Coaxing ritual for camels
| Author(s) | National Center for Cultural Heritage en Соёлын өвийн үндэсний төв |
|---|---|
| Title | Coaxing ritual for camels |
| Alternative Title | Ботго авхуулах зан үйл |
| Publication Type | Audio-Visual Material |
| Language | mon eng |
| Location | Mongolia |
| Keywords | Camel Coaxing Ritual Practice Herd |
| Relevance to ICH Safeguarding | awareness raising promotion heritage management |
| ICH Genre | social practices |
| Description | Inscribed in 2015 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Mongol herders perform the coaxing ritual to encourage a female camel to accept a newborn calf or to adopt an orphan. The mother is tied close to the calf, and a singer begins a monotone song accompanied by gestures and chanting. The coaxer changes the melody depending on the mother’s behavior, which may be initially aggressive, and slowly coaxes her into accepting the calf. Performance of the ritual takes place at dusk or twilight and requires great skill in handling camels, as well as talent for singing and musical skill on the horsehead fiddle or flute. Most herdswomen engage in techniques and methods of coaxing, but professional coaxers may be enlisted to undertake the ritual when a singer or musician is unavailable within the local community. The ritual acts as a symbolic medium for creating and maintaining social ties among individual nomadic families and their community. It is transmitted from parents and elders to youth through home tutoring. |
| Publisher | National Center for Cultural Heritage |
| Place of Publication | Mongolia |
| Date of Publication | 2022 |
| Academic Field | heritage management |
| Community/Ethnic Group | Mongolia |
| Contributor | Council for Cultural Heritage Networking and Communication |
| Active Contribution | Mongolia, FY 2024 |
| Data Collection Project | |