The first of the Siberian (See Siberian entries) earth deities seems to have been an Earth Mother, such as the one who sits at the roots of the great axis tree. The ancient Mongols (See Turko-Mongol Mythology) called her Atugan. For some peoples the Great Goddess is the wife or sister of the supreme Sky God (See Siberian Sky Gods) who sometimes is said to have assisted in the creation process. Most important, the Great Mother figure is associated with the Earth and Nature. For some peoples there are several Earth Mothers—each responsible for an aspect of life. The Yakuts, for instance, have the goddess Itchita, who protects health; Ynakhsyt, who protects cattle; and Ajysyt, who is connected with children and childbirth. The ancient Turks worshipped Umay, or Umai (See Umai), a childbirth goddess who was of primary importance and whose name means “source.” The Tungus worshipped a similar goddess. The earth was also full of lesser deities or earth spirits, avatars (See Avatars) of the Great Mother with whom shamans (See Shamanism) communicated and who were associated with particular places and functions.
