Before Christianity, originally it was the spruce tree festival. Central Asia 2-3 thousand years ago it was dedicated to yer-su a diety in the center of the earth a place where dietys an spirits took a breather. Next to yer-su in
Seniority was a diety name ulghen and old
Man with a grizzley beard, he appeard to mortals in a red and white garb.
The spruce was Ulghen's Tree that linked the daylight world of mortals with the underground world of deities and spirits. Like a sharp-pointed arrowhead, it showed Ulghen the way to the surface and up, or ol, which is "road" or "way" in Turkic.
The word is one of the countless Turkic borrowings in the Russian language (where it became yel).
Many centuries later, the tree continues to be feted. For some it is Christmas Tree, others celebrate it on New Year Eve. Ulghen, though, has changed its name to Santa Claus, or Father Frost, or whatever. Name-swapping regardless, he still wears that old garb and is the centre of year-end merrymaking, as ever.
Round dances are still done around the tree. Few dancers ever give thought to such details as the caftan, fur-trimmed hat, colour belt or felt high boots - the way the ancient Turkis used to dress up their deity, for they knew of no other clothing but the one they wore themselves. If you have doubts, ask the archaeologists, who have these facts on record.
Tradition has it that Ulghen could change to a different person, Erlik. Not unlikely, for Erlik was his own brother. It is difficult to establish the truth now, after so much water under the bridge. Is it so important now who was who and how then?
Something is more important than that. For the ancient Turkis, Ulghen and Erlik embodied the good and the ugly, light and darkness. We witness this duality on December 25, when the evilest of people can play good and generous. Why not Erlik, then, the symbol of evil as he was. On that December day, he brought gifts to people in his backpack. No one was more overjoyed than children, who scampered looking for him. To coax him they sang and pleaded with him to give them happiness and well-being.
Before Christianity, originally it was the spruce tree festival. Central Asia 2-3 thousand years ago it was dedicated to yer-su a diety in the center of the earth a place where dietys an spirits took a breather. Next to yer-su in Seniority was a diety name ulghen and old Man with a grizzley beard, he appeard to mortals in a red and white garb. The spruce was Ulghen's Tree that linked the daylight world of mortals with the underground world of deities and spirits. Like a sharp-pointed arrowhead, it showed Ulghen the way to the surface and up, or ol, which is "road" or "way" in Turkic. The word is one of the countless Turkic borrowings in the Russian language (where it became yel). Many centuries later, the tree continues to be feted. For some it is Christmas Tree, others celebrate it on New Year Eve. Ulghen, though, has changed its name to Santa Claus, or Father Frost, or whatever. Name-swapping regardless, he still wears that old garb and is the centre of year-end merrymaking, as ever. Round dances are still done around the tree. Few dancers ever give thought to such details as the caftan, fur-trimmed hat, colour belt or felt high boots - the way the ancient Turkis used to dress up their deity, for they knew of no other clothing but the one they wore themselves. If you have doubts, ask the archaeologists, who have these facts on record. Tradition has it that Ulghen could change to a different person, Erlik. Not unlikely, for Erlik was his own brother. It is difficult to establish the truth now, after so much water under the bridge. Is it so important now who was who and how then? Something is more important than that. For the ancient Turkis, Ulghen and Erlik embodied the good and the ugly, light and darkness. We witness this duality on December 25, when the evilest of people can play good and generous. Why not Erlik, then, the symbol of evil as he was. On that December day, he brought gifts to people in his backpack. No one was more overjoyed than children, who scampered looking for him. To coax him they sang and pleaded with him to give them happiness and well-being.