Culture of kazakhs in XIV – beg. of. XVIII centuries.

Lecture 16+27

Brief contents:• 1. Yurta is general dwelling of nomads.• 2. Handicraft and applied art.• 3. Hunting.• 4. Spiritual culture. The art of zhyrau, akyns.

1.Yurta is general dwelling of nomads.

Livestock was key source of food and the main raw material for manufacturing household goods. The numbers of head depended on periodic alternation of pastures and water sources as they became exhausted. This factor determined the nomadic way of life of tribes in Eurasia. It was under these conditions that yurta, one of the greatest inventions of civilization, was first built, perfectly suited to the roving life and uniquely decorated.

Yurta-Kiiz ui (The felt house).

room for man (on the right),

a room for women ( on the left)

A fireplace, with cauldron (kazan)

• A well-built yurta is cool in summer and warm in winter. Its assembly and disassembly takes less than an hour. The interior of yurta is traditional. Every nook has a specific purpose. There is a separate room for man (on the right), a room for women ( on the left), spaces for keeping clothes, mending harnesses and other implements, sleeping rooms, rooms for children and daughter-in-law.

A fireplace, with cauldron (kazan) hanging over it, is located in the middle of the yurta. The seat next to the fire was considered as the place of honour for respected guests.

Yurta mirrored the skills and means of their owners. In our days yurts also used for decoration in restaurants, theatres and other public places.

2. Handicraft and applied art.

The main type of management of the Kazakhs-nomad cattle-breeding-left an imprint on character of mines and handicrafts, implements and habitation, architecture and applied art.

Products of cattle-breeding were the main materials for making various ware, so leather, tailor’s, woolen mines and handicrafts were leaders in material culture of Kazakhs.

Manufacture of metal and wood wares was developed along with them. (Torsyk)-from goat skin

Jewellers

(zergers),

Masters of harness,

woodcutters and stonecutters were made. Skilled craftsman on making woolen and leather wares had particular quality and skills.

3.Hungting.

• BERKUTCHI - hunting with a golden eagle.

• A tradition that has already been practiced for 10 centuries.

• Virtually training of a golden eagle is a rare and painstaking art. The bird just caught is being slowly trained to its master (a berkutchi). For the purpose the man doesn't get a wink of sleep for several nights with the bird being subjected to similar discomfort.

• The bird must take food (pieces of raw meat) from its master's hand only. When the eagles has got used to the hunter, its horse and its dog, it undergoes training: first it "hunts" stuffed foxes and only then proceeds with real hunting.

4. Spiritual culture. The art of zhyrau, akyns.

• The Kazakhs officially professed Islam of sunnit run of Khanafia trend in the ХVI – ХVII centuries. Turkistan, Khiva and Buhara were the centre of it’s distribution.

• Islam harmonized with pre-islam believes, based оn cult of the blue sky - Tengri. The Kazakhs worshiped the spirit of the land - Zher Ana, and water Su Ana. The sacred places were made а sacrifice. The cult of cattle patrons was kept and the cult of fire played а great role.

Nauryz

• Various celebrations and tradition, connected with them, were of great importance in life of the Kazakhs. The Kazakhs celebrated the beginning of the year "Nauryz", coming at vernal equinox (оn the 22 March).

Mans went from aul to aul congratulating each other, and womens cooked ritual meal "nauryz kozhe" (wheat soup) as а symbol of abundance.

Old people were served uр а cooked head of а bull and they traditionally wish growth of cattle stock and abundance of goods.

The art of zhyrau, akyns.

• The verbal art was represented bу poet-improvisers - akhyn, tell ers - zhyrau. There аге famous zhyraus as Khorkhyt ata (VII с.), Shalkiyiz zhyrau (ХVс.), Dospambet zhyrau (ХVI с.), Zhiyembet zhyrau (ХVII с.).

• Literature of the XVIII с. is presented with works of stately singers-narrators as: Bukhar zhyrau Khalmakhanuly, Umbetey, Akhtamberdi and others. Bukhar zhyrau was a large social figure; who lived during the period of AblaI khan's ruling.

• Bukhar zhyrau

(1668? – 1781) was a large social figure; who lived during the period of Ablai

khan's ruling.

Bukhar zhyrau put forward an idea of uniting people around the khan and batyrs in his works.

Thank you of attention!!!