Representations of paired horse heads in Yakut art: Past and present

Abstract

Various artifacts depicting paired horse heads are known in many ancient cultures of Siberia. The earliest in Yakutia is a bone amulet-pendant from the habitation layer of Ulakhan Segelennyakh, dating to the middle or second half of the first millennium AD. In 17th and 18th-century Yakut burials, ring buckle-pendants with double-headed horses, decorating either burial clothing or vessels, are frequent. Museum collections show that similar pendants often decorated leather koumiss vessels, siri isit, which were used in the evocation rite of heavenly deities protecting humans and cattle. In certain Yakut representations, heads of horses have bridles connecting them with the rings, which, in our opinion, refer to celestial bodies. A horse begotten by the sun is a common motif in Yakut myths. The solar horses, Dzhesegey, were considered progenitors of humans. Many representations of double horse heads in museum collections are seen on pendants worn on women's festive belts and waistcloths. This motif has survived in modern Yakut jewelry, architecture, and design. Its sources should possibly be sought in the Xiongnu culture of the Trans-Baikal region and Mongolia. Some Yakut two-headed horse pendants have close parallels amongst the Tagar and Tashtyk representations.