Бесік той
Cradle Ceremony
The ceremony of laying the baby in the cradle — the besik — for the first time.
The parents, the nagashy (the mother's relatives, who give the cradle as a gift), and the grandmother, who lays the baby down.
The cradle — the start of a path
The besik is the Kazakh wooden cradle, and “besikke salu” or “besikke boleu” is the rite when a baby is swaddled (“boleu”) and laid in it for the first time. “Besik toi” is the celebration on that occasion; the word “toi” here more often means not a lavish feast but a home gathering of relatives with a meal. The cradle is one of the main images of Kazakh culture: the homeland is poetically called “altyn besik” — the “golden cradle”.
When it is held
There is no single date: descriptions name a few days after birth, the time when the umbilical cord falls off, and the fortieth day. The main rule is different — the cradle is not prepared in advance. Buying or preparing it before the child is born was considered a bad omen, so it appears only after the birth.
Who takes part: the nagashy and the woman leading the rite
By custom the cradle is brought by the nagashy — the mother’s relatives — together with bedding and clothes “to grow into”. It is a sign of respect between the sides and of care for the daughter: her family provides the grandchild with everything needed. The cradle itself is, as a rule, made by a man, a master craftsman. The rite is led by a respected elderly woman — happy, kind, a mother of many: her good fortune was believed to pass to the baby.
How the rite goes
- The cradle is cleansed — “alastau”: heated with iron or fumigated with smoke.
- The leader prepares the bedding and places charms — a tumar against the evil eye; in some descriptions also a knife (“for a sharp mind”), a comb and mirror (“for beauty”), a whip (“for swiftness”).
- “Tyshtyma”: the leader passes cookies, butter, meat and sweets through the hole in the cradle’s bottom and shares them among those present, above all children. It “opens the way” for the baby and shares the joy with people.
- Good wishes and protective words against the evil eye and illness are spoken.
- The baby is swaddled, laid in the cradle and the besik zhyry — the lullaby — is sung.
- Guests place small gifts “under the cradle”; relatives bring clothes and things for the baby.
The lullaby — besik zhyry
The lullaby is a poetic genre in its own right. Its refrain “aldi” gave the word “aldileu” — “to lull to sleep”. A well-known opening goes: “Aldi, aldi, ak bopem, ak besikke zhat, bopem” (“Lullaby, my bright baby, lie down in the white cradle, baby”). The words of lullabies differ and each family has its own: the mother weaves into them the names of her loved ones, wishes and hopes — so from the first days the child hears the native language and the “music” of the clan.
Omens and prohibitions
The best-known omen is that an empty cradle must not be rocked: “bos besikti terbetu — zhaman yrym”. An empty cradle is usually covered with cloth so that no unclean force “climbs into” it. One does not sit on the cradle or rock it with a foot. It was also held that one does not haggle with the craftsman over the price of a cradle.
Besik kuda — a pact from the cradle
Do not confuse besik toi with besik kuda. Besik kuda is a quite different custom: an agreement between two families on the children’s future marriage while they still lie in cradles. It is part of the matchmaking system and unrelated to the rite of laying the child down itself (more in the “Qyz aittyru” guide).
What remains today
Under Soviet rule the cradle lived on in villages for a long time, while towns switched to cots. Today the “Kazakh cradle” has returned as a symbol of tradition, and the rite is often compressed into a short home ceremony: the nagashy bring the cradle, the woman leading the rite performs the “tyshtyma” and blesses the child, guests bring gifts. As with other rites, the press argues about excessive spending: the value of the tradition lies in its meaning, not its scale.
Interesting facts
The cradle is brought by the mother’s relatives — the nagashy. In this way the in-laws show that the daughter is not left alone: she has a backing that cares for her child too.
Treats are “passed” through the hole in the cradle’s bottom and given to children. The meaning is to “open the way” for the new person and share the joy: the child “shares” from the first minutes.
An empty cradle is covered with cloth. It was believed an open one would let an unclean force “climb in” — sometimes a snake was added — and the baby would then be restless.
The word “besik” also lives in a poetic image: “altyn besik” — the homeland. For a Kazakh the cradle is the starting point of an entire life.
Glossary
- Бесік
- The Kazakh wooden cradle.
- Бесікке салу / бесікке бөлеу
- The rite of first swaddling and laying the child in the cradle.
- Бөлеу
- Swaddling; wrapping an infant.
- Бесік жыры
- A lullaby.
- Әлди
- The refrain of a lullaby; “aldileu” means to lull to sleep.
- Тыштыма
- Passing treats through the hole in the cradle’s bottom.
- Аластау
- Cleansing the cradle with fire, iron, smoke.
- Тұмар
- An amulet, a protective charm.
- Нағашы
- The mother’s relatives; traditionally they bring the cradle.
- Бөпе
- A tender word for a baby, “little one”.
Customs vary from family to family — this is a general description.
Plan your celebration in the Toi app
Guests, tasks, budget and kade — and this guide for every rite, right in the app.