Utkuki is a character of the shamanistic cult of the indigenous peoples of Altai.
Place in the "hierarchy of spirits"
Utkuki is considered one of the heavenly spirits (spirits of the "upper" world). Acts as a messenger of the supreme spirit of Ulgen . Lives only in heaven, does not descend to earth. The literal translation of the name of this spirit is “welcoming” [1] [2] .
Role in communication with shamans
The main mission of Utkucha is to transmit the will of a higher deity to shamans who "ascended to heaven" as a result of shamans. It was believed that Ulgen, seeing a shameful shaman, sent Utkuchi to meet him. The meeting took place on the so-called “fifth layer of the sky”, which was located near the North Star: above this layer, to where Ulgen lived (the Altai people believed that it was separated from the earth by seven to nine “obstacles” -layers), shamans were not allowed to penetrate [3] . The North Star was also called the “Golden Kol” (Altyn Kazyk) and was considered the “border point” where contacts between worlds are made [1] . The Utkuchi listened to the shaman, took the sacrificial animal from him and took him to Ulgen, passing the words of the reproaching one to him. Upon returning, Utkuchi voiced the will of the supreme deity and gave the shaman the geese who brought him to the earth [3] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Anokhin A.V. Materials on shamanism among Altai people. // Collection of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography: scientific articles. - 1924. - T. 4, no. 2. - P. 14. . Date of treatment March 27, 2013. Archived April 4, 2013.
- ↑ Terkina W.A. The picture of the world in Altai and Korean shamanism. Comparative aspect. // Antiquities of Siberia and Central Asia. - 2010. - No. 3 (15). - S. 161. . Date of treatment March 27, 2013. Archived April 4, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Alekseev N.A. Shamanism of the Turkic-speaking peoples of Siberia (experience of areal comparative research). / Ans. ed. I.S. Gurvich. - Novosibirsk: Science Siberian Branch, 1984. . Date of treatment March 27, 2013.