‘Nomadic Culture’ Archives
Folk Songs
Mongolian music is a reaction to their surroundings and life. Caring for a baby provokes melody. Seeing a calf being rejected, its mother is convinced to return by singing. Seeing white gers spread across the green pasture inspires a proud melody. Traveling a long way on horseback, riding sets a pace, the pace delivers rhyme, and here again the [...]
Mongolian Hotpot – Horhog
Mongolian hotpot can be made from either mutton or goat meat. Firstly, the meat is cut into pieces. Secondly, a little water is poured into a special metal container into which the meat, heated stone, salt, vegetables like potato, beat, and onion, and their spices. The container is neatly covered with its lid and put on fire. It is ready after [...]
Mongolian Wrestling
Wrestling is the most popular of all Mongol sports. It is the highlight of the Three Manly Games of Naadam. Historians claim that Mongol-style wrestling originated some seven thousand years ago. Hundreds of wrestlers from different cities and aimags around the country take part in the national wrestling competition. There are no weight categories [...]
Naadam Horse Racing
Horse racing is an important part of Naadam. This sport is also centuries old, dating back to the Bronze Age. The horses are selected a month before the big day. They are taken to the adequate pasture separate from the herd and trained. The horses are taken to an adequate pasture separate from the herd and trained. Horses are divided into five [...]
How to eat Uuts, a mutton for big events
A part of mutton that includes the lower 3 ribs, back, rump and tail. Cutting from the other parts of meat correctly depends on which side is the head or beginning. Where is the head or beginning of meat parts? The side of animal head is the beginning. When you are offered the head of an animal, first slice a little amount over the nose and put in [...]
Morin Khuur – Horse head fiddle
Perhaps the most ancient musical instrument of the Mongols is the "morin-khuur", invented at least a thousand years ago. In Mongolian, morin means horse, and khuur means sound, rhyme, and melody. This instrument's history is based on a legend of a man who had a beloved, magical horse that could fly. When an evil man killed the horse, the man made [...]
Mongolian Archery
Ample information about archery can be found in literary and historical documents of the 13th century and even before. It is an ancient sport of the Mongols which can be traced back to as early as 300-200 BC. According to historians, archery contests began in the 11th century. The Mongols use a compound bow, built up of layers of horn, sinew, bark [...]
Meat of domestic animals
Mongolian people prepare the meat for the whole year's usage in the last month of autumn or first month of winter. If the family consists of 3-4 members, for example, they slaughter 1-2 cattle or one bullock and one horse and 4-5 sheep or goats. Because of horse meat is considered to be fat, it is mostly eaten in winter or spring. It is bfated in [...]
Traditional Clothing – Deel, Gutal
A deel is the Mongolian traditional garment worn on both workdays and special days. It's a long loose gown cut in one piece with sleeves, it has a high collar and widely overlapped at the front. The deel is girdled with a sash. Each ethnic group living in Mongolia has its deel distinguished by cut, color and trimming. Before the people's [...]
Mongolian Barbecue
Mongolian Barbecue (Boodog) is made from goat or marmot meat. After a goat is slaughtered, the head and other parts are separated without cutting the skin. Then, in the skin all the meat that are cut into pieces and bones are put together with specially heated stones. Meanwhile, salt, water, and other spices are added. When everything is put in, [...]