The Kazakh horse-breeding spring festival marks the end of the old and the beginning of the new yearly breeding cycle.
The traditional festival takes place in Terisakkan Village in the Ulytau District of Karaganda Oblast. Festivities draw their inspiration from traditional knowledge about nature and from the ancient relationship between man and horse, as well as modern adaptations of skills passed down from nomadic ancestors.
During the year-long prelude to the ritual, the following components are involved: ‘Biye baylau’ (literally as ‘tethering mares’), the ancient ‘first milking’ rite that includes separating the mares from the herds, milking the mares, and celebrating through song and dance. Ayghyr kosu (meaning ‘stallion's marriage'), is a recent tradition for adjoining stallions; and kalymyz muryndyk (metaphorically, the initiation of koumiss), is the opening ceremony for koumiss harvest and sharing.
It takes around three weeks for the rites to be completed, including the koumiss sharing ceremonies at each household. The rites mark the beginning of a new reproductive cycle and demonstrate traditional Kazakh hospitality. In order to produce an abundance of milk and ensure the fertility of herds, people observe the rites and related rules together.
The event strengthens their friendship, mutual understanding and support, unity and social cohesion, as well as the sense of belonging to a large community of their fellow nationals, not just relatives, friends, and neighbors. It remains the only direct way for knowledge and experience to be transmitted and shared during joint activities of the element's preparation and performance.
Through the supervision of adults, children learn many things from very early on. It is important for horse-holding families to pass their skills and knowledge on to the children of their neighboring families. Since it is passed down from generation to generation, the element remains sustainable but not 'frozen'.
Although its rituals include remnants of ancient cults and beliefs passed down from nomadic ancestors, they are well adapted to modern times and conditions. Even though the past generations of its bearers went through a forced transition from nomadic lifestyles to settled ones in the 20th century, and their pastures were diminished in favor of agriculture, preventing seasonal migrations, this culture survived.
Due to the changing conditions, traditional forms of horse breeding have been adjusted to suit the new conditions by making some modifications to their technologies, which had an impact on their cultural traditions as well.
This festival commemorates the end of the old and the beginning of the new yearly cycle of breeding horses.
It is a tradition that shows that the Kazakh horse breeders have a special spring festival in Terisakkan Village in the Ulytau District of Karaganda Oblast.
The festivities draw their inspiration from traditional knowledge about nature and from the ancient relationship between man and horse, as well as modern adaptations of skills passed down from nomadic ancestors. During the year-long prelude to the ritual, the following components are involved: ‘Biye baylau’ (literally as ‘tethering mares’), the ancient ‘first milking’ rite that includes separating the mares from the herds, milking the mares, and celebrating through songs and dances; Ayghyr kosu (meaning ‘stallion's marriage'), a recent tradition for adjoining stallions; and kalymyz muryndyk (metaphorically, the initiation of koumiss), the opening ceremony for koumiss harvest and sharing. It takes around three weeks for the rites to be completed, including the koumiss sharing ceremonies at each household. The rites mark the beginning of a new reproductive cycle and demonstrate traditional Kazakh hospitality. In order to produce an abundance of milk and ensure the fertility of herds, people observe the rites and related rules together. The event strengthens their friendship, mutual understanding and support, unity and social cohesion, as well as the sense of belonging to a large community of their fellow nationals, not just relatives, friends, and neighbors. It remains the only direct way for knowledge and experience to be transmitted and shared during joint activities of the element's preparation and performance. Through doing things under the supervision of adults, children learn many things from very early on. It is important for horse-holding families to often pass their skills and knowledge on to the children of their neighboring families. Since it is passed down from generation to generation, the element remains sustainable but not 'frozen'.
Although its rituals include remnants of ancient cults and beliefs passed down from nomadic ancestors, they are well adapted to modern times and conditions. Even though the past generations of its bearers went through a forced transition from nomadic lifestyles to settled ones in the 20th century, and their pastures were diminished in favor of agriculture, preventing seasonal migrations, this culture survived. Due to the changing conditions, traditional forms of horse breeding have been adjusted to suit the new conditions by making some modifications to their technologies, which had an impact on their cultural traditions as well.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-spring-festive-rites-of-the-kazakh-horse-breeders-01402) (https://www.ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?nation=KZ&page=1&elementsUid=13829896153388001342&mode=grid) |Subject=Entertainment and Recreation, Ritual |Country=Kazakhstan |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}