[1] Umay not only protects and educates babies, but also may separate the soul from the dead, especially young children.
[3] The Turkic root umāy originally meant "placenta, afterbirth" and this word was used as the name for the goddess whose function was to look after women and children, and she is associated with fertility.
Turkic women tie strings attached with small cradles to will a baby from Umay.
[8] In the view of the Kyrgyz people, Umay not only protects children, but also Turkic communities around the world.
As Umay is associated with the sun, she is called Sarı Kız 'Yellow Maiden', and yellow is her color and symbol.