The Star of Irad (Symbol)
The Star of Irad (Iradi: Irad zhulduzu) is the emblem of Polaris, the North Star, which in traditional Iradi cosmology is called Irad and gives the country its name. It has two standard forms. The eight-pointed star is the ecclesiastical and liturgical form, used by the Syro-Iradi Catholic Church on banners, vestments and the seals that stamp its Eucharistic bread. The five-pointed star is the civic form, placed above the white stallion on the national flag.[1][2]
Background
In Iradi cosmology Polaris is the fixed point around which the night sky turns. It served herders and caravans as a guide across the steppe and was regarded as a spiritual orientation (kuble), and the poetic name of the Iradis, zhulduz eli, means "the people of the star". In Christian tradition the star is linked with St. Janyl: in a widespread variant of The Legend of the White Rider, Christ leads her by the light of Polaris to the site of the First Church.[2]
Forms
- Ecclesiastical form. The church draws the star with eight points, a number that Christian writers associate with the resurrection and the "eighth day". Parish seals for kümöch, the unleavened Eucharistic bread, usually show a cross with the eight-pointed Star of Irad. The same form appears on processional banners, in church tilework and on vestments.
- Civic form. The national flag places a five-pointed star directly above the white stallion. The official description of the flag identifies it as Polaris. The five-pointed form is also used by government bodies and on official documents of the Irad Special Economic Zone.[1][3]
Some older publications and foreign descriptions give the flag star eight points, confusing the two forms. The official description specifies five.[1]
Other uses
The star is common in commercial logos, poetry and popular music. The title of the 2002 EP Zvezda Irad by the duo tüntolk mixes Russian and Iradi to mean "Star of Irad". See also Zhulduz (Astronomy) and Kuble (Culture).[2]
References
- ^ Department of Public Information (2015). The National Flag of Irad: Official Description and Symbolism. Talas.
- ^ Central Asian Folklore Society (2021). Epic Cycles and Horseback Chants of the Northern Valleys. Talas State University Press, Talas, pp. 135–158.
- ^ Talas State University Press (2016). Leaven and Ember: Eucharistic Bread in the Syro-Iradi Tradition, pp. 15–49.