Zilant
Encyclopedia
Zilant is a legendary creature, something between a dragon
and a wyvern
. Since 1730, it has been the official symbol of Kazan
. This winged snake is a part of Tatar and Russian folklore and is mentioned in legends about the foundation of Kazan.
The word Zilant is the English transcription of Russian
Зилант, itself a rendering of Tatar
yılan/елан, pronounced jɯˈlɑn (i.e., "snake
", sometimes pronounced ʒʲɯˈlɑn).
The Tatars
themselves, on the other hand, frequently refer to this creature with the Persian
word Ajdaha
(dragon
) or Ajdaha-yılan (Dragon-snake). For Tatars, it was a repulsive creature, corresponding to European
s and to Persian dragons. According to Idel-Ural
beliefs, any snake that survives for 100 years turns into an ajdaha.
Zilant/Ajdaha should be distinguished from Aq Yılan (White Snake), which is the king of snakes. Aq Yılan or Şahmara (from Persian ts shah
(king) and mar (snake
, which advised and helped epic heroes (batır
lar), often by giving them gifts. As regards his beneficial influence on humans, Aq Yılan is similar to the Chinese dragon
.
Chuvashes
and Mari, ethnic group
s surrounding Kazan as well as Tatars, also have legends relating to the foundation of Kazan, but none of them refer to the Kazan dragon. After the 16th century Russians
acquired this legend from Tatars. For Kazan
Russians, Zilant had negative connotations, as it was represented as a Slavic dragon
rather than a snake.
The popular perception of Zilant among citizens of Kazan
is strongly influenced by Western culture
and many modern citizens imagine Zilant to be a more classically Western wyvern
or dragon as depicted in films.
are contradictory and Zilant is no exception. There are several variations on the Zilant legend.
According to one story, a beautiful damsel married a resident of Old Kazan
. She had to get water from the Qazansu River and complained to the local khan
his capital was poorly situated. She advised him to move the city to Zilantaw Hill, and the khan agreed. However, the hill was infested with numerous snakes which were "stout as a log". Their leader was a giant two-headed snake, i.e., Zilant. One head ate only grass, while the other swallowed virgins and youths. A wizard advised the khan to build a straw and wood near the hill. In spring, the snakes came out from their winter burrows and crept into the pile of straw. A knight errant was sent out to set the pile of straw on fire, burning out the snakes. They were deadly even in death, "killing people and horses with their stink". However, the gigantic two-headed snake-dragon escaped to the Qaban lakes. According to the story he still lives in the waters of the lake and, from time to time, takes vengeance on the citizens. According to other stories, the giant snake was transformed into Diü
, a spirit who founded the underwater kingdom of the lake.
It is also said that say that Zilant did not escape to the lake but instead tried get revenge upon the knight, who by that time had ridden some 50 çaqrım away from Kazan. During the fight that followed, Zilant cut the hero into six parts. The knight, however, had managed to stab the dragon with his poisoned pike, and Zilant eventually died.
There is also a legend about Zilant's return to Zilantaw. They say that Zilant re-established himself in a big cave near the hill. The dragon would occasionally fly over the panic-stricken city and drink water from the Black Lake. At first the people of the city people paid tribute to him, but later they managed to kill him with a wizard's help.
came to found the town of Bilär
, they discovered a big snake. They decided to kill it, but the snake begged for peace and pleaded with Allah
to give her wings. Once she had her wings the snake flew away from Bilär
.
Another great snake was said to live in a pagan tower temple at Alabuğa. Although the Bulgars adopted Islam
as early as the 10th century, the snake survived until the time of Tamerlane's invasion after which it disappeared.
Ibn Fadlan, who visited Volga Bulgaria
in the 10th century referred to numerous snakes, especially in trees. Ibn Fadlan wrote about a huge fallen tree, longer than hundred ells. He saw a big snake at the trunk of the tree, almost as large as the tree itself. The Bulgars allayed his fears by assuring him that the snake was not dangerous.
, came from the Zheliang Valley in the Altay Mountains
. In his opinion, the nearby Zheliang Mountain and Zheliang settlement were named after Zilant the White Snake. If there is any truth in Lev Gumilyov's idea, then the dragon of Kazan should be regarded as a remnant of the once popular Turkic totem
.
These flying snakes were also known in Bolghar
, Suar
, Bilär
and the other cities of Volga Bulgaria
. For the most part, these snakes were benevolent. However, in the boundary fortresses of Kazan
, Alabuğa
and Cükätaw
, legends about flying monsters flourished. One particular fortress on the Shishma River was known as Yılantaw, later russified as Yelantovo.
Many scholars believe that Zilant, like other flying snakes, symbolized the evil rulers of the neighboring pagan peoples. The legendary burning of the snakes may symbolize the victory of Islam
over paganism
. Sceptics say that the Bulgars purposefully spread those legends in the border regions in order to dismay their neighbors.
There is also speculations that Zilant's origination was not from the White Snake, but the Falcon (Börket), an image similar to Zilant from an earlier epoch.
Yılantaw/Елантау/Жылантау , Snake Mount), associated with Zilant legends, was formerly situated on the bank of Kazanka River
. Some researchers support the view that Kazan was founded here, citing ancient Tatar legends as support. Other legends place the city foundation at Iske Qazan
, the Qaban settlement, an Old Tatar settlement from the 16th century. However, these legends ignore the Kazan Kremlin
, which is actually the oldest part of the city.
It is probable that a small settlement, not the city of Kazan, had existed at Zilantaw in the Bulgarian epoch (12th-14th centuries). The nearest settlement, Biş Balta, has been known since Khanate's epoch
. In 1560 the Zilantov Monastery of Assumption was established on the hill. In recent centuries, the hill was covered with an old Russian cemetery, attested to since the Khanate's epoch
. During the excavations in the 1970s, vestiges of an original monastery were unearthed. The most ancient layer contained indications of a great fire, lending support to the legend about the burning of the snakes. In historians' opinion this great fire would have occurred during the Mongol invasion.
Zilantaw actually used to be a high and waterless island, which would make it the best place for snakes to hibernate during winter. The nearest lake was called Zmeinoye or Zmievo, that is, Snake Lake. However in 1957 Qazansu's course was changed so that the old riverbed, separated from the Kuybyshev Reservoir, was swamped. Nowadays, Zilantaw is an unpractical depressive area, surrounded by plants and depots. The old cloister was reopened here in 2005.
Like Aq Bars
, Zilant could have been one of the symbols of Volga Bulgaria
prior to the Mongol invasion
. Some also speculate as to whether Zilant was featured in the Kazan Khanate's insignia. Hollander Carlus Allard noted that The Cæsar
of Tatars once had two flags , and Zilant was pictured on one of them, most likely the flag of Kazan.
After the conquest of Kazan
in 1552, Ivan the Terrible adopted this image with the title of Kazan's khan (tsar
). Zilant was also featured in a seal of False Dmitry I as well as a flag of Tsar Alexis. Early Russian images represent Zilant with one head, four chicken legs, a bird's body and a snake tail. This representation is thus a cockatrice
rather than a dragon.
In 1730 a royal decree established Zilant as a coat of arms of the Kazan Governorate
. It was described in the decree as a "black snake, crowned with the gold crown of Kazan, red-winged on the white field". Being the coat of Kazan, Zilant was incorporated into the Russian Imperial coat of arms. The image was added to the arms of all the towns in the governorate. Zilant also appeared on the coat of arms of Kashira
, a town located to the south of Moscow
, as it was an appendage town of the exiled Kazan khan Ğäbdellatíf
back in the 16th century. After 1917, the governorate was abolished and along with it, all the imperial emblems that featured Zilant.
Discussion about restoring Zilant as a city symbol resumed in the 1990s. Supporters of Zilant referred to the state insignia of the Khanate of Kazan
. Some Tatar nationalists, however, dismissed the use of Ajdaha-Zilant as an evil symbol of aggression, derogatory to the Tatars and their statehood. They also pointed out that Zilant might be construed as the dragon killed by Saint George
as represented on the Coat of arms of Moscow
. According to this popular interpretation, Saint George would then symbolize Muscovy, and the "dragon" would symbolize Kazan.
It was eventually decided that Zilant should be associated with Aq Yılan (White Snake) as a positive Turkic spirit. During the Millennium of Kazan in 2005, Zilant was reinstated as a symbol of Kazan. It is now featured in the coat of arms of Kazan and as well as in the municipal jack.
. The most prominent is a fountain The Qazan (2005), stylized as cauldron.
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
and a wyvern
Wyvern
A wyvern or wivern is a legendary winged reptilian creature with a dragon's head, two legs , and a barbed tail. The wyvern is found in heraldry. There exists a purely sea-dwelling variant, termed the Sea-Wyvern which has a fish tail in place of a barbed dragon's tail...
. Since 1730, it has been the official symbol of Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
. This winged snake is a part of Tatar and Russian folklore and is mentioned in legends about the foundation of Kazan.
Nomenclature and etymology
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
Зилант, itself a rendering of Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
yılan/елан, pronounced jɯˈlɑn (i.e., "snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
", sometimes pronounced ʒʲɯˈlɑn).
The Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
themselves, on the other hand, frequently refer to this creature with the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word Ajdaha
Zahhak
Zahhāk or Zohhāk is an evil figure in Iranian mythology, evident in ancient Iranian folklore as Aži Dahāka, the name by which he also appears in the texts of the Avesta...
(dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
) or Ajdaha-yılan (Dragon-snake). For Tatars, it was a repulsive creature, corresponding to European
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
s and to Persian dragons. According to Idel-Ural
Idel-Ural
Idel-Ural is a historical region in Eastern Europe, in what is today Russia. The name literally means Volga-Urals in the Tatar language. The frequently used Russian variant is Volgo-Uralye...
beliefs, any snake that survives for 100 years turns into an ajdaha.
Zilant/Ajdaha should be distinguished from Aq Yılan (White Snake), which is the king of snakes. Aq Yılan or Şahmara (from Persian ts shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
(king) and mar (snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
, which advised and helped epic heroes (batır
Batîr
Batîr is a commune in Cimişlia district, near the southern border of Moldova. It is composed of a single village, Batîr....
lar), often by giving them gifts. As regards his beneficial influence on humans, Aq Yılan is similar to the Chinese dragon
Chinese dragon
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
.
Chuvashes
Chuvash people
The Chuvash people are a Turkic ethnic group, native to an area stretching from the Volga Region to Siberia. Most of them live in Republic of Chuvashia and surrounding areas, although Chuvash communities may be found throughout all Russia.- Etymology :...
and Mari, ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s surrounding Kazan as well as Tatars, also have legends relating to the foundation of Kazan, but none of them refer to the Kazan dragon. After the 16th century Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
acquired this legend from Tatars. For Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
Russians, Zilant had negative connotations, as it was represented as a Slavic dragon
Slavic dragon
In Slavic mythology, the word “zmey” and its cognates zmiy and zmaj , are used to describe a dragon. These words are masculine forms of the Slavic word for "snake", which are normally feminine . In Romania, there is a similar figure, derived from the Slavic dragon and named zmeu...
rather than a snake.
The popular perception of Zilant among citizens of Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
is strongly influenced by Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
and many modern citizens imagine Zilant to be a more classically Western wyvern
Wyvern
A wyvern or wivern is a legendary winged reptilian creature with a dragon's head, two legs , and a barbed tail. The wyvern is found in heraldry. There exists a purely sea-dwelling variant, termed the Sea-Wyvern which has a fish tail in place of a barbed dragon's tail...
or dragon as depicted in films.
Legends
Most legends related to KazanKazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
are contradictory and Zilant is no exception. There are several variations on the Zilant legend.
According to one story, a beautiful damsel married a resident of Old Kazan
Iske Qazan
İske Qazan , was a Bolghar-Tatar city in the 13-16th centuries, situated on the banks of the Qazansu river in the Qazan artı or Zakazanye region, in what is today the Russian Federation republic of Tatarstan .In 18th century Tatar literature, İske Qazan was said to have been founded by the brothers...
. She had to get water from the Qazansu River and complained to the local khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
his capital was poorly situated. She advised him to move the city to Zilantaw Hill, and the khan agreed. However, the hill was infested with numerous snakes which were "stout as a log". Their leader was a giant two-headed snake, i.e., Zilant. One head ate only grass, while the other swallowed virgins and youths. A wizard advised the khan to build a straw and wood near the hill. In spring, the snakes came out from their winter burrows and crept into the pile of straw. A knight errant was sent out to set the pile of straw on fire, burning out the snakes. They were deadly even in death, "killing people and horses with their stink". However, the gigantic two-headed snake-dragon escaped to the Qaban lakes. According to the story he still lives in the waters of the lake and, from time to time, takes vengeance on the citizens. According to other stories, the giant snake was transformed into Diü
Diu
Diu or DIU may refer to:* Diu, India, a city in Diu district in the union territory of Daman and Diu, India** Diu district, part of the union territory of Daman and Diu*** Diu Island, an island and part of Diu district**Diu Head...
, a spirit who founded the underwater kingdom of the lake.
It is also said that say that Zilant did not escape to the lake but instead tried get revenge upon the knight, who by that time had ridden some 50 çaqrım away from Kazan. During the fight that followed, Zilant cut the hero into six parts. The knight, however, had managed to stab the dragon with his poisoned pike, and Zilant eventually died.
There is also a legend about Zilant's return to Zilantaw. They say that Zilant re-established himself in a big cave near the hill. The dragon would occasionally fly over the panic-stricken city and drink water from the Black Lake. At first the people of the city people paid tribute to him, but later they managed to kill him with a wizard's help.
Related legends
According to one legend, when BulgarsBulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
came to found the town of Bilär
Bilär
Bilär was a medieval city in Volga Bulgaria and its second capital before the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria. It was located on the left bank of the Small Cheremshan River in modern-day Alexeyevsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan.The city was founded by the indigenous Bilyar tribe of the...
, they discovered a big snake. They decided to kill it, but the snake begged for peace and pleaded with Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
to give her wings. Once she had her wings the snake flew away from Bilär
Bilär
Bilär was a medieval city in Volga Bulgaria and its second capital before the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria. It was located on the left bank of the Small Cheremshan River in modern-day Alexeyevsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan.The city was founded by the indigenous Bilyar tribe of the...
.
Another great snake was said to live in a pagan tower temple at Alabuğa. Although the Bulgars adopted Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
as early as the 10th century, the snake survived until the time of Tamerlane's invasion after which it disappeared.
Ibn Fadlan, who visited Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria, or Volga–Kama Bolghar, is a historic Bulgar state that existed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers in what is now Russia.-Origin:...
in the 10th century referred to numerous snakes, especially in trees. Ibn Fadlan wrote about a huge fallen tree, longer than hundred ells. He saw a big snake at the trunk of the tree, almost as large as the tree itself. The Bulgars allayed his fears by assuring him that the snake was not dangerous.
Interpretations
The popular historian Lev Gumilyov pointed out in his Ancient Turks that the Kypchaks, one of the ancestors of modern TatarsTatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
, came from the Zheliang Valley in the Altay Mountains
Altay Mountains
The Altai Mountains are a mountain range in East-Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their sources. The Altai Mountains are known as the original locus of the speakers of Turkic as well as other members of the proposed...
. In his opinion, the nearby Zheliang Mountain and Zheliang settlement were named after Zilant the White Snake. If there is any truth in Lev Gumilyov's idea, then the dragon of Kazan should be regarded as a remnant of the once popular Turkic totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
.
These flying snakes were also known in Bolghar
Bolghar
Bolghar was intermittently capital of Volga Bulgaria from the 8th to the 15th centuries, along with Bilyar and Nur-Suvar. It was situated on the bank of the Volga River, about 30 km downstream from its confluence with the Kama River and some 130 km from modern Kazan...
, Suar
Suar
Suar was a medieval Volga Bulgarian city, the capital of Suar Duchy in 948-975.It was situated at Volga's left tributary Ütäk river's upper stream. In the 10th century it coined its own money. Suar was a political, economical and trade center of Volga Bulgaria...
, Bilär
Bilär
Bilär was a medieval city in Volga Bulgaria and its second capital before the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria. It was located on the left bank of the Small Cheremshan River in modern-day Alexeyevsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan.The city was founded by the indigenous Bilyar tribe of the...
and the other cities of Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria, or Volga–Kama Bolghar, is a historic Bulgar state that existed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers in what is now Russia.-Origin:...
. For the most part, these snakes were benevolent. However, in the boundary fortresses of Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, Alabuğa
Yelabuga
Yelabuga The history of the settlement dates back to the 11th century, when a Volga Bulgarian border castle was established. The castle was later abandoned, and its remains are now known as Şaytan qalası ....
and Cükätaw
Cükätaw
Cükätaw or Juketau was a medieval Bolgar city during the 10th to 15th centuries CE. The city was situated on the right bank of Kama, near the modern city of Çístay . In the 10th to 13th centuries it was one of the most important furniture trade centres of Volga Bulgaria. The city was the capital...
, legends about flying monsters flourished. One particular fortress on the Shishma River was known as Yılantaw, later russified as Yelantovo.
Many scholars believe that Zilant, like other flying snakes, symbolized the evil rulers of the neighboring pagan peoples. The legendary burning of the snakes may symbolize the victory of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
over paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
. Sceptics say that the Bulgars purposefully spread those legends in the border regions in order to dismay their neighbors.
There is also speculations that Zilant's origination was not from the White Snake, but the Falcon (Börket), an image similar to Zilant from an earlier epoch.
Zilantaw in Kazan
Zilantaw Hill (originally TatarTatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
Yılantaw/Елантау/Жылантау , Snake Mount), associated with Zilant legends, was formerly situated on the bank of Kazanka River
Kazanka River
Kazanka or Qazansu is a river in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, a left tributary of the Volga. Kazanka begins near the village of Bimeri in Arsk District and flows into the Samara Reservoir in Kazan, near the Kazan Kremlin. Another towns on the Kazanka are Arsk and historical Iske Kazan. The...
. Some researchers support the view that Kazan was founded here, citing ancient Tatar legends as support. Other legends place the city foundation at Iske Qazan
Iske Qazan
İske Qazan , was a Bolghar-Tatar city in the 13-16th centuries, situated on the banks of the Qazansu river in the Qazan artı or Zakazanye region, in what is today the Russian Federation republic of Tatarstan .In 18th century Tatar literature, İske Qazan was said to have been founded by the brothers...
, the Qaban settlement, an Old Tatar settlement from the 16th century. However, these legends ignore the Kazan Kremlin
Kazan Kremlin
The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built on behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans...
, which is actually the oldest part of the city.
It is probable that a small settlement, not the city of Kazan, had existed at Zilantaw in the Bulgarian epoch (12th-14th centuries). The nearest settlement, Biş Balta, has been known since Khanate's epoch
Khanate of Kazan
The Khanate of Kazan was a medieval Tatar state which occupied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria between 1438 and 1552. Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan. The khanate covered contemporary Tatarstan, Mari El,...
. In 1560 the Zilantov Monastery of Assumption was established on the hill. In recent centuries, the hill was covered with an old Russian cemetery, attested to since the Khanate's epoch
Khanate of Kazan
The Khanate of Kazan was a medieval Tatar state which occupied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria between 1438 and 1552. Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan. The khanate covered contemporary Tatarstan, Mari El,...
. During the excavations in the 1970s, vestiges of an original monastery were unearthed. The most ancient layer contained indications of a great fire, lending support to the legend about the burning of the snakes. In historians' opinion this great fire would have occurred during the Mongol invasion.
Zilant as a state symbol
Aq Bars
Aq Bars is the coat of arms of Tatarstan. It is an ancient Turkic and Bolgar symbol translated as White Leopard or Snow Leopard, and has been in use since 1991 as the official symbol of Tatarstan....
, Zilant could have been one of the symbols of Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria, or Volga–Kama Bolghar, is a historic Bulgar state that existed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers in what is now Russia.-Origin:...
prior to the Mongol invasion
Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria
The Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria lasted from 1223 to 1236.-The Mongol campaigns:In 1223, after defeating Russian and Cuman/Kipchak armies at the Battle of Kalka, a Mongol army under the generals Subutai and Jebe was sent to subdue Volga Bulgaria. At that point in history Genghis Khan's troops...
. Some also speculate as to whether Zilant was featured in the Kazan Khanate's insignia. Hollander Carlus Allard noted that The Cæsar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
of Tatars once had two flags , and Zilant was pictured on one of them, most likely the flag of Kazan.
After the conquest of Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
in 1552, Ivan the Terrible adopted this image with the title of Kazan's khan (tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
). Zilant was also featured in a seal of False Dmitry I as well as a flag of Tsar Alexis. Early Russian images represent Zilant with one head, four chicken legs, a bird's body and a snake tail. This representation is thus a cockatrice
Cockatrice
A cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. "An ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", Laurence Breiner described it...
rather than a dragon.
In 1730 a royal decree established Zilant as a coat of arms of the Kazan Governorate
Kazan Governorate
The Kazan Governorate or Government of Kazan was a governorate of Imperial Russia from 1708–1920, with the city of Kazan as its capital.-History:...
. It was described in the decree as a "black snake, crowned with the gold crown of Kazan, red-winged on the white field". Being the coat of Kazan, Zilant was incorporated into the Russian Imperial coat of arms. The image was added to the arms of all the towns in the governorate. Zilant also appeared on the coat of arms of Kashira
Kashira
Kashira is a town and the administrative center of Kashirsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River south of Moscow. Population:...
, a town located to the south of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, as it was an appendage town of the exiled Kazan khan Ğäbdellatíf
Ghabdellatif of Kazan
Ghabdellatif was the khan of Kazan Khanate in 1496-1502.Ghabdellatif was the youngest son of Ibrahim and Nur Soltan. When his father died in 1479, his mother married Meñli I Giray and moved to Crimean Khanate. Around 1490 Meñli I Giray sent Abdul to Muscovy for service, where he received town of...
back in the 16th century. After 1917, the governorate was abolished and along with it, all the imperial emblems that featured Zilant.
Khanate of Kazan
The Khanate of Kazan was a medieval Tatar state which occupied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria between 1438 and 1552. Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan. The khanate covered contemporary Tatarstan, Mari El,...
. Some Tatar nationalists, however, dismissed the use of Ajdaha-Zilant as an evil symbol of aggression, derogatory to the Tatars and their statehood. They also pointed out that Zilant might be construed as the dragon killed by Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
as represented on the Coat of arms of Moscow
Coat of arms of Moscow
The Coat of Arms of Moscow depicts a horseman with a spear in his hand slaying a basilisk and is identified with Saint George and the Dragon. The heraldic emblem of Moscow has been an integral part of the Coat of Arms of Russia since the 16th century...
. According to this popular interpretation, Saint George would then symbolize Muscovy, and the "dragon" would symbolize Kazan.
It was eventually decided that Zilant should be associated with Aq Yılan (White Snake) as a positive Turkic spirit. During the Millennium of Kazan in 2005, Zilant was reinstated as a symbol of Kazan. It is now featured in the coat of arms of Kazan and as well as in the municipal jack.
Zilant in art
Zilant could be seen at the decorative elements all over KazanKazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
. The most prominent is a fountain The Qazan (2005), stylized as cauldron.
See also
- KAI Zilant is a handball club in Kazan
- Zilantkon (or Zilantcon) is a popular annual fantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and RPGRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
-games festival that takes place in KazanKazanKazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
in first decade of November. - YilbegänYilbegänYilbegän is a multi-headed man-eating monster in the mythology of Turkic peoples of Siberia, as well as Siberian Tatars. In some myths Yilbegän is a winged dragon or serpent-like creature, while in others he is an ogre-like behemoth who rides a 99-horned ox...
, YuxaYuxaYuxa yılan , or Sly Snake, is a legendary creature that figures in Tatar folklore. According to popular beliefs, every 100-years old snake is transformed into Yuxa. In fairy tales, Yuxa is described as a beautiful damsel who would marry men in order to beget offspring....
and Chuvash dragonChuvash dragonChuvash dragons differ from their Turkic counterparts , as they are supposed to reflect the pre-Islamic mythology of Volga Bulgaria.-Varieties:They are Dragons that lived in the 15th Century and were very dangerous. Viking hated them....
(Вěре Çěлен) are related mythological creatures. - CockatriceCockatriceA cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. "An ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", Laurence Breiner described it...