“Dünya bir deniz idi; ne gök vardı, ne bir yer, Uçsuz bucaksız sonsuz sular içindeydi heryer.”

(Altay Yaradılış Destanı – Giriş Cümlesi.)

Above the beginning words of  myth of  Altai  Creation  story [Ancient Turkic Myth] says ; 

" In the beginning , The world was sea, there was neither heavens nor earth. There were only endless waters  everywhere" 

I found it  interesting when I compared these opening lines with Old Testament´s opening lines, as in old testament in Genesis , in the very first verses it says ;

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The similarity is just in language style in describing the creation. 

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The 1. chapter of the creation story of  Altai 

Endless Water 

SPIRITUAL  BEINGS IN ANCIENT  TURKS 

In  Ancient Turkish Belief System , Gods were considered as supreme power and creator. They were given personalities.  Masculine Gods were described  as " Han" 

                                                              Feminine Gods  were described  as " Hanım" 

Or they both could be described with a name  ---> " Toyun"

Although they  [Gods] took shape in a human  body , their Godly side was always stronger.  The difference between Ancient Turkish belief system and western Polytheism was ; In Turkish belief all the Gods  [except one] were more like " protecting spirits. " .

However, Kayra Han" was the only exception. This God was considered as an abstract and absolute creator. 

There was no "Angel" concept in ancient Turkish culture. If there was, it wouldn´t have been wrong to call all other Gods -except "Kayra Han" - as angels.  

ABA  HAN  ----> Different ways of sayings = [ Ayı Kağan]  [ Apa Han, Abakan,Abağan, Abağın] Han

It is believed that  he is the father of  Abakan tribe and Hakas people. And He lived in Altın Göl [Golden Lake]. Aba Han was  causer of rains and protecter of Altai region.  Another story says ;  The name of Abakan river  was given after a warrior called Aba Han [Ayı Han] got drowned in the river with his horse. This story may be related to the fact that the totems of Abakan´s ancestors were  "bears". 

Bear [Ayı] was a holy animal for Hakas tribes. It is believed that Abakan Han jumped from one side to the other side of the river with his horse. Interestingly  some bear shape rocks were found by the Abakan river. 

Etimologically  the word "Abakan" means " Ayı Han" [Bear Khan].  And it is believed that  the verb "Abartmak" [to exaggerate] comes from this root. 

 The words "Abi" [big brother] and Aba/Apa [baba,dede] is related to this root.  

In Anatolian Turkish  the word "Abakan" means " generous, honourable"

" KAYIN "  THE HOLY TREE

" Kayın " is a holy tree in Turkic Mythology. It is belong to beech family, and called with various names such as  " Fagus sylvatica or European beech or common beach "

For ancient Turks, it was considered as a "Life Tree", symbolizing the underground with its roots, the earth with its body and the skies with its branches and leaves.

Its skin was used to construct traditonal tents. Its skin is very strong and easy to peel. 

In Divan-ı Lugati´t Türk [ The oldest dictionary of Turkic dialects ], this word [Kayın] means "Woman". Because, woman is symbol of productivity, it may be relation with the name of this tree.

If you make a little cut on its body, you´ll get like a milky juice called "kaynıng sünezi” which means "kayın suyu/sütü" . People in those times used to drink this considering it nutritious just like mother´s milk. 

 Markut [Bürküt]

This is a legendary eagle in Turkic mythology, it has an enormous size resembles to Anka bird. It appeares sometimes as God, sometimes as Goddess.

It is generally described as an enormous female Sky Bird , who accompanies the spirit of  Kam [Shaman], who started on travel heading to the sky. She accompanies  Shaman [spiritual leader] during the first 3 levels of the sky.

From one of  Shaman Prayer, from their ceremonies  :

Altai our motherland

 AYZIT

Ayzıt was the symbol of beauty. Therefore she resembles  to  Aphrodite [Venus] and Ishtar in Assryian /Babylonian and Greek Goddess.

It is belived that :

Ayzit brings milk from milk lake for a child and drops the milk into the child´s mouth. By doing that, she gives the life to the child.

She also protects human childeren, women, animals and children of animals.

Its symbol is "SWAN ". For this reason , swans were considered as holy animals and they were untouchable.

In Turkic mythology swan was actually a girl. When she wears the white tulle on her she becomes a swan, and when takes it off, she becomes a girl.

In Shaman prayers, she was describes as below :

TULPAR

This is Turkish mythologic horse figure. It resembles to Pegasus. Generally it is described in two colours, whether  in just white or just black colour. It´s got white wings. It is created by Kuday [God] to assist brave men.

It´s belived that Tulpar only opens his wings in the dark while flying to long distances. It is mentioned in one of Kumuk proverb ,

Tulpar yerün birevü buççağunda bulsa da öz yılkısın tabar.

(Tulpar dünyanın bir başka köşesinde olsa da, kendi sürüsünü bulur.),

Tulpar [can find] finds its herd even if he was in the other end of the world.

     KARA-HAN [KAYRA-HAN]

According to Altai Turks Kara-Han is the biggest God of  all Gods in Sky. He lives on 17th layer of heaven. He decides the fate of the whole universe from there. About the creation of world and end of the world....

Kara-Han planted a pine tree which had 9 branches after the creation of earth. He made his son Ulgen sits on 16th layer of heaven.  He wanted 9 person come from those 9 branches. So that 9 nations would have established from  9 branches.

Kara-Han is considered as the “ata” [father/ancestor] and "ana" the mother of mankind.

According to Shamans [ Priest of Shamanism] He had three sons called “ Ülgen, Kızagan, Mergen ”

Geyik Tanrıça [The Goddess of Deer]

              Gokturks believed that one of  their ancestor [ they belived that wolf was their ancestor ] had a relationship with the Goddess of  Sea, who was in fact in the form of a female deer.

Despite the fact that Gokturks always claimed that they came from wolves, a female deer had also a great role in their tales.  Female deer was a Goddess and the spots in her body were interpreted as the signs of stars. Female deer also played  an important part in the tales of Huns. According to Huns, female deer was guiding them by showing them the directions.