Kübey Hatun

Kübey Hatun (also known as Kubay Ana) is one of the most important goddesses in Turkic mythology, particularly within the Saka (Yakut) branch. Responsible for birth, fertility, children, and the continuity of lineage, Kübey Hatun is directly associated with the Tree of Life and the Milk Lake in the celestial realm. She is a life-giving (creative) and protective (apotropaic) maternal spirit. Her most fundamental duty is to retrieve the souls (kut) of unborn children from the divine source and deliver them to mothers on earth, assist during childbirth, and protect infants from malevolent spirits.

Depiction of Kübey Hatun (Generated by Artificial Intelligence)

Mythological Origins and Identity

Although Kübey Hatun shares functional similarities with other maternal goddesses in the Turkic pantheon such as Umay and Ayzıt, she is distinguished by her unique attributes. She is not merely a guardian but also a divine intermediary who facilitates the concrete beginning of life.

Physical Depiction and Symbols

In narratives, Kübey Hatun is typically portrayed as an elderly woman with silver hair and white garments, wise and compassionate. More significant than her physical form are her manifestations in nature. The sacred cuckoo bird is her messenger and symbol; its call is interpreted as a message from Kübey Hatun, signaling the awakening of nature and the commencement of new life. Her most sacred instrument is the umbilical cord, which symbolizes the divine connection between the celestial realm and the earth, between the goddess and the newborn child.

Relationship with Other Birth Goddesses

In Turkic mythology, Umay is the supreme maternal spirit who protects children and mothers in the broadest sense, while Ayzıt is more closely associated with beauty, love, and creativity. Kübey Hatun, within this triad, holds the most specific role: she is the goddess who personally retrieves the soul from the Milk Lake, the source of life, thereby initiating existence. For this reason, she precedes Ayzıt and Umay in the sequence of the childbirth process.

Depiction of Kübey Hatun (Generated by Artificial Intelligence)

Role and Power in the Childbirth Process

Kübey Hatun’s mythological power manifests before, during, and after childbirth.

According to Saka (Yakut) cosmology, at the highest level of the sky stands the Great Linden Tree (Tree of Life), whose branches extend into all realms. At its summit lies the Milk White Lake, where the souls (kut) of unborn beings float in the form of small fish. Kübey Hatun’s primary duty is to dive into this sacred lake, capture the soul of a child, and deliver it to the womb of the mother-to-be. Moreover, according to belief, it is she who determines the child’s gender: if the soul is taken from the muddy bottom of the lake, the child will be male; if taken without mud, the child will be female.

Kübey Hatun’s role does not end with delivering the soul. She also assists the mother during labor and is regarded as the divine force that severs the umbilical cord. For this reason, she is also called the "cord-cutting goddess." After birth, she acts as a shield, protecting the infant and child from evil spirits, illness, and the evil eye. When children cry or become restless, mothers pray to Kübey Hatun for her aid.

The Sacred Linden Tree and Cosmology

Kübey Hatun is identified with the sacred linden tree. It is believed that she resides within the tree or that the tree itself is a terrestrial manifestation of the goddess. The linden tree, with its roots extending into the underworld, its trunk spanning the earth, and its branches reaching into the heavens, functions as an axis mundi connecting the three cosmic realms. Kübey Hatun’s inseparable bond with this tree symbolizes her role as a bridge between the celestial Milk Lake and humanity on earth. Life is transmitted from the heavens to the earth through her mediation via this sacred tree.