Umay is the Turkic goddess of fertility and the guardian-goddess for mothers. She is among the older members of the Turkic pantheon. According to Kyrgyz traditions, bronze was a symbol of Umay. Hence, bronze beads and buttons would be sewn on the clothing of new-born children for protection. Her name comes from Turkic *ɑm “vulva,” whence *umɑːj “placenta, afterbirth.”

Occurrences

The Kül-Tigin Inscription

‎𐰆𐰢𐰖:𐱅𐰏:𐰇𐰏𐰢:𐰴𐱃𐰆𐰣:𐰸𐰆𐱃𐰭𐰀:𐰃𐰤𐰢:𐰚𐰇𐰠𐱅𐰃𐰏𐰤:𐰼𐱃𐰉𐰆𐰡𐰃

"My younger brother Kül Tigin became a man due to the good fortune of my Umay-like mother, the Qatun."

Tonyuquq Memorial Complex

𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃𐰆𐰢𐰖:𐰃𐰑𐰸𐰘𐰼𐰾𐰆𐰉:𐰉𐰽𐰀𐰋𐰼𐱅𐰃𐰼𐰨:𐰤𐰚𐰀:𐱅𐰔𐰼𐰋𐰃𐰔

"(The goddess) Täŋri Umay, our sacred land and water, will surely crush them, why would we retreat?!"