Among the shamanic traditions of Eurasia, that of the Turkic peoples of the Altai, the mountain region where Russia, Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan now meet, is one of the best documented since the nineteenth century. Here the ritual specialist is called kam, and his activity moves between two poles: the luminous sky of Ülgen and the abyss of Erlik.
The sources
Much of what we know about Altai ceremonies in the nineteenth century comes from the work of Wilhelm Radloff (Vasily Radlov in Russian), a German linguist and ethnographer in Russian service, who collected texts, songs and descriptions of rites among the Turkic peoples of southern Siberia. Many scholars later drew on his pages, among them Mircea Eliade, who made them one of the pillars of his book on shamanism.
It should be remembered that these sources reflect a specific moment, already marked by the Russian missionary presence, and the gaze of an outside observer. They are valuable, but they are not a photograph of an unchanging tradition.
Ülgen, lord of the sky
Ülgen, often called Bai-Ülgen, is the great celestial deity of Altaic traditions. He dwells in one of the highest heavens, is creator and guarantor of the world's order, and is associated with light, the fertility of herds and the well-being of families. He does not intervene constantly in daily life: reaching him requires a long and difficult journey that only the kam can make.
In some versions of the creation myths collected in the Altai, Ülgen creates the world together with a companion who will become his adversary. This companion is Erlik.
Erlik, ruler of the abyss
Erlik is the lord of the lower world, the realm of the dead. In the myths he is sometimes described as the first man or as a brother of Ülgen who, out of pride, tried to create a world of his own and was cast downward. He rules the souls of the dead and the spirits that can bring misfortune.
The relationship with Erlik is not simply one of opposition. The kam could descend into his realm to negotiate, offer gifts and bring back what was thought to be lost. In this tradition the lower world is not the place of absolute evil, but a necessary part of the cosmic order with which one must know how to negotiate.
The notched birch
The most famous ceremony described by Radloff is the great sacrifice offered to Ülgen, which took place over several days. A young birch was planted at the centre of the ritual tent, its top emerging through the roof hole. Notches were carved into the trunk, nine according to Radloff's description, representing the steps of heaven.
During the ceremony the kam climbed these steps one after another, accompanied by drum and song. Each notch corresponded to a heaven, and at each level the kam described what he encountered: landscapes, spirits, trials to overcome. The audience followed the story as a shared journey. Having reached the highest point allowed, the kam addressed Ülgen and then reported the answers received.
The meaning of the ascent
In this rite the birch is the cosmic tree made concrete. Climbing the notches means passing through the heavens; the roof hole through which the top emerges is the opening of the sky. The whole tent becomes a representation of the universe, and the rite a dramatisation of the relationship between the community and its celestial god.
It is important to note that this is a symbolic and theatrical ascent, performed before witnesses and according to inherited rules. It is not a private experience, but a collective action in which the community renews its bond with the sky.
The descent towards Erlik
The sources also describe rites of descent, less public and considered more dangerous. The kam followed a road downwards, crossed a narrow bridge over an abyss, reached Erlik's dwelling and bargained there with offerings. The narrow bridge is a well-known motif in many religious traditions as an image of the difficult passage between worlds.
After Radloff
At the beginning of the twentieth century a religious movement arose in the Altai, Burkhanism, which opposed blood sacrifices and the figure of the kam linked to Erlik. In the Soviet era the practices were repressed. Since the 1990s there has been renewed interest, with new forms that engage with the memory of the old sources.
In short
- In the Altai the ritual specialist is the kam, documented above all through Wilhelm Radloff's research.
- Ülgen is the deity of the luminous sky; Erlik rules the lower world and the dead.
- In the great rite for Ülgen the kam climbed a notched birch, an image of the heavens.
- The ascent was a public, theatrical act, not a private experience.
- The lower world was a part of the cosmic order to negotiate with, not absolute evil.
