The Modern Kazakh Amulets ‘Tumar’

Author

Dosmurzinov Rustem Kuandykuly

a Ph.D. student, a junior research fellow at the Institute of State History (Astana, Kazakhstan).

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1756-8236

The Modern Kazakh Amulets ‘Tumar’

Abstract

Talismans have played an important protective role in many nations and cultures. Modernization trends and the growing influence of Islam are affecting the contemporary purpose and significance of the Kazakh amulets. Currently the Kazakh ’tumar’ amulets are both apotropaic things and the element of folk art. The study is aimed at revealing the modern function of Kazakh ’tumar’ amulets.

The author of the study has revealed the peculiarities of the modern use of amulets using the method of participant observation. The scholar has conducted interviews with informants on the modern significance of Kazakh amulets with the help of the interview method. It has been found out as the result of the study that Kazakh amulets acquire an aesthetic function and are perceived as a tribute to tradition. The author of the article has also submitted a modern typology of Kazakh talismans according to the materials used in their making.

Keywords

material culture, spiritual culture, worldview traditions, Islam, amulets, ’tumar’, the Kazakh people, Kazakhstan.

References

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Conflict of Interest

The author declare no conflicts of interest.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

No artificial intelligence tools or materials were used in the manuscript.