The Creation Myth is a cosmogonic (concerning the creation of the universe) epic of the Altai Turks. It also holds the distinction of being one of the earliest Turkic epics. It is recited among the Turkic tribes living in various parts of the Asian continent and among the Altai Turks. It is the oldest of the Turkic epics. It was identified and set down in writing by Radloff. These are verse works, generally composed of several sections, that recount the extraordinary deeds of their heroes in an enthusiastic, ceremonial style. It is one of the oldest known literary genres. The creation and genesis epics recited in the Altai Mountains are the most developed and most keenly studied data of Turkic mythology, not only of the Turks but of all Central Asia and even Siberia.
The Creation of the Earth
In the Altai creation epic it is told that in the beginning everything was covered with water. The god Ülgen, transforming into a bird, flies over the waters but can find nowhere to alight. Thereupon a voice from the heavens tells the god Ülgen to settle upon a stone that emerges from within the sea. When Ülgen alights upon this stone, he thinks that the earth and the sky must be created, but he does not know how to do it. The female spirit Ak Ana (White Mother), who lives within the waters, tells Ülgen how to carry out the creation. Setting to work with her help, the god first created the earth and then the sky. Afterward, in order to maintain the balance of the world, he created three fish. The fish supported the world from below, preventing it from drifting aimlessly.
The Creation of Humankind
In the Altai legends, although a great ocean and water are fundamental, according to them humankind was not created from water: the origin of humankind was again earth. As the god Ülgen walked over the sea, he saw a floating piece of land. Approaching, he noticed clay upon the earth. He thought, let this become a human; and as he thought, the mud took on human form. In the continuation of the story, this first human, Erlik, would betray Ülgen.
In Iranian mythology too, the first human was made from the sticky earth we call clay. For this reason the Iranians gave the first human the name Kil Shah. The Turks, however, dwelt rather upon mud.
Sources
- Turkish Wikipedia: tr.wikipedia.org