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Paper short abstract

The lords of the earth and water, take one of the central places in Mongolian mythology and vernacular beliefs. The presentation looks at the earlier and contemporary forms of these beliefs, their authority and manifestations.

Paper long abstract

The lords of the earth and water, take one of the central places in mythology and vernacular beliefs of Mongolian peoples. Their ’presence’ can be traced from the early medieval times till nowadays. Gazaryn usny ezen (Mong.) or lus savdag (adopted from Tib.) – ambivalent and powerful, deviny and demonic entities, that represent the nature and landscape and are involved in diverse relations with humans. These relations are embodied in Mongolian emic concept nutag - the local unity of the land, spirits and humans - and characterise by mutual principals of responsibility and connectivity.

The beliefs about lords of the earth and water are reflected in various forms, historical sources, official documents, folk narratives, discursive, social and ritual practices. These supernatural entities and relations with them were involved in the customary and official regulations, relations between different ethnic groups and states, clans and social agents, local communities and outsiders, individual and collective behavioural models, traditions and rituals.

The lords of the earth and water are still very important and active actors nowadays, involved in various realms of Mongolian society and Mongolian communities, concerning local and global issues, national, cultural, religious, ecological, economic, social and (geo)political concerns.

This paper analyses the main features, functions and transformations of the gazaryn usny ezen in Mongolian traditional beliefs and contemporary practices.

The research is based on archive materials, fieldwork and media data.