Dayan deerkhi: cult of shamanic deity and his Buddhist transformation

The article examines the image of Dayan Deerkhi - one of the most famous characters of the Mongolian mythology, a genius guardian of shamanic initiations in Mongolia, who experienced a significant influence of Buddhism in his religious status. The location of Dayan Deerkhi is associated with Khubsugul area, where due to special nature conditions of the mountain taiga the image of this tengri-celestial acquired the features of a powerful landscape deity surrounded by a halo of various legends mostly of the magical character. In the mythological biography of Dayan Deerkhi one should also note a number of expressive parallels with Teb tengri - the supreme shaman of the Genghis Khan era, which is of particular interest for studing the genesis of the Khubsugul deity cult. In connection with the spread and approval of Buddhism in Mongolia, which led to a rethinking of previous religious views, the image of Dayan Deerkhi has undergone a significant Buddhist transformation. It is clearly reflected in the ritual texts which carry a syncretic character inherent to the whole Mongolian shamanism that appeared in the sphere of attraction of the lamaist mythology. The epiphany of the Khubsugul deity which preserved shamanistic traits has now received distinct Buddhist ritualism, characteristic to Mongolian traditional beliefs adapted by Buddhism. Nonetheless, the syncretic cult of Dayan Deerkhi, which reflects the gradual evolution of ideas about it in historical circumstances, continues to be a spiritual phenomenon in the religious and mythological tradition of the Mongolian people. This is especially evident in Khubsugul region, which until recently was the citadel of Mongolian shamanism. There was the place where the cult of Dayan Deerkhi was originally formed and rooted as a shamanic deity, later acquired a common Mongolian features. The significance of one of the most outstanding representatives of the sacred tradition of the Mongols is evidenced by its hierarchical connection with the pantheon of Tengriism deities. At the same time, Dayan Deerkhi due to ideological reasons connected with the spread of Buddhism is becoming a universal tengri-celestial creature, endowed with a special unifying mission. According to the definition of O. Purev, Dayan Deerkhi is a classic example of contamination into one image mythological characteristics of the old Mongolian faith with those from new religion, Buddhism.