The Reflection on the River: Who is Mergen?
I have always obsessed over names. I love small details that tie everything together in the background, even if nobody knows about them. So of course, when I was creating my blog I needed to find the most perfect name. In all honesty, I probably spent more time figuring out what I would call my blog than writing most of my pieces. Despite this, people have told me outright that they do not understand the name. I probably wouldn't have encountered this problem if, instead of Mergen, I had picked someone like Zeus, which, at this day and age, could still confuse people. Truthfully, I thought that I had known who Mergen was but after writing this I realized that he stood for much more than I had realized.
Mergen is a god found in Tengrism, an ancient religion that was practiced and created by the Turkic and Mongolic people. In Turkic mythology, he plays a role as the deity of wisdom, logic, knowledge, and reason. Often, art depicts him with a bow and arrow to connect him with the ancient Turks, as they had mastered archery, and to show his foresight paired with immaculate accuracy. Mergen's name actually signifies "skilled archer" and "wise marksman" in ancient Turkic.
His story begins when he is born as the grandson of Tengri, the main creator god and ruler of the sky. His father, Kayra Han, is part of the primordial deities, those who existed before the world's creation. Kayra Han is said to have had three divine children, Ülgen, Erlik, and Mergen.
His story began when his people constantly found themselves troubled by the disturbances that occurred in the land. These weren't storming troops or violent civilians. The chaos was caused by hungry beasts, disruptive spirits, and thoughtless leaders. Mergen was constantly exposed to this as he was growing up. Throughout those years, he became known as the quiet one between his siblings. While his brothers became known as strong bulls, ready to fight, Mergen was always an observer who watched and learned. He was always seen with his arrows, but the elders had famously said that he had never aimed them instead, he waited for the world to align with them.
One day, a nameless beast of chaos came upon the brothers' land. The villagers lived in distress as they watched their grazing lands get destroyed. The strongest of the warriors had come to the town to defend it and receive the glory that comes with ending this terror, however, every single one failed. As the violence against it increased, the creature became an agitated and unstoppable beast. The deity brothers decided that something must be done. Ülgen and Erlik started to develop an offensive plan much like the one that previous "heroes" had in mind. Mergen interfered immediately, saying that this method had been tried and tested and had obviously not worked. His brothers questioned his logic and did not immediately follow him. But it did not matter. Mergen did what came naturally to him: he observed. He remembered that the elders had told him that strength without thought would only bring more chaos.
drawn by DALL E 3, 2026 (OpenAI)
As Mergen watched the beast, he saw how careless it was when it felt safe. Unchallenged, the monster was reckless and vulnerable. With a single, well-positioned arrow on his sturdy bow, Mergen had done what no other man or god could achieve until now. His success came from the difference that he made, the difference between wisdom and aggression, foresight and chaos, and patience and impulsivity.
Although the story changes from book to book, Mergen's tale tells people how calculated decisions can be worth so much more than pure violence or aggression. Careful observation and planning are what leads to success, even though it will usually take a longer time than following your gut.
The calm and foresightful attributes that Mergen carries with him are what compelled me to name this blog Letters to Mergen. I hoped that through writing these pieces I could bring joy to both myself and an audience who shares similar interests as me. When creating this blog, I mostly wanted to learn about more things and become an overall more knowledgeable person. However, as time passed, it was not about learning anymore; instead, the spotlight fell on what I thought about this new discovery. I grew to love opinionated articles where I honestly just write whatever is in my mind concerning the topic at hand.
Although my blog and my writing cannot be comparable to Mergen's message in many ways, I like the idea of patience and foresight that are reflected within Letters to Mergen. Much like Mergen, I like to observe and analyze things by reading other articles or watching videos before starting to write at all. Just like how you cannot rush the perfect timing of a crisp, deathly arrow, you can not force a true piece of writing in a day or two. I love spending time writing about all of these amazing topics and I feel stronger thinking about what the name of my blog represents and what I stand for every time I write about something new. What Letters to Mergen really is being patient and pensive enough to be able to take time form our chaotic days to find meaning within the mess that we call life.
Oral Tradition
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