Central Asian Mythology

Central Asian Heroes

Are there mythic heroes in Central Asia?

The Central Asian heroes are usually deified historical figures. The Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan was said to have been conceived by spirit figures, the Blue Wolf and the White Doe. The Turko-Mongol ancestor Alp Kara Aslan (Heroic Black Lion) was born of a woman but was raised by an eagle and eventually adopted by a lion. The Uigur leader Buqu Khan was conceived by the union of two trees and was born of a knothole. All these conception and birth tales combined with historical power indicate the need of the given cultures to create what we recognize as the monomythic hero.



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