Nepedia
Back to Discover
Independent Reader
📖

Umay

philosophy religion Maturity 11-13 mythology religion Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: mythology, religion. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Umay is a goddess in Turkic mythology. She is a protector of women and children. Many people believe she lives in heaven. She is invisible to most people.

Umay is linked to birth and nature. Some say her name comes from words for a womb. She helps women have babies. In some traditions, women tie strings with small cradles to ask for a baby.

She is also like the sun. Her color is yellow. She is called the Yellow Maiden. She is shown with sixty golden hairs. These look like rays of the sun.

People watch babies to see if she is near. A smiling baby means she is close. A crying baby means she has left. If she stays away, a child might get sick. Then, shamans may try to call her back.

Umay also helps communities. She can bring luck and food. She may even help souls go to heaven. Some think she keeps baby souls in a temple on a mountain. She is a very important figure in these beliefs.

173 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.