It”s a warm July afternoon in Ugtaal County in central Mongolia, and a crowd
gathers on the open steppe under a rickety bandstand. I”m here with the Vanishing Cultures Project
and videographer Lauren
Knapp to document the traditions of Mongolian nomadic herders. In our
efforts to research the effects of globalization on this traditional culture,
we”ve found ourselves here this afternoon to record one of Mongolia”s
centuries-old surviving traditions.

As a Mongolian flag flaps lazily in the breeze, men on horseback and women
bouncing babies in their arms gather on either side of a grassy causeway
created by two lines stretched between wooden stakes. Suddenly, dark dots
appear on the horizon, rapidly cresting the hill one after the other. The
crowd”s excited chatter rises by a few decibels, and as the dots come closer,
their shapes become distinguishable against the electric green of the valley —
they are horses, and this is Ugtaal County”s race of stallions. The crowd at
the finish line begins to cheer the winners home.

Horse racing is part of the trifecta of “manly
sports” that make up Mongolia”s annual Naadam, a nationwide sports
festival that is seeing a recent resurgence in popularity. The “three
manly sports” of horse racing, wrestling, and archery are all ancient
military arts that have been practiced for centuries as a requisite part of
Mongolian warrior culture. Today, these sports are celebrated during Naadam —
named after the verb naada, “to play” — as cornerstones of Mongolian
heritage.

Like Ugtaal, every county and province hosts its own Naadam in early July to
select finalists to compete at the national Naadam, which takes place on July
11-13 each year in Mongolia”s capital, Ulaanbaatar. As a national holiday,
shops close, workers head home, and people refer to it as the best time of the
year.

“The three manly sports are a source of pride for Mongolians because
they”re such old traditions, and they”ve been happening for so many
centuries,” says Battulga, the mayor of Ugtaal. “Everyone waits the
whole year to see these sports, and once Naadam is over, people start waiting
eagerly for next year”s Naadam.”

The tradition of Naadam can be traced back to the 13th century, when
Chinggis Khan threw them as celebrations of successful military campaigns.
Returning warriors marked their victory by drinking, eating, wrestling, and
showing off their manly skills. Eventually, this also became a way to train
young men in the military arts. Centuries later, after Mongolia”s socialist
revolution of 1921, Naadam became institutionalized as the official celebration
of the people”s army, and it took on the organized form of competition that is
seen at modern Naadams today.

“I have always participated in Naadam, every year,” says Gantumur,
a lifelong resident of Ugtaal. “There was a time when not many people
participated in Naadam. But now it”s getting better, more people are becoming
involved.”

Mongolia is experiencing a cultural revival: while an economy estimated by the
International Monetary Fund to be the fourth-fastest growing in the world
launches Mongolia onto the world stage, feelings of nationalism are driving
people to reclaim a Mongolian heritage and identity that were actively effaced
during the Soviet Era of the 20th century. And Naadam, as a direct line to
Mongolia”s rich cultural past, is a natural choice for a celebration and show
of cultural pride.

Each of Naadam”s three manly sports is steeped in historic tradition.
Wrestlers wear an age-old costume of leather boots, open-front jacket, and
briefs, all embroidered with traditional patterns. Archers compete in silk and
brocade deels, the traditional Mongolian robe. As is the ancient practice,
Mongolian horse races require child jockeys, and before each race children aged
seven to twelve gather on horseback to sing the Giigoo, a folksong of praise,
to their horses to urge them to do well.

But amidst the throwbacks to ancient culture, signs of modernization dot the
holiday landscape both locally and nationally. Food trucks set up shop around
the Naadam stadiums, selling Coca-Cola, plastic toys, and ice cream bars to the
revelers. Teenagers on horseback chat on cell phones, and mothers in
traditional deels strut by on spiked heels. All across the countryside, harbingers
of an economy growing at break-neck speed make their appearance in Western
commodities, fashions, technologies, and tastes. But as Mongolia ushers in this
new market-economy culture, perhaps the traditions of the past will continue to
inspire pride in the generations to come.

By Nina Wegner

http://www.huffingtonpost.com