NAME
The recent re-reading of the Bugut inscription, the oldest inscription of the Ashina dynasty, written in Sogdian, by a Japanese team of philologists has suggested that the name, known only in the Chinese transcription of Ashina, was in fact Ashinas. It is in fact known in later Arabic sources under this form.
ETYMOLOGY
Findley assumes that the name Ashina probably comes from one of the Saka languages of central Asia and means "blue", gök in Turkic, the color identified with the east, so that Göktürk, another name for the Turk empire, meant the "Turks of the East". This is seconded by the Hungarian researcher András Róna-Tas, who finds it plausible "that we are dealing with a royal family and clan of Saka origin".
"Ashina" means either "noble wolf" in Turkic languages - wolf being Bure or Kaskyr. In Mongolian languages wolf is - Shono or Chono. "A" - is the prefix of respect in Chinese; other opinions - or roots of the ethnonym "Ashina" are to be found in Saka-Wusun tribal anthroponymes.
H.W. Haussig and S.G. Kljyashtorny suggest an association between the name and the compound "kindred of Ashin" ahşaẽna - Old Persian, which can get quite satisfactory etymological development. This is so even in East Turkestan - then the desired form would be in the Sogdian 'xs' yn' k (-әhšēnē) "blue, dark"; Khotan-Saka (Brahmi) āşşeiņa (-āşşena) "blue", where a long -ā- emerged as development ahş-> āşş-; in Tocharian A āśna- "blue, dark" (from Khotan-Saka and Sogdian). The Saka etymology ashina (<āşşeiņa ~ āşşena) with the value "blue" (the color of the sky) is phonetically and semantically flawless. There is a textual support for this version in the ancient runic inscriptions of the Turks.
In the large Orkhon inscriptions, in the story of the first Kagan, people living in the newly created empire, are named kök türk - translated as "Celestial Turks". Without touching the numerous interpretations kök may have in this combination, we note its perfect semantic match with the reconstructed value of the name Ashina. An explicit semantic calque suggests knowledge of its original meaning and foreign origin, which is compatible with the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural nature of the First Turkic khanate, which entailed the loss, however, of the popularity of "national character", in the words of L. Bazin, as was the political and cultural environment of the Otyuken regime of the era of Bilge Kagan.
The name Ashina was recorded in Ancient Arab chronicles in the form - Sha - ne.
WRITING
Ashina writing system was taken from Sogdian language. The letters used in the construction of the memorial stele describing the heroic exploits of the members of the ruling kagan kind were Sogdian. Thus the main inscription on the stele Bugutskoy set up in honor of one of the rulers of the First Turkic khanate, is written Sogdian letter. A Sogdian inscription is found on the Broadsword discovered in the burial of the ancient Turkic warrior at the monument at Jolene in the Altai Mountains.
During the period of the Second Eastern Turk ancient Turkic runic writing spread, which was also influenced by Sogdian letters. Runes are widespread among the nomadic Turkic peoples in the early Middle Ages.
FUNERAL RITE
Tanshu describes the funeral rites Ashina as follows: "The body of the deceased be lieved in a tent. Sons, grandchildren and relatives of both sexes slaughter horses and sheep, and as they spread around in front of the tent, sacrifice; they ride on horseback seven times around the tent, and then, at the entrance to the tent slit their own faces with a knife weeping, and spill their blood forward; pouring blood and tears collectively. They do so seven times and it is over. Later in the chosen day they take the horse on which the deceased used to ride, and the things that he used, and burn them along with the corpse: the ashes are then collected and buried in a certain season into the grave. Those who died in the spring and summer, are buried when the leaves on the trees and plants begin to turn yellow and fall; those who died in the fall or winter are buried when the flowers begin to unfold. On the day of the funeral, as well as on the day of his death, the family offers a sacrifice, rides horses and slit their face. The building, which was built on the grave, is decorated with the portrait of the face of the dead man and with the description of battles in which he was as in the continuation of life. Usually they put one stone for every man he killed, they may have a different number of such stones, up to a hundred or even a thousand. when bringing sheep and horses as a sacrifice to a single, they hang their heads on the milestones."
According to D. G. Savinov, no archaeological monument is fully consistent with the description given by I. Bichurin, neither South Siberia nor Central Asia is known yet, although many of its elements are found already in the early Turkic time. According D. G.Savinov this may be for several reasons:
Tukyue burial sites in Central Asia and Southern Siberia are not yet open;
The source is a compilation in character, and burial rituals and funeral cycle from various sources are listed in a unified description;
'Tukye' funeral rites in the form in which it is recorded in written sources, developed later on the basis of the various components present in some of the archaeological sites of Southern Siberia of early Turkic time.
It is certain that the rite of cremation was adopted among Turkic Hagan and a very narrow ruling stratum of kaganates. Ie it was inherent in it is the "prince of the tribe," Ashin, who had as possible will consider Indo-European origin. Rite of cremation, obviously did not spread among the common people of Turkic, i.e. did not have a mass character. This may well be at the origin of the other ethnic groups of the ruling family.
As a result of the use of the rite described Tanshu, of a very narrow class of people (aristocracy), Savinova' s assumption most likely is true, on the grounds that the Tukyue burial sites in Central Asia and Southern Siberia are not yet open.
The most curious thing is that almost all of the elements of the funeral rite Ashina have analogues in the Indo-European rites, in particular the Slavic rites. About individual incision Al Bakr can be quoted: "Wives of the same dead cut their hands and faces with knives." Chinese source said that on the day of the funeral, as well as in the day of his death, family used to ride horses. There is likely to have in mind something like Slavic funeral feast. "The building was built on the grave" is an analogue of the Slavic Domowina. Burial of the ashes of the deceased in the vessel (the tomb of Kul Tigin and his wife) as is recorded by the Slav's "Tale of Bygone Years", for example where it says: "burned, and after collecting the bones, put them in a small container."
ANALYSIS OF WRITTEN SOURCES, TRADITIONS
S. G. Kljyashtorny studied the legends of the clan Ashina in comparison with historical evidence. The dynastic chronicle "Sui Shu" carries information that is realistic at its basis, the historiographical value of which now seems undeniable, "and offered to share the early history of the tribes Tÿrk of
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