Going Public
Nothing makes more fun than telling the story of ancient steppe warriors to an audience of curious people. That's what I found out a few weeks ago in a small Hotel near Frankfurt. Should I do it again
Normally, I don’t share private experiences, but this event was tangential to my professional career. So I’ll make an exception to whoever follows me on this platform.
Recently, I gave my first-ever lecture to a live audience in Frankfurt. It was an interesting experience. As they called my name, I threw away the 20-pages long script I had carefully planned out, and presented freely the topic of Tengrism and Töre, arguing that the Old Turks had a dual operating system that valued both piety and tolerance, spirituality and pragmatism. It’s an aspect of Göktürk culture that I’ve been eager to share for years.
A German-speaking Bilge Khan, reading the text of his own Orkhon Inscription, was also part of the lecture. As was the mythical aspect of KUT: an invisible energy force, granted by God to those whom He seems most worthy to lead and fight, and which was the grounds of legitimation of the Xiongnu, Rouran, Göktürk, Uyghur, and Kyrgyz Khagans.
And it seems that the audience... liked it. From the Turkic history enthusiast to the dombra player and even a history professor in attendance.
Some of you were also in attendance, being among the most loyal fans of this channel. It was great finally meeting you.
While the University I went to years ago in Germany never granted me the opportunity to become a PhD candidate, through diligence and discipline I managed to become not only a full-time teacher – teaching political education full-time – but also to enter the world of historical storytelling through the KHAN’S DEN YouTube channel in my free time.
That being said, if an opportunity arose to start a PhD program, I would be eager to consider it.
The only thing I never felt since the start of KHAN’s DEN over six years ago – happiness, excitement, anger, frustration, hope – was, actually, pride. I was never really “proud” of what I did. I simply did it because no one else was covering Turkic and Steppe history in a balanced manner online, back then.
Now, more than 8 million views, two Göktürk books, a podcast, and a movie (soon to be released, I promise) later, I would like to feel proud for the first time since starting this ordeal.
Off to the next lecture. Audaces fortuna iuvat.