Ötüken
Ötüken (Old Turkic: 
, Ötüken yïš[1], "Mount Ötüken"; 
, Ötüken jer, "Land of Ötüken"; also: 於都斤山[2][3], 都尉揵山,[4] 烏德鞬山/乌德鞬山,[5] 都斤山,[6][7][8] 大斤山, 郁督軍山/郁督军山), is one of the names given to Mother Earth in Tengrism.
[edit] Ötüken and nature
According to this ancient belief, the mood of the Yer-sub and Ötüken could be seen in the trees’ condition. If the trees are healthy and strong and are bearing a lot of fruit, it is believed that Ötüken is satisfied with humans. A prayer dedicated to Ötüken was once directed to a grand tree.[citation needed]
[edit] Mountain
Later,[when?] the word was used to describe the sacred mountain of the ancient Turks. It was mentioned by Bilge Qaghan in the Orkhon inscriptions as, "the place from where the tribes can be controlled." A force called qut was believed to emanate from this mountain, granting the local potentate the divine right to rule all the Turkic tribes.[9]
Although never identified precisely, Ötüken probably stretched "from the Khangai Range of Central Mongolia to the Sayan Mountains of Tuva, at the centre of which is the Orkhon Valley",[10] which for centuries was regarded as the seat of the imperial power of the steppes.
[edit] References
- ^ Bilge kagan’s Memorial Complex, TÜRIK BITIG
- ^ Linghu Defen, Book of Zhou, Vol. 50
- ^ Li Dashi, Li Yanshou, History of Northern Dynasties, Vol. 9
- ^ Liu Xu etc, Book of Tang, Vol. 199-II
- ^ Ouyang Xiu etc, New Book of Tang, Vol. 93
- ^ Yan Shigu, Kong Yingda etc, Book of Sui, Vol. 84
- ^ Ouyang Xiu etc, New Book of Tang, Vol. 215-I
- ^ Sima Guang, Zizhi Tongjian, Vol. 175
- ^ Franke, Herbert. The Cambridge History of China. Cambridge University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-521-21447-5. Page 347.
- ^ Jarich G. Oosten, Henri J. M. Claessen. Ideology and the Formation of Early States . Brill Academic Publishers, 1996. ISBN 90-04-10470-4. Pages 124-125.
