In Mongolian breeders, the arrival of a child may require help that would not be expected at first: a song. The taming ritual accompanies a camel that refuses its newborn or to which one wishes to adopt an orphan. The mother and baby are placed nearby, while a person begins to sing.
It’s not a song played mechanically for all animals. The melody, gestures and accompaniment are adapted to the behavior of the camel. The practice requires knowledge of animals, as well as musical skills; it can mobilize a horse-headed viel or a flute.
Registered with UNESCO in 2015 among the heritages in need of urgent protection, this ritual is transmitted between generations of breeders. It does not allow to promise an adoption at every attempt. Its existence, however, reveals a very concrete way of bringing together two worlds that we often separate: music is not only intended for the human audience, it participates here in a work with the herd.
What we know
Attested pastoral ritual; its existence does not prove a guaranteed efficacy or a particular physiological mechanism.
To go to the source
References consulted on 3 October 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
Signaler une erreur ou apporter une précision
