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Copyright

Baasanjav Terbish

Published On

2025-04-03

Page Range

pp. 25–100

Language

  • English

Print Length

75 pages

2. The Dog

Chapter of: Humans, Dogs and Other Beings: Myths, Stories, and History in the Land of Genghis Khan(pp. 25–100)
As in other chapters, this chapter examines dogs as both spiritual beings embedded in cosmological imagination and real-life companions rooted in history. It explores the multifaceted image of dogs in Mongol culture, where they are revered as spiritual intermediaries, guardians, and hunting partners, yet associated with impurity and danger in cosmological beliefs. Specific rituals, such as dog burial practices, and bolson yavdal stories provide insight into these complex perceptions. The chapter also traces the historical transformation of canine roles—from shamanic reverence to Buddhist adaptation, socialist suppression, and their evolving status in contemporary Mongolia.

Contributors

Baasanjav Terbish

(author)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7748-7449

Baasanjav Terbish is a Social Anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is the author of several books, including Sex in the Land of Genghis Khan (2023). His research focuses on the culture, language, and history of Mongol peoples in Mongolia and Russia. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic and an affiliated scholar at The Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit at the University of Cambridge.