Tatyana Dordzhieva, gal tyalgn

Tatyana talks about the ritual of gal tyalgn (fire worship): The ritual of gal tyalgn is performed either after a funeral or a wedding. For this a sacrificial sheep is brought into the house and it is put on a white cloth, with his head facing the altar. The sheep is smeared with butter and milk from its forehead to tail, including its hooves. The sheep is given to taste butter. While doing this the participants read prayers for a successful rebirth of the sheep and ask for forgiveness for having to kill it. If the sheep has long hair, it has to be sheared beforehand. The sheep is slaughtered by cutting its belly open. Its skin should be later buried, and not tossed away. The sheep’s carcass has to be broken joint by joint. The shin of the right leg is left intact. The top layer of meat is removed from the ribs. The shin and the ribs are put into the fire. After cooking the skull, the jaw is removed. The skull is then wrapped with fat and put on the altar, with its muzzle facing the east i.e. the direction of sunrise. Three candles dedicated to Okn Tengri are put in front of the fire. Candles are also put on the altar, including those dedicated to ancestors. The rest of the sheep’s meat is cooked without adding salt. Then somebody smears his/her hand with butter, takes the sheep’s shoulder blade and waves from east to west (imitating the direction of the sun’s movement) uttering ‘khurya, khurya’. This is done to call in happiness. When the meat is cooked, an elder says well wishes. The bowl with meat is then put on the floor, and people ask for forgiveness from the spiritual masters of the land and water sources. After that a deezh (first part of the meat) is put on the altar with more well wishes being uttered. The following parts of the sheep should be offered to the fire: the right ribs, the head, the sternum and tubular bones with ankle bones attached to it. The rest of the meat is consumed by the participants i.e. those who are related. Outsiders, including women who are married away to other clans, are not allowed to participate. The shoulder blade with which happiness has been invited has to be eaten by the head of the household. The son of the head of the family takes a small bite from the cooked heart of the sheep, after which the heart is cut into small pieces for all the participants to partake.Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwi