Hey man, can you tell us anything about the Cuman's masks and their significance in Kipychak/Cuman culture? Who was allowed to wear them, did they offer good protection in combat and did they intimidate their enemies? Thanks so much for your all your content on steppe civilizations, its one of my favourite historical subjects.
Hello! I must apologize for the late response, it’s been a very busy period for me, wasn’t able to find time to sit down and write this, and had trouble finding useful information for you.
First off, I have to preface that my specialty is not so much in the archaeological side of things: I am much more familiar with written sources than I am surviving archaeological sites and materials, so I can’t give as much of a detailed answer as I would like to. Further, a lot of that material really going into detail on these subjects is hard to access in English, as the studies themselves are done mostly in Russian and Eastern European languages. If by chance someone more knowledgeable on this area comes along and reads this, I encourage you to add your opinions or reach out to me and I will update this accordingly.
I can however, hopefully provide some bit of context for you. I did do a video on the Qipchaq-Cumans some time ago ( https://youtu.be/uHP0QZd1tAA ) if a bit more historical background is desired, or you are interested in more sources on them, which you can find in that video’s description.
The Cuman-Qiphaq mask is perhaps the most well known aspect of their culture, an anthropomorphic iron (?) mask famous for their exaggerated mustaches. Below is a drawing of one found at a burial in modern Ukraine, I believe. While the mustache is the most famous component, some pieces also have been found with (adorable!) small ears (of bronze). The mask was on a hinge (seen at the top of the forehead, below), allowing the wearer to lift it up for easier breathing and visibility.
In regards to cultural questions, those are hard to answer in general on the Qipchaq-Cumans, due to the nature of the sources. All of our written sources on them come from outsiders (Rus’, European, Byzantine, Persian, Arabic) who looked down on them, and generally didn’t care enough to provide us with those sorts of useful details (the sources I know best are mid-13th century on, past the height of the Cumans’ influence, so I must add that as caveat). The Golden Horde which ruled those Cuman tribes who stayed on the steppe or weren’t destroyed in the Mongol advance did not leave us any useful writings, mainly due to in part to a 20 year succession struggle capped off by a devastating invasion by Temur (Tamerlane!). So we’re left making inferences from archaeology, few sparse comments from contemporary writers and other Turkic peoples.
The masks were not uncommon. While I don’t have exact numbers, they’ve been found in Hungary, Ukraine, and Russia from Crimea to Ryazan across the Volga River, to name burials I know of off the top of my head. Even more, they weren’t isolated to the Cumans, as the Rus’, the Mongols of the Golden Horde, other Turkic peoples and in post-Mongol Iran similar masks are known to have been worn.
We have also Mongolian (i.e, from Mongolia) and Tibetan masks of similar design: this particular specimen below is Mongolian, generally dated 12th-14th century, of iron and what has always fascinated me about it, is that is seems to have had a hole for the man’s actual mustache to go through. Partly though, I suspect it could have been a placement for a separate, elaborate fake mustache which hid ties hold the mask onto a larger helmet.
This iron Mongolian war mask is often remarked as unique because it is a surviving mask specifically for war: more common would be ritual masks of similar appearance, but of leather, copper, paper-mache. Essentially, materials which did not offer protection in battle, and were designed solely for ritual purpose. Mongol shamans generally covered their face when interacting with spirits during ceremonies, to help protect their identity from them. Presumably, the Cuman-Qipchaqs, also mainly animists or shamanists, also had similar masks. Therefore, we must wonder if these iron-mustached masks were a ‘reference,’ of sorts, to them: perhaps intended to evoke the same energies, both towards spirits and their foes.
Fighting such a person in combat would certainly be unnerving, making them appear, to an extent, unhuman, the masks hiding their emotions, while the exaggerated mustache would help accentuate the masculinity of user.
The Cuman-Qipchaqs, among other medieval Turkic peoples, erected balbals to mark graves which featured stylized human features. Below, you will see Qipchaq balbals. Note the similar mustaches present. I suspect the mustache style was an aspect of the ‘ideal Qipchaq-Cuman.’ Adopting such a mustache for your battle mask would, in effect, allow the wearer to show he was living up to expectations of himself as a Cuman, even if he himself lacked facial hair.
In regards to the protection offered by the masks, unfortunately I cannot answer that. I don’t know if any studies have been undertaken to compare their effectiveness to contemporary helmet, nor do I know the width of the iron of any of the masks. Cuman warfare, like the Mongols, was more reliant on their archery prowess and mobility, avoiding close combat until absolutely necessary, or the enemy had been suitably weakened by arrows.
The masks which survive archaeologically though, are found in association with heavily armoured individuals: maille shirts, lamellar, with swords, greaves etc. These were wealthy individuals to afford such full sets of armour, armed and armoured for close quarters combat, or at least, protected in case danger should befall them in particular. Because of this, it is generally assumed that, if not the chiefs of tribes,that they were at least powerful individuals, the Khan’s bodyguard (side note: I don’t know if the Qipchaqs used the title of Khan, but it is common modern convention to give it to them) and retinue. We don’t know if there was any barrier to anyone wearing such a mask except for the cost, but on the steppe any such skillfully forged equipment would be hugely expensive, and thus limit its ownership to the wealthier members of society. This would also add to the intimidation aspect: you weren’t just fighting a fellow wearing a mask with a mustache on it. You were fighting a heavily armoured and armed individual, almost certainly on horseback, likely with a bodyguard who was trained and experienced. Altogether, I do not think it would be a pleasant experience for the poor chap going up against him.
Hopefully this provides you some useful detail! Please do not hesitate to ask if you have more questions.
-Jackmeister