MWW 6: овоо

Cyrillic	овоо
Transcription	ovoo
IPA	[ɔ.’wɔ:]
Layman’s Pronunciation	aw-WAW
Translation	sacred place, marked by heap of stones
In Genghis Khan’s time it was obuγa.

Every language has certain unique words which have no simple one-word translation but which are of deep cultural importance in the language they belong. Овоо (ovoo) is one of those uniquely Mongolian words. It is what an American observer would describe as "a pile of rocks." But it's not just any pile, it's a particular kind of pile with a particular purpose, and the English phrase doesn't give a clue as to why Mongolian would need a special word for it.

Ovoos are sort of like the stone monoliths you find in Europe - the oldest monuments in Mongolia, dating to well before writing or the introduction of Buddhism, and having no historical builders. They mark a sacred spot, usually on mountains or other elevated ground. Although they can be venerated individually by people, shamans also perform ceremonies by them. In succeeding centuries Buddhism claimed some ovoos for various Boddhisattvas, and in the Soviet era ovoo rituals were banned, but with the fall of socialism, they have reemerged.

My sum has two ovoos that I know of. One, in the northeast part of town, is the place where cars wait to pick up passengers. Then on the hill behind my town is Хайрын овоо, or "the love ovoo," where people pray for success in love.

People may pay their respects at an ovoo before setting out on a journey, or on any other occasion where they feel it necessary. First walk three times around the ovoo in a clockwise direction, perhaps repeating a formula. Then put another stone (or three stones) on the ovoo. It's also good to make an offering by pouring milk or alcohol on it or tying a хадаг to it. Some people put money on them, but according to O. Purev in Mongolian Shamanism, this is not a traditional custom.

An ovoo along the road between Darhan and Sühbaatar

The Love Ovoo in my town