Mongolian ancestral land

Author: Wu Ertu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The Mongolian people have a sacred hymn to heaven: "Forty-four Tengri deities in my east, fifty-five Tengri deities in my west, three Tengri deities in my north." Tengri deities are a general term for numerous gods. The Mongolian people also call Tengri "Father Heaven," and the main folk rituals typically involve sacrificing to the Tengri deities.
From this, it can be seen that sacrificing to the obao and the sacred trees on it is essentially sacrificing to mountain gods and heaven gods.
When it comes to the stones piled on the obao, there is a noteworthy phenomenon: the shape of the obao and the way the stones are arranged are similar to the conical "mani stones" that the Tibetans pile up to worship mountains. Some experts believe that the practice of building obos with stones originated from the influence of Tibetan Buddhism. After the 13th century, the combination of Buddhism and Tibetan culture formed the Lamasery, which was adopted by the Mongol people and gradually replaced Shamanism. During the process of Lamasery gaining dominance, it received support from the Mongol imperial and aristocratic families. Lamasery suppressed Shamanism, weakening its influence and consolidating the dominance of Lamasery. By the Ming Dynasty, Lamasery had established its supreme position, and its influence graduallyed into the production and daily lives of the Mongols, giving Mongolian culture a distinct Lamasery character.
An interesting phenomenon: obos near the edge of the Greater Khingan Mountains show clear traces of Shamanism in their design. Conversely, obos farther from the Greater Khingan Mountains are more similar in shape to Tibetan "mani stones." This suggests that obos are a fusion of different cultural elements, a crystallization of the integration of various ethnic cultures, and they reflect the inclusiveness of Mongolian historical culture.
Why has the ritual of sacrificing to obos been passed down from generation to generation on the grasslands, remaining vibrant and enduring? What is the connection between this ritual and the real society?
These are thought-provoking questions.
An anthropologist, when discussing shamans and their ancient beliefs, explores their characteristics from a macro perspective, calling them "people who respect nature."