According to tradition, what object was Temüjin holding at birth?

According to tradition, Temüjin was born clutching a blood clot in his right hand.

The story appears most famously in The Secret History of the Mongols, the principal surviving Mongolian account of Genghis Khan’s early life. It describes the clot as roughly the size of a knucklebone. In the narrative, this unusual birth sign foreshadows Temüjin’s future power and marks him as a child destined for greatness.

The same account connects his name to the circumstances of his birth. Temüjin’s father, Yesügei, had captured a Tatar named Temüjin Üge shortly before the child was born, so the newborn was given that name. The tale therefore links both the omen and the name to a moment of military victory.

This is a traditional or legendary detail, not a medically verifiable observation. The Secret History blends historical memory, oral tradition, and literary motifs, so readers should distinguish the reported omen from securely documented facts about Temüjin’s later career. The alternative options are not standard elements of the birth story.