Melodies associated with with labor and rituals
Title
Melodies associated with with labor and rituals
Alternative Title
Хөдөлмөр зан үйлийн холбогдолтой уриа дуудлага
Publication Type
Language
mon
eng
Location
Mongolia
Keywords
Melody
Labor
Ritual
Herding
Coaxing
Relevance to ICH Safeguarding
ICH Genre
Description
The melodies that Mongolians have long sung to make their work easier are called labor-related melodies. Playing special music for livestock is not an art or entertainment activity but an important production method of herding. For example, using the power of melody, a mother animal is given offspring, and the mother and offspring form a special bond with the help of a melody. In Mongolian herding techniques, each offspring must be raised by its mother’s side in order to grow healthy. A coaxing ritual is used to encourage a female animal to accept a newborn calf or to adopt a rejected offspring whose mothers do not have enough milk. For example, the song “Toig” is sung in the spring to encourage a female sheep who has rejected its offspring. A person who has mastered the technique with eloquence and skills is hailed as a “master performer.”. The performer sings, and as a result, the mother’s eyesight softens, her breathing calms down, and her body relaxes. Her anger subsides. When coaxing a sheep, the words “toig toig” were repeated at the beginning and end of each verse, as described above, and “chaig chaig” for goats. When a cow or a mare is coaxed, a special performer is invited to sing a long song and play the fiddle or flute. There is a special song for coaxing a camel. Also, there are appropriate sounds and melodies for the herd to start moving. When a herder wares their horse or makes them stand in a line at the hitching post, they would whistle in a soft tone, signaling them to be quiet. When horses hear the whistle, they become submissive and quiet. Herders also use the sound of a sling to bring down yaks or cows from the mountains, using a sling for throwing a stone with a piece of leather to place the stone in the center of the sling. The sound of the sling is a signal for the animals to descend and turn back. The heritage element “Melodies associated with labor and rituals” is registered in the “Traditional festivals, rituals, customs, games, and chants” domain of the National Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mongolia.
Publisher
National Center for Cultural Heritage
Place of Publication
Mongolia
Date of Publication
2022
Academic Field
heritage management
Community/Ethnic Group
Mongolia
Active Contribution
Mongolia, FY 2024