Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Mongolian Way of Life
Every Mongolian, no matter how long he or she has lived in a city, is a
nomad at heart. The nomadic way of life was born out of necessity as her-
ders were forced to range their animals over vast distances in search of
grass. Even in the modern age the country remained a nomadic one, in
large part because the nomadic way of life became more than a necessity -
it became an unbreakable lifestyle. While today, more than ever, Mongolians
are lured to the city in search of work, some are choosing to stay on the
land with their animals, unable to give up the freedom and independence af-
forded to them by their traditional lifestyle.
The device used in ceremonial milk rituals is a
tsatsal
, a wooden spoon decorated with
carved symbols such as Tibetan Buddhist, mythical, animistic or zodiacal. The spoon is
used to flick milk into the air as a spiritual offering. Such offerings are nearly always made
by women.
Ingredients for Life
The nomadic way of life is defined largely by the ger and a family's livestock. The ger is a
portable shelter that allows the family to move with the seasons while the animals provide
all of life's necessities, including food (mutton and beef), milk, fuel (in the form of dung)
and transport.
Mongolians are attached to their animals in the same way that Westerners feel a certain
affinity for their cars. The horse in particular is a much-beloved animal, forming an intim-
ate part of the Mongolian lifestyle. It was the horse that allowed ancient tribes to spread
across the steppes and cover their great distances. Later, it was the horse that carried the
Mongol tribes across Asia as they built their empire. An old Mongolian proverb says: 'A
man without a horse is like a bird without wings'.
Today you'll see symbolic images of horses everywhere, from the tops of fiddles to the
tail of MIAT aeroplanes. It is frequently stated that Mongolian children start riding a horse
at the age of two; in fact the horse riding begins earlier, essentially from birth, as parents
will carry babies in their
dels
(traditional coat or dress) when they need to travel by horse.
