Heleer Better - The Call Mongol

In the modern era, "The Call Mongol Heleer" has taken on a new, urgent meaning. As globalization accelerates and urbanization draws younger generations away from the ger (yurt) and into the city, there is a cultural movement to preserve the integrity of the Mongolian language.

Perhaps the most profound dimension of the Call in Mongol Heleer is its shamanic and spiritual function. The Böö (shaman) and Üdgan (female shaman) do not pray silently; they call. The ritual of calling the Tenger (sky gods), the spirits of the ancestors, or the Gazryn Ezen (masters of the land) is known as Duudlaga . This is not a request; it is a summoning through the power of voice.

: The ritual is deeply rooted in the Mongolian belief that the land, sky, and all living creatures are interdependent. The Heleer acts as a communication tool within this vast "web of life". The Role of the Heleerchin

For more information on throat singing workshops and cultural tours to the Arkhangai province to hear authentic Heleer, visit the Mongolian National Heritage Center.

The shaman’s call employs khöömii (overtone singing) and throat manipulation to produce sounds that seem to come from the earth and the sky simultaneously. This vocal art is believed to create a vibrational bridge between the three worlds—the Lower, Middle, and Upper. When the shaman calls, the spirit is compelled to come. The response may be a shudder, a gust of wind, or the possession of the shaman’s body.