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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00002038 Country Kazakhstan ICH Domain Social practices, rituals, festive events Knowledge and practices about nature and the universe Traditional craft skills Address Falconry is practised along traditional bird migration routes in a number of regions Kazakhstan, mainly in Zhetysu, Akmola, Karaganda and Pavlodar provinces. There are also some regions in Southern Kazakhstan. It depends on open terrain so that the falconer can follow the bird. Thus, habitat dictates the practicality of falconry and shapes its particular local variation of traditional styles.Year of Designation 2012
| Description | Hunting with eagles (kaz. "burkit", lat. Aguila Shrysaetus - “Golden Eagle”) is an ancient practice of social and cultural heritage of traditional Kazakh people of hunters - kusbegi ("qusbegi"), eagle ("burkitshi") who tamed and trained eagles for hunting. Originally training eagles for hunting was predominantly the hobby of ordinary people and was a kind of craft for them. This type of hunting has supported nomad budget. Therefore, Kazakhstan has always been traditionally a place, above all, catching the birds and training them in order to use for hunting in the future. Birds were tamed in two ways: adults caught on bait, or raise the chicks out of the nest. Kazakhs believe that the best hunters are obtained from adult birds that hunt with a special zeal, once accustomed to the owner. Hunting always passes on horses usually together with the Kazakh national dog - a hound "tazy". Kazakhs divide the hunting with birds of prey to specific hunting with eagles and falcons, hawks, merlin. Golden Eagles are used primarily for the purpose of making a job. They were used for hunting wolves, foxes, karsaks and mountain goats. Merlins used mainly for sports and recreational purposes, as it was a favorite pastime of the nobility. Falcons assisted in hunting for small wildfowl, and hawks let geese, bustards. |
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| Social and cultural significance | Kazakh tradition of hunting with birds of prey has always been noble and esteemed custom. This ancient tradition is preserved until today. Currently there are more than 70 officially registered hunters with hunting birds in Kazakhstan are engaged engaged in catching, preparing wild fowls and special equipment, and training volunteers willing to be prey hunters. Today, hunting with eagles in Kazakhstan distributed as dispersed worldwide and is considered a Kazakh national sport. |
| Transmission method | Transmission is vital to all falconry communities and it includes many activities related to falconry practice, knowledge of the environment, the proper management of the falcons and cultural values. Falconry as a cultural tradition is transmitted between generations by a variety of means, such as mentoring, learning within families, or formalized training in clubs and schools. In Kazakhstan, transmission of knowledge and skills is provided in dynastic families of falconers or via formal education (falconry clubs and extracurricular courses). Dynastic families of falconers (Kusbegi or Burkytshi) have been training from generation to generation professional falconers that master the skills of catching, taming and training the bird. |
| Community | The dynasty of hunters passes down the secrets of training for hunting birds from generation to generation. Each region has its own variety of hunting birds on the basis of landscape and climatic conditions (that varies greatly in Kazakhstan). Professional hunters with hunting birds have a natural gift of education and training of wild birds. Mastering the art of kusbegi ("qusbegi") and hunting with eagle ("burkitshi") requires a lot of time and patience. The main objective of the training of birds is to teach submission to the will of master hunter.Communities involved in hunting with birds of prey are villages and kinship groups, tribes, families and individuals, as well as organized falconry clubs, falconry heritage trusts and institutions. In addition, there are supporting agencies and associations such as falcon hospitals, breeding centres, conservation agencies, traditional falconry equipment makers, artists, poets, and professional falconers. The main falconry associations and centers are: 'Burkytshі' and 'Kyran" Federations, 'Zhalayir Shora' Centre for Falconry, 'Sunkar' Falcon Nursery Centre. |
Keyword
Information source
Kazakhstan National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage
Elements related to
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EE00002039
Salburyn - Kazakh Festival of Equestrian Hunting with Falcons and Tazy Greyhound
Salburyn is a festive event and an important component of Kazakh equestrian hunting with falcons and tazy greyhounds. It is a traditional ritual of transmitting hunting knowledge from skilled hunters to beginners and apprentice participants. Salburyn lasts 5-7 days, it is held in the winter hunting season. It is conducted at a large open space where the participants establish a camp of Kazakh yurts and tents as common areas. During the initial 2-3 days the experienced hunters share their knowledge and hunting methodology with young hunters. The hunting commences in the early morning after the elders give their blessing (bata). First part is compiled of pathfinders (yz kesushi) who read the game traces and establish the hunting ways. Participants split into the groups compiled of both more and less experienced hunters. Golden eagle hunters (berkutchi) detect the target and throw the eagle vectoring their flight trajectory with the hand movement. The tazy greyhounds are used in pairs. Some hunters are employing both eagles and tazy together. The triumphal celebration is organized for the hunters returning back, where elder women shower them with sweets. The hunters then bestow the pray to the elders hunters.
Kazakhstan -
EE00001328
Falconry - a living human heritage
Falconry or traditional hunting with birds of prey has been long popularized among people who lived in vast steppe and mountainous areas - the habitat of the birds of prey. Kazakh people tamed different species of falcons, eagles and other birds of prey like Burkyts (golden eagles) and various falco representatives. Every species has been accustomed to certain region and climatic environment - northern regions, mountains of Zhungar and Zaili Alatau, bold mountains or mountains with forested and rocky slopes, plains and steppes with scarce vegetation, desserts and etc. Falconry is the traditional art and practice of training and flying falcons to take quarry in its natural state, and has been practised for more than 4000 years. It is one of the oldest relationships between human and bird. It probably evolved in the steppes of Asia, and spread via cultural and trade links to other countries, first to Europe, North Africa and East Asia and later in the 16th century to the rest of the world. The practice of falconry in early and medieval periods of history is documented in many parts of the world. Falconry as intangible cultural heritage is integrated into communities as a social recreational practice and a means of connecting with nature. It is perceived by the communities as cultural heritage, a social tradition of respect for nature and the environment. Originally a way of obtaining food, falconry has acquired other values over the centuries, and is identified with camaraderie, sharing, and expressions of freedom.
Kazakhstan 2016