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Kazakhs: being a nomad means to be alive |
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In the language of the Kazakhs words "to live" and "to roam" are synonyms as well as permanent moving with the flocks of cattle was not only a way of life of the nomad but also a basis of his world outlook...
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| Young woman in wedding dress. Kazakhs. Semipalatinsk region. Early 20th century |
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| Woman’s dress. Kazakhs. Central Kazakhstan. Mid-19th century |
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Bag for tea bowls. Kazakhs. Syr-Darya region. lLate 19th century |
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Men and a woman in the summer yurt. Kazakhs. Early 20th century |
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Felt floor carpet. Kazakhs. Samarkand region. Late 19th century. Kazakhs. |
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Dish, a spoon for pouring koumiss and a dish container. Kazakhs. Syr-Darya region. Late 19th - early 20th century |
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Perpetual motion
In the language of the Glossary/?Kazakhs" class="text" onclick="openWnd('/Glossary/?Kazakhs'); return false;">Kazakhs
words "to live" and "to roam" are synonyms as well as permanent moving with the flocks of cattle was not only a way of life of the nomad but also a basis of his world outlook. In the Kazakh fairy-tales and legends clouds and birds, Sun and Moon, souls of the dead and not yet born people also roam, only land and trees remain on their places.
Circannian cycle of the roaming on seasonal pastures overmaster rhythms of the economic activity as well as accompanying rituals and festivals among which the rite of spring moving on was considered to be the main event of the year. It was awaited with great impatience because for the nomads winter was a difficult period - that was the time of hard frosts, immobility, obstinate fight for keeping the cattle, the major value of the nomads, safe.
Spring – the beginning of the new year
As soon as snow started melting and fresh grass appeared on the top of the hills, the community began to prepare to move on to the spring pastures. Everybody was filled up with the happy expectation, feeling of a new life turn, foretaste of the warmth and prosperity. Such mood concurred with the atmosphere of the new year's festival - Novruz which was celebrated by the Moslems on 22 of March, day of the vernal equinox..
Moving on
On the day appointed for the moving on people got up early and extinguished fire in the fire place what was impossible on any other day. Women started pulling down the yurts and packing their bags decorated with the carpets, patterned felts, feathers, etc.
Nomadic culture elaborated perfect form of preservation and transportation of the things. For packing they used light, transportable tankages made of various materials, mainly of felt and fabric and also of leather, skins, wood. Kazakhs often used felt suitcases Shabadan (1-3 metres in length), ensheathed chests, bags, sacks and cases particular for a certain kind of utensils.
Nomadic caravan looked very solemn owing to the brightness of the patterns of its festival decoration. People put on the best festive clothes so that the whole procession resembled the wedding. Apparently, in the ritual of the spring moving on there was a symbolic realization of the most important idea of the marriage with Nature in the period of its renewal and prosperity.
Young married woman in wedding clothes headed the caravan. Her garments also included tall headdress called Saukele which she wore before she gave a birth to her first child. Her horse was decorated with the embroidered horsecloth as during the wedding move to a husband's house.
During this procession young people played different games, competed in wrestling, stunts on horseback and races. Married women rode sedately and when seeing worshipped sacred places they sang commemoration chants on those who died last year.
On the spring pastures
On the spring pastures the festival cycle continued - Kazakhs conducted several cattle-breeding rites connected with the category of "the first": birth of the first lamb, first young of camel, making first kumiss, etc. At that time everybody had a lot of things to care about. Men looked after cubs, marked and branded the cattle, sheared sheep, removed wool from the camels. Women were mainly busy with milking - mares and camel females were milked 4-5 times a day, sheep - 2-3 times.
Summer
On the summer pastures Kazakhs spent the most wonderful days of the year. There were enough milk products which were in the basis of the ration during spring-summer period - kumiss, butter, cheese and cottage cheese. Cheese, dried in the sun, was stored up for future use. In winter people drank tea with the soaked cheese.
Long summer days let women weave and make mats because it was easier to do such things in the open air.
Autumn
When autumn came cattle-breeders started moving closer to the autumn pastures. There they sheared sheep. Autumn wool was more flexible than spring one, that is why nomads prefered to use it for the felts, which were being weaved at this time of the year.
Circle locked
Nomadic cycle came to the end in November - December when there was slaughter for the winter time. Those were the days of the winter games and entertainments, feasts and mutual cheers. At that time nomad could let himself eat plenty of meat because usually meat ration was rather limited. Severe winter was yet to come - the circle locked.
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