Myths and legends of the Yamal Nenets. Nenets fairy tale. Demons of the Siberian taiga

We do not know what the Nenets called their religion at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 18th centuries. The words “shamanism” and “shaman” were not in their language. The concept of "shamanism" ("shamanism") appeared in literature a very long time ago - in the 18th century. The word "shaman", taken from the Evenki language, is mentioned in written sources of an even earlier time: in the "unsubscribes" and "arrivals" of Russian servicemen, in yasak books and other documents of the 17th century: and a little later - in the writings of foreigners who described the customs peoples of Siberia [Tokarev, 1990, p. 267]. Through Russian settlers it spread throughout Siberia, and then penetrated into Western European languages ​​and became an international scientific term.

Existing definitions of the term "shamanism" vary. Scientists interpret the essence of this phenomenon differently, but almost everyone agrees that a shaman is a priest in his society who acts as an intermediary between his team and the supernatural world of deities. Therefore, in order to correctly understand the functions of a shaman, we must first become familiar with the general ideas of the Nenets about the world around them.

According to the traditional worldview of the Nenets people, plants, animals, people, as well as invisible forces, designated by the term “spirits,” are creatures of a single Nature that are in constant interaction. The religious psychology of the Nenets is characterized by a feeling of dependence on supernatural forces surrounding the reindeer herder, hunter and fisherman.

In the Nenets religion, the personification of nature is based on the principles of an ancient dualistic worldview, characteristic of the early stages of the development of social consciousness. According to the Nenets, every object or phenomenon of the surrounding nature, be it a river or lake, tree or stone, bird or animal, etc., has its own “owner” - an independent creature, as if merged with this object or phenomenon. This perception is one of the manifestations of the ideology of shamanism, based on animistic ideas associated with the deification of nature and the veneration of the animal world.

The Nenets have a very numerous and complex pantheon, including dozens of names: Ilebyam "pertya (bertya) - the god of abundance who gives people deer, Cuy-Nga-Nisya - the father of seven deaths, Ya" Minya - the patron goddess of birth and the earth, YamalNe - the goddess Yamala, I "Sky - Mother Earth, etc. These gods are, essentially, the personification of the forces and elements of nature and act as patrons of various types of human activity.

The most important place in the pantheon is occupied by two images of gods. One of them is Num, the personification of the shining sky. This is the supreme deity who resides in the celestial zone of the Universe and controls the destinies of peoples. He also controls the fates of shamans. The appearance of Num remains not entirely clear to us. The word Num denotes both the invisible abstract deity - Num Vesoko, and the heavens as the sphere of the Universe - num"tid (nu"tid), where shamans rise.

The second image is associated with the underworld, where, according to the views of the Nenets, spirits hostile to people live. This is the head of the spirits of the lower world, NgaWesoko. Ideas about Nga Wesoko are also not entirely clear. The Nenets believe that this formidable deity feeds on blood food and the souls of dead people and every time demands victims. In case of their absence or dissatisfaction with gifts, he sends various disasters, illnesses and death to the people. After the death of a guilty person, Nga takes his soul into his service and sends him to earth to cause harm to all living things. Nga lives on the ninth tier of the underworld, reached by shamans who make sacrifices. According to the myths and legends of the Nenets, Nga participated in the creation of the world. In some legends, Num and Nga are called brothers.

The inhabitants of the Lower World include Mad"na - the spirit of freaks, Habtsya" Minrena - the spirit of all diseases, Khansosyada - the spirit that takes away the mind, Ya "Vol - the spirit of evil of the earth, etc. Eye diseases, leprosy, paralysis were explained by the machinations of aliens from this hostile country , diarrhea, abscesses, scurvy, etc. The life of the inhabitants of the Lower World in legends and myths is depicted as similar to the life of people.

Nenets gods and spirits are a fantastic reflection of the Nenets themselves, their aspirations, desires, tastes and needs. In accordance with their concepts and peculiarities of mental activity, the Nenets also imagined forms of communication with these creatures, believing that they could be influenced through sacrifices, pleasing and bribing with treats. The weaker a person felt, the more abundant the sacrifices were.

Ideas about the relationship between people and the world of gods and spirits also led to belief in the need to adhere to certain norms of behavior that ensure the preservation of existing relationships with supernatural beings. Violation of established rules, according to the Nenets, displeases the gods and spirits and leads to disharmony, manifested in the occurrence of diseases, epidemics, fires, droughts and other misfortunes and natural disasters. Moral and ethical standards in relation to deities and spirits among the Nenets people were clearly and unambiguously defined and assumed unconditional submission.

Perhaps the largest part of religious and ethical norms is associated with a person’s stay in nature: in the tundra, on the water, in the taiga, etc. The rules of conduct in such places were determined primarily by the veneration of the spirit masters of the area and reflected the dependence of people on the forces nature. According to the religious views of the Nenets, there are master spirits on earth: the owner of the mountains is Pe "Erv, the owner of the forest zone is Padara Ere, the owner of the sea is Yav" Erv, the owner of the lake is ToEre, the owner of the river is Yakha "Erv, etc. They are usually visited every believer is converted. The increase in the number of deer and the health and well-being of people allegedly depend on their will. It was believed that for violation of religious and ethical norms, these “non-human beings” are punished here, on this earth, during the lifetime, and not after the death of the offender. which, of course, strengthened the Nenets’ sense of not only dependence, but also fear. Any misfortune was considered as a punishment. With the help of the shaman, they usually found out which of the spirits had sent the punishment and for what, how to mitigate it or get rid of it, what sacrifice to make in atonement. .

In general, the rules of behavior boiled down to a series of various prohibitions that protected the peace of the spirits-owners of a given area and their wealth from people. All host spirits in themselves are neither good nor evil, but they can be friendly or unfriendly towards a person, depending on his behavior: if he shows due respect for them, observes established prohibitions, hunting rules, and does not act unnecessarily cruel , kills animals only in the required quantity, then the spirits are merciful to him and send game. If the rules are broken, they get angry and punish the person. These prohibitions reflect the careful attitude of the Nenets to the natural environment, which has a rational basis, confirmed by the experience of living and farming in local conditions of many generations of reindeer herders, hunters and fishermen.

Here are some standards of behavior. While in the tundra or taiga hunting animals, it is prohibited to shout, whistle, laugh loudly or talk. You cannot pollute the water in rivers and lakes, since the owner of the water, Id Erv, does not tolerate this and sooner or later punishes disrespect with various troubles and diseases. Some Nenets talk about the inadmissibility of uprooting grass, motivating this ban in this way: grass - the hair of the earth and the owner of the earth - I "Erv is angry for the pain caused to her, and punishes the guilty.

Violation of the rules of behavior towards spirits and deities in family life also entailed various types of punishment. These rules coexisted with ethical norms that determined the forms of behavior among relatives, which developed on the basis of the classification system of kinship with its division into elders and younger ones. Violation of ethics in relations between people was condemned in customary law, mainly in the educational aspect. But as soon as the norms of behavior that prescribe respect for spirits were violated, a punishment followed, which caused significant damage to the violator - illness or other misfortune.

It was considered completely unacceptable to desecrate the fire by throwing garbage and sewage into it, putting sharp iron objects into the fire, stepping over the fireplace, or stepping on the ashes. It was impossible to deviate from the daily feeding and treating the fire with pieces of food and drinks that were part of the diet of the owners of the plague. For neglecting the listed norms of behavior, the owner or mistress of the fire - Tu "Erv or Tu" Khada - punished the inhabitants of the home with various diseases and deprived them of their protection from evil spirits.

Every family keeps images of the patron spirits of the home: the mistress of the plague - Myadpukhutsa. ancestor spirit - ngytyrma or sidryang. As before, they are made by special people and consecrated by shamans. According to Nenets beliefs, there are many gods and spirits in the world with specific purposes and functions; they determine the entire course of life - birth, illness, death, good luck, misfortune, etc. At the head of all gods and spirits is the Eternal Num Vesoko, who sees and knows everything.

Restoring the harmony disturbed in nature is the main purpose of the shaman, predetermined from above. To achieve this goal, shamans are endowed with the gift of clairvoyance - internal vision (sevtana) and all-vision, magical hearing (yabta inzeles) - the ability to see and perceive the consequences of disturbances of the “forces of nature”. In times distant from our days, a kind of law of the relationship between the shaman and nature was established: the shaman is obliged to honor his ancestors, strictly observe the ancient customs of the tundra, taiga, mountains, rivers, honor and appease the spirit owners of the fishing grounds (hehe "seda) and, the main thing is to protect the clan from the spirits of illness and misfortune (ngyliko. habtsango minrena and teri ngamze).

The meaning of life among the Nenets lies in offspring, happiness, and keeping the behests of their fathers. The purpose of life is multifaceted - material well-being, health and long life, affirmation of one’s self, etc. Shamans, relying on traditional values, acted as an authoritative regulator of the social life of reindeer herders, fishermen and hunters. Religious and ethical norms that affirmed traditional morality touched literally all aspects of a person’s life and prescribed a certain type of behavior in order to appease supernatural forces.

As in other religions, Nenets shamanism presents universal moral requirements: do not kill, do not steal, respect your parents, do not wish harm to your neighbor, etc. According to shamanic ideas, evil is punishable, therefore you cannot lie, deceive, offend orphans and the sick and etc. The principle of “khyvy” or “khyvy, ilar vevangengu” (“sin” or “sin! You will have a bad life”) worked effectively.

There were special regulations and prohibitions for women. Women could not participate in public sacrifice (khan'ty), ride a deer dedicated to deities, visit places of worship, etc.; they were not allowed at the shaman initiation ceremony, making and feeding of certain categories of syadai (idols). Women were considered unclean during time and after childbirth and menstruation. Menstrual blood, according to shamanic beliefs, defiles not only the woman herself, but also her home and husband. Therefore, in order to return to household and family affairs, after childbirth and menstruation, a woman must undergo a cleansing ritual (nibtes). ).

The Nenets have developed regulations and prohibitions related to cooking and eating food. There were strict rules for slaughtering an animal, cutting up the carcass, and distributing meat among participants in sacrifices to spirits. It was obligatory to treat the household spirits with pieces of fresh meat and wine; it was forbidden to eat the meat of certain animals and birds, such as ermine, fox, loon, eagle, crow, seagull, and swan.

The role of shamans in the religious-moral and religious-legal life of their society was especially great. They interpreted the will of the gods and explained who the gods or spirits took and why. The sphere of influence of shamanism included power relations, economics and culture.

The Nenets are a small indigenous people of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. According to the All-Russian Population Census of 2002, the number of Nenets was 41,302 people, in particular in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug - 7,754 people (of which 3,657 were men and 4,097 women). They inhabit the territories of the Kaninsko-Timanskaya, Malozemelskaya and Bolshezemelskaya tundras. The name “Nenets” means “man” in translation. In the past, Russians called the Nenets Samoyeds. This name presumably comes from the Sami “samae-edne” (land of the Sami), since in the distant past the territory where the Nenets settled was the area of ​​distribution of the Sami.

The Nenets language belongs to the northern branch of the Samoyedic group of Uralic languages. The language of the Tundra Nenets is divided into dialects: Kaninsky, Bolshezemelsky, Malozemelsky and Kolguevsky. Despite a number of differences, they are all mutually understandable. Nenets writing was created in 1932 based on Latin script. Since 1937 - in the Russian alphabet.

Origin of the Samoyed peoples, incl. and the Nenets are associated with the Kuloi archaeological culture in the middle Ob region. From here in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. A gradual advance of the Kulois began in the lower reaches of the Ob and the middle Irtysh region. In the first centuries of the new era, under the onslaught of the Huns, part of the Samoyeds from the Irtysh region retreated into the forest zone of the European North, laying the foundation for the European Nenets.

The main occupation of the Nenets is reindeer herding. Along with the tendency to settle down, many Nenets maintain a nomadic lifestyle, wear national clothes, follow national traditions, preserve and pass on the cultural heritage of their people.

The religious beliefs of the Nenets were dominated by animistic ideas (Anima – soul, hence “animism”). The whole world around them seemed to them inhabited by spirits - hehe. Rivers, lakes, and natural phenomena had their spirit masters. People's lives and success in their trades depended on them. The spirits were good, helping people in all matters, and evil, sending illnesses and various misfortunes to people. The propitiation of spirits and deities was accomplished through sacrifices.

In Nenets mythology, the Universe is represented in the form of three worlds located vertically one above the other - the Upper World, the Middle World, the Lower World. The upper world is above the earth and consists of seven heavens inhabited by divine creatures. The middle world is the Earth; in addition to people, it is inhabited by numerous spirits - the masters of everything that surrounds a person in his earthly life. The land is flat, surrounded by the sea. The lower world is located underground and also consists of seven tiers, where evil spirits live, bringing illness and death. Sikhirtya live on the first, their sky is our land. Sikhirtya graze earthen deer (ya′ hora).

Spoiler

The creator of all life on earth, according to the Nenets, was Num, who lived in the sky. Num controls the Universe: the changes of winter and summer, heat and cold, wind, storms.

It was believed that Num had a wife, Ya' Myunya, and sons. According to some sources, among his sons Nga is the spirit of death and illness. A white deer was annually sacrificed to the spirit of heaven Numa. The sacrifice was carried out in an open, elevated place. They ate the meat. The head with horns was put on a stake and placed with its muzzle to the east.

The evil principle was identified with the name of the spirit Nga - the lord of the underworld, where the souls of the dead went after death. The souls of sinners are doomed to an eternal and joyless existence in the kingdom of Nga. He hunted for the souls of people like a hunter after an animal. Nga devoured the soul and the body died.

In the Lower World, in addition to Nga, evil spirits of disease live. Habcha minrena is an evil spirit that brings illness. Madna is a spirit that brings ugliness to people and animals. Iŋutsyada is a spirit that deprives a person of reason. Hansoshiada is an evil spirit that takes away the mind. Teri Namge - spirits in the form of various underground creatures. Sustana is the spirit of the disease dystrophy. Mal′ teŋga is a mythical creature without a mouth or anus, having only a sense of smell.

When sacrificing to evil spirits, the contents of the deer's stomach are left in the form of seven pieces.

The lives of the inhabitants of the Middle World are ruled by two patronesses, I Nebya - the bright mother earth and Parny ne - the sinner. The first directs the human race to good deeds, the second lives in sin and directs the bad deeds of man.

In the Middle World, according to the beliefs of the Nenets, spirits also live - the masters of elemental forces and natural phenomena. The following basic ideas existed about them. The wind (flickering) is caused by the mythical bird Minley, which has seven pairs of wings. Thunder (he) is the noise of the sledge, on which the sons of the North are going to fight the South in order to take his daughter from him. Lightning (hehe tu) – sacred fire. These are sparks that fly from under the runners of the sledges of the inhabitants of the upper world. According to another version, thunderstorms are a type of bird that lives in the sea. They move on clouds. When they open their mouths, lightning zigzags out, and thunder is their speech. Rainbow (nuv pan) - was represented by stripes on the clothes of Heaven (Numa). Thunderstorm - hehe Sarah. Purga (had) - usually introducing himself as an old woman with long gray hair.

Patron spirits of the surrounding nature:

Ilebyam pertya - owner and giver of furs, game, animals, keeper of deer herds

“Id erv” is the owner of all water on earth (literally “chief of water”).

Yakha'erv is the owner of this river

Siiv min erv is the master of the winds.

Tu'hada - grandmother of fire.

The role of mediator between spirits and people was played by shamans - “tadebya” (from the verb “tadebtes” - to speak, to cast a spell). They usually determined the location of sacred sacrificial places, they were turned to in case of illness or unsuccessful fishing.

Spoiler

According to Nenets beliefs, a person became a shaman if he was chosen by the spirits. Spirits force their chosen ones to become intermediaries between people and the world of spirits. People who were destined to become shamans had special marks: a birthmark the size of a fist, two or three crowns, an extra finger, etc. The second prerequisite is the possession of certain qualities and knowledge: the shaman must be endowed with the ability to predict the fate of an individual and an entire nation, have a good memory, intuition, imagination, artistic gift, and master hypnosis.

The main shamanic attribute was a tambourine - penzer. It symbolizes a deer, on which the shaman supposedly rides on earth, ascends to heaven, or descends to the underworld. The penzer had an almost round shape with a diameter of 62–80 cm. The shell was made from a felled coniferous tree, and the skin of a male wild deer was stretched over it. Bells were hung on the tambourine. Another important detail of the Nenets tambourine is the beater. It is made of wood and resembles a long narrow spatula. The shape of the tambourine has a sacred meaning: it seems to connect the top and bottom, and is a kind of symbol of the earth.

The attributes of Nenets shamans also included a staff. The staffs were made from specially selected wood, mainly birch, considered a sacred tree by shamans.

Shaman rituals took place most often at night by the light of a fire. Special shamanic rituals accompanied the birth and death of a person.

The dead were buried above ground in a special log house. At the funeral site, one or several deer were killed and a broken sledge was left behind. For several years the name of the deceased was not spoken, although all sorts of honors were given to him. Once a year they visited the burial site. A few years later, the shaman who took part in the funeral escorted the soul of the deceased to the afterlife.

Spoiler

The birth and death of a person, all types of economic activity, especially everything related to reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing, are accompanied by the performance of numerous religious rituals. The ritual of sacrifice is also performed on holidays associated with the change of seasons. An important place in these rituals is occupied by the ritual of sacrifice to the supreme gods and spirits. The process of performing this ritual, according to the Nenets, is a form of communication with supreme beings. The weaker a person felt, the more abundant the sacrifices were. He believed that spirits could be influenced through sacrifices, pleasing and bribing with treats. The sacrifices were mostly attended by men. Women were admitted in rare cases, provided that they put something copper in the pima.

To perform the ritual, a special place is chosen, which is considered sacred (Hebidya ya). Small sacrificial places are scattered in the tundra, revered by groups of Nenets belonging to the same clan, or by individual families roaming the area.

Sacrifices often there are “blood” ones, i.e. A sacrificial deer is killed at a sacred place.

Spoiler

The sacrificial animal must be strangled and not slaughtered. After strangulation, the carcass is cut up, warm blood is smeared with the “mouth” of figurines depicting various spirits - hehe. In addition to bloody sacrifices, there are also bloodless ones, when bread, wine, pieces of cloth, etc. are left at a sacred place. According to the Nenets, making a sacrifice corresponded to feeding a spirit, which in return could send good luck in a hunt or the recovery of a sick person.

They dedicated deer to the sun and sacrificed haer′ you or yala′ you - the deer of light. On the side of such a deer there is a straight line with seven branches extending on both sides, with which the sun holds the light.

The second most important sacrificial animal among the Nenets is the dog (veneko). A dog is a creature of the Lower (unclean) world. Therefore, dogs were sacrificed to evil spirits and their main owner. If they noticed that Nga (the main owner of evil spirits) wanted to steal a person, then a dog was sacrificed on the side of the plague of death. White dogs are sacrificed. In case of serious illness, when other measures did not help, the dog was strangled on the street, against the patient’s headboard. Her soul was sent to replace the soul of the sick owner. The noose was a garter from the patient’s pimas, which was hung from a pole above his head.

So that a person can, if necessary, call on spirits for help, idols are made.

Spoiler

They are depicted in the form of human or animal figures. The materials for making idols can be wood, leather, tin, wool, or fabric. The production of idols depicting spirits is carried out under the guidance of a shaman, then the shaman sanctifies them.

Each family has its own set of idols. They are supposed to be fed periodically, talked to, and put to bed. Idols are divided into local, household, personal, marital, family, and clan. The functions of idols are the same as whose images they serve. Homemade hehe were either small stones or wooden images of an anthropomorphic or zoomorphic nature. Anthropomorphic images and stones (if their shape allowed) were dressed in fur or cloth clothes of Nenets cut (up to 7 clothes).

Hehe is stored in specially designated “clean” places in the tent or in a sacred sledge. These sledges are covered with the skins of sacrificial deer, along with camus and hooves. Only men looked after them. The sacred sledges were placed on birch linings, from which they then made a hunting staff - yadabts (a staff of a happy hunt, with which they hunted a bear). Four reindeer were harnessed to the sleigh. They could only be sacrificed. If hehe personifies a woman, then it is kept at the head of a woman’s bed; if it represents a man, then at the head of a man’s bed. It is believed that she represents the ancestor and predetermines fate. In addition, each family has sacred sledges, carefully hidden from prying eyes, which stand behind the tent, on the opposite side of the entrance. Women are prohibited from going behind the tent and approaching the sacred sledge. This prohibition does not apply to girls who have not yet reached puberty or older women. The sacred sledge contains images of the spirits - the ancestors of the family - "nytyrma", as well as some other sacred objects. The tambourine is also kept there.

A number of hehe had certain functions. The Nenets revered the patroness of the family - Myad′ pukhutsya (“old woman” or “mistress of the plague”). There was meat in every tent and was in the women's quarters on a pillow or in a bag at the head of the older woman. At Myad′pukhutsya there were as many clothes as the hostess had children. Each panic lasted seven days. There is no boundary between Ya′ Myunya (Universal Mother) and Myad′ Pukhutsya (old woman chuma). The deity lives in the plague because life is born and continues here. Myad′ Pukhutsya was transported on women's sledges. In the north of the Gydan Peninsula there is a sacred place Myad′pukhutsya - hebidya′

To facilitate childbirth, they turned to Ya′ neba (or Ya′ munya). I did not have a stone or wooden body. Instead, cloth was put into clothes. After the birth of the child, I was placed in the newborn's cradle for three days. And then they put it away in a casket.

There is a sacred place associated with the Self of Heaven. It is located on about. Vaygach is called Nebya hehe. This is a high rock, the stone idol of the sanctuary is a natural rock outcrop 2.7 m high.

In the Bolshezemelskaya tundra, a common household deity was Yar′ Pukhutsya, who protects children from crying (Yar′ - crying). She was a wooden anthropomorphic image, dressed in several panics.

Some honeys help with reindeer husbandry, hunting or fishing, others with diseases.

Sometimes images of animals and birds acted as hehe.

The Nenets had a cult of ancestors. Images of ancestors were made 7–10 years after death and kept forever. The image of the ancestor (nytyrma) is described by a number of researchers: V. Islavin, G.D. Verbov. They made it from a piece of wood, sewed clothes and planted it in a tent. They sometimes fed him and always took him with them. It was believed that nytyrma is an image of the “soul” of a person. In this image he continues to live among people. During a snowstorm, Nytyrma asks for help: “Help the children find their reindeer.”

The largest sacred places of the Nenets- O. Vaygach (Bolvansky Nose), Kozmin forest in the area of ​​the river. Nes, More-Yu in the Bolshezemelskaya tundra, etc. In the Nenets language, the sacred place is called hebidya (“sacred land”).

Vaigach Island is the main ethnic shrine of the Nenets. One of the myths about the origin of the island says that initially there was nothing but water, then a stone cliff rose from the waters, which grew to its present size. People came here to worship from everywhere. Getting to the island was not easy. They moved on ice or in boats on water.

At the southern tip of the island stood Vesako (old man), a wooden idol, three-sided, very dilapidated, 2 arshins high. The upper part is 7 faces, one above the other. The face is only outlined: a mouth, a rounded nose, sunken cheeks, two features - eyes. Around him stood 14 stone and 256 wooden idols. In the northern part - Khadako (Pukhutsya) - Old Woman (grandmother). These were the progenitors of all Nenets idols.

The religious beliefs of the Nenets were dominated by animistic ideas (Anima - soul, hence “animism”). The whole world around them seemed to be inhabited by spirits - hehe. Rivers, lakes, and natural phenomena had their spirit masters. People's lives and success in their trades depended on them. The spirits were good, helping people in all matters, and evil, sending illnesses and various misfortunes to people. The propitiation of spirits and deities was accomplished through sacrifices.

In Nenets mythology, the Universe is represented in the form of three worlds located vertically one above the other - the Upper World, the Middle World, the Lower World. The upper world is located above the earth and consists of seven heavens inhabited by divine creatures. The middle world is the Earth; in addition to people, it is inhabited by numerous spirits - the masters of everything that surrounds a person in his earthly life. The land is flat, surrounded by the sea. The lower world is located underground and also consists of seven tiers, where evil spirits live, bringing illness and death. Sikhirtya live on the first, their sky is our land. Sikhirtya graze earthen deer ( I'm choir).

According to the Nenets, the creator of all life on earth was Num, dwelling in heaven. Num controls the Universe: the changes of winter and summer, heat and cold, wind, storms.

It was believed that Numa have a wife I'm Munya and sons. According to some sources, among his sons Nga is the spirit of death and illness. A white deer was annually sacrificed to the spirit of heaven Numa. The sacrifice was carried out in an open, elevated place. They ate the meat. The head with horns was put on a stake and placed with its muzzle to the east.

The evil principle was identified with the name of the spirit Nga- rulers of the underworld, where the souls of the dead went after death. The souls of sinners are doomed to an eternal and joyless existence in the kingdom Nga. He hunted for the souls of people like a hunter after an animal. Nga devoured the soul and the body died.

In the Lower World, except Nga, evil spirits of disease live. Habcha minrena- an evil spirit that brings disease. Madna- a spirit that brings ugliness to people and animals. Iŋutsyada- a spirit that deprives a person of reason. Khansosyada- an evil spirit that takes away the mind. Teri Namgae- spirits in the form of various underground creatures. Sustana– the spirit of the disease dystrophy. Mal′ teŋga- a mythical creature, without a mouth or anus, with only a sense of smell.

When sacrificing to evil spirits, the contents of the deer's stomach are left in the form of seven pieces.

The lives of the inhabitants of the Middle World are ruled by two patronesses I'm Heaven- bright mother earth and Guys don't- sinner. The first directs the human race to good deeds, the second lives in sin and directs the bad deeds of man.

In the Middle World, according to the beliefs of the Nenets, spirits also live - the masters of elemental forces and natural phenomena. The following basic ideas existed about them. Wind ( flickering) is caused by the mythical bird Minley, which has seven pairs of wings. Thunder ( heh) is the noise of a sledge on which the sons of the North are going to fight the South in order to take his daughter from him. Lightning ( hehe tu) - sacred fire. These are sparks that fly from under the runners of the sledges of the inhabitants of the upper world. According to another version, thunderstorms are a type of bird that lives in the sea. They move on clouds. When they open their mouths, lightning zigzags out, and thunder is their speech. Rainbow ( nouveau sir) - appeared as stripes on the clothes of Heaven ( Numa). Thunderstorm - hehe Sarah. Blizzard ( had)– usually introducing himself as an old woman with long gray hair.

Patron spirits of the surrounding nature:

Ilebyam pertya- owner and giver of furs, game, animals, keeper of reindeer herds.

Eid erv" – the owner of all water on earth (literally “chief of water”).

Yaha'erv- the owner of this river.

Siiv min erv- master of the winds.

Tu' hada- grandmother of fire.

Nenets folklore is characterized by personification (personification): along with the heroes, the tale itself is also the protagonist weneko. This technique is widespread in fairy tales, where an animate creature is called lahanako- a word.

Legend of the Grooms

It was a long time ago, when the Wind and the Moon drank tea on the Savdeya Hills, and the swans brought them water in teapots. There lived at that time two young Nenets. People called one Merchahad - Stormy Wind. The second had the name Nermindya - Forward Going. They fell in love with one girl, the beautiful Arcata - Big Hearth. We came to her. So, they say, choose one of us as your husband. She thought: both are beautiful, both are handsome. Whom to choose as a husband? And she decided so - let the competition between them show who is stronger and more dexterous. The winner will enter his tent with his young wife.

The suitors began to compete. Tynzei to catch deer. This is the most important thing for a tundra dweller - to catch a deer from the herd. Merchahad seems to be stronger, he throws a tynzey on the stag, he stands rooted to the spot. And if he twitches, he yanks him to the ground: But Nermindya turned out to be more skillful. When Arkatu fired her gun into the air, ending their competition, he had more deer caught.

Merchahad got angry. He threw the tynzey and threw it over the hill. And he said to his opponent:
- Try the same!

I threw my Nermindya tynzey three times, but I couldn’t get it to Merchakhada’s tynzey. The bride postponed the competition to next fall.

And now a year has passed. The suitors are arguing again. The caught deer were counted equally. Merchahad threw his tynzey to a distant swamp. And Nermindi’s tynzey fell nearby. Then Merchahad says:
- Tie my feet:

With his legs tied, he jumped over the swamp in three leaps. Mercyakhada has strong legs! Shouts to the opponent:
- Now you jump!

But Nermindya knows that he won’t be able to do it so cleverly. What to do? He sees that there are four sledges standing near the tent. He started jumping back and forth over them. Jumped a hundred times! And when Merchakhad started jumping, he missed on the fortieth jump. Nartu broke and went lame!.. again no one won. The bride had to set a new date.

The new autumn has come and invited the suitors to the competition. And again they are equal in everything. Deer are caught deftly. Tynzey is thrown far. They jump over the sled with two legs in three leaps. They are not inferior to each other in any way. And then a flock of geese flies above them, flying away from winter.
- Hey, Merchahad! - Nerminda shouts. - hit the goose's wing with your hatchet!
Merchahad threw his hatchet and missed. He flashed an unkind eye and said:
- Hey, Nerminda! If you pull a bird from the sky with a hatchet, your bride will be:
He said so and lost. I didn’t know that his opponent had been learning to throw a hatchet all summer. Merchahad turned into a stormy wind out of anger. Everything flies around the tundra, wants to take revenge for the insult. He tries to knock anyone in front of him off his feet. If he breaks into the tent, he will leave the hearth without fire. But the wind is powerless in front of a person for whom the tundra is his father’s land.

This is the legend told by the old tundra dweller. Deep sources emerged in it, feeding the modest flowers of the tundra king-berry cloudberry with spring power. The five types of Nenets competitions seem to me like the five petals of that flower.

Sirte remained in memory only in the form of figurines made of walrus ivory

Every nation has works of oral creativity: fairy tales, songs, legends, legends, myths. They arise at the dawn of a people’s life and live, passing from generation to generation.

In myths, the Nenets people reflected their ideas about the origin of the earth and natural phenomena, about the origin of the spirits with which the people endowed the surrounding nature. But, unfortunately, today very few people are familiar with the myths and mythological stories of the Nenets.

One of the most famous myths is the legend of a small people - Sikhirtya or Sirtya, who lived in the polar tundra before the arrival of the Nenets - “real people”.

The Sikhirtya are described as stocky and strong people of very short stature, with white eyes. According to legends, in time immemorial the sikhirtya came to the polar tundra from across the sea.

Their way of life was significantly different from the Nenets. The Sirtya did not breed deer, but instead hunted wild ones. These small people dressed in beautiful clothes with metal pendants. In some legends, sikhirtya are described as guardians of silver and gold or as blacksmiths, after whom “pieces of iron” remain on the ground and underground; their hill houses were represented as attached to the permafrost by iron ropes.

One day, the Sirtya moved to the hills and became underground inhabitants, emerging to the surface of the tundra at night or in the fog. In their underground world, they own herds of mammoths (“ya-hora” - “earth deer”).

Meetings with Sirtya brought grief to some, happiness to others. There are known cases of Nenets marrying Sirtya women. At the same time, Sirtya could steal children (if they continued playing outside the tent until late), send damage to a person, or scare him.

There are also references to military clashes between the Nenets and Sikhirtya, while the latter were distinguished not so much by their military valor as by their ability to unexpectedly hide and suddenly reappear.

THE LEGEND OF THE SIKHIRTYA TRIBE

They say that a long time ago there lived in our northern regions little people called sikhirtya. They lived, according to legend, underground, in caves, under high hills. Quite scanty information about this small people has survived to this day. Legends say that Sikhirtya had a developed culture. Outwardly, they looked like Russians: blond, light-eyed, only very short. The Sikhirtya fished and hunted, and that’s how they lived. What’s strange is that the people of this tribe slept during the day. Life began to boil for them at night. They also say that the Sikhirtya had supernatural powers. According to legend, ordinary people who saw sikhirtya soon died.

In ancient years, my fellow tribesmen found shards of beautiful pottery, bronze women’s jewelry and other painted household items near cliffs or crumbling mounds.

According to one legend, an argish was riding past a high hill. And it was summer. Driving past the hill, people decided to take a break and give the deer a break. We decided to explore the hill. Suddenly, a short girl was found sleeping near a grass hummock. The girl was very beautiful. She was wearing clothes decorated with painted buttons and silver plaques. Near the girl lay a cloud - a sewing bag. The newcomers had never seen such unprecedented beauty. The bag was decorated with shiny beads that sparkled in the sun. Bronze openwork pendants emitted a subtle melodic ringing. Then the girl woke up, abruptly jumped to her feet and instantly disappeared into the nearby bushes. They only saw her. The search for the wonderful stranger did not yield any results. It's like she fell through the ground. People were spinning here and there. She’s not there and that’s all.

We decided to take the cloud-bag with us. They set off and drove on. At the end of the day we arrived at the place and installed the plague. And closer to night, a woman’s plaintive cry began to be heard: “Where is my cloud?” "Where is my cloud?" They say that the scream was heard until the morning. No one dared to come out of the tent and take the sewing bag somewhere into the tundra, as you already guessed, the girls are sikhirtya. The family who owned this beautiful handbag died soon after. But the relatives still kept this precious find. (They say that this cloud is still in the sacred sledge of one resident of the Nakhodka tundra).

As I already said, sikhirtya had supernatural power. So this bag became a sacred attribute. During a person’s illness, relatives hung this cloud on a chorea until the patient recovered.

We do not know whether such small people really lived in our area. But small legends about the mysterious people – Sikhirtya – are passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps they lived here, since a song called “The Cry of the Sikhirtya Girl” has survived to our times. After all, legends often have a basis in reality.

The Nenets Autonomous Okrug has its own legends and myths. One of the most famous tells about a small people - Sikhirtya or Siirtya. According to legend, he lived in the polar tundra before the Nenets (“real people”) appeared there. Sihirtya representatives are described as stocky and strong people. They were supposedly very short, with white eyes. The Sikhirtya came to the polar tundra from across the sea.

The lifestyle they led was different from the Nenets way of life. They did not breed deer, preferring to hunt wild animals and fish. Sometimes sikhirtya are described as guardians of silver and gold; in some legends they are called blacksmiths, after whom “pieces of iron” remain on the ground and underground.

During the exploration of the North, the Russians called the local population the collective name Chud, highlighting the white-eyed Chud, which was engaged in gold and silver mining in the mountains. Ancient mines in Siberia, where gold, silver and copper were mined, were popularly called Chud mines. It is believed that the Sikhirtya inhabited vast areas from the Kola to the Gydan Peninsula. As for short stature (scientifically “nanism”), according to modern scientists’ ideas, nanism is an adaptation to various environmental factors, including low temperatures. The Sikhirtya lived in large peat-turf houses, shaped like a hill. It is assumed that they led a sedentary lifestyle. The entrance to the houses was located at the top. Probably for this reason, the Nenets, who saw the sikhirtya for the first time, got the impression that they were hiding, going underground.

Legends about dwarfs living in caves or underground existed among all Finnish peoples, of which the most ancient inhabitants of the North are the Laplanders. The latter were nomads. Having spread out their dwelling in a convenient place, they sometimes heard unclear voices and the clanking of iron coming to them from underground. Then the yurt was moved to another place, since it blocked the entrance to the underground dwelling of the Uldra.

Tales about underground inhabitants who knew how to process iron and had supernatural abilities have been preserved among all the peoples of the North of Russia. According to legend, miracles were magicians and could see the future. An echo of the legends about sikhirtya among the Russians is the wise and good-natured old man of the forest in fairy tales, who helped Ivan Tsarevich, with the help of a magic ball, find the way to the beauty kidnapped by Kashchei.

The reason for the sikhirtya going underground is said to be the invasion of Nenets reindeer herders. It is believed that interethnic conflicts broke out between them. At the same time, goods were exchanged between peoples and marriages took place. The languages ​​of the Nenets and Sikhirtya were related. According to one version, the Sihirtya lived among people until the 20th century.

Thus, the article “Blonde Sikhirtya: the Lost People of the Arctic,” published by the resource “Krasnoyarsk Time,” describes the memories of one of the inhabitants of the North. “Some of my classmates themselves descended from sikhirtya - but for some reason they all had roots through the female line (sikhirtya had a grandmother and great-grandmother, but I have never seen any mention of a sikhirtya grandfather). As a rule, these guys and girls differed from the rest in their short stature and roundness of facial features, which was especially pleasant in girls - such, you know, cardioid - i.e. the face is shaped like a heart. I took all this for granted.”

Unlike modern local inhabitants of the tundra, who wander behind reindeer herds and live in tents, ancient people lived in half-dugouts, the area of ​​which sometimes reached 150 square meters. This suggests that they led a sedentary lifestyle. Sihirtya's companion was a dog. The Sikhirtya settled as families and had strictly limited land; such a management system did not facilitate communication between residents.

There were many legends about sikhirtya. According to one of them, one day the Nenets were driving past the hill and decided to take a break and give the deer a break. They entered the hill and found a small girl sleeping there. She was very beautiful and dressed in clothes decorated with painted buttons. Near the girl lay a cloud - a sewing bag, decorated with shiny beads sparkling in the sun. Bronze openwork pendants emitted a subtle melodic ringing. When the girl woke up and saw the strangers, she jumped up and instantly disappeared into the nearby bushes. The search for the stranger was unsuccessful. People decided to take a cloud bag with them. They continued their journey and after a while they placed the tent in a new place. And closer to night, a woman’s plaintive cry began to be heard: “Where is my cloud?” “Where is my cloud?” They say that the scream was heard until the morning, but no one dared to carry the sewing bag into the tundra. The family who took the bag died soon after. But the relatives still kept this precious find. The pouch became a sacred attribute. During a person’s illness, relatives hung this cloud on a chorea until the patient recovered.

It is not known for certain whether the Sikhirtya lived in our area, but small legends about the mysterious people are passed down from generation to generation