Central Asian Mythology & Folklore

"There comes a messenger on a yellow horse (and) an envoy on a dark brown horse, brinign good tiding, it says. Know thus: (The Omen) is extremely good."

From Irk Bitig or Book of Omens

The Tree of Life, as seen in flag of Chuvashia, a Turkic state in the Russian federation

Mythologies

Scythian

Scythian ReligionScythian religion appears to be an amalgam of belief in a pantheon of gods grafted to more ancient animal reverence and shamanistic practice. According to their burial finds, the Scythians appear to...

Turkic

Kongrul bird

Wolf Dragon

Forty-Four Turkish Fairy Tales (1913)In this elaborately produced volume, beautifully illustrated by Willy Pogany, Hungarian-born linguist Ignác Kúnos presents 44 folktales from Turkey, including princesses, dragons, wizards, witches, and horses that can fly.

Turkish Fairy Tales | Fairytalez.comInherently optimistic, Turkish folk tales will delight children and adults with their cleverly spun stories of heroism and love.

Folklore

Afghan

Stories of the Day - The Idries Shah Foundation

Short Afghan Wisdom StoriesA collection of short stories from Afghanistan

Kazakh

Kazakh Folk Dress

https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/24144/1/christopher-kazakh-folk-tales.pdf

Kyrgyz

Kyrgyz students playing traditional instrument

https://www.orexca.com/kyrgyzstan/legends.htm

Uzbek

The Golden Fish - StorynoryA poor fisherman pulls a golden fish out of the sea. When it speaks, he throws it back. His wife is furious, and demands that the magic fish grant them a wish, and then another wish, and then another wish. A story of greed and over-reaching ambition.

The Golden Fish

http://freebooksforkids.net/golden-fish.html

Tajik

Traditional Tajik clothing

The Padisha's Daughter

http://silkroadfoundation.org/folklore/tajikfolk.html

Legends of the Pamirs

https://pamirs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Legends-of-the-Pamirs.pdf

Turkmenistan

The Story Of The Bards Of TurkmenistanThe role of the Turkmen bard or bagy is important in Turkmen culture. A bagy is always a man simultaneously a poet singer musician and bard who...