Pastoral Tradition among Torghuts in Khar Us

Abstract

This video delves into two main themes: livestock diseases and their treatments, and the fire worship ritual practised among the Torghuts in Khar Us. Torghuts in Khar Us were settled in one Beis banner and further divided into three Sums: Ikh Khuu, Dund Khuu, and Bag Khuu, representing the eldest, middle, and youngest sons, respectively. Muga, born in Ailch valley, Khar Us, in a Torghut family in 1939, traces her maternal lineage to the Choros Ööld from Bortal. As a child, Muga observed that although the Torghuts in Khar Us were smaller in scale compared to other places, they remained disconnected within the banner. Consequently, they were not familiar with broader social contexts, but know very well about the everyday rituals and traditions passed down through generations. Regarding livestock disease, Hadaash, Godron, bone fractures, and dislocations are prevalent, and Muga typically treats them with herbal medicines she either prepares or gathers from nature. Occasionally, some ailments are treated using remedies derived from their wild counterparts. For example, organs from Argali sheep are used to treat similar diseases in domestic sheep. In her youth, Muga suffered severely from lung disease. Her father treated her by catching a fox and administering its raw lung, which she consumed. This unconventional treatment rendered her lungs exceptionally robust, enabling her to traverse high altitudes effortlessly. Traditionally, marmots and deer were also consumed for their medicinal properties. Fire worship, a pivotal ritual among the Oirats, is conducted annually in November. During this ritual, families, ranging from a few to thirty, gather to share in the ritual’s auspiciousness and feast together. The ritual culminates with the offering of a sheep fetus to the fire before the assembled guests. Following this offering, the host performs a libation to the sky, fire, and earth three times. Collecting fortune is another crucial aspect of the ritual. The host family stores vital organs of the sacrificed sheep in a leather bag, invoking fortune loudly from the fire as offerings the fetus, butter, milk, and other valuable items. The bag is kept in the home for three days before the organs are consumed by the family.