The Felt Tent
People

The ancient Mongols invented the ger - but
what is a ger? Learn about whistle arrows, fabulous hats,
horse head fiddles, well-wishing, salty tea, and the magical Shamas.
Read the story of The Warrior Well. Meet the felt tent people.
Welcome to ancient Mongolia!

Who were the
Mongols?
A nomad is person who
moves from place to place, without a fixed home. A
steppe is a landform - a dry
plain with short grass and shrubs. The few trees you might find on a steppe
are located near a creek or river.
Around 500 BCE, a tribe of nomadic people called the Mongols
lived in Asia. The Mongols were traders and herdsmen. They herded sheep and
traded horses with the ancient Chinese and Persians. In the summer, they
moved with their herds across the vast steppes of Asia, seeking fresh
pasture land. They used dogs to help them herd the cattle. Archaeologists
have found rock paintings that show nomads and dogs protecting their sheep.
The ancient Mongols are sometimes called The Felt Tent People because
their homes were round tents made of felt.
What did they
eat?
White Food:
Breakfast and lunch were the important meals
of the day. Some of the things they ate were mutton, milk, rice,
flour, and yogurt. Their food was called Tsagan-ide (white food).
Fire Stones:
Food was cooked over a fire. To bake
food, they placed meat and bread dough on hot stones that
had been placed near or in the fire. To make fire, they did not use wood.
Wood was scarce on the steppes. Instead, they used dried animal dung.
If you were a Mongol child in ancient times, it would have
been one of your jobs to collect animal dung and set it out
to dry.
Salty Tea:
Tea with salt was their main beverage. Sometimes
they added milk, butter and flour to their tea, which turned a cup of tea
into a warm and nourishing soup. They drank tea at breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. Even today, if you visited a modern Mongol family, you might
be offered a cup of nourishing salty tea.
What did they
wear?
Dels:
Clothes varied from tribe to tribe. Both men
and women wore leather boots. And, both men and women wore dels. A del is
a wrap that looks like a dress tied at the waist. A man's del could
be short or long. A woman's del was always long. Dels made of cotton fabric
kept people cool in the summer. Dels were lined with fur for winter
wear, to keep the people warm and toasty. There were no pockets
in a del. Eating utensils and anything you wished to carry
was hung from your belt. Here is a pattern for a del if you would like
to make one:
Del
Pattern
Applique:
The Mongols invented applique. In the winter months, the women would cut
shapes out of colorful felt and sew them onto clothing and wall hangings.
Horses and cockerels were two of the most popular shapes. They also embroidered
their clothing.
Jewelry:
Both men and women wore jewelry made of bronze and gold. They liked to wear
wide bracelets and necklaces.
Hairstyles:
To the Mongols, hair was a symbol of honor and
strength. In BCE times, the Mongols believed that hairstyles should look
like the wings of an eagle. Women wore their hair pulled smoothly away
from their face. They glued strings of decorated felt to hairbands. The men
left a strip of hair down the middle of their head, and shaved their head
bald on either side. They left the back hair long and braided it.
Hats:
They spent a great deal of time making hats
and head-dresses. Hats were important. Both men and women wore hats
decorated with fur - sable and silver fox especially. In the summer,
they wore hats made from colorful fabrics. They made other kinds of
hats to wear on various occasions. They had top hats, and plush velvet hats
with turned up rims. They loved hats. Here is a pattern for a Mongol hat
if you would like to make one:
Mongolian
Hat Pattern
How did they
live?
Tribes:
They did not live in towns. The
Mongols were nomads. They traveled in small groups
composed of perhaps only two or three families. You might travel
20 miles before you ran into another family group. Although the Mongols
were nomads, they still had a royalty of sorts - chieftains, and later
khans. These were the leaders of various tribes. In ancient times, a
tribe did not necessarily travel together. But they did get together
at festivals, and in times of need.
Tent Homes - Gers
(Ghers, Yurts, Yerts):
A ger is a Mongolian tent home. Gers are shaped like hollow
balls that have been cut in half, with the flat side resting on the
ground. Each ger had one doorway, no windows, and a little
peak at the top to let the smoke out. Imagine living in a home
that looks like a piece of candy (a hershey's kiss) 9 feet high and 15 feet
around. A ger might look unusual but it was a comfortable home.
Gers were so well constructed that it only took two hours to break down a
ger, load it on one or two oxen, and be on your way, off to
seek fresh pastures for your cattle.
Every ger was set up in the same way. The door always had
to face south. To enter the ger, you had to step over the threshold, not
step on it. Once inside, furniture had to be arranged in a certain way. When
you moved around inside, it was considered back luck to walk counterclockwise.
(This belief possibly originated to get everyone moving in the same direction
to avoid bumping heads.)
Click here
to see how a ger was arranged.
Toys:
Puzzles were popular. Games included archery,
horse racing, wrestling, and guessing games. Kids played many bone games
- games they made up using the bones of animals. Bones were
used as targets. Bones were used in races. Bones were used as a guessing
game - kids guessed how many bones were in a pile.
Mongol Kids:
From a very early age, kids were taught to
respect their parents. They were taught survival skills - how to collect
dry animal dung for firewood, how to milk cattle, how to use a bow
and arrow, and how to cook and sew. The most important
things Mongol parents taught their children had to do
with good behavior. Everything they did, including the toys they
gave their children, and the stories they told, were designed to teach
their kids to be ethical, honest, and skilled - to have
good behavior.
Well-wishing:
One of the important customs kids were taught
is how to greet people with respect and honor. Elders were greeted first
with a verbal well wishing greeting. People, even today, greet each other
with well wishes - "May your herd be peaceful." "Let your journey be
lucky."
Mongol Customs:
Here are some of the rules of the ancient
Mongol world:
-
You may not beat horses, dogs, or animals. It would be the same as beating
a close friend.
-
You may not throw any waste into water including rivers and lakes.
-
You must feed all guests, or at least offer food.
-
You must build two bonfires with an open path between them
and direct traders to walk along the path between the fires
to be purified before trade can occur.
-
Greet all people with a well wish.
-
Deep respect can be shown by putting your hand on your heart and bowing.
-
The highest form of greeting is to give a gift of a blue scarf.
-
It is forbidden to be unfair. Here are two old Mongol
sayings or proverbs:
"Better the bone be broken than ones reputation."
"Better to die with a good reputation than be alive with a bad one."
The Mongols had an enormous number of taboos, restrictions, and unwritten
laws. Each generation taught these rules to their children, who taught them
to their children.
It was not until the Mongol leader, Chinggis Khaan,
came to power that these many rules were collected and written
down. Chinggis Khaan wanted to preserve good behavior and good management
of self and family. He wanted to list the customs and traditions of all Mongolian
tribes and nationalities in one place, to help pull them together as one
people. Chinggis Khaan believed if every person grew up in a decent way -
educated, just, fair, smart, energetic, honest, ethical - they would be
successful in managing themselves, their home, their family, and whatever
he needed them to do.
Stories:
One of the ways the Mongols taught their children good behavior
was by using stories, myths, and legends to make a point. Here is a
story we created that is loosely based on an ancient Mongol myth. What
do you think this story might teach an ancient Mongol child
about his or her own customs?
The Warrior Well
Once upon a time, a long time ago, a woman
was watering her sheep. Her husband had reminded her to be sure and cover
the well tightly when she was done as water was scarce. But when she was
done watering her sheep, she forgot to close the well. Soon,
the well filled and the water poured out. It flowed
and flowed, and flooded the grassland at the bottom of the hill. The
sheep bleated in fright.
Just then, a warrior came riding by.
"Can you help me?" the woman cried. "I cannot
stop the water!"
The warrior shot an arrow into the tallest
mountain, splitting it in two. One part fell onto the well and stopped the
water from pouring out.
The woman turned to the warrior, eager to thank
him and to offer him food to eat when suddenly something occurred to her.
She blurted, "But how will I get to the water again? It is under a
mountain."
The warrior only bowed and smiled and went
on his way.
When the woman realized that she had not offered
food or greeting, she hung her head in shame.
Music and Dance:
Water was scarce on the steppes. The people
knew it was important to conserve water. You can see this in Mongol
myths and dance. One popular dance was performed with cups. While
dancing, people balanced cups full of water on their head.
The trick was to dance as lively as possible without spilling a drop. The
Mongols invented an interesting instrument called the Horse-head
fiddle to accompany their dances and stories.
Click here to see a
horse-head fiddle.
Mongol
Warriors:
Horse
Hats: Warriors rode horses into battle.
The Mongols made hats out of colorful felt for their warrior horses.
Most of these hats were designed with felt antlers similar to the antlers
of a reindeer or stag. This was done in part to keep evil spirits away. They
also braided their horses tails with long colorful pieces of felt. They made
saddles. They covered the saddle with soft cushions to make the warrior's
ride more comfortable. They put a colorful blanket under the saddle to protect
the horse. It must have been an impressive sight.
Whistle Arrows:
The Mongols invented whistle arrows. What they
would do is carve holes in the end of an arrow so that it would
whistle in flight. When the Mongols had an arrow in the air, you could hear
it. The more arrows in flight, the louder the noise. It must have been a
terrifying sound for their enemies to hear.
Mongol Men:
Mongol men were herders. They were also warriors.
It was not until the age of the khans that trained armies were part
of the culture.
Mongol Religion:
The ancient Mongols believed in many
gods and goddesses and demons.
Nature Worship:
One of the reasons the ancient Mongols never
became an agricultural society is that they believed it was terribly
wrong to dig the soil or cut the grass. To them, these were attacks on nature.
If you attacked nature, you would have bad luck. The ancient
Mongols worshiped nature - they worshiped the sun, the moon, the
planets, the earth, the sky, mountains, hills, lakes,
streams, and animals.
They also worshiped fire. There were a bunch of rules about fire. You
were forbidden to throw dirt on a fire. You could not put a stick in a fire.
You could not jump over a fire. The ancient Mongols made offerings to fire,
which was usually a piece of grease. When the grease was tossed into the
fire, it made quite a satisfying crackle and spitting sound.
Shamans:
Shamans were the holy men of the ancient Mongols.
They were credited with special powers that allowed them to talk
to the gods on behalf of their tribe. When someone died, for example,
the tribal Shaman would go into a trance, so he could accompany the spirit
of the dead person to the other world. Shamans also performed the Tsam, a
dance the ancient Mongols believed would rid them of evil spirits. Some Shamans
inherited their job from their father. Others found their powers after an
illness or a calamity.
Tsam Figures:
These are little figurines that represent various
gods and goddesses, along with famous Shamans of the past.
Ovoos:
Ovoos are little piles of stone that act as
alters. Each tribe had its own style of building an ovoo. Offerings of food
or other goods were placed on an ovoo to bring luck into your life. One of
their many rules was that it was imperative to circle the ovoo three times
in a clockwise direction when leaving an offering or you would never
find luck. Today, the nomad people of Mongolia still build ovoos
in the old way. As you travel, you might pass a small pile of rocks
with an old bottle, a used car part, and perhaps a ribbon on it. This may
not be litter. These may be meaningful gifts left carefully on a family ovoo,
asking the ancient gods for a favor.
Buddhism:
Today, most of the Mongolian people are Buddhist.
But the old ways are still amongst them as you can see in their festivals
and customs.
Ancient
Festivals:
Tsagaan Sar:
One of the biggest festival was Tsagaan Sar,
or white month. This was celebrated in January to welcome
the new lunar year. Tribes would collect in huge groups. There would be drinking
and eating and singing and dancing. This was one of the times the small
bands of people could see relatives and meet new Mongol people. It was at
the Tsagaan Sar that one often met their future husband or wife. This festival
is still happening today.
Naadam:
Legend says that this holiday started around
3000 BCE. It might even be older. This is the mid-summer festival of the
Mongolian nomads. It was at this holiday that the "three manly games"
- horse racing, wrestling, and archery - were played. These were huge
competitions. In the evening, the people would gather around the
fire, have a huge meal, and tell tales of great horses, great deeds,
and great winners of the Naadam games in the past. After the festival,
and all year long, as people met in their travels, sooner or later talk
would roll around to the game play at the last Naadam. And so continued until
the next Naadam, when tales of new heroes were added to old favorites. This
festival is still happening today.
A
written language: The Mongols did
not have a written language until nearly the Middle Ages. Much of what we
know about the customs and beliefs of these ancient people comes to us from
their oral legends, myths, riddles, and proverbs.
Gifts
the ancient Mongols gave the
world: Appliqué, whistle
arrows, felt gers, and the horse head fiddle
Mongol Myths
Mongolian
Folk Tale - the Warrior Well (free powerpoint)
The lazy owl
How the camel lost his
good looks
Why the elk has such a
long muzzle
The
Golden Pitcher
The
Seven Sons, The First Shamus, and more
The Tiger King's Skin
Cloak, A Mongolian Story (scroll down)
Mongolian
Creation Myth (scroll down)
The Twin Boys
& Other Mongolian Myths
Hear
(and read) the Camel's Tale
Links
for Kids
Funny Facts
The Five
Brothers (a short story)
The Story
of Ogedei
Mongol Games and
Puzzles
Wrestling and
Horse Riding the Mongol Way
Eye-Pleasing
Nationally Famous Mighty and Invincible Giant
Mongol
names
Take a Look
The Horse Head
Fiddle
Mongol
saddle
This
horse racer is seven years old
Links for
Everyone
Daily Life
of the Mongols
Ming-Mang
Game
Ovoos
and Shamanism
Mongol
Notes
Realm of the Mongols - Emerging
from the Felt Tents
Chinggis
Khan or Khaan/Genghis Khan - Many names, same
man
The
Land of Genghis Khan (National Geographic)
Rise of Mongol
Power (learning module)
Map
of the Mongol Empire
Mongolian Empire
1269-1368 (Yuan Empire)
Mongolian
Music
Mongolian
Mythology (gods and goddesses)
Mongolia - A Country
Study
Lots
of Photos of Mongolia and its people and culture
Felting
in Mongolia
Mongolian
Links (Akron Edu)
Lesson Plans
Nomads,
Where Boundaries Move
Who's
a Nomad (geography lesson)
Just
Like the Old Days
Animals
of the Nomads
Natural
Barrier - Himalaya Mountains
Natural
Barrier - Gobi Desert
Geography
Along the Silk Road (pdf format)
The Silk Road
(Donn)
The
Life and Legacy of Chingis Khan
The
Mongols (History Channel lesson plan)
Mongol
Empire - Role Play Simulation - 12th & 13th centuries
Mongol
Unit (Era 5)
Lesson
Plan
Mongol
Dynasty When Kublai Khan Ruled China
Marco
Polo Takes a Trip
Mystery
- The Seven Sisters (lesson, Peace Corps)
Mongolian
Museum
Fall
of the Mongol Dynasty
Buddhism
Classroom Activity
Ideas
Write Well-wishing Greetings
Make Mongolian Hats
Mongolian
Hat Pattern
Ovoo Luck - Messages to the Gods
-
Direct your students to draw a picture of an ovoo with three items
on it.
-
Under their picture, have them explain what these items are
requesting.
For example, if you put a crutch on your ovoo,
you might write: Seeking luck to fix an injured leg
-
Give your students some time.
-
Ask for volunteers to share their ovoo drawing and its meaning.
-
Post all ovoo drawings on the walls of your classroom.
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Create Mongolian Teaching Myths
Working in groups, first create a list of good classroom behavior.
Have each group select one or two items on their list.
Direct each group to create a myth designed to teach that behavior.
Have each group share their myth with the class.
Myths can be accompanied by music if groups wish.
|
Be a detective! See what you can find!
Other Ancients
Copyright © 1997-2007 All Rights
Reserved |
Counter start date January 2006
Clip Art Credit: Google Images
The Warrior Well written by Lin
Donn
Have a great year!