Mongol Exhibition in Victoria

From: Carlson, Pam <carlsonp_at_wdni.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 95 14:53:00 PDT


Last weekend Neil Robinson and I went to the new exhibit on the origins of the Mongols at the natural history museum in Victoria, BC. We learned lots of cool stuff, some of it applicable to Glorantha.
  1. The northern steppe people seemed to originate from an ancient variety of homo sapiens which was separate from both the cro-magnon-type of Europe and the type found in China. The northern type had a thicker skull and a slightly different cranial nerve pattern. (Alas, more info on that was not available).
  2. The pig and the snake were both associated with earth and fertility by these people. One of their early mythic animals was a pigheaded serpent - an early dragon.
  3. These folks were agriculturalists for several thousand years. But a climatic change forced them to take up herding, and they adopted the horse.
  4. These northern steppe people started raiding northern China as early as 1500 BC.
  5. The Quidan people were the direct ancestors of the Mongols (roughly 600 to 1100 AD). They conquered and occupied part of Northern China, and adopted Chinese writing and technology, adding them to their culture. The Quidan were not very pleasant occupiers.
  6. A carving of a Quidan hunting party showed them with bows, on ponies, accompanied by pointy-eared, curly tailed dogs:-) (Just like mine, you see...)
  7. They elaborately decorated their horse trappings, saddles, and bow cases with silver, gold, and gems. (Great locations for matrices).
  8. The Mongols were one of many small tribes north of China with a Quidan legacy. Genghis Khan's first name was Temujin. His father was a chief of his tribe, and was killed when Temujin was very young. He was raised by his mother, and tried very hard to excel at feats of personal combat and bravery. He impressed lots of folks, and was voted kahn of his tribe at a fairly young age.
  9. Mongol bows required a 160 pound draw. They had two kinds of arrows: light long ones for long distance (200 meters!) and short thick ones for close range (10-30 meters). They also used a forked, "singing" arrow to make noise and communicate.
  10. Once they had conquered lots of territory, they set up a pony express system, with fresh ponies at stations along the way. A messenger carried a special medallion which signified his position. Sometimes a messenger would cover 200 miles a day.
  11. The khan had a great, travelling yurt, set up on a platform drawn by several oxen.
  12. Modern Mongols still build cairns of stones, with a stick in the middle. They tie bits of silk on the stick and leave trinkets on the rocks as offerings. For example, the skull of a particularly fine horse would be placed on the pile to improve the quality of the local horses. For luck, you walk around the pile counterclockwise and say a prayer.

That's about all I can remember. Perhaps Neil will add more. The exhibit is on loan from China, and will be in Victoria until September. The museum also has an exremely nice permanent exhibit on the local Indians. I was particularly surprised by comparing the rock carvings from Canada 12000 years ago to Northern China 12000 years ago. The carvings both depicted hunting scenes, but the artistic styles were already very different, and each had recognizable elements of their modern forms.

Pam


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