Ak bure

A character of the Turkic-Tatar and Turkic-Mongolian mythology; the first ancestor (totemic ancestor) and the leader of the Turks. Literally a white wolf. The image of Ak Bure goes back to the image of the Gray Wolf (Borte-Chino), common to the Turkic-Mongolian peoples.

Some ancient Turkic genealogical legends have been preserved in ancient Chinese sources. According to one of them, the Tug-yu people come from the So tribe, who once lived to the north of the Hunnu tribes. The eldest of 70 brothers, Tug-yu – Nishidu, was born from a she-wolf.

Another legend tells about the ancestors of the Xiongnu, who descended from the wolf and the beautiful daughter of Shanyu (khan or kagan of the Turks of later eras).

In the Oguz heroic epic "Kitabs Dede Korkut" ("The Book of my grandfather Korkut", XV century.), a gray wolf appears, the appearance of which is constantly accompanied by the sun's rays, which directly testifies to its divine origin. He points the way to Oguz-Kagan and his army, thereby ensuring their victory.

In the "Secret Legend" of the Mongols (XIII century), it is reported that the ancestor of Genghis Khan was Borte-Chino, born by the permission of the Highest Heaven, and the foremother was Goa–Maral ("kauraya doe").

In the Altai legend "Ak-Toichi" the wolf is depicted as the educator and patron of the mythological hero.

Ak bure is supposedly the totemic ancestor of the Bulgarian tribes; the white (gray) suit speaks of his heavenly, divine origin.

Ak bure has a dual nature: it can appear in the guise of a beautiful horseman, and a fabulous bird, and a heroic horse.

Tatar and Bashkir legends emphasize the messianic role of Ak bure: he saves a tribe lost in the thickets or mountains from death. In the Tatar fairy tale "Ak Bure", he acts as a harsh and powerful master of the dense forest, having power over life and death.