Tengri

Tengri is the all-encompassing God of Heaven in the traditional beliefs of Turkic, Yeniseian, Mongolic, and other nomadic peoples. Known as the judge and source of life, Tengri is seen as eternal and supreme. Many European and Muslim writers identified Tengri as the main deity of Turkic and Mongolic peoples because of these qualities. According to Mongolian belief, Tengri's will could break its own usual laws and send a chosen person to earth.

Worship of Tengri is called Tengrism. The core beings in Tengrism are the Sky Father and the Earth Mother. Tengrism also includes ancestor worship, shamanism, animism, and totemism. In Turkic regions and Mongolia, Tengri was thought to be the ancestral progenitor of mankind.

Name

The oldest form of the name Tengri comes from records made by the Xiongnu in the 4th century BC. It was written as Cheng-li in Chinese, and many think this is a way of saying Tängri. Over time, the word evolved. In the 8th century, it appeared in Orkhon inscriptions as Teŋri in the Old Turkic language.

Today, many cultures use similar words for "god" or "sky." For example, in modern Turkish, the word "Tanrı" means "god." In Mongolian, the word is Тэнгэр, meaning "sky." In Bulgarian, it is Тангра, and in Azerbaijani, it is Tanrı.

Tengri was very important to the Göktürks. Their leaders believed Tengri gave them the right to rule and thought of themselves as Tengri’s representatives on Earth. Tengri was seen as the creator of everything and the main god, with smaller gods serving under him.

Mythology

Tengri was the main god in the beliefs of the Turkic people, ruling over the sky and the heavens. Many think Tengri was similar to ancient sky gods from other cultures. In Christian Turkish traditions, Tengri was sometimes used to refer to God, the father of Jesus.

Important stories about Tengri are found in old writings called the Orkhon inscriptions, made in the 700s. These writings tell of how the world began and how early Turkish leaders ruled with Tengri’s support. One story says Tengri is a white goose flying over endless water, creating the world with another being. This other being, called Er Kishi, tries to lead people away from the light. To help people, Tengri sends sacred animals as guides.

Geographical names

• A tall, pyramid-shaped mountain in the Tian Shan range, located between China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, is named "Khan Tengri". In Uyghur, the Tian Shan mountains are called Tanri Tagi.
• The Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica are also named after this important figure.
• Otgontenger is the highest peak in the Khangai mountains of Mongolia.
• The Tengger Desert is found in Inner Mongolia, China.