From Hovd Travel in Mongolia
Khalkh Mongols in Hovd Aimag
Photo of a Khalkh man and woman in traditional Khalkh clothing
Brands of the Khalkhs in western Mongolia. These brands are pressed into the right legs of animals, and are also carved into cliffs and stones within the Khalkh territory. 1) Chintamani (three circles brand) 2) Fish 3) Triangle 4) Triangle with handle 5) Moon 6) Triangle with bar 7) Sun and moon 8) Sun with fire 9) Hammer 10) Anvil 11) Linked circles
About the Khalkh
The Khalkh (Халх in Mongolian, which translates to "shield" in English) are by far the ethnic majority in Mongolia, and comprise about 86% of the country's ethnic Mongolian population. The standard language of Mongolia is based on the Khalkh dialect (to get an idea of how the Khalkh dialect differs from other Mongolian dialects, visit some of the other ethnic group's pages).
It is thought that the Khalkh group took their name from the Khalkh River, a 232 kilometer river in Dornod aimag in eastern Mongolia. In addition to being found in Hovd City and Hovd's Buyant soum, Hovd's Khalkh population is principally found in three of the eastern soums: Darvi, Tsetseg, and Chandmani (see the map below). The Khalkh soum of Chandmani in Hovd has been called the cradle of Khoomii singing in Mongolia. As of the year 2000, there were 23,832 Khalkh Mongols in Hovd aimag; they are the largest ethnic group in Hovd, making up 27.45% of the aimag's population.
Map Showing Main Body of Khalkhs in Mongolia. Map does not show the smaller pockets of Khalkhs across the country, therefore, the Khalkhs in Hovd do not appear on this map.
A substantial chunk of Mongolia's internal history is centered around the centuries of warfare between the Khalkh Mongols in the east, and the Oirat Mongols in the west
(several of the other ethnic groups within Hovd are tribes that came to be collectively known as the Oirats). For more information on the history of these internal conflicts, read the history section, particularly Galdan Boshogt's page.
Traditional Khalkh Clothing
The clothing drawings below (and the ethnic brands illustration above) are from "The Cultural Monuments of Western Mongolia", an outstanding book written and illustrated by M. Amgalan, an ethnographist from Hovd's Mankhan soum.
In Spring and Autumn Khalkh men typically wear a thin white felt vest trimmed with black soft shagreen (untanned horse leather). These vests can be made with lamb wool
This gown, worn while milking, of the Khalkh lady had puffed shoulders and cuffs until the beginning of the 20th century. Its breast and skirt were trimmed with hems, with the width of the hems being equal to the span of two fingers.
The Khalkh men wear this beret with a domed top and a brocade cover. In cooler weather, a squirrel tail is attached to the top of the hat. The trim is sable fur.
In Summer Khalkh men sometimes wear a conical hat trimmed with soft black velvet with a pair of red ribbons. There are distinctive hats for children, youths, girls, women, and old women. Dignitaries have tassles under the knot that hitches their hat.
This is a conical-top hat with upturned flaps that Khalkh women wear in the winter. There are 32 lines of stitches, two red ribbons, and double red and pink tassles on top. The flaps are constantly upturned, and the fur of this hat used for dressy occasions is sable. If added protection was needed from the cold, ear covers, a chin cover, and a top cover could be added. The knot made on the top is called "the knot of eight hitches", and can be made from either coral, pearl thread, gold or silver. The red tassles first started appearing in 1439, when Togoon Taish of the
Oirat Mongols proclaimed himself king of all Mongols and decreed that Mongolians should wear red tassles.
This is the headdress which Khalkh women wear at home. Black leather trimmed with green shagreen (untanned horse leather) studded with corals and pearls, and decorated with brass. The pendulous ornaments are made of plaited threads. Hair sheeths like the one in the illustration were made of black velvet and decorated with leather flounces and stipples of brass. Traditionally, Khalkh girls from the age of 16 until they were married hung a long single braid over their back and plaited 12 braids on their left temple and another 12 on the right. When they got married they parted their hair, plaited two braids, sheathed them, and hung them over their chests
