Cosmogonic conceptions of the turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus

Mythology is one of the most ancient forms of cognition of the world, developed at the early stages of the development of mankind. The peculiarity of mythological conceptions of the turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus is the presence of the two systems of myths: ancient Caucasian and ancient Turk. This pecularity has left traces on all structural components of material and spiritual culture of the people which are carriers of Turkic traditions in North Caucasian region. A component of cosmogonic myths is the conception of the origin of the mankind, of sex, of some peoples, tribes etc. Turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus realized the creation of the world as the beginning of time and space and interpreted as an infinite sequence of the beginning, having no end. An important role in cosmogonic conceptions of the turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus was occupied by water which the specified people treated very carefully. Apparently, such significance of the cult of water has developed the double attitude to it at the specified ethnoses. On the one hand water was considered as the beginning, the initial condition of all real, an equivalent to primeval chaos. On the other hand, the water deity was treated with big respect as life, fertility and productivity of the earth depended on it. Turkic outlook taught that any system of the Universe consists of three parts. All three zones of the Universe - heavenly, terrestrial and underground are in their turn, subdivided into visible and invisible (abstract). The beginning of the Universe for turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus, as well as for their ancestors, was a sky. The significance of the god of the sky Tejri (ancient Turk Tengri), heading Karachai-Balkar pagan pantheon testifies it. We believe that Tejri has not been created immediately, but was in the process of formation, changing and being updated. As a result the last phase of development of conceptions about god Tejri showed the higher step of transformation of the concept "sky". One shouldn't forget that the sun was one of the main attributes of Tejri. In cosmogony of the turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus Tejri (Tengri) personified the sun, light and the moon. In our opinion, in a hydrochloric cult of god Tengri (Tejri) it is necessary to search, first of all, for conceptions of the ancient Turk peoples about the sun, as a renewer of the nature and its big role in animal industries. Similar conceptions are observed among Karachais and Balkars for which cattle-breeding pattern is the main and leading one and is a heritage from turk-speaking ancestors. Turk-speaking ethnoses of the North Caucasus also revered the Earth, as the creator of crop and abundance, since agriculture played a considerable role in their economy. However, in a magic arsenal of these peoples there is much more devices directed on cattle preservation, increase in its kindle. It is not surprising if we consider cattle breeding peculiarity of their life-support system. An important place in cosmogonic conceptions of the turk-speaking ethnoses of the North Caucasus was occupied with fire. Ancestors of the turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus considered fire as a cleaning means. Thus, the profaned thing was held over fire for clarification. The ritual of cremation among Turkic tribes is also connected with this cult. Such a ritual was noted in medieval burial grounds at the upper reaches of the Chegem. Thus, the traditional outlook of the turk-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus, is focused on revealing the identity and similarity to the nature. Comprehension of this relationship for them, as well as for all Turkis, was actual throughout all culture development.

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