Games and enetrtainment

Mongolian festivals are rich with games and entertainment. They always listen with pleasure to narrators of folk tales and sing lyrical, love, traveler’s and shepherd’s songs. Most often these songs glorify the beauty of one’s homeland and one’s favorite horse that won a race. Lingering, tuneful Mongolian music usually accompanies solo (guttural) singing. Among all instruments (bow, percussion and wind) the most famous one is morinxur. According to a legend, its three strings and a bow were made of the mane and the tail of the winged horse that uttered charming melodies while flying.

Although Lamaism never encouraged secular dances, they have always been popular at family and public celebrations. Mongolian dances are usually imitations of hunting scenes and of animals’ behavior.

The Mongols believe that they used to have 800 national games. The symbolic meaning of some of them is linked to the New Year: “bright tortoise” (alag melkhii), “deer hunt” (buga tavikh), “circle” (khorlo), “throwing knucklebones” (shagai kharvah), etc. The players believed that games made for the increase of cattle heads, childbirth and other goods. The Mongols also like to play chess, dominos and lotto. Some games are known in many variations: for example knucklebones have dozens of variations. Nowadays new kinds of entertainment have begun to appear in cities. Thus, in the beginning of the 20th century stilts shows (yangou) were introduced at New Year celebrations.

Chessboard with pieces. Mongolia. Mongols. First half of 20th cent.		Scene of traditional wrestling. Mongolia. Mongols. P. Rykin. 2006		Chess piece. Mongolia. The Mongols. 20th c.
Chess piece. Mongolia. The Mongols. 20th c.		Chess piece. Mongolia. The Mongols. 20th c.		An animal skin for  archery is in the background. Mongolia. The Mongols. Rykin P., 2006.
Arbiter and wrestlers are dressed in traditional costumes. Mongolia. The Mongols. Rykin P., 2006.