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Black Goat Sacrifice Among Torghuts in Hobogsair


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Authors

Bulag, Uradyn E. 
Fuerwa, Dorjraa 

Abstract

The Black Goat sacrifice is conducted annually on any possible day between March to April on the designated site that located in Emgen Salaa of the Hatun mountains in Hobogsair. Due to the rugged and steep terrain, reaching the sacrifice site requires a hike. The practitioners hike toward the ritual ground until they get to a high hill with a large stone, roughly half the size of a yurt, to which they bring a black goat for the ritual. According to the interpretation of Mendebiligin Dawa, who once experienced the sacrifice with Bagda when he was young, the entire process is quick but harrowing: Bagda cuts off the right shoulder of the goat and places it on the large stone. During this process, the goat cries out in distress as it is on the brink of death. Bagda then proceeds to pierce the goat’s chest and extract its internal organs, including the heart, liver, lung, kidney, and spleen, placing them on the stone alongside the shoulder. On the other side of the stage, candies, dry fruits, and other sweets are offered, along with the rest of the goat’s body. A small fire is ignited, and juniper leaves are sprinkled with water to create smoke. The practitioners then circumambulate the offerings three times. Following these ritual procedures, Dawa observed Bagda reciting his incantation spell, although he couldn’t discern the exact words despite his close observation. Suspicious but intrigued, Dawa continued to observe and soon noticed the meat on the stone beginning to cook, accompanied by a sizzling BBQ-like sound, indicating that they were almost ready. Witnessing this unusual phenomenon, Dawa became a firm believer in the sacredness of the sacrifice and acknowledged its purpose must be fulfilled. As Gonchig detailed the entire sacrifice procedure to me soberly, he shares the belief held by many locals that ritual has been earnestly practised to ward off the interference of a Kazakh lady’s ghostly spirit. Gonchig’s account of the ritual represents just one of the various interpretations held by local Torghuts. Our interview revealed that Jagirai, Bagda’s grandson, had not consulted Gonchig when seeking the proper procedure for the ritual; instead, he was given numerous explanations from other elders when he decided to revive the tradition. Eventually, Jagirai sought the final decision and guidance from the fourteenth Shaliwan Gegen. It was during this visit that Shaliwan Gegen provided Jagirai with the Kazakh spell incantation for the sacrifice, known as Bagda’s spell. Tabhin Byamb, a former assistant to Bagda, aided and guided Jagirai in conducting the ritual for the first time in April 1983. Subsequently, although Jagirai’s elder brother Danzan has also conducted the ritual, Jagirai remains the person responsible for the sacrifice. According to Jagirai’s explanation, the complete ritual procedure involves Jagirai, his assistant, a black goat for sacrifice, two bottles of milk and liquor for libation, a few junipers leaves for fumigation, and either a horse or a car to transport the goat from the herd to the foot of the mountains. Since the reestablishment of the sacrifice in 1983, the Jasag Banner monastery remains responsible for the costs of the sacrifice, amounting to around ¥2,000. This amount includes ¥1,000 for the goat purchase, ¥300 is allocated to the assistant, and the remaining funds cover transportation expenses. The sacrifice does not adhere to a strict date or time; it can be performed between March and April. Approximately a week before the ritual, Jagirai informs the Jasag Banner monastery of his schedule to allow them ample time for preparations. He then also begins the search for his assistant several days in advance, as finding a willing participant has become a challenge nowadays. Early in the morning on the planned day, Jagirai and his assistant transport the goat and other items to Emgen Salaa in the Hatun mountains. From there, they travel on horseback further into the mountains, approximately 4 km alongside the Emgen Valley. After unloading the goat, they then embark on a one km hike to reach the destination for the final sacrifice. Despite the challenging and at times perilous mountain track to the ritual site, Jagirai affirms that he has successfully conducted the sacrifice on a designated, large, cauldron-like stone up to the present day. According to Jagirai’s guidance, upon reaching the sacrifice site, the participants maintain a solemn silence, relying on body language for communication when necessary. Wearing their hats, they bow down and kowtow to the mountain three times before proceeding to perform the libation of milk and liquor. The black goat is positioned with its back, facing north, following the Kazakh slaughter tradition and direction, and and its throat is cut to let the blood flow. Subsequently, they carefully extract the goat’s inner organs, including the liver, lung, heart, kidney and spleen, placing them on a designated large stone. On the opposite side of the stone, they arrange the remaining parts of the goat, along with prepared candies, raisins and sugar cubes. During the ritual, the conductor will recite seven Kazakh spell incantations. Simultaneously, his assistant lights a small fire and fumigates a specified small stone with juniper leaves. After completing this ritual procedure, they will leave the site without looking back until they get back to where they left their horses. Looking backward is considered ominous, symbolizing potential danger or death on the journey home. Though conducting the sacrifice for the first time in the deep, isolated mountains was initially a terrifying experience for me, Shaliwan Gegen’s reminder that this is my family’s enduring mission, passed down through generations, served as a constant motivation to uphold the tradition and prioritize its completion. Additionally, they were bounded by the requirement of utmost privacy and were prohibited from discussing the details of the sacrifice with others. Jagirai clarified that the primary purpose of the ritual was to eliminate and suppress the ghost of a Kazakh old lady, preventing potential ailments or disasters for the Torghuts in Hobogsair. Jagirai firmly believes that the purpose of the sacrifice doesn’t align with climate improvement, as in the case of Oboo or many other rituals where lamas often chant blessing mantras. Instead, the sole focus is on appeasing the ghost spirit of the Kazakhs, which has been consistently misunderstood not only by locals but also Buddhist lamas.

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Keywords

Black goat, sacrifice, Torghuts, Hobogsair, Dorji Chogdo

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Publisher

Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Documentation Project, University of Cambridge

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Sponsorship
Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.