Coaxing ritual for camels
Title
Coaxing ritual for camels
Alternative Title
Ботго авхуулах зан үйл
Publication Type
Language
mon
eng
Location
Mongolia
Keywords
Camel
Coaxing
Ritual
Practice
Herd
Relevance to ICH Safeguarding
ICH Genre
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
Active Contribution
Mongolia, FY 2024