Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,
What a beautiful month this is. I am intrigued by the Silk Road and that goes a way back. I remember that I once had a school project about the Silk Road and now I am creating a whole month about this historical trading route. Today I have however a short episode, because of lack of time. Therefore I have chosen to challenge you to create haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form inspired on a wonderful image of the Tian Shan Mountains.
The Tian Shan, also known as the Tengri Tagh, meaning the Mountains of Heaven or the Heavenly Mountain, is a large system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft) high. Its lowest point is the Turpan Depression, which sits at 154 m (505 ft) below sea level.
Tian Shan is sacred in Tengrism, and its second-highest peak is known as Khan Tengri which may be translated as "Lord of the Spirits".
And let me give you a (very) brief description of Tengrism too. Tengrists view their existence as sustained by the eternal blue sky (Tengri), the fertile mother-earth spirit (Eje) and a ruler regarded as the holy spirit of the sky. Heaven, earth, spirits of nature and ancestors provide for every need and protect all humans. By living an upright, respectful life, a human will keep his world in balance and perfect his personal Wind Horse, or spirit.
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| Tian Shan Mountains (image found on Pinterest) |
This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until February 13th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, Silk, later on. For now ... be inspired and share your Japanese poetry with us all here at our Kai.
Fascinating post. I am reminded of some of your haiku from the past during the month through Siberia.
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