Yer-Sub : The Earth Water Spirit

Yer-Sub

Introduction

Yer-Sub, often translated as “Earth-Water,” is one of the most profound and enduring deities in Turkic and Tuvan mythology. Representing the union of the two most vital elements sustaining life, Yer-Sub embodies the land and the waters that nourish all beings. Deeply revered across Central Asia, especially among the Tuvan, Altai, and ancient Turkic peoples, this deity personifies the sacred bond between humanity and nature. Yer-Sub’s worship reflects the ecological awareness that lies at the heart of Tengrism, the indigenous spiritual tradition of the Turkic world. Within this belief system, Earth and Water are not inert elements—they are conscious, divine, and deeply intertwined with the spiritual fate of humankind.

In ancient Turkic cosmology, the universe is divided into three realms: the heavens ruled by Tengri (the Sky God), the middle world of humans governed by Yer-Sub, and the underworld controlled by Erlik. Yer-Sub stands as the sustaining force of the middle realm, ensuring fertility, prosperity, and balance. Her essence is invoked in rituals for protection, rain, bountiful harvests, and the harmony of clans with their ancestral lands. References to Yer-Sub appear in ancient inscriptions such as the Orkhon texts, where her favor is sought alongside Tengri’s to guarantee the survival of the Turkic people. This highlights her role not just as a goddess of nature, but as a protector of nations and their spiritual legacy.

Physical Traits

Yer-Sub is rarely portrayed in a single human-like form, as her identity transcends anthropomorphic boundaries. She is the very landscape itself—rolling steppes, flowing rivers, verdant valleys, and snow-capped mountains. Yet in Tuvan and Altai folklore, when given human features, she is often described as a majestic woman of radiant beauty, clothed in garments that shimmer like water and earth combined. Her flowing hair mirrors rivers cascading through meadows, and her eyes gleam like deep mountain lakes. This imagery symbolizes the fertility, abundance, and mystery of the natural world.

Some local traditions in Mongolia and Siberia depict Yer-Sub residing in highlands such as the sacred Otuken Mountains, considered the spiritual heart of the Turkic people. From there, she watches over lands and waters, blessing her devotees with plenty and punishing those who pollute or desecrate the earth. Her form and manifestations can shift with the seasons—gentle and nourishing in spring and summer, fierce and untamed during storms or floods. This duality reinforces her role as both nurturer and enforcer of natural balance.

Family

Within Turkic mythology, Yer-Sub shares an intricate relationship with other divine forces that together maintain the universe’s harmony. She is often regarded as the consort or counterpart of Tengri, the eternal Sky God, symbolizing the union between heaven and earth that generates life. In other interpretations, Yer-Sub is viewed as the sister or emanation of Umai, the goddess of fertility and motherhood, with whom she shares her nurturing aspect.

This familial network extends beyond anthropomorphic relationships into a broader animistic kinship. The mountain spirits, forest guardians, and river deities are seen as her children or extensions of her will, creating a vast pantheon of nature spirits collectively referred to as “Yer-Sub spirits.” Each clan or tribe traditionally worshipped its own Yer-Sub—its own sacred landscape or river—believed to be inhabited by ancestral spirits. This localized worship reinforced communal identity and the sacred bond between people and their homeland.

Other names

Across the Turkic-speaking world, Yer-Sub is known by many names that reflect linguistic diversity and regional interpretations. In Kazakh and Kyrgyz traditions, she appears as Zher-Su, maintaining the same meaning of “Earth-Water.” The epithet Yduk Yer-Sub (Sacred Earth-Water) often appears in ancient inscriptions, emphasizing her divine sanctity. In Tuvan and Altai oral literature, she is also referred to as Yer Ana (Mother Earth) and Su Ana (Mother Water), highlighting her dual maternal essence.

In some epics and shamanic songs, Yer-Sub does not refer to a single deity but to a collective host of spiritual beings presiding over every natural formation—mountains, rivers, meadows, and springs. These local manifestations act as intermediaries between humans and the cosmic order, ensuring that balance is maintained between the spiritual and material worlds. This multiplicity of names and interpretations demonstrates how pervasive and adaptable Yer-Sub’s presence remains throughout Turkic history.

Powers and Abilities

The powers of Yer-Sub are elemental, encompassing creation, fertility, and protection. She governs the fertility of the soil, making crops flourish and ensuring abundance for her people. Her waters bring life to barren lands and sustain the herds essential to nomadic existence. Beyond the physical domain, Yer-Sub’s influence extends into the spiritual realm, where she safeguards communities from natural calamities, illness, and spiritual imbalance.

Shamans invoke Yer-Sub in rituals seeking rain, healing, or restoration of harmony between humans and the environment. Offerings of milk, coins, or sacred cloth are placed at rivers and springs to honor her and request blessings. It is believed that angering Yer-Sub—by polluting a river, cutting sacred trees, or overhunting animals—can bring misfortune, drought, or disease. This belief reinforces an early form of environmental ethics, where spiritual law and ecological responsibility are one and the same.

Yer-Sub is also seen as the guardian of ancestral spirits. Shamans performing ceremonies near burial mounds or water sources often call upon her to open the passage between the living and the dead. In battle lore, her favor determines victory, for she commands not only the fertility of the land but also the morale and unity of those who fight upon it. Her presence thus permeates every aspect of existence—from the soil beneath one’s feet to the destiny of nations.

Modern Day Influence

Though traditional worship of Yer-Sub has declined with the spread of organized religions, her legacy continues to influence modern Turkic and Tuvan cultures. In regions like Tuva, Mongolia, and Siberia, people still perform rituals at sacred springs, rivers, and mountains, leaving offerings to honor the spirits of the land. These acts, often integrated with contemporary shamanic revivals, are direct continuations of ancient Yer-Sub traditions.

Yer-Sub’s symbolic value has evolved into a cultural and ecological emblem. In modern Tengrism movements, she represents environmental stewardship and the sacred duty to protect nature. Her mythology is cited in environmental activism campaigns across Central Asia, emphasizing the indigenous belief that harming the earth is equivalent to harming the divine. In literature, film, and art, Yer-Sub often appears as a guardian spirit or personified landscape, a timeless reminder of the interdependence between humanity and the natural world.

In a time when ecological crises threaten the planet, Yer-Sub’s ancient wisdom resonates more than ever. Her story teaches that Earth and Water are not mere resources but living entities deserving respect and reverence. The continued remembrance of Yer-Sub—through festivals, academic research, and artistic reimaginings—serves as a spiritual bridge between ancient cosmology and modern ecological consciousness. Through her, the Turkic peoples’ ancestral bond with nature endures, reminding the world that the sacred still flows within the rivers and breathes beneath the soil.

Source

Kanievna, S. K. (2024). The Manifestation of Mythical Cognition in Toponyms. ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1434610.pdf​

Khazaria.org. (2024). The Gods of the Khazarian Turks. https://khazaria.org/the-gods-of-the-khazarian-turks/​

Hunmagyar.org. (1999). Ancient Turkic Deities. http://www.hunmagyar.org/turan/tatar/turk.html​

Wikipedia. (2006). Turkic mythology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkic_mythology​

Liu, X. (Ed.). (2024). The World of the Ancient Silk Road. UNAM. https://pueaa.unam.mx/uploads/materials/Xinru-Liu-editor.pdf​

Reckel, J. (2014). Central Asian Sources and Central Asian Research. Göttingen University Press. https://univerlag.uni-goettingen.de/bitstream/handle/3/isbn-978-3-86395-272-3/GBS39_reckel.pdf​

Wikipedia. (2006). Tengrism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengrism

Birtalan, Á. (2001). Shamanic Songs and Mythical Narratives of the Tuvan People. In M. Hoppál (Ed.), Shamanism: Past and Present (pp. 145–158). Budapest: International Society for Shamanistic Research.

Kharitonov, A. M. (1996). Tuvan Shamanism and the Spirits of Nature. Siberian Studies Journal, 12(3), 45–62.

Potapov, L. P. (1969). The Ethnogenesis of the Altaians. Moscow: Nauka Publishing.

Eliade, M. (1964). Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton University Press.

Balogh, L. (2015). Tengrism and the Cult of Nature in Central Asia. Asian Folklore Studies, 74(2), 213–230