Tengrism

Tengrism
Family	Indigenous / Turkic and Mongolic
Origin region	Central Asia and the Eurasian steppe
Founding period	Ancient and medieval steppe traditions; modern revival in some regions
Estimated adherents	Practiced or revived by some Turkic and Mongolic communities; numbers are uncertain.

Tengrism is tengrism is a Central Asian religious and spiritual tradition centered on Tengri, the Eternal Sky, along with ancestors, nature spirits, sacred landscapes, and shamanic practices.

Overview

Tengrism has been associated with Turkic, Mongolic, and other Inner Asian peoples. It historically informed steppe kingship, clan identity, ritual practice, and relationships with the sky, earth, ancestors, and spirits. Contemporary Tengrism may function as a living tradition, cultural heritage, identity movement, or revivalist spirituality.

Key beliefs

• Tengri as the Eternal Sky or supreme heavenly power
• Sacred relationship between sky, earth, ancestors, and community
• Spirits associated with mountains, rivers, fire, land, and household life
• Ritual legitimacy of rulers in some historical contexts
• Balance, honor, kinship, and harmony with nature

Practices

• Offerings to sky, fire, ancestors, and spirits
• Shamanic healing and spirit communication in some traditions
• Blessings, oath rituals, and seasonal observances
• Respect for sacred mountains and natural places
• Clan and ancestor remembrance

Places of worship

• Outdoor sacred landscape
• Mountain or ovoo/obo cairn
• Home hearth
• Community ritual site

Sacred texts

• Oral traditions
• Epic poetry
• Inscriptions such as the Orkhon inscriptions
• Modern revivalist writings

Holidays and observances

• Nauryz / Nowruz in some Central Asian contexts
• Seasonal rites
• Ancestor and community observances

Branches and related traditions

• Mongolian shamanism - Traditions involving spirits, ancestors, and sacred landscapes in Mongolia.
• Turkic traditional religion - Related religious heritage among Turkic peoples.
• Indigenous and Traditional Religions - A broad category for local, ethnic, and ancestral traditions.

See also

• Religion
• Theology
• Philosophy of religion
• New Religious Movements
• Indigenous and Traditional Religions