Kut (mythology)

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According to the Turkic belief, kut (also spelled qut, Old Turkic: 𐰴𐰆𐱃, romanized: qut, lit. 'blessing' or 'fortune'),[1] is a kind of force vitalizing the body. Through kut, humans are connected with the heavens. Further, the sacred ruler is believed to be endowed with much more kut than other people, thus the heaven would have appointed him as the legitimate ruler.[2][3] Turkic Khagans claimed that they were "heaven-like, heaven-conceived" and possessed kut, a sign of the heavenly mandate to rule.[4] Rulers of the Qocho were entitled "idiqut", meaning "sacred good fortune".[5] It also existed in Mongols as suu.[6] It was believed that if the ruler had lost his kut, he could be dethroned and killed. However, this had to be carried out without shedding his blood. This was usually done by strangling with a silk cord.[7][4] This custom of strangling continued among the Ottomans.[7]

  1. ^ Gary Seaman (1989). Ecology and Empire: Nomads in the Cultural Evolution of the Old World. Ethnographics/USC, Center for Visual Anthropology, University of Southern California. p. 247.
  2. ^ JENS PETER LAUT Vielfalt türkischer Religionen p. 25 (German)
  3. ^ Carter Vaughn Findley The Turks in World History Oxford University Press 2004 ISBN 9780199884254
  4. ^ a b Peter B. Golden (2010). Central Asia in World History. p. 43. The qaghan claimed that he was "heaven-like, heaven-conceived" and possessed qut (heavenly good fortune), a sign of the heavenly mandate to rule. His person was holy and his blood could not be shed. If a qaghan had to be removed—permanently—he was strangled with a silk cord.
  5. ^ Rahmat, (1964, 150-57)
  6. ^ Mosaert and Cleave, (1962, 17-23)
  7. ^ a b David Sneath, Christopher (2010). Twentieth century Mongolia. p. 76.