Fast facts and trivia

19 Kazakh traditional calendar

Kazakh traditional calendar, called mushel in the local language, is based on the well-known 12-year animal cycle. It is not only known to Kazakhs but the vast territory of Central and South- Eastern Asia. Some school of thought has it that the idea of creating a Jupiterian calendar with the celestial symbolic of a 12-year animal cycle was learned by the people of Eastern Asia from the nomads of Central Asia, who determined that Jupiter took twelve each years to circumnavigate the sun. They further divided the circle into 12 equal parts of 30 degrees and named each part according to a certain animal. Throughout Asia the names of these animals making up the calendar cycle vary. The following are the Kazakh names with other variants in parentheses: 1) tyshkan (mouse, rat); 2) siyr (cow, bull, ox); 3) barys (snow-leopard, tiger); 4) koyan (hare, cat, rabbit), 5) ulu (snail, dragon, crocodile); 6) zhylan (snake); 7) zhylky (horse); 8) koy (sheep, goat); 9) meshin, maimyl (monkey); 10) tauyk (hen, cock); 11) it (dog); 12) donyz (bush pig, pig).

This ancient calendar is several thousand years old. Apart from the movement oh the Sun, the Moon and the Earth, it also takes into consideration the movement of Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter, the large planet that takes twelve earth years to circumnavigate the sun, has a very strong influence on the earth calling for changes in climate depending on its relative relation with the Sun and Earth. Every twelve years these changes reoccur but in different variants.

Five mushel form a 60-year-cycle that endlessly repeats itself. In the same manner, time repeats itself, events, unfortunate and fortunate years, famine and bountiful, war and celebrations. The period of a mushel does not resemble that of that of those cultures in which time like the wicked ancient Greek Cronos engulfs all that it created. In the 60-year cycle there is no end of time which means the end of the earth as opposed to some religious systems. The time of mushel gives and them takes back only to return again for its chief principle is a cycle repetition. People are born and die. Of the dead people say kaitys boldy which means returned and know that with the next cycle they shall return from that world to this. It is for this reason that when a person who has done so much for his people dies and lived a special life is asked at his funeral «lf you can reincarnate again among us».

The cyclic calendar combines into a unified rhythm the life of Cosmos Nature and Man and his economic activities bringing out their essential interrelationship. This calendar formed special life behavior of the nomad, his high morals, refined culture of personal relations. Evil done to people nature and spiritual world is fearful in that the cycle of time will bring it back. Evil done once has not only a direct chain of foolish consequences but what is more dangerous is the fast that it carries with it the consequences of another stage in the form of obligatory cycle repetition.

That was the knowledge that our created a special responsibility in our forefathers, endurance and wise unhurriedness, when actions are taken after careful consideration and the speed of its realization is waiting for the moment when time is just right. Kindness lives on the same principle. Once done it returs with the cycle of time. That explains why hospitality, kindness, mutual help were the principles of our ancestors who had come to know deeply the reasons and consequences and link between phenomena. This calendar was not simply a time measuring instrument but the philosophy, ethics and aesthetics of their culture.

The 12-year cycle defines the flow of time, functional characteristics of its parts, their quality, carries information about the nature of Man, combining into a unified time economical? Life cosmic cycles and characterising their interactivity.

Man´s life reasons like a chain of 12-year cycles (mushels). A mushel is a relatively independent and isolated fragment of life, each of which constitutes a certain age stage in unison with its biological and social manifestations. The first mushel, 1-12 years, is childhood, the second, 13-24 years – youth, the third and the fourth, 25-36, 37-48 years – maturity, the fifth, 49-63 years – old age.

The understanding of the fifth mushel has been influenced bu the Muslim concept of the «right life age» equated to the life of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed who lived for 63 years. Each mushel represents a certain qualitative state of the human organism.

Moving from one mushel to the other is not thought to take place gently but as a sharp change and is a dangerous period when Man is especially vulnerable to sickness and dangers of other kinds. The transitional years 13, 25, 37, 49, etc are called in the native langauge mushel zhas or year of mushel zhas or year of mushel.

They coincide with well-known modern medical periods of hormonal changes in the organism of a person. 13 years is the period of the beginning of sexual maturity, at 25 the body ceases to produce growth hormones, at the age of 48 women enter the stage of menopause. The transition to another mushel was accompanied by protection activities supposed to help Man make the transition safely. The transitions were mythologically regarded as death in one stage and birth in the other. Many aspects of traditional culture were connected to such understanding of life as a cecle consisting of the relatively isolated mushels. Age or mushel defined the status of a man, his social role, behaviour style, character of communication with the elder, the younger and equals, and his responsibilities with regard to different age groups.

The principal norms of relations among the age groups are as follows – the younger implicitly obey the elder, showing respect and esteem. This was compensated by the elders´ care and responsibility for the young, and it was their duty to do everything possible to provide physical and spiritual development for the youth. The subtleties of interrelations between the elder and the younger are extended not only to relations among the groups of young, mature and old, but also within the groups itself.

The expression of elder and younger has an explicit value of orientation; the elder is undoubtedly the more socially valuable having greater rights and privileges.

Personal evaluation is primarily based on the age, which constitute the basis of interrelations. Disrespect for a particular elder should not take the form that will destroy the idea of respect for elderly. Personal relations should take the form not affecting the general. Personal attitude should be revealed in the form that do not affect the general.

Each age group is characterised by a certain place in the social structure, lifestyle, stereotyped behaviour and their attitude towards material and spiritual values, their rights for obtaining these values, restrictions and responsibilities.

Chidhood is the period when Man is still not a full member of the society. He grows in a world of playful games and fun but already in the family circle receives the first experiences of social behaviour, and respect for the elderly and love for his relations are actively cultivated in the child. Due to the peculiarities of the nomadic way of life a child sees and hears all that happens in the adult world, however he is not admitted to participate in adult life. Even todey, Kazakhs do not allow children to sit with them at the table when they receive guests.

Neither it is customary to demonstrate the child´s talents before guests. Youth is the period of free communication with peers, amusement and fum, and not only spontaneous as with children, but having a socially adopted ritual status. Further socialisation does not only regulates the youth´s attitude towards the elders but also their «free» and «impudent» jokes among themselves also turn out to be ritualised, because they are sanctioned by the society. This «impudent» behaviour has ist forms and limits, based upon the ritual competition of the groups of conjugal young men and girls. Some ancient rituals not preserved in the observable period were the underlying regulators of the characters of the youthful «impudent behaviour».

The youth, who are mastering complex labor skills, actively participate in the social life of the clan, servicing the elders during festivals and rites. The talented are allowed participating in various competitions. At this stage the most significant event in Man´s life – marriage – takes place, which signifies for girls the end of their «free» youth and the transition not only into another age group, but also another clan. If we recall that the transition from one age group into another was regarded as a ritual «death», then the marriage of a girl was seen as a double death. First – as a representative of the youth clan and second – as a representative of her native clan. For her the transition from childhood stars from the day she bids farewell during the wedding, while for the dzhighits this time comes only at the end of the second mushel, at the age of 25.

Maturity spans two mushels, but however, the intermediary age of 37 still remains potentially dangerous. This period is locally referred to as the karasakal age and is when Man´s social activity is at its peak. Mature males become full member of the nation. The orientation towards the traditional understanding of a man as the male part of society is most explicit at this age because the family, household affairs and bringing up children, confines the woman. Maturity is the age of creation of material and spiritual culture of the society, participation in various activities of national character on behalf of one´s clan, such as marriages, funerals, commemorations, trials, all sorts of competitions, military operations, etc.

Starting from the fifth and upwards is a special period in Man´s life. Surrounded by the care and attention of children and relatives, the old man, aksakal, from the heights of his life experience, sees and values life in a special way. Wisdom acquired through the hard way makes him an ideal counselor, and that is his social role. An advisor, helper and manager, he sees better not only due to the long experience he has, but also because of his closeness to the ancestors´ world, the holiness of which casts its spell on him. Old man´s behavior is dignified; any fuss and excessive social activity does not match him, who is soon to pass to the holy ancestors´ world. Behaviour of old men emphasizes their being purged of the worldly passions and their alienation from the «vanity fair» of life.

They are inhabitants of this world, but also the living representatives of the world of ancestors´ spirits (aruakh) on earth. The rest of the society is to treat them with notable respect: should not cross their road, touch their personal belongings if not called for, or sit on their bed, etc.

The system of age stratification with its behavior stereotypes is a guiding line of life for an individual. In passing all the stages he embodies the society conceptions of the forms and contents of each mushel´s essential manifestation. The society´s attitude towards misbehavior stereotypes is known by the biography of Birzhan, who was severely punished for non-observation of the «old man behavior» rules, regardless of his fame of great singer. Passing through the stages of life is accompanied by the enhancing socialization of an individual, his participation in the ever-expanding scope of traditional life.

Childhood–youth–maturity–old age. It is grand cycle of life, which has become a regulator of the social life of the Kazakh society.

According to the laws of Kazakh calendar everything returns. National memories will come back in its full manifestation, so will knowledge which according to evolutionary accent of cycle of time will come back in an unrecognizable form, enriched and will continue to develop in endless circulation of mushel.

19.1 Replace the underlined words in the sentences with the words below Impact, repeats, motion, come round.

Apart from the movement oh the Sun, the Moon and the Earth, it also takes into consideration the movement of Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter, the large planet that takes twelve earth years to circumnavigate the sun, has a very strong influence on the earth calling for changes in climate depending on its relative relation with the Sun and Earth. Every twelve years these changes reoccur but in different variants.

19.2 “Mushel” means

a) Fragment of life;

b) The name of ancient animal;

c) The traditional Kazakh dish;

d) Part of the horse;

e) Outerwear;

19.3 Write complete answers to these questions.

What can you say about Jupiter?

How many 12-year cycles there are in Kazakh calendar?

What are the basic rules of the relationship between younger and older?

What is the marriage means for a girl?

19.4 The 12-year cycle defines:

a) The flow of time;

b) Functional characteristics of parts of time;

c) Quality of functional characteristics;

D) carries information about the nature of Man;

e) All of the answers right

19.5 Man’s social activity is at its peak

a) At the age of 25;

b) At the age of 37;

c) At the age of 63;

d) At the age of 13;

e) At the age of 27;

19.6 When does a special period of Man’s life come?

a) Starting from the first mushel;

b) Starting from the second mushel;

c) Starting from the third mushel;

d) Starting from the fourth mushel;

e) Starting from the fifth mushel;

19.7 Select the right sequence of life cycles:

a) Childhood–youth–maturity–old age;

b) Youth –childhood – old age –maturity;

c) Childhood– maturity– youth –old age;

d) Maturity –childhood–youth –old age;

e) Childhood–youth– old age– maturity;

19.8 Specify the limits of the first mushel

a) 1-12 years;

b) 13-24 years;

c) 25-36 years;

D) 37-48 years;

e) 49-63 years.