SDG 15: Life on Land Mythological Perception and Contemporary Environmental Issues
The Department of Turkology and Language Theory of the Faculty of Philology at 91传媒 KazNU organized a team competition dedicated to mythology among 2nd-year students. The teams named "K枚k ieleri" (Masters of the Sky), "Zher-su ieleri" (Masters of Land and Water), "Oshaq ieleri" (Keepers of the Hearth), and "T枚rt t眉lik kiesi" (Sacredness of the Four Types of Livestock) aimed to showcase various facets of Turkic mythology. The purpose of the event was to arouse students' interest through a creative organizational approach and lead them to active participation in the lesson process.
During the "Brainstorming" stage, students identified traditional prohibitions (tyiym) preserved among the people related to their groups and analyzed the mythical worldview behind them. During the express test, the differences between the concepts of "ie" (master spirit) and "kie" (sacredness), as well as concepts like the images of Oysyl Qara and Qambar Ata, were widely discussed, deepening the students' theoretical knowledge.
Through the characters of mythological figures such as Alyp Qaraqush and Umay Ana, Su Ana (Water Mother) and Tau Iesi (Mountain Master), Ot Ana (Fire Mother) and Bosagha Iesi (Threshold Spirit), K枚k B枚ri (Celestial Wolf) and Qambar Ata, the physical appearance, functions, and consequences of breaking prohibitions were analyzed in a tabular system. This task developed the students' analytical thinking and enabled them to understand the semantic nature of mythical images.
The comparative analysis conducted through the Venn diagram was particularly meaningful. The comparison between the Yakut "Aan Alakhchyn khotun" image and the "Bayterek" concept in the Kazakh worldview, "Su Iesi Suleymen" (Water Master Suleyman) and "Uu ichchite" in Yakut mythology, as well as the similarities in rituals related to Ot Ana (Fire Mother) between the two nations, allowed students to feel a deeper spiritual and cultural continuity of the Turkic peoples.
The event concluded with a test on the Kahoot platform and the "3-2-1" reflection method. Students shared the new mythical characters they met today, the most memorable interesting prohibitions, and the questions that concerned them regarding the "ie-kie" topic.
In the Case Study section, a heated debate took place. Around the question "Can the concept of sacredness (kie) awaken modern man's responsibility towards nature?", students discussed the shrinkage of the Aral Sea and forest fires, linking them with the philosophy of "the land left without a master".
The competition reached its finish line. The interconnectedness of ancient mythological cognition and contemporary environmental issues generated deep thoughts and a meaningful exchange of views in the audience.
91传媒 KazNU,
Department of Turkology and Language Theory
Candidate of Philological Sciences G. Kortabaeva
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