Bal-bals
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Balbals are a type of Kurgan Obelisks, ancient stone figures found throughout Central Asia and Eastern and Central Europe. Some kurgan obelisks are found still standing on kurgans, others were found buried in the slopes. They commonly depict a person holding a bowl in their upraised right hand. This is a traditional sign of welcome for a guest.
Some balbals show a warrior holding weapons, usually in the left hand. Such carvings, some say, show the idealized depiction of an ancient Turkic warrior.
Sometimes balbals were erected as mounments to enemies killed in battle. One balbal is placed for each solider killed. Shipova E.N. in the 'Dictionary of Turkisms In Russian' cites Radlov and Kyzlasov about the nature of balbals: "balbal, m., ethn. Stone obelisk (type of monument). Radlov: balbal stone obelisk in honour of diseased 1 (4, 1507). Kyzlasov writes: "... Balbal is not an image and moreover not a statue. Written archeological sources allow to establish that Ancient Turkic term balbal is a vertically anchored stone near a memorial structure, symbolizing a killed enemy" (Kyzlasov, 1966, 207, 208)"[1].
Writing about Altai kurgans, L.N.Gumilev desribes: "To the east from the tombs are standing chains of balbals, crudely sculpted stones implanted in the ground. Number of balbals at the tombs I investigated varies from 0 to 51, but most often there are 3-4 balbals per tomb". Similar numbers are also given by L.R.Kyzlasov (Kyzlasov L.R. Tuva... p. 62). They are memorials to the feats of the diseased, every balbal represents an enemy killed by him. Many tombs have no balbals. Apparently, there are buried ashes of women and children.
Balbals have two clearly distinct forms: conic and flat, with shaved top. Considering the evidence of Orkhon inscriptions that every balbal represented a certain person, such distinction cannot be by chance. Likely here is marked important ethnographic attribute, a headdress. The steppe-dwellers up until present wear a conic 'malahai', and the Altaians wear a flat round hats. The same forms of headdresses are recorded for the 8th century (Gumilev L.N. Statuettes ...)."
"We can note that fight against steppe was more successful, as from 486 balbals we investigated, 329 were conical, and 157 flat." "Sudden raids on the steppe pastures were more successfully than endless struggle with moutaineers, who knew each tree in the forest and each rock in the gorges. Maybe this is a reason why the flat-headed balbals, as a rule, are more massive than conical."[2]
Another observation of L.N.Gumilev: "From the Tsaidam salt lakes to the Kül-tegin monument leads a three-kilometer chain of balbals. To our time survived 169 balbals, apparently there were more. Some balbals are given a crude likeness with men, indicated are hands, a hint of a belt. Along the moat toward the east runs a second chain of balbals, which gave I.Lisi a cause to suggest that they circled the fence wall of the monument. However, it is likely that it is another chain belonging to another diseased buried earlier."[3]
Balbals are made from local sources of rock, and styles of carving will differ, depending on the type of stone being used.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Shipova E.N.'Dictionary of Turkisms In Russian', p. 55
- ^ Gumilev L.N. "Ancient Türks", Moscow, 1993, p. 261
- ^ Gumilev L.N. "Ancient Türks", Moscow, 1993, p. 329
[edit] Literature
- Shipova E.N., 'Dictionary of Turkisms In Russian', "Science", Moscow, 1976
- Gumilev L.N. "Ancient Türks", Moscow, 1993
