Brief Encyclopedia Signs and symbols of Kazakh culture
Signs and symbols of Kazakh art
The yurt as a semiotic space
The language of Kazakh ornamentation
- "Döngelek" (solar circle)
- "Kün közi" (eye of the sun)
- "Törtqulaq" (cross)
- "Shimai" (spiral)
- "Aishyk gül" (crescent)
- "Zhuldyz" (star)
- "Kempirqosaq" (rainbow)
- "Sharshy" (square)
- "Tumarsha" (amulet, often triangular)
- "Baldaq" (support, crutch)
- "Irek" (zigzag)
- "Törtüshkül" (four sharp corners)
- "Qarmaq" (fishing hook)
- "Shynzhyra" (chain)
- "Syñar müiiz" (single horn)
- "Qarga tuiaq" (crow's foot)
- "Asha tuiaq" (cloven hoof)
- "Qaz moiyn" (goose / swan neck)
- "It quiryq" (dog's tail)
- "Botaköz" (camel calf's eye)
- "Böri qulaq" (wolf's ears)
- "Alaqurt" (speckled spider)
- "Zhylan" (snake)
- "Agash gül" (tree-flower)
- "Örken" (stem)
- "Raikhangül" (rose)
- "Arpabas" (barley head)
Traditional costume in the context of semiotics
The symbolic artistry of Kazakh jewelry
Color as a semiotic code
The symbolic content of materials (handicrafts, applied arts)
The symbolic nature of Kazakh music
“Zhuldyz” (star)
Stars, like all celestial bodies, play an important role in the mythopoetic image of the Kazakh world. In folklore there is a large number of myths and legends about the stars. Among the most famous are the Pole Star (Temirqazyq), Venus (Sholpan) and others. Each star, which is a symbol of constancy and order, is directly related to a person and his destiny. Popular belief says that stars can give and take away luck (ambivalent function). In world culture, the eight-pointed star is a peculiar symbol of the unfolding and folding universe, but the five-pointed form was most often used by the Kazakhs. As a rule, it occupies a central position in the ornamental part of the rugs. There are also numerous derivatives of this ornament: «zhūldyz gül», «zhūldyz örnek» and «top zhūldyz», which were most often used to decorate outerwear. The ornamentation of outerwear symbolises light, eternity and striving. An octagonal rosette with a star in the centre, called «segiz kyrly örnek», was often used for carpets and symbolises the universe, the cosmos. Segiz kyrly symbolises integrity and harmony.
ШайгОзова Ж.Н., Наурзбаева А. Б.
Краткая энциклопедия знаков и символов казахской культуры.
Алматы: КазНИИК, 2023.