Gratitude and offerings
Aigine CRC would like to take this opportunity to express its deepest gratitude to all the following elders, practitioners, epic chanters, anthropologists, scholars and everyone who took their time, energy and devotion and travelled to remote sites, hiked highest mountains to study and learn more about petroglyphs. This quest would not be possible without them: Ardakbubu Babekova, Chynara Seidakhmatova, Dinara Midinova, Emilova Sabira, Gulbarchyn Jakshylykova, Islam Nuridonov, Jumagazy Sadyr uulu, Keneshbek Aitikeev, Kubat Tabaldiev, Mairam Kasymkulova, Malik Arykbayev, Nurgul, Tilek Asanov and Gulnara Aitpaeva, Aiza Abdrakhmanova, Erkayim Alisherova, Cholponai UG from Aigine CRC team. Our journey to study the petroglyphs started from Ak-Bulung in Yssyk-Kul province. Before the visit our elders received a vision to perform certain rituals and offerings. Thus, jyt chygaruu (bread making), sham jaguu (lighting candles) and uluu ot (the fire ceremony) were performed to mark the start of our quest with an appeal to ancestor spirits asking for their blessings. Similar rituals and offerings were made during other visits as well if the elders felt a need for it.
Petrogyph sites
The petroglyph sites are revered as sacred spaces and places of connection with ancestor spirits. There are multiple petroglyph sites across Kyrgyzstan – some of them are small and some are considered as the biggest in Central Asia – Saimaluu-Tash.
In a quest to study and decipher ancient petroglyphs, our small group of traditional practitioners, researchers, anthropologists and epic chanters visited seven various sites across the country – from the border of Yssyk-Kul region with China on the north, to the border of Osh region with China and Tajikistan in the south. Our team visited AkBulung, Ala-Bash, Ornok and Sary-Djaz in Yssyk-Kul province, Murdash-Bashy and Tergen-Tash of Osh province and well-known Saimaluu-Tash of Jalal-Abad province.
Every visited site was unique in its own way and conveyed its meaningful messages to practitioners through rituals, meditation, ayans and observation.
Awareness raising and further steps
As part of our awareness raising activity, we shared the information about each petroglyph site visit on Aigine CRC’s website and social networks along with photos. We have received quite a few feedbacks of interest on the petroglyphs and visions of elders. Therefore, together with the practitioners and elders we developed a calendar for 2022 depicting twelve important petroglyph images with descriptions from various visited sites chosen by the elders. The calendars are being distributed among our practitioners, elders, partners, and with general public during our big events like concerts and competitions dedicated to the memory of our musician Nurak Abdrakhmanov and akyn Elmirbek Imanaliev. Our team has also produced a short video material highlighting our visits and elders’ vision that will be available on Aigine CRC’s website and social pages.
The idea of traditional narrative found in the petroglyphs is being welcomed with much interest and excitement. Based on our observation and feedbacks from our network, the overall interest in petroglyphs has increased and we want to believe that our small project has its share of contribution in it. We also would like to point out our sadness and disappointment on the overall state of status of petroglyphs. According to local anthropologists and local communities, there are multiple petroglyph sites scattered all over Kyrgyzstan, however, nothing is being done to ensure their physical protection, documentation, inventorying and awareness raising among general public. We’ve witnessed ourselves lack of knowledge of and care towards petroglyphs. Therefore, together with the elders we’ve approached the Ministry of Culture to take up an initiative of protecting petroglyphs as part of sacred sites of Kyrgyzstan. In view of further safeguarding activities, Aigine CRC is planning on making an inventory of petroglyph sites in Kyrgyzstan and documenting them. Any further support in documentation and inventory of petroglyphs would be highly valued.
Introduction
“We’re Kyrgyz, who venerates the Creator and the Sun, We’re Kyrgyz, who honors the Spirits of Nature! Bound with the Mother Earth and our ancestors as one, We believe in ayans, sent from above.” By Guljamila Shakirova
The verses above are self-descriptive, as indigenous Kyrgyz people venerate and believe in one Creator and hold sacred their bond with ancestor spirits. Many Kyrgyz strongly believe in dreams, visions and spiritual messages – ayans, and pay great emphasis on their meaning and symbolism.
Therefore, the idea of studying petroglyphs through ayans was welcomed with much enthusiasm by Kyrgyz traditional practitioners.
In Kyrgyz indigenous perception, petroglyphs are not just mere rock carvings, but a universal way to seal coded information/messages. As we know, petroglyphs in different parts of the world share a lot of commonalities, and, in many cases depict similar images. Thus, in one of the visions, our practitioner, elder Chynara, received that there was no division of people in the consciousness of our ancestors, so they formulated their messages based on forces of nature and objective laws governing the existing energy reality, which are the same for the whole humanity. Based on the visions, one of the requirements of survival for our forefathers, was the necessity to perceive, record and communicate energy/bioenergy transformations taking place in the physical and spiritual realms. Desire to leave messages for their successors was an intrinsic act of caring for continuation of life on earth. Thus, they communicated these messages not only to their direct descendants, but also to those, who are able to decode them in order to maintain the balance of Universal forces and preserve the nature and the mother earth.
On July 27, 2000 at 14:00, Karbozova Alymkan, an apprentice of Ergeshbai Azhibaev and Kengeshbek Aitikeev, received the following ayan from Takiya-Ene (Mother Takiya), a spiritual guardian of Saimaluu-Tash on the origin of rock carvings. The message conveyed that the first creators of petroglyphs followed the images left on the rocks by the heavenly powers:
“I was 35 years old back then. I used to receive dif erent visions see various pictures depicted on rock surfaces every night in my dreams. Back then we couldn’t clearly and fully articulate our thoughts and ideas, therefore, we used to communicate important messages through symbols and signs. After multiple visions in my dreams, I came to an understanding that the meaning of these visions was for my people and I to start tracing the images on the rocks left by heavenly powers. In one of the visions, through telepathy I conversed with a tailed creature, who informed me being the first creatures that inhabited the Earth – a hybrid from dark and light forces. There will come time of great interest in petroglyphs, group of dif erent people will venture to study Saimaluu-Tash and the meaning of many petroglyphs will be revealed then.”
Indeed, 20 years have passed since then and in the spring of 2021 in a quest to study and decipher ancient petroglyphs a small group of elders, practitioners, researchers, anthropologists and epic chanters ventured to visit various petroglyph sites across the country.
It needs to be emphasized that multifaceted nature of petroglyphs was duly perceived by all practitioners at every visited site. Based on the received messages, the petroglyphs contain various layers of knowledge that could be perceived and interpreted in an array of different ways and levels. However, every layer of knowledge has its purpose and function. Our practitioners and elders received ayans unveiling different aspects of petroglyphs. Based on these visions, petroglyphs meant to carry spiritual messages, had ritualistic functions, served as documentation of everyday life and were form of artistic creativity.
Having visited all seven sites our practitioners carried out multiple meetings with profound discussions sharing their visions, feelings and observations. Every visited site and each seen petroglyph were discussed among the elders, practitioners, anthropologists and scholars during the post-visit reflection meetings. Information received was of different nature for each practitioner, however, as the meetings progressed and discussions deepened, so came the clarity of a bigger picture of visions and meanings. Bit by bit at every meeting our group came to put together a giant puzzle of visions, ayans and their meanings.
It needs to be emphasized that some of these suggested narratives were challenging for us to accept and to understand due to our inability to verify the information. However, as these narratives came as visions and spiritual messages, we feel the need to support and share them with you and wider public in Kyrgyzstan.
The origin story
The idea of cosmogenic story being coded in the petroglyphs was one of the guiding ones for our elders from the start of our journey, especially elder Chynara Seidakhmatova, who believed in Kyrgyz indigenous origin story being coded in the ancient rock carvings. She was the main person who specifically looked into this and the narrative related to the formation of the earth, stages of its development and formation of conscious beings on earth is entirely based on elder Chynara’s visions and ayans.
According to elders, this particular image from Tergen-Tash tells us that in the vast infinite emptiness of our Universe, there was only a compacted clot of energy a core, which was under great pressure (picture on the left, with a flattened line). Gradually, gas began to appear around the core, depicted by dashed lines in the second figure. This petroglyph symbolizes the first stage – formation of a sphere.
This petroglyph from Tergen-Tash based on the visions symbolizes the next – formation of earth. Two circles drawn with a dotted line in the center show the convergence of two celestial energies, discharged but compacted, then they, having converged, form the earth. The line dividing line in the middle of the right circle symbolizes the solidified earth, where the solidity has separated from the air.
As per our practitioners, then the cycle of earth’s formation was complete and development of natural elements began. In this petroglyph of Tergen-Tash, the first undivided hollow circle on far left, is the earth before the beginning of solidification, when the water and air were not separated. The second circle is the solidifying earth in a state of clay liquid mass. The third circle is the fully formed planet earth, when water separated from the solid mass, the air was released, heat began to form and all four elements – earth, water, air, and fire were formed.
According to practitioners, a certain form of life was transferred from a distance universe to our planet, when the physical form of earth and natural elements were formed. Based on the visions, in this image from Tergen-Tash, a large circle with a marked center is a clot of energy that symbolizes a certain life from. The vertical and horizontal lines to the left of the circle show energy directions. Subsequently, these energies will give birth to life in our planet – a small circle with a dot in the center.
In our elders’ view, that life from transformed into eggheaded creatures with tails. They became the first inhabitants of earth, but they did not yet have consciousness and led an instinctive way of life. Theу chaotically and randomly mated with other eggheads and different animals as depicted in petroglyphs below from Saimaluu-Tash.
Based on the visions, further transformation of the eggheads took place in the subsequent development of life on earth. Elders believe that the earth was visited by highly evolved beings – sunheads – from other planets. They became the ones participating in the formation of the earth’s first conscious beings – forefathers of today’s humankind. According to practitioners, this transformation process was quite lengthy and consisted of multiple stages. In the process, the sunheads educated the newly transformed beings everything there was to know about life on earth – ways to interact with the objective laws of the universe, forces of nature, spiritual dimensions and also taught to procreate and continue conscious life on earth.
Quite a few Kyrgyz practitioners believe that the petroglyphs of Saimaluu-Tash provide coherent and distinctive understanding of development of conscious life on earth. Elders believe that the oval below is an image of a flying object, that flew out of a certain space – circle with a dot in the middle. The circle is belied to symbolize another universe or planet. The dot in the center of the circle is a symbol of something born in space (life, mind, etc.), and the line shows movement. In this case, the circle with the outgoing line demonstrates that the object flew out of a planet inhabited by sentient beings.
This image is believed to be a continuation of the image above and depicts a flying object (spaceship) populated by living beings. As per our elders, the beings are depicted in the form of humans for our perception, if they were depicted in other shapes, our rational mind would not be able to understand its meaning. The compartment at the top is the cockpit, and the opposite side is the end of the spaceship with another being flipping/flying under zero gravity, which demonstrates the cosmic origin of the ship.
This image from Saimaluu-Tash is believed to be a symbolic representation of sunhead’s initial state upon landing on earth. Based on the visions, it will adapt to earthly conditions and change its shape in the later stages. It’s said that the outer circle denotes a clot of energy, and the small circle with a dot denotes existing life; the lonely dot denotes the embryo of life; the rays denote its higher intelligence and access to information.
The petroglyph on the right is believed to depict the second stage of the sunhead’s evolution, it now has legs, essential tool for moving around. It encircled its head for protection, and now is ready to walk around the Earth to explore it. The image of an earthling nearby is believed to demonstrate its primitive activities with a hand-held tool.
The petroglyph below demonstrates further transformation of the sunheads. They acquired torsos along with legs. As per practitioners, their somewhat unstable poses indicate energy exchange going on between them through mutual vibrations. Apparently, a process of synergy is shown, resulting in the emergence of a new energy entity of the same kind. The mountain goats depicted on both sides demonstrate that the entities were able to use the subterranean and terrestrial energies that goats are known to being spiritual guides.
According to practitioners, during the next transformation stage, the energy of the higher conciseness began to pour out of sunheads in the form of rays emanating from their head. The cross inside the head means balance, equilibrium of the entity’s energy.
The petroglyph on the write, based on elders’ vision, tell us how sunheads began getting adapted to earthly life. It is believed that by this stage, they have fully developed heads, as the rays began to extend well beyond it. Those sunheads with star-like shapes inside their heads are mature ones, while the others with hallow circles as their heads are still young entities. The image of mountain goats in the petroglyph conveys an important message – that the sunheads were learning to interact closely with earthly levels of energy.
The elders believe that this image gives us an understanding of the cyclical nature of energy changes of sunheads’ transformation. The 28 rays of the outer circle symbolize the level of initial energy change or the diurnal variability in the earthly dimension. Practitioners tend to support the hypothesis that the moon was artificially created by the civilization of sunheads, as they needed to support the rhythm of their energy change on earth by the influence of lunar diurnals.
The 12 rays of the inner circle provide insight into the longer time cycles of sunheads’ energy change. In the past, many indigenous cultures used 12-year cycles to mark development milestones. The snow leopard above the sunhead is a bridge between two dimensions – the wolrd of sunheads and the eggheads.
Having adapted to life in earth, the sunheads start training the eggheads to accumulate energy for themselves. This process is believed to be indicated below, the egghead’s both hands and palms are enlarged and directed upwards, energy spreading above its head that condense into a clot.
In elders’ view, this image below is one of the very important conceptual images that depicts the process of procreation. The sunhead has divided the eggheads into pairs and is influencing them. Down below, another sunhead stands alone, whose presence in the story suggests the need to include him in the process of coitus between the two eggheads. It is believed that in the process of the coition of the sunhead and the eggheads, the human gene was created.
The information of human gene originating from a gene of a cosmic being was also discovered in one of the petroglyphs of AkBulung. According to practitioners, the image on the right is in inverted image of a deer and an elk with very different antlers ready to mate. When upside down, the drawing shows two spheres depicted by two different lines, in which DNA chains can be seen. The image carries information of human gene having celestial origin, as the deer and the elk are spiritual guides from the celestial world.
The image on the left is coined by Kyrgyz as the Sun-Boy or the Sham-Bala. According to elders, this is the first conscious being on earth born as a result of a union between the sunheads and the eggheads. The 19 rays emanating from its head signify the wholeness of the energy fields and full development of the entity, both on material and spiritual levels. For centuries, the Kyrgyz believed to be the direct descendants of Sham-Bala, so our practitioners and elders were thrilled to finally find some information on Sham-Bala in Saimaluu-Tash.
Thus, the Sham-Bala became the first conscious being on earth giving life to humanity and life on earth began to transform to another energy level, where the conscious being – human – becomes full-fledged part of nature and its four elements. The newly formed consciousness gradually starts to learn the objective laws of reality governing the spiritual and material realms and the relationship of energies.
According to elders, the work of the cosmic sunheads was almost complete upon creation of the new conscious earthling. It’s believed that as a result, an inseparable connection between the two was formed as depicted in this petroglyph on the right. The circle with three dots symbolizes space with complex multiplying life – earth, while the circle with rays is a symbol of the highly conscious energy. The line between them demonstrates their interconnectedness.
This petroglyph from Tergen-Tash is stated to reveal information about the newly formed conscious being integrating into life on earth and becoming a part of it. The undivided circle with a line on the right is a symbol of energy transition to another level, while the circle divided into five parts symbolizes the inception of new life on earth and its integration into the system of natural elements and order.
As per elders, this image on the left symbolizes the “imaginary” chaos of the universe upon integration of conscious life on earth. However, it is as a system of coherent combinations of different energy structures. The semeric system – seven lines closed into an oval is depicted on the right. Above is the quadruple system – the intersection of two vertical and two horizontal lines. The oval, divided vertically and horizontally is the system of coexistence of upper and lower energies and their proportions. The lower energy field is three-quarters while the upper is one-quarter. And the human, as a projection of the universe, depicted through the oval. Based on the information of the practitioners, before leaving the earth back to their planet, the sunheads also shared with newly formed conscious earthlings information and knowledge of the spiritual laws governing the human life on earth.
Spritual laws and energy fields
Petroglyphs depicting information about spiritual laws and symbols of energy interactions and energy-exchange were found almost in all the visited sites. A few practitioners from our group argue that through these signs and symbols, our ancestors wanted to leave us knowledge about the laws of the universe and how to integrate the universal and earthly energies in human’s everyday life. Thus, the following series of petroglyphs demonstrate some of the coded information of spiritual laws and energy fields.
The image below depicts an entity with two harnessed oxen, while the second entity is with two harnessed buffalos. Both, entities and animals are different from each other. This is the initial training process of the earthlings by cosmic beings. Based on the visions of our elders, the image denotes knowledge about spiritual pattern of human life.
The two buffalos represent dual energy power of the earth that one must learn to interact with. Thus, the entity with the buffalo is being trained to manage this energy. One buffalo is holistic, the other one is composed of two triangles. This too is a symbol of the need to harmonize duality and come to wholeness, only then the entity will be able to reap the benefits of earthly life. The second entity on the left controlling the oxen is a depiction of an earthling already in control of energies. He has already been trained to interact and control the earth’s energy powers. It has gained endurance, diligence, and received the fertility blessing symbolized by the ox. This entity has a circle drawn on his bottom part and hair on its head – these are signs of controlling the energies of elements of nature.
This petroglyph from Saimaluu-Tash depicts earthlings driving a chariot pulled by horses. According to practitioners, chariot driven by a human symbolizes the qualities mastered by him. Different animals mean different qualities. In this case, the horses symbolize human emotions. The harness, means that the humans have control over their emotions.
In elders’ view, this petroglyph from Saimaluu-Tash is a very complex composition, depicting regularities and inseparable unity of three types of energies. The highest, cosmic level – is represented by straight lines connecting circles with and without dots. The terrestrial energy level, as the strongest, is represented by a large wavy line, while the mountain goats act as the guides between the worlds. The earthly level is represented by domestic and wild animals, humans and their work tools. At last, the matrix, acts as a proof of unity of the above energies. The matrix has 3 vertical and 11 horizontal levels. Of these, number 9 symbolizes completeness, 10 symbolizes completion of one cycle, and 11 symbolizes the beginning, the birth of a new cycle.
One of the most clear and coherent images of a circle divided into eight sectors discovered in Tergen-Tash. It symbolizes the eternal cycle of energies of the four elements of nature and the four energies of the universe.
According to elders, the swastika on the left from Tergen-Tash demonstrates the cyclic interaction of two horizontal and two vertical energies. The line with dashes and a circle on the end is a linear representation of the interaction of horizontal energies. And the four dashes symbolize the elements of nature. The human energy is represented by the line with a triangle on the end. The circle divided by a horizontal line is a symbol of cyclic universal – vertical – energy.
The image on the right from Saimaluu-Tash depicts a cross of straight lines. The light circle at the top end of the central vertical line symbolizes cosmic energy, while the dark circle on the other end symbolizes terrestrial (dark) energy, connected by an unbreakable flow. The horizontal line connects masculine and feminine, it is the harmony of Yin and Yang. This cross demonstrates the concept of Tengri – the crossing goes on one third of the vertical line, which indicates the ratio of cosmic and terrestrial energy relative to a person, i.e. the human activity or life lies at the crossing of these lines. Therefore, our elders believe that it is important to keep the balance between feminine and masculine energies, as well as the light and dark forces.
According to the visions, elders believe that this image below from Saimaluu-Tash depicts complex design of human interaction with the world of energies. The circle with the divisions symbolizes the unified circulation of 7 energies of the higher forces and 7 energies of the lower forces. This synchronized synergy of invisible power becomes available to a person when his thoughts, like antennae, are directed to this wheel, and mentally he does the intake of the desired energy. The image also depicts a pair of human beings in a ritual dance, which indicates a development of a synergy that gives birth to something. The principle of forming a vector of energy that refracts at right angles is also depicted, which is important to know in spiritual practices.
Kyrgyz traditional and spiritual practitioners deeply believe that being cognizant of objective laws of reality, spiritual laws governing life on earth and interaction of celestial and terrestrial energies is essential to sustain balance, peace and harmony on earth. This information is significant if one wants to lead a fulfilled and holistic life on earth and find its life purpose and mission.
Power of memory
Based on the visions of practitioners, the visited petroglyph sites also hold important information pertaining to migration of people, the Genesis flood (the Great Flood) and ritual practices and their symbolism. Thus, serve as powerful places of ancestral memory. The petroglyph below from Ak-Bulung depicting a human figure wearing a headdress with feathers is believed to suggest a ritual for seeing off fellow tribesmen on a long journey. The feathers symbolize the wings of the mind and the wish for a speedy journey. It was a ritual of seeing off a tribe that was traveling to a very distant land, perhaps to another continent across the isthmus of land that was still the Bering Strait at the time. Since our Native American brothers have kept such headdresses, we hope that it is a memory of the ancestors’ farewell from the distant lands of the Tien Shan Mountains.
We would like to emphasize that the petroglyphs of Ak-Bulung were discovered by our team for the first time and opened for public, it wasn’t known to historians and archeologists before. The information about this site was received by local epic chanter Tilek Asanov, but now this site will be known by local comminity and general public in the country. Ak-Bulung abounds not only in petroglyphs, but also in rare historical monuments like balbals that we also discovered there. Thus, Ak-Bulung is a historically very valuable and significant site.
The petroglyphs of Murdash-Bashy is a site where our ancestors have left us information about the diversity and abundance of flora and fauna on earth. Our elders strongly believe that the image below depicts the ark commonly known as the Noah’s Ark from the biblical legend. According to practitioners, the plot of the legend is similar to that of the Kyrgyz. The figures around the ark symbolize a family, i.e., the preservation of the human genome. Further, many drawings of Murdash-Bashy show exotic animals which may never have been found in our region. But our ancestors preserved the memory and knowledge of the pre-Flood animals that were preserved by the ark. The ark landed somewhere on the first stretch of land, but those who then spread over the earth kept the memory their ancestors who were able to preserve life on earth.
According to elders, another prominent theme of information sealed on the petroglyphs is on rituals and practices performed by our ancestors to interact with higher realms and energies. This image from Saimaluu-Tash is believed to demonstrate conditions for flourishing human existence on earth. The two zigzag lines in the center symbolize the two dimensions in between which humans reside. In the lower part, which occupies 2\3 of the image, the lines are disconnected, but further above they intertwine and come into resonance. Images of mountain goats – one outside, to the right of the line, and two between the two lines convey important message that rituals with the goat, constant prayers and invocations to terrestrial spirits bring desired success, which is symbolized by a large animal in the picture (bison/bull). Success comes only when the energies of the material and spiritual worlds are synchronized. The image of a human with two balloons above his head that he holds with his hands symbolizes that humans have the ability to harmonize these energies by prayers, good thoughts, and good intentions.
On the left is a pair of buffalos harnessed to a chariot with a mysterious mechanism, which are depicted in the same way as in all other petroglyphs of Saimaluu-Tash. According to elders, this is a symbol of human potential to use the generative power of earth to obtain material prosperity. Down to the chariot is a circle divided into five parts. This is a symbol of the four natural elements, human being integrated as the fifth. Goats carrying the moon in different phases on their horns symbolize interrelatedness of their spiritual roles – goats are mediators between the forces of the upper and underworld, while the the moon is a translator and regulator of this information. There is a circle divided into 4 parts next to the full moon. It is a symbol of energy flow among the natural elements.
The hunting scene in this petroglyph from Tergen-Tash is not a ritualistic image according to elders. It is rather a symbol of a human desire to master magical/celestial ways of obtaining material prosperity and success in earthly affairs. The circles divided into 4-5-6 parts are symbols of energy cycles. The image of a mountain goat and a snow leopard looking at each other symbolizes the duality of the two worlds: heavenly – earthly, white – dark. These two animals act as guides of these realms – the goat is a guide to the terrestrial (dark) dimensions, while the snow leopard is a guide to the celestial (light) dimensions. A circle divided into four parts is depicted as a sign to extract the magical power of the four elements of nature. The stars unfolding in spirals shown over the goat and the snow leopard is a a symbol of the polar star. The Kyrgyz use the power of the elements and the polar star in performing their spiritual ritual up to these days.
Continuing the story of humanity, our elders narrate that as life on earth evolved, energies kept transforming, and humans have fully adapted to life on earth and felt being part of it. They began to further enhance their abilites and enrich their knowledge about other dimensions and maintain interaction with the higher forces. They expressed their interaction with higher forces through leaving marks and symbols on the stones. According to elders, abundant images of horned deer and ibex at the visited petroglyph sites symbolize inextricable connection with the other dimensions. The images of horned deer/elk represent a connection with the celestial, heavenly forces – “white” forces, while the images of horned ibex embody a connection with the terrestrial forces and the forces of the underworld – “dark” forces. in Kyrgyz indigenous mind, the bond between the “white” and the “dark” forces is inseparable. Thus, there is no fear of the “dark”, on the contrary, these forces are recognized and respected and known for their immediate affect/influence, as they dwell in dimensions close to that of humans’. Therefore, an abundant variety of horns – their direction, length, thickness, twist and others, symbolize different layers of those dimensions which they represent.
Deer mostly were depicted in the initiation rituals of shamans asking to be blessed by the heavenly power of the higher spirits. These two images of horned deer in Ornok were depicted for rituals of different shamans. High antlers pointing upwards symbolize foreteller’s gift, wile the widespread antlers denote service to people by healing.
This image of the mountain goats in AkBulung positioned projectionally relative to each other, symbolizes the transfer of material prosperity from the other dimension to our materials world.
If the mountain goat symbolizes prosperity in general, the ram symbolizes material wealth mostly measured by the number of cattle one has, which was and still is the measure of wealth among the Kyrgyz.
According to practitioners, this image should be perceived as one of the strongest spiritual messages of the ancestors to their descendants. An image of a lonely doe with long branchy vertical horns, carrying a sphere on its horns symbolizes a ritual image of initiation of a priestess – a shaman of a high spiritual rank to whom profound knowledge and a prophetic gift should be opened. A deer with branching horns is an element linking man with divine energy and the upper realms. And this information is communicated to humans by the Moon reflected on the horns. The combination of these two elements in the petroglyph symbolizes the combination of divine knowledge of the laws of the universe and the high prophetic gift.
Upon seeing this magnificent petroglyph of the doe in Ala-Bash, we found a striking resemblance to Aigine CRC’s logo. We perceived this as a sign that we’re going on the right path and have ancestors’ support in our endeavors.
The image from Saimaluu-Tash below shows a man herding deer. They are nibbling on grass, and the human is watching them. The image symbolizes the need for humans to learn to communicate with the higher divine forces, and constantly nurture that abilities without losing it.
Power of place
Besides information on the images, our practitioners would also like to share their visions and perceptions of the sites where all these mysterious petroglyphs are scattered. Rituals of offering, hours and hours of mountain hiking, crossing of rivers and waterfalls have resulted in meaningful descriptions of the energy of each visited site. The hardships were many, but as per elders and practitioners the quest and information was worth it.
According to elders, the Ak-Bulun petroglyph site is a place permeating with generating, multiplying and transforming feminine energy. The images on the petroglyphs reveal that it was a place for plea with prayers. People mostly came here asking for material wealth, successful hunting season and abundance. Due to feminine energy of the place, people came to pray and bid farewell to those who were leaving for far away lands.
The red rocks of Ala-Bash is narrated to be a place of life force, power of blood line, and ancestral codes. It was the place where people came to pray for wellbeing of their children and further continuation of their blood line by a male heir. The rituals for the removal of ancestral curses, the removal of celibacy and the increase of the family, clan and tribe were performed here. There are a number of images symbolizing fertility organs and signs of spirits bringing children, such as images of baby mountain goats of different sizes and shapes. Ala-Bash was also a place of initiation of “white” shamans, especially those with great power and potential.
The Ornok’s valley of rocks and boulders is believed to be a place of multiplying shamanic powers and acquiring new levels of power. It was also a place of power transmission from an old to a young shaman. According to our elders, there were different levels of shamanic power – the level of white shaman, and the level of black shaman. These levels were considered the highest level of initiation and the petroglyphs of Ornok depict various stages of shamanic initiation.
Coined as the cradle of ancestral memory, the petroglyphs of Murdash-Bashy, are indeed like a memory book with sealed information on biodiversity of life and human activity on earth. The images demonstrate diversity of flora and fauna, and the way our ancestors managed to preserve that life during the Genesis Flood.
Tucked away high in the mountains, the petroglyphs of Tergen-Tash are neatly hidden from prying eyes. According to our journey and the visions of elders, only those with a heart of a true warrior can reach this place. Subcelestial petroglyphs of Tergen-Tash are the embodiment of knowledge on spiritual laws and energy flows of our realm and earthly life. The images also depict correlations of energies of the universe and the earth, their mutual harmonious coexistence and the place of a human in between.
Known as the homeland of Sham-Bala, the petroglyphs of Saimaluu-Tash are believed to a concentration of information about the origin of conscious life on earth. The information on energy cycles and relationship of a man with forces and elements of nature is sealed under the layers of zigzagged and spiral images. Saimaluu-Tash is a sacred site with a power to awaken people’s transcendental abilities and to understand one’s life mission and purpose
In conclusion
Through visiting the sites and studying the petroglyphs, our elders and practitioners were able to uncover new essential spiritual information. But, at the same time they also were able to find confirmation of pre-existing Kyrgyz traditional knowledge and belief system.
Many Kyrgyz elders believe that the time of indigenous knowledge and ancestral spiritual power is dawning soon. Our practitioners believe they found confirmation of this in one of the petroglyphs of Tergen-Tash.
Based on the visions, the image of a wolf under the starry sky on the right is a symbol of the era of the wolf. According to Kyrgyz legends, the era of Pisces was called the era of the Fox, and the era of Aquarius was called the era of the Wolf. Thus, now comes the era of the Wolf (Aquarius), our time – our era, time of indigenous people and indigenous knowledge. Thus, our small team of elders, practitioners, epic chanters, anthropologists and researchers want to believe that our journey and study of petroglyphs will bear its fruit by multiplying and enriching the indigenous knowledge of the world.
Our elders would like to conclude their narrative with a below image from Ak-Bulung that holds a profound knowledge. The surface of the rock is pierced with a vertical line conveying an intent, the most important intent, that human life, and, in general, terrestrial life, is permeated by the axis of the universe. This axis, according to the Kyrgyz belief, threads all the universes, all the galaxies and permeates the solar system and runs through the center of the earth. Spiritual meaning of this sign lies in the fact that every human must thread his soul onto this axis – the axis of the earth. And only when he manages to thread his soul on the axis, he finds the nest of his soul and finds a place in this life. Speaking in human terms, one finds his/her purpose and begins to understand the intent of his mission in this life only after threading his/her soul onto the axis.
Our team of elders would like to send their blessings to every member of the worldwide indigenous community to be able to thread their soul onto the axis of the universe and find their purpose, inner peace and contribute to the preservation of indigenous spiritual knowledge and harmony on earth.