National Sports

"My father used to make bows. When he passed away, there was nobody to teach how to make them and I could find no books on the subject.

"Mongolian bows are very durable, but even the best one has its time. The ancient art of bow making is being forgotten.

"And that is why I decided to learn how to make bows and arrows," says J. Sukhbaatar, one of the last masters.

Archery - Ample information about archery can be found in literary and historical documents of the 13th century and even before. It is an ancient sport of the Mongols which can be traced back to as early as 300--200 BC. According to historians, archery contests began in the 1lth century.

The Mongols use a compound bow, built up of layers of horn, sinew, bark and wood. When unstrung it is not straight, but curved. Archery is more archaic and ritualistic than other sports. All archers adopt the same stance and posture.

The target consists of a row several meters across, of small woven leather rings, some painted red, which are laid out laterally on the ground. The openings face upwards, providing a challenging exercise in trajectory for the archers. In olden times, women did not participate in the contest, but in the last few decades they have started to do so. The distance is about 75m for men and 60m for women. Men shoot about 40 arrows and must score not less than 15 points and women shoot 20 arrows and must score at least 13 points using the same bow as the men.

When the arrow hits the target, a group of people standing near the target, acting as judges, raise the cry "Puukhai! " and make signs with their hands to indicate the result. The one who scores the most points is the

Naadam festival

by Josh Freed

" I am standing on a dust-choked plain 18,000 kilometers away, facing a sight that terrified most of the world a few centuries ago."

"About 300 horses are galloping right at me, ridden by a literal horde of Mongolians wearing pointed hats and flowing robes, one of many strange images I've seen here in Mongolia, a place few Westerners know anything about, apart from high-school memories of Ghengis Khan."

In Mongolia, the national sports festival is called Naadam - the most famous celebration of the traditional way. Wrestling, archery and horse-racing are the Three Main Games of Men which are rooted in the mists of antiquity and continue to be very popular among the Mongols today.

In 12th-13th century, military festivals were widespread, at which men tried their strength and their steeds' agility. From the 17th century onwards, Naadam contests were held regularly during religious holidays. Since 1922, they have been held on the anniversary of the people's revolution.

Horse-racing is a normal part of the Naadam. This sport is also centuries old, dating back to the Bronze Age.

The horses for the Naadam races are selected a month before the big day. They are then taken to an adequate pasture separate from the herd and trained. Racehorses are divided into several age groups : two, four and five years old; over five years; and stallions. The riders are aged from 5 to 12. Mongolian children of these ages are good riders, as both boys and girls have been riding since infancy. As the popular saying goes, "The nomad is born in the saddle".

Small saddles are made specially for children, but they usually prefer to ride without them. They are not only superb riders, but also skillful tacticians. They know how to hold the horse back so it has enough strength to last the entire distance of the race. Competitions are not held on special race tracks, but right across the steppe, where riders are confronted with various obstacles such as rivers, ravines and hills. The distance varies according to the ages of the horses, between 15 and 35 km. The riders are dressed in bright, colorful and comfortable clothes. On their backs are various symbolic pictures. Symbolic ornaments and designs also embellish the horse-cloth.

The most exciting moments are the start and the finish. Before the beginning of the contest the young horsemen ride round the starting point three times yelling the ancient call, "Giingo!", a kind of war-cry. When all the horses step behind the boundary line, the starting command is given and the riders surge forward, setting in motion the long-awaited race.

The winning riders do a full circuit of the stadium, each accompanied by a herald. The winning horse receives the honorary title "Forehead of Ten Thousand Race Horses" and the five runners-up are awarded with medals. They are popularly called the "Airag Five". In accordance with tradition, the riders on the winning horses do three laps of honor, then ride up to the grandstand, and each child is offered a large bowl of airag - fermented mare's milk - from which he drinks and then pours some on the rump of his horse. The herald in turn, chants in poem-form the virtues of the horse, its rider and owner.

But there is also an interesting tradition in connection with the losers. Honor and praise of the winners of the race is to be expected; but the losers are also rewarded and honored. After the awards ceremony for the victors, the racer who came in last is led up to the main stand with his young rider. The loser's face shows vexation and shame. But the spectators do not make fun of him. Instead they shout encouragement and try to give him confidence in himself. The national story-teller recites a special ode to the loser. The ode encourages him with words expressing faith in his future success.

"Tsam" - religious mask dance

Tsam is a mystery play based on Buddhist mythology. In ancient times Tsam were performed in big monasteries. This art of dance is almost forgotten now. Tsam originated in ancient India, and was brought to Tibet a thousand years ago by the divine Padmasambhava, renowned for his victories over demons and spirits. In the 16th century it spread to Mongolia. In Mongolia Tsam was enriched with elements of witchcraft and the pagan traditions of the nomads. The mystery play formed part of the local Buddhists' cult rites.

The Mongolian Tsam costumes and masks, as well as stage sets, differ considerably from those used in other Buddhist countries. They contrast sharply in color in accordance with local tastes, Mongolian masks were in bold primary colors - red, black, yellow, white and blue - and therefore looked more expressive. The masks were big and bright so that the audience could see them clearly. They were much larger than life-size, but however big, all the masks were invariably made in strict conformity with the canons of religious decorative and applied arts. Masks were masterfully done and lavishly decorated, designed to inspire awe and veneration for the deities. They were made from papier-mâché and richly inlaid with coral, gold, silver and precious stones, and painted with gouache and mineral dyes. The ancient masters had a great talent for harmony and used the most effective combinations of colors.

The Tsam masks depicted the main Buddhist deities which numbered several dozens. During the 19th century, numerous monasteries were built in the country and magnificent Tsam performances were staged there. One performance a year was given at each of the 700 major monasteries. The last one was performed in the late thirties in the square in front of the Choijin-lama's monastery in Ulaanbaatar.

There were three types of Tsam: the first presents episodes from the life of Milaraiba, a famous Indian hermit poet of the 1lth century, the second is about Khan Gessar, the folk hero, and the third, Erlik Tsam is about the struggle between good and evil.

The performers of the mask dance enacted ancient ritual dances and scenes from the lives of heaven-dwellers and heroes. By their movements and gestures the actors conveyed the idea of the eternal triumph of good over evil and life over death. Wearing various colored masks and performing a dynamic dance with jumps, they led an old man with a long white beal out of the temple. He was the Lord of the Life Supporter, accompanied by six boys. When all actors were assembled, the bull-like Yamaradja, the Lord of Hades, came onto the stage. He wore rich clothes adorned with gold and silver and precious stones and a terrifying mask topped with a crown made from skulls. And with his participation, the dances were performed.

For Tsam performances long preparations were necessary. Rehearsal began one or two months prior to the event under guidance of an experienced high-ranking Lama. Some of the Tsam scenarios have survived. One of them, about Gessar -Khan, contains 94 acts. Apart from the scenario proper, it includes a detailed description of the costumes and masks and an explanation of the symbolism.

wrestling

Wrestling is the most national and popular of all Mongol sports. It is the highlight of the Three Games of Men. Historians claim that Mongol-style wrestling originated some seven thousand years ago. The technique and ritual of Mongolian wrestling is distinctly national. There are no weight categories or age limits in Mongolian national wrestling. The wrestlers wear heavy boots, a very small tight-fitting loincloth, a pair of sleeves which meet across the back of the shoulders, resembling a tiny vestige of a jacket, and a pointed cap of velvet. The contestants come out on the field leaping and dancing, flapping their arms in imitation of an eagle. Each wrestler has his attendant herald. The aim of the sport is to knock your opponent off balance and throw him down, making him touch the ground with his elbow and knee. The loser walks under the raised arms of the winner in a sign of respect, and unties his vest, after which the victor, again leaping and dancing, takes a turn round the flag in the center of the field. The victor is awarded symbolic prizes - biscuits and aaruul, or dried curds; once he has tasted these, he offers them to his seconds and to spectators.

Traditionally, either one thousand and twenty-four or five hundred and twelve wrestlers participate in the contest. Today the latter number usually take pan. At the Republican Naadam, nine rounds are held. Those who lose in one round are eliminated from further rounds.

A wrestler who beats five opponents in a row is awarded the title of "Republican Falcon"; one who wins seven rounds is given the title of "Elephant". A wrestler becomes a champion by winning nine rounds and is given the title of "Lion", and if he wins two years in row, he is called "Giant". If a wrestler becomes a third-time champion at the Naadam, the attribute "Nation-wide" is added to his title, and the fourth time, he is styled "Invincible".

The winners of the tournament receive honorary titles and are also awarded various souvenirs. But for them, the main award is the truly nation-wide popularity and fame that they gain.