Xiongnu: No Writing System, Oral Tradition

200 BCE · Moğolistan · culture

Chinese sources state that the Xiongnu had no writing and were governed by verbal agreement and spoken message.

This absence of writing brought with it a powerful oral tradition: epics, heroic poems and tribal histories held in memory. The period precedes the appearance of Turkic writing (the Göktürk runic script); yet cultural transmission was strong.

Related civilizations

Frequently asked questions

What was Xiongnu: No Writing System, Oral Tradition?
Chinese sources state that the Xiongnu had no writing and were governed by verbal agreement and spoken message.
When did Xiongnu: No Writing System, Oral Tradition happen?
200 BCE
Where did Xiongnu: No Writing System, Oral Tradition take place?
Moğolistan