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Etymology
History
Legacy
From Tägäräk *ɑm “vulva,” whence *umɑːj “placenta, afterbirth.”
Umay is the Turkic goddess of fertility and the guardian-goddess for mothers. She is among the older members of the Turkic pantheon.
Occurrences
The Köl-Tigin Inscription
𐰆𐰢𐰖:𐱅𐰏:𐰇𐰏𐰢:𐰴𐱃𐰆𐰣:𐰸𐰆𐱃𐰭𐰀:𐰃𐰤𐰢:𐰚𐰇𐰠𐱅𐰃𐰏𐰤:𐰼𐱃𐰉𐰆𐰡𐰃
"My younger brother Köl Tigin became a man due to the good fortune of my Umay-like mother, the Qatun."
Tonyoquq Memorial Complex
𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃𐰆𐰢𐰖:𐰃𐰑𐰸𐰘𐰼𐰾𐰆𐰉:𐰉𐰽𐰀𐰋𐰼𐱅𐰃𐰼𐰨:𐰤𐰚𐰀:𐱅𐰔𐰼𐰋𐰃𐰔
"(The goddess) Täŋri Umay, our sacred land and water, will surely crush them, why would we retreat?!"
According to Qırğız traditions, bronze was a symbol of Umay. Hence, bronze beads and buttons would be sewn on the clothing of new-born children for protection.
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