Superstitions, Perception of Luck and Bad Luck in Turkish-Mongolian Nations

Abstract

Since ancient times, there have been beliefs in every society that doing or not doing something would bring good luck or bad luck. Although it varies according to the holiness perception of each society, it is believed that events related to water, fire, sky or natural events are the harbingers of good or evil, and indicate luck or danger. Similar superstitions also emerged among the Turkish-Mongolian nations who shared a common geography and a common memory. These habits, which attracted the attention of local/foreign travelers and authors of the period and came to the fore with their ritualistic meaning rather than their logical basis, acquired deep symbolic meanings in the steppe folk culture. This article will discuss superstitions that are generally nourished by Turkish-Mongolian Shamanism, believed to bring good luck or bad luck, and some of which have survived to the present day.