"Kögmen" is the old Khakas name for the Sayan Mountains, Khakasia's most visible topographic feature. Herders who live near the mountains go to special sacred sites, usually in passes between two summits, to leave offerings to the spirit of that place, to pray, and to ask for good fortune. This song, composed by Slava Kuchenov, is just such a prayer, and exemplifies the herders' respect for nature and the spirit world. (During, Levin 2001)