Turkic creation myth

Ancient Turkic creation myth

The Turkic creation myth is an ancient story about the creation of the Gaoche (Chinese: 高車 / 高车, Pinyin: Gāochē, Wade-Giles: Kao-ch'e) (aka Tiele people) told among various Turkic peoples.^[1]^[2]

The story

The tale is told in Chinese in the Book of Wei^[3] and the History of the Northern Dynasties^[4]^[5]

According to legends, the Xiongnu Chanyu had two daughters, both extremely beautiful. The people of the country all thought them to be spirits. The Chanyu said: "How could I find husbands for my daughters! I am going to give them to Heaven." Thereupon, at a desolate place in the north part of the country, he erected a high platform and placed his two daughters on the top, saying: "Oh Heaven, please come and receive them yourself!" After three years, their mother wanted to bring them back but the Chanyu said: "You may not, their time is not up yet." After another year, there was an old wolf who guarded the platform day and night, howling. It dug a hole underneath the platform and would not leave for a long time. The younger daughter said: "Our father put us here, wanting to give us to Heaven. Now this wolf came here, it is probably a heavenly being, sent by Heaven." She was about to descend and approach the wolf but her elder sister said in horror: "This is a beast! Do not bring disgrace to our parents." The younger sister did not listen to her, she descended and became the wolf's wife and gave birth to children. Later on, they multiplied and formed a state. This is why their people like to sing long-songs with a drawn-out voice, similar to the howling of wolves.
— Weishu, 103; translated by Inaba Minoru.^[6]

Notes

^ Köprülü, Mehmet Fuat (2009). Türk edebiyatı tarihi [Turkish literature history] (in Turkish). Akçağ Yayınları. pp. 69–73. ISBN 978-975-338-468-1. OCLC 984456710.
^ Cemal., Anadol (2006). Türkler : tarihe hükmeden millet [Turks: the nation that dominates history] (in Turkish). Bilge Karınca. pp. 77–101. ISBN 975-8715-64-X. OCLC 433010806.
^ Wei Shu, Volume 103, section "Gaoche". Original text: "俗云匈奴單于生二女，姿容甚美，國人皆以為神。單于曰：「吾有此女，安可配人，將以與天。」乃於國北無人之地，築高臺，置二女其上，曰：「請天自迎之。」經三年，其母欲迎之，單于曰：「不可，未徹之間耳。」復一年，乃有一老狼晝夜守臺嘷呼，因穿臺下為空穴，經時不去。其小女曰：「吾父處我於此，欲以與天，而今狼來，或是神物，天使之然。」將下就之。其姊大驚曰：「此是畜生，無乃辱父母也！」妹不從，下為狼妻而產子，後遂滋繁成國，故其人好引聲長歌，又似狼嘷。"
^ History of the Northern Dynasties, Volume 98, section "Gaoche". Original text: "俗云：匈奴單于生二女，姿容甚美，國人皆以為神。單于曰：「吾有此女，安可配人？將以與天。」乃于國北無人之地築高臺，置二女其上曰：「請天自迎之。」經三年，其母欲迎之。單于曰：「不可，未徹之間耳。」復一年，乃有一老狼，晝夜守台嗥呼，因穿台下為空穴，經時不去。其小女曰：「吾父處我于此，欲以與天，而今狼來，或是神物，無使之然。」將下就之。其姊夫驚曰：「此是畜生，無乃辱父母？」妹不從，下為狼妻而產子。後遂滋繁成國。故其人好引聲長歌，又似狼嗥。 "
^ Cemal., Anadol (2006). Türkler : tarihe hükmeden millet [Turks: the nation that dominates history] (in Turkish). Bilge Karınca. p. 101. ISBN 975-8715-64-X. OCLC 433010806.
^ Balogh, Dániel (ed.) (2020). Hunnic Peoples in Central and South Asia: Sources for their Origin and History. Barkhuis. p. 111