20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

564 Marie-Dominique Evenday – full moon – of the 1 st summer month. There are three main cairns(ovoo) on the mountain:––The highest one, on the top of the mountain, is called ovoo ofheaven/sky 23 (tengriin ovoo) or of Chinggis: this is where the stateworship takes place.––The ovoo erected on the side of the mountain is the ovoo ofÖndör gegeen or ovoo of the Saint (Bogdiin ovoo): it takes itsname from the 1st Jebtsündamba, the highest incarnate lama, whowas the son of an important Chinggisid prince. The lamas worshipthere.––The third cairn is at the foot of the mountain. It is called theovoo of Good fortune or the public ovoo (niitiin ovoo): ordinarypeople worship there.The mountain cult is an official ceremony in a secular state, and as suchit is public, but attending the worship itself at the top cairn, the ovoo ofChinggis or Heaven, is restricted to important people: state representatives,academicians, famous wrestlers climb to the top by foot. There theshaman in costume beats his drum and invokes the spirits, and the higherrepresentative of the state, wearing a deel, the traditional Mongolian dress,makes the ritual offerings. Soldiers and army’s musicians are present, aswell as photographers and journalists. The Buddhist monks perform theirown rites at the intermediate cairn, the ovoo of the Saint [incarnate lama].For women, secular state or not, tradition prevails and even high rankingpersonalities of Mongolia are not allowed to attend the worship at the ovoo.When asked about the future of such a rule in the probable case of a womanbecoming president of Mongolia, people answer that no self-respectingMongolian woman would break it. Such interpretation points out to thebreach of a custom (yos) perceived as national rather than religious, and thathelps probably modern Mongols to accommodate it with the constitutionalprinciple of a secular state. The origin of the ban going back to the ancientclan order may not be known, but the rules still apply for ovoo wherepre-Buddhist values prevail. Women remain at the foot of the mountain andtake part in the festivities organized on this occasion. In some cases theychoose to circumambulate the hill or the mountain, a probable influence ofBuddhism where circumambulating monasteries, temples and stūpa – notyet mountains like in Tibet- is a common act of devotion. Because of thetopography, going round the Burkhan Khaldun is not easy, but it is done atthe Altan ovoo, and at the Bogd Khan south of Ulaanbaatar, where three-23Tenger (tenggeri) can be translated as «sky», or as «heaven above», according tothe context. It is often used in Shamanist context as a title for spirits or deities.