Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse…Kazakhstan
Representative List 2018
EN: Preparations for biye baylau, a spring festive rite of the first milking of mares, always ending with zheli maylau (greasing with butter a rope for tethering mares and foals, as well as the pegs to which it is tied)
EN: All preparations for milking are over. The villagers worship near their horses, and the elder man gives his blessing to them.
EN: From the early morning, on round tables or just on the earth near tethered horses, the families serve a ritual food for regaling villagers and visitors. Presenting the images of ancestors, famous horse breeders, is a new tradition.
EN: On the day of biye baylau, the first milking is always performed by women. Men assist them, bringing foals, one by one, to mares for suckling and then taking them back to allow for milking.
EN: Ayghyr kosu is a rite succeeding the milking. Young men lead stallions (ayghyr’s) out and keep them in check until women take milk away with them. Then, the bridles are taken off and the stallions join their herds.
EN: Horse breeders of Terisakkan Village celebrate 'biye baylau' playing dombra and singing traditional songs.
EN: Children participate in the festive events, enjoying them together with adults and playing various games with assyks - talus bones of sheeps.
EN: Qubi smoking rite. A man kindles fresh tobylghy (a kind of juniper) in samovar. A woman treats a qubi (a wooden barrel for preparing kymyz (koumiss), greased inside with fresh May butter prior to smoking.
EN: Kymyz muryndyk is a festive rite of sharing and tasting the first kymyz. One after another, all families invite the others to taste their kymyz. The elderly women are invited first and occupy most honorable places.
EN: Kymyz muryndyk is a favourite and long-awaited festive event, lasting for many days and bringing together not only the whole community of the village, but also many visitors from far away.
