Battle Helmets in Kazakh Heroic Epics
Боевые наголовья в казахских героических эпосах
Agatay О.M. Ibrayeva A.G. Mysyr O.D. Gizzatov S.M.
1 December 2025Cherkas Global University Press
Bylye Gody
2025#20Issue 41625 - 1636 pp.
This article explores the elements of protective armament – specifically the combat helmet of Turkic nomads of Eurasia during the Medieval and Early Modern periods – based on a comprehensive analysis of written, material, and visual sources. The study focuses on examples found in Kazakh heroic epics. The Kazakh folklore data utilized in this research had not previously been introduced into academic discourse or translated into foreign languages. The study identifies original names of combat helmets as described in the images of batyr-warriors depicted in Kazakh heroic epics. It is revealed that during the Medieval and Early Modern periods, Turkic nomadic warriors of Kazakhstan and adjacent territories used combat helmet such as the dulyga. Some traditional male headwear worn by Central Asian Turkic peoples, particularly Kazakhs, during peacetime – such as qalpaq, telpek, borik, and qalqan – acquired military significance due to morphological and typological similarities, and became established in traditional military terminology. Additionally, the examined epics provide information on how the warriors helmets were worn, certain structural features, external decorations, and other details. These findings show a high degree of correlation with written, material, and visual sources. The epic works under study also describe characteristic features of Oirat warriors helmets, particularly the dome shape resembling a Buddhist stupa, which is fully consistent with material and visual evidence. Furthermore, it is found that the term qalqan, traditionally meaning “shield”, is used in several epic narratives from Mangystau, the Southern Urals, the Syr Darya region, Central Kazakhstan, and Semirechye to also denote combat helmet.
combat helmets , cultural code , helmets , Kazakhs , museum collections , steppe warriors
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National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
Astana International University, Kazakhstan
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Astana International University
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