Editing Xiongnu (section)

=== Religion and diet ===
According to the ''[[Book of Han]]'', the Xiongnu called Heaven (天) 'Chēnglí,' (撐犁)<ref>Book of Han, Vol. 94-I, 匈奴謂天為「撐犁」，謂子為「孤塗」，單于者，廣大之貌也.</ref> a Chinese transcription of [[Tengri]]. The Xiongnu were a nomadic people. From their lifestyle of herding flocks and their horse-trade with China, it can be concluded that their diet consisted mainly of [[Lamb and mutton|mutton]], [[horse meat]] and wild geese that were shot down. 

Historical evidence gives reason to believe that, from the 2nd century BC, proto-Mongol peoples (the Xiongnu, [[Xianbei]], and [[Khitan people|Khitans]]) were familiar with Buddhism. Remains of Buddhist [[prayer beads]] were found in a Xiongnu grave in [[Ivolginsky District]].<ref name="a">Александр Берзин, Тибетский буддизм: история и перспективы развития, M., 1992 (Alexandr Berzin, ''Tibetan Buddhism: History and Future Prospects'', Moscow 1992; Буддизм, Л. Л. Абаева, М., Республика, 1991 (''Buddhism'', L.L. Abaeva, Respublika, Moscow 1991)</ref>