Tungus-Manchu mythology. Tungus-Manchu mythology Evenki myths and legends

TORGANAY

A long time ago, when Mother Earth was the size of a small rug, and the sky was the size of a chipmunk’s eye, it sparkled a little, two boys lived. The eldest was called Torganay, the youngest was Chanykoy. So the Kasaus lived and lived, day by minute, year by night, So gradually one of the guys grew up. I made toys for myself, made bows. Lachkom made chip-chip - he lowered the arrow, shouting “kuk-kuk”, and did not let the cuckoo fly past. He killed all the birds.

The younger boy did not take care at all, did not clean himself at all. The plague stuck everywhere with its dirt - both to the log and to the pole. Torganai began to earn a living. He hunted and killed animals. He will kill the animal, tie it to a caftan and drag it home. One day, when I came home, I looked at my brother, and he was clean. Torganay Chanykoya asked:

How did you become smooth and white?

Chanykoy said:

Oh, I’m ironed with birch bark and snow, count

puppy and whitened.

Torganai continued to earn a living. He hunted, killed animals and carried them home. For some reason, Chanykoy is very smooth and white! Torganai asked:

What are you doing that you turned so white, washed and smooth

Kim became, cracks and dirt from his hair, removed from his clothes? Ras

say it well. If you don't tell me, I'll beat you.

Chanykoy said:

Brother, don't hit me, I'll tell you. From the sunrise

two swan maidens came and combed my hair,

washed, so I became clean.

Torganay said:

Well, you catch one of the two! """" Chanykoy said:

Torganai hid behind the tent. When he hid and noon came, two maiden swan flew in. There, at the place where Chanykoy was chopping wood, they went down and entered the tent. Upon entering,. They combed and washed Chayikoy. While they were washing, Chanykoy, having caught the eldest, shouted:

Torganay! Hurry up and go!

Torganai ran and hung the plumage of a maiden swan on the top of the pole. So Torganai got a wife. Having married, Torganay lived with his wife for three days. Then he went to hunt for a living. Torganai came home, and there was no one at home - neither his brother nor his wife. He looked at the tree-pole - the tree fell, he found his brother’s overturned cauldron rusty.

Well, Torganai was left alone. Left behind, Torganay became thoughtful:<:Что же я, одинокий, должен делать?» Пошел тогда Торганай на запад. В пути встретил трехголового орла, запел:

Gong! Get out! Genge-koen! Orlishche, be healthy! Out of grief and misfortune I went wandering. Three-headed eagle, what do you know? -Tell me.

The three-headed eagle sang:

Dyngdy! Dyngdy! Dyngdy-koen!

Great for the taiga man!

Two swan maidens

They flew to the east,

Three days have already passed

Torganay says:

Well, you could help me!

Three Headed Eagle says:

I will tell you. Here you go west. There will be three rivers along the way. If you are cunning, you will cross rivers. Then, beyond the third river, you will meet ten wild deer. Of these, the tenth beast broke half of its horn; it had a silver saddle and a three-length silver bridle. If you catch it, you will be very happy.

Torganai went west and reached the river. I looked and the river was wide. Torganai has nothing to move with. Torganai looked up and down and shouted in all directions in a thin voice. He ran, took birch bark, stuck it to his soles and crossed the river. So he crossed all three rivers. Across the third river he saw the tracks of animals. Slowly Torganai crept up to the animals. The animals sensed him. Noticing him, the animals ran. Torganai chased after them. I chased and chased and caught up with the beast. Grabbing his horns, Torganai turned over, and then a plain appeared to him instead of mountains and hills instead of pits. Overturned. I stood upside down for three days and came to my senses for five days. He stood up and said:

Beast with a silver bridle! My veins are tired, my lungs are tired from running. However, will you save me?

This is how Torganai got a riding beast. On this beast he chased other animals. Having caught up with the animals, he killed a calf for food on the road. Torganai went west again. I reached the silver mountain. Having reached the mountain, he said to his riding deer: “Become a bollard!” Kicked him, and the beast turned into a block. He himself became a small child and began to cry at the foot of the mountain. While he was crying, the eagle descended to the top of the mountain, and when he heard the crying, he rejoiced. “Someone sent me a son?!” - he said and, flying up, took him as his son. He brought it home, left it at home, and flew off to fish. Left alone, Torganai made toys for himself from the bones of animals, and made a tambourine. Tired of hunting, the eagle flew home and lay down to rest. While he was sleeping, Torganai quietly tied himself to his leg. Having tied it, he hit the tambourine, and the Eagle flew up. He flew to the top of the mountain, and Torganai fell. Having fallen, Torganai came down. While going down, he heard crying, and he went crying. I approached and looked, and in the dry lake near Chir-Kumai a newborn child was crying. Chirkumai sings:

Cheever! Cheever! Cheever-koen!

Hush, Little Baby, Do not Say a Word.

Don't cry, don't cry!

Evenki legends

Torganay approached Chirkumay and asked:

Whose child is this? Chirkumai said:

It is the abandoned son of the swan maiden that I nurse. Torganai asked again:

Where did the swan maidens themselves fly off to? Chirkumai said:

The swan-maidens went to their place and flew away at noon

will return.

Torganai thought and said:

This is my son. Come on, make him cry so that he can...

Come on, the girls came quickly.

Chirkumai made the child cry a lot. Torganai himself hid in the thicket. Noticing how the swan maidens were approaching, Torganai went to the side of the house and hid. Hiding, I heard the maiden swan singing.

The eldest had the name Geltangachan-Kuvulgat, the eldest says:

Let's go down quickly! The son began to cry. Circumai, on

that's right, I forgot to feed him,

The younger girl, humming, said:

Genge! Genge! Genge-koen!

Let's not go down

Torganai came up

It's here somewhere!

The eldest swan maiden, Geltangachan-Kuvulgat, descended onto a dry lake. She ran to her son. Taking her son from Chirkumai, she began to feed him. As soon as she started feeding, Torganai ran up and chopped off the maiden swan’s plumage with a six-pound ax. Another girl, Geltangachan-Kuvulgat sister, sang:

Well, now goodbye!

If you didn't listen to me and came down,

Stay with your son-in-law!

She sang and flew west.

Well, now Torganai, having found his wife, began to live with her. Their son was growing up every night. His father made him toys and made him an onion. The child, having made a chip-chip with his bow, did not allow a single bird to fly over him. That's how he became an industrialist. I hunted, met various birds and animals, They asked: “What is your name?”

A boy with no name. There is nothing to answer if there is no name. The boy came home and asked his mother:

Here I am hunting, I meet birds, they care about me

They ask for my name and laugh at me for changing my neg. How

Am I going to have no name? Give me a name! - having said so,

he began to ask his father and mother.

The mother said to her husband:

Well, hubby, let's give our son a name! Let me give him a name: let his name be Khuruguchon.

OK then! - Torganay said.

The boy, having received the name, was delighted, took the bow, and went to hunt. I hunted and met birds again. The birds asked him:

What is your name?

My name is Khuruguchon.

Khuruguchon beat animals while hunting. He kills ten, and brings the tenth home. One day, while hunting, I saw a chipmunk. “Chipmunk - what kind of animal is this? Why so handsome? Come on, I’ll catch him alive,” said Khuruguchon, he chased and caught him. Having caught it, he was delighted and ran home, pushing aside the spruce forest and shaking off the alder buds. I flew through marnik76, came home, and asked my father:

What kind of animal is this - edible or not? Father said:

This is God's worker. You can't eat it!

Khuruguchon went to hunt again. As he walked and hunted, suddenly a strong whirlwind arose. And the whirlwind suddenly spoke:

Well, you strong guy, what are you waiting for? Where is your

mother? Tell! If you don't tell me, I'll take it away from you

Khuruguchon looked - there was no one. I thought: “What did that say?” After thinking, I looked around again - there was nothing anywhere. Not understanding anything, he went forward - home. Iduchp sees traces of animals, and the animals in front of him were driven away. So, without killing anything, Khuruguchon returned home. Arriving home, I asked my mother:

When I went fishing, a strong whirlwind arose,

then someone spoke: “What are you doing, strong guy,

are you waiting? Where is your mother?" - asked.

Mother said:

A! This is the daughter of the Sun, the strong maiden Sekakchan-

Cuvulgate, probably.

Khuruguchon asked his mother:

Where is this daughter of the Sun Sekakchan-Kuvulgat? Ras-

tell me, I'll go to her. She annoyed me greatly and

I interfered with fishing: I scattered my animals in front of me.

Khuruguchon's mother said:

Well, okay, I'll tell you. Go south, there

when you go, there will be a silver house with a pillar, doho

reaching to the sky. In this house lives the daughter of the Sun named

nor Sekakchan. The one-legged, one-armed Avasi the botyr is there

will puddle. Its food is half a berry, and a spoon is half a spoon. If

If you defeat him, you will take the girl as your wife.

Khuruguchon placed ten-pound iron beams on both sides of the entrance to his mother’s house.

Now, if these beams rust, count me out

dead,” he said.

He said goodbye to his father and mother and left. Khuruguchon walked and walked, day and night. As he walked, he thought to himself: “If I came from the Lower Land, the dirt would stick to my heel.” He said this, looked at his heels. There is no land there. Then he said: “If I came from the Middle Land, My leather caftan would be worn out." He jumped up and looked - his leather caftan had worn off. Having walked like this, he approached the silver house. He came, tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open at all.

Khuruguchon turned into a bird, sat on a tree, and began to examine it. Avasi the hero carries firewood, brings firewood into the house. Avasi opened the door. Just as he was about to open the door, Khuruguchon turned into a fly and flew into the house. Having entered, I was left in the middle of the house...

Evenki (the self-name Evenkil, which became an official ethnonym in 1931; the old name is Tungus from Yakut Toҥ Uus) is an indigenous people of the Russian Federation (Eastern Siberia). They also live in Mongolia and northeast China. Separate groups of Evenks were known as Orochens, Birars, Manegrs, Solons. The language is Evenki, belongs to the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai language family. There are three groups of dialects: northern, southern and eastern. Each dialect is divided into dialects.

Geography

They live from the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk in the east to the Yenisei in the west, from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Baikal region and the Amur River in the south: in Yakutia (14.43 thousand people), Evenkia (3.48 thousand people), Dudinsky district of the Taimyr Autonomous Okrug, Turukhansky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (4.34 thousand people), Irkutsk region (1.37 thousand people), Chita region (1.27 thousand people), Buryatia (1.68 thousand people .), Amur region (1.62 thousand people), Khabarovsk Territory (3.7 thousand people), Sakhalin region (138 people), as well as in the northeast of China (20 thousand people, spurs Khingan ridge) and in Mongolia (near Lake Buir-Nur and the upper reaches of the Iro River).

Language

They speak the Evenki language of the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai family. Dialects are divided into groups: northern - north of the lower Tunguska and lower Vitim, southern - south of the lower Tunguska and lower Vitim and eastern - east of Vitim and Lena. Russian is also widespread (55.7% of Evenks speak fluently, 28.3% consider it their native language), Yakut and Buryat languages.

The Evenki language, along with Manchu and Yakut, belongs to the Tungus-Manchu branch of the Altai language family.

In turn, the Tungus-Manchu language family is something intermediate between the Mongolian (the Mongols belong to it) and the Turkic language family (which, for example, includes the Tuvans, although many do not perceive the Tuvans as Turks (such as Tatars, Uighurs, Kazakhs or Turks) , because Tuvans do not profess Islam, but are partly shamanists, like the Yakuts and Evenks, and partly Buddhists, like the Manchus and Mongols. It should be noted that the Manchus also partly profess Buddhism). The Evenks are very close to the Manchus, but unlike them, they did not create famous state formations. And in this they are similar to the Yakuts close to them.

The Evenki, both in Russia and in China and Mongolia, with the help of scientists from the respective countries, adapted the writing system adopted by the titular peoples of these states to record their language. In Russia, the Evenks use the Cyrillic alphabet, in Mongolia they use the Old Mongolian alphabet, and in China they use the Old Mongolian alphabet and hieroglyphs. But this also happened recently, in the 20th century. Therefore, the following excerpts from Chinese foreign broadcasts say that the Evenks do not have a written language.

Name

Perhaps this sounds strange, but even the very name of the Evenki people is covered in the spirit of myths and doubts. Thus, from the time the Russians mastered the vast territories occupied by the Evenks until 1931, it was customary to call this people (and at the same time the Evens related to them) with the general word “Tungus”. At the same time, the origin of the word “Tungus” still remains unclear - either it comes from the Tungus word “kungu”, meaning “a short fur coat made of reindeer skins, sewn with the wool up”, or from the Mongolian “tung” - “forest”, then Li from the Yakut “tong uos” - “people with frozen lips”, i.e. speaking an unknown language. One way or another, the name “Tungus” in relation to the Evenki is still used by a number of researchers, which adds confusion to the already complicated history of the Evenki people.

One of the most common self-names of this people – Evenki (also Evenkil) – was recognized as official in 1931 and acquired the form “Evenki”, which is more familiar to Russian ears. The origin of the word “Evenki” is even more mysterious than “Tungus”. Some scientists claim that it comes from the name of the ancient Transbaikal tribe “Uvan” (also “Guvan”, “Guy”), from which modern Evenks allegedly trace their roots. Others completely shrug their shoulders, refusing attempts to interpret this term and pointing out only that it arose about two thousand years ago.

Another very common self-name of the Evenks is “orochon” (also “orochen”), literally meaning “a person who owns a deer,” a “deer” person. This is exactly what the Evenki reindeer herders called themselves on a vast territory from Transbaikalia to the Zeysko-Uchursky region; However, some of the modern Amur Evenks prefer the name “Evenki”, and the word “Orochon” is considered just a nickname. In addition to these names, among the various groups of Evenki there were also self-names “Manegry” (“Kumarchen”), “Ile” (Evenki of the Upper Lena and Podkamennaya Tunguska), “Kilen” (Evenki from Lena to Sakhalin), “Birary” (“Birarchen” - i.e. living along the rivers), “hundysal” (i.e. “dog owners” - this is how the deerless Evenki of the Lower Tunguska called themselves), “solons” and many others, often coinciding with the names of individual Evenki clans.

At the same time, not all Evenks were reindeer herders (for example, the Manegros, who lived in the south of Transbaikalia and the Amur region, also bred horses), and some Evenks were completely on foot or sedentary and were engaged only in hunting and fishing. In general, until the 20th century, the Evenks were not a single, integral people, but rather represented a number of separate tribal groups, sometimes living at great distances from each other. And yet, at the same time, they were connected by a lot - a common language, customs and beliefs - which allows us to talk about the common roots of all Evenks. But where do these roots lie?

Story

II millennium BC — I millennium AD – human settlement of the Lower Tunguska valley. Sites of ancient people of the Neolithic era of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the middle reaches of the Podkamennaya Tunguska.

XII century – the beginning of the settlement of the Tungus throughout Eastern Siberia: from the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk in the east to the Ob-Irtysh interfluve in the west, from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Baikal region in the south.

Among the northern peoples not only of the Russian North, but also of the entire Arctic coast, the Evenks are the largest linguistic group: on

More than 26,000 people live on the territory of Russia, according to various sources, the same number in Mongolia and Manchuria.

With the creation of the Evenki Okrug, the name “Evenki” firmly entered into social, political and linguistic usage. Doctor of Historical Sciences V.A. Tugolukov gave a figurative explanation for the name “Tungus” - walking across the ridges.

Since ancient times, the Tungus have settled from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the Ob. Their way of life introduced changes in the names of clans not only based on geographical characteristics, but, more often, on household ones. The Evenks living along the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk were called Evens or, more often, Lamuts from the word “lama” - sea. The Transbaikal Evenks were called Murchens, because they were mainly engaged in horse breeding rather than reindeer herding. And the name of the horse is “mur”. The Evenki reindeer herders who settled in the interfluve of the three Tunguskas (Upper, Podkamennaya, or Middle, and Lower) and Angara called themselves Orochens - reindeer Tungus. And they all spoke and speak the same Tungus-Manchu language.

Most Tungus historians consider Transbaikalia and the Amur region to be the ancestral homeland of the Evenks. Many sources claim that they were forced out by the more warlike steppe inhabitants at the beginning of the 10th century. However, there is another point of view. Chinese chronicles mention that 4,000 years before the Evenks were forced out, the Chinese knew about a people who were the strongest among the “northern and eastern foreigners.” And these Chinese chronicles indicate similarities in many features of that ancient people - the Sushens - with the later ones, known to us as the Tungus.

1581-1583 - the first mention of the Tungus as a people in the description of the Siberian kingdom. The first explorers, explorers, and travelers spoke highly of the Tungus: “helpful without servility, proud and brave.” Khariton Laptev, who examined the shores of the Arctic Ocean between the Ob and Olenek, wrote:

“In courage, humanity, and sense, the Tungus are superior to all the nomadic people living in yurts.” The exiled Decembrist V. Kuchelbecker called the Tungus “Siberian aristocrats,” and the first Yenisei governor A. Stepanov wrote: “their costumes resemble the camisoles of the Spanish grandees...” But we must not forget that the first Russian explorers also noted that “their kopeyts and spears are made of stone and bone”, that they do not have iron utensils, and “tea is brewed in wooden vats with hot stones, and meat is only baked on coals...” And again: “there are no iron needles and they sew clothes and shoes with bone needles and deer veins.”

Second half of the 16th century. – penetration of Russian industrialists and hunters into the basins of the Taza, Turukhan and the mouth of the Yenisei rivers. The proximity of two different cultures was interpenetrating. The Russians learned the skills of hunting, survival in northern conditions, and were forced to accept the moral standards and social life of the aborigines, especially since the newcomers took local women as wives and created mixed families.

Gradually, the Evenki tribes were forced out by the Yakuts, Russians and Buryats from part of their territory and moved to Northern China. In the century before last, Evenks appeared on the lower Amur and Sakhalin. By that time, the people were partially assimilated by the Russians, Yakuts, Mongols and Buryats, Daurs, Manchus and Chinese. By the end of the 19th century, the total number of Evenks was 63 thousand people. According to the 1926-1927 census data, 17.5 thousand of them lived in the USSR. In 1930, the Ilimpiysky, Baykitsky and Tungus-Chunsky national

The districts were united into the Evenki National District. According to the 2002 census, 35 thousand Evenks live in Russia.

Life of the Evenks

The main occupation of the “foot” Evenks is hunting. It is carried out mainly for large animals - deer, elk, roe deer, bear, however, fur hunting for smaller animals (squirrel, arctic fox) is also common. Hunting is usually carried out from autumn to spring, in groups of two or three people. Evenki reindeer herders used animals for riding (including for hunting) and for carrying and milking. After the end of the hunting season, several Evenki families usually united and moved to another place. Some groups had different types of sleds, which were borrowed from the Nenets and Yakuts. The Evenki bred not only deer, but also horses, camels, and sheep. In some places, seal hunting and fishing were common. The traditional occupations of the Evenks were processing of hides, birch bark, and blacksmithing, including custom-made work. In Transbaikalia and the Amur region, the Evenks even switched to settled agriculture and cattle breeding. In the 1930s, reindeer herding cooperatives began to be created, and with them permanent settlements. At the end of the last century, the Evenks began to form tribal communities.

Food, shelter and clothing

The traditional food of the Evenks is meat and fish. Depending on their occupation, Evenks also eat berries and mushrooms, and sedentary people eat vegetables grown in their own gardens. The main drink is tea, sometimes with reindeer milk or salt. The national home of the Evenks is chum (du). It consists of a conical frame of poles covered with skins (in winter) or birch bark (in summer). There was a hearth in the center, and above it there was a horizontal pole on which the cauldron was suspended. At the same time, various tribes used semi-dugouts, yurts of various types, and even log buildings borrowed from Russians as homes.

Traditional Evenki clothing: cloth natazniks, leggings, caftan made of reindeer skin, under which a special bib was worn. The women's breastplate featured beaded decoration and had a straight bottom edge. Men wore a belt with a knife in a sheath, women - with a needle case, tinderbox and pouch. Clothes were decorated with fur, fringe, embroidery, metal plaques, and beads. Evenki communities usually consist of several related families, numbering from 15 to 150 people. Until the last century, a custom persisted according to which the hunter had to give part of the catch to his relatives. The Evenks are characterized by a small family, although polygamy was previously common in some tribes.

Beliefs and folklore

Cults of spirits, trade and clan cults, and shamanism were preserved. There were elements of the Bear Festival - rituals associated with cutting up the carcass of a killed bear, eating its meat, and burying its bones. Christianization of the Evenks has been carried out since the 17th century. In Transbaikalia and the Amur region there was a strong influence of Buddhism. Folklore included improvised songs, mythological and historical epics, tales about animals, historical and everyday legends, etc. The epic was performed

recitative, listeners often took part in the performance, repeating individual lines after the narrator. Separate Evenki groups had their own epic heroes (soning). There were also constant heroes - comic characters - in everyday stories. Among the musical instruments known are the jew's harp, the hunting bow, etc., and among the dances - the round dance (cheiro, sedio), performed to song improvisation. The games were in the nature of competitions in wrestling, shooting, running, etc. Artistic bone and wood carving, metal working (men), bead embroidery, silk embroidery among the eastern Evenks, fur and fabric appliqué, and birch bark embossing (women) were developed.

Evenks of China

Although in Russia the Evenki are generally believed to live in Russian Siberia, in the contiguous territory of China they are represented by four ethnolinguistic groups, the total number of which exceeds the number of Evenki in Russia: 39,534 versus 38,396. These groups are united into two official nationalities living in the Evenki Autonomous Hoshun of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and neighboring Heilongjiang Province (Nehe County):

Orochon (literally “reindeer herders”, Chinese: 鄂伦春, pinyin: Èlúnchūn Zú) - 8196 people according to the 2000 census, 44.54% live in Inner Mongolia, and 51.52% - in Heilongjiang Province, 1.2% - in Liaoning Province. About half speak the Orochon dialect of the Evenki language, sometimes considered a separate language; the rest are only in Chinese. Currently, Evenki reindeer herders in China are a very small ethnic group, numbering only about two hundred people. They speak a dialect of the North Tungusic language. The existence of their traditional culture is under great threat.
Evenki (Chinese: 鄂温克族, pinyin: Èwēnkè Zú) – 30,505 in 2000, 88.8% in Hulun Buir, including:
a small group of Evenks themselves - about 400 people in the village of Aoluguya (Genhe County), who are now being moved to the suburbs of the county center; They call themselves "Yeke", the Chinese - Yakute, since they elevated themselves to the Yakuts. According to Finnish Altaist Juha Janhunen, this is the only ethnic group in China engaged in reindeer herding;

Khamnigans are a heavily Mongolized group that speaks Mongolian languages - Khamnigan proper and the Khamnigan (Old Barag) dialect of the Evenki language. These so-called Manchu Hamnigans emigrated from Russia to China within a few years of the October Revolution; about 2,500 people live in the Starobargut khoshun;
Solons - they, together with the Daurs, moved from the Zeya River basin in 1656 to the Nunjiang River basin, and then in 1732 part of them went further to the west, to the Hailar River basin, where the Evenk Autonomous Khoshun was later formed with 9733 Evenks. They speak the Solon dialect, sometimes considered a separate language.

Since both the Hamningans and the “Yakut-Evenks” are very small in number (about 2000 of the former and probably about 200 of the latter), the overwhelming majority of people assigned to Evenki nationality in China are Solons. The number of solons was estimated at 7,200 in 1957, 18,000 in 1982, and 25,000 in 1990.

Great people of the Evenki people

GAUDA

Aguda (Agudai) is the most famous historical figure in the early history of the Tungus, the leader of the Tungus-speaking tribes of the Amur region, who created the powerful state of Aisin Gurun. At the beginning of the second millennium, the Tungus, whom the Chinese called Nyuizhi (Zhulichi) - Jurchens, ended the rule of the Khitans (Mongol tribes). In 1115, Aguda declared himself emperor, creating the Aisin Gurun (Anchun Gurun) Empire - the Golden Empire (Chinese: "Jin"). In 1119, Aguda decided to start a war with China and in the same year the Jurchens took Kaifeng, the capital of China at that time. The victory of the Tungus-Jurchens under the leadership of Aguda was won by a number of 200 thousand soldiers against a million-strong Chinese army. The Aisin Gurun Empire lasted more than 100 years before the rise of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan.

Bombogor

Bombogor - leader of the alliance of Evenki clans in the Amur region in the fight against the Manchu conquerors in the 17th century. Led by Bombogor, the Evenks, Solons and Daurs confronted the Manchus of the Qing Dynasty in the mid-1630s. Up to 6 thousand soldiers gathered under his banner, who fought for several years with the regular Manchu army. Only 5 years later the Manchus were able to capture Bombogor and suppress the resistance of the Evenks. Bombogor was captured by the Manchus in 1640, taken to the capital of the Manchu Emperor - the city of Mukden and executed there. With the death of Bombogor, the Evenks and all the peoples of the Amur region on the territory of China were subordinated to the emperor and the Qing dynasty.

Nemtushkin A.N.

Nemtushkin Alitet Nikolaevich is a famous Evenki writer and poet. Born in 1939 in the Irishki camp of the Katangsky district of the Irkutsk region in the family of a hunter, he was raised in boarding schools and by his grandmother Ogdo-Evdokia Ivanovna Nemtushkina. In 1957 he graduated from Erbogachenskaya secondary school, in 1961 from the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute named after Herzen.

After studying, Alitet Nikolaevich comes to work in Evenkia as a correspondent for the newspaper “Krasnoyarsk Worker”. In 1961 he became editor of Evenki Radio and worked in journalism for more than 20 years. His first book, a collection of poems “Tymani agidu” (Morning in the Taiga), was published when Alitet Nikolaevich was still a student in 1960. Since then, Nemtushkin has written more than 20 books, which were published in Krasnoyarsk, Leningrad, Moscow, and Yakutsk. Nemtushkin’s poems and prose have been translated into dozens of languages of the peoples of the former USSR and socialist countries.

The most significant and popular works of Alitet Nemtushkin are the poetry collections “The Bonfires of My Ancestors”, “Breath of the Earth”, prose books “I Dream of Heavenly Deer”, “Pathfinders on Reindeer”, “The Road to the Lower World”, “Samelkil - Marks on a Deer Ear "and others. In 1986, A. Nemtushkin was elected executive secretary of the Krasnoyarsk Writers' Organization; in 1990 he was awarded the title “Honored Worker of Culture”; in 1992 he was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature; Member of the Writers' Union since 1969.

Chapogir O.V.

Famous composer, author and performer of many Evenki songs. Oleg Vasilyevich Chapogir was born in 1952 in the village of Kislokan, Ilimpiysky District, Krasnoyarsk Territory, into a family of Evenk hunters. From childhood, he heard folk melodies from his mother and other Evenks, which, together with his natural gift, later influenced his life choice.

After graduating from eight classes at Turin Secondary School, Oleg Vasilyevich entered the Norilsk Music School in the folk instruments class of the northern department. Having received his diploma, in 1974 the future composer returned to his native Evenkia, where he began to create his works. He worked in the Ilimpiysky district department of culture, in an art workshop, in the district scientific and methodological center.

G.V. spoke beautifully about the talent and activities of Oleg Chapogir. Shakirzyanova: “The works of an earlier period, written by him immediately after graduating from college, are devoted mainly to youth themes, they contain an uncontrollable rhythm and a clear pulse of time. Song works of the late period bear the imprint of a deep thoughtful attitude towards folk poetry, towards its historical roots, which significantly distinguishes the compositional art of Oleg Chapogir from the work of other composers of Evenkia. Oleg Chapogir drew his inspiration not only from the unique beauty of the taiga nature, but also from the poems of our famous Evenki poets A. Nemtushkin and N. Oyogir.” Oleg Chapogir is the author of more than 200 songs and melodies. He released eight albums with songs about the Evenks and the North.

Atlasov I.M.

Atlasov Ivan Mikhailovich is a well-known public figure, one of the modern Evenki leaders, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Evenki people of Russia. Ivan Mikhailovich was born in 1939 in the Ezhansky nasleg of the Ust-May region of Yakutia in the family of an Evenk hunter. From an early age he worked along with adults, having experienced the hardships of wartime. He graduated from the 7-year Ezhan school, a secondary school in Ust-May. He graduated from Yakut State University in 1965 with a degree in industrial and civil engineering, remaining to teach at the same faculty. Since 1969, he worked at the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the YASSR, then as deputy director of Yakutgorpischetorg. From 1976 until his retirement, he worked at Yakutagropromstroy, where he built the largest retail and warehouse buildings of that time.

Since the late 80s. XX century is one of the founders of the social movement of indigenous peoples in Yakutia. For several years he headed the Association of Evenki of the Republic of Sakha, in 2009 he was elected Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Evenki People of Russia. The initiator of a number of legislative acts of republican significance aimed at supporting indigenous peoples, an active defender of the environment and the legal rights of small ethnic groups.

ABOUT THE HEROIC TALES OF THE EVENKI

The Evenki epic is diverse, it includes different types of legends about heroes and heroic women. Among the heroic tales, several characteristic types about hero-heroes stand out, each of them, in turn, has typical features indicating an unequal degree of development of the Evenki epic as a genre among different local Evenki groups. Heroic tales reflect different stages of development of the epic creativity of the Evenks. It is this fact that is very remarkable and interesting for the scientific world: in the epic folklore heritage of the Evenks, tales of different levels of development coexisted. The material of the heroic tales of the Evenks in all its typical diversity allows the scientist not only to see and analyze the process of formation and development of the Evenki epic, but also, when comparing the texts with examples of the epic of other peoples, to identify the general stages of development of the heroic epic as a genre.

First of all, let's briefly talk about folk terminology (used by the Evenki in relation to the works of their folklore), its features and genres of folklore among different Evenki groups. In the general environment of all local groups of Evenks in Russia, there are two main definitions: 1) nimingakan, 2) ul-gur. The term nimngakan unites works that, from the point of view of a folklorist, belong to different genres: myth, fairy tale, heroic tale and type of heroic tale. Ulgur - legend (historical, mythological, etc.), as well as oral stories of the Evenks (Ulgur - lit.: story). However, the presence and existence of genres of Evenki folklore, as well as their designation by folk terms, is not the same everywhere (more precisely, not among all local groups). For example, we have not identified the existence of heroic tales among the Evenks of the northern regions, namely, in Evenkia and northern Yakutia. They were not noted among these local groups by other, earlier, collectors of Evenki folklore. Heroic tales are predominantly common among the Evenks of Transbaikalia and eastern puppies (including the territory of Southern Yakutia), this is confirmed by the published texts of scientific editions of Evenki folklore.

The folk terminology of the Western Evenks differs from the terminology of the Eastern ones, and also has its own characteristics among the Transbaikal (Buryat) Evenks. For example, the Western Evenks do not know the term of the Eastern Evenks nimbakama nimingakan (literally: shamanizing-singing nimingakan), the eastern Evenks also distinguish epic narratives, which they define as gume nimingakan (literally: spoken, told niminga-kan) and correlated with heroic fairy tales The presence of a type of Evenki heroic tale was first noted by GM. Vasilevich in the introductory article to the collection “Historical folklore of the Evenks (tales and traditions).” Speaking about the Zeya-Aldan stories about heroes, she writes that “Zea-Aldan tales are told.<...>They are closer to heroic tales and they contain many motifs from the epics of the Turkic and Mongolian peoples.” However, she does not name the popular term that in most cases the Evenki define this type of narrative.

Connoisseurs of Evenki folklore and professional performers label their epics with the term nimngakama nimngakan, which literally translates as “nimngakan, similar to the shaman’s singing nimngakan” and is understood as “singing nimngakan,” since the monologues of the heroes of legends are necessarily sung. Each hero has an individual melody and singing words that serve as his calling card. This is the main difference between the Evenki epic and the works that the Evenki define as gume nimngakan. For example, the storyteller Klavdia Pavlovna Afanasyeva, before starting to perform a particular plot, always stated: “Er nimkakama nimkakan, nunanman hegevkil 'This is nimngakama nimngakan, they sing it'” or: “Er gume nimkakan, nunganman eukil hegere” This is gume nimngakan, it is not sung."

Evenki narratives, defined as gume niminga-kan, have much in common with a typical heroic tale. However, they have their own specifics, indicating that the Evenki heroic tale Gume Nimingakan is in an early stage of its formation and is a transitional step to the developed Evenki epic. Our observations of the existence, storytelling, and performance of different types of Evenki folklore show that the form of performance (storytelling) of gume nimngakan was accessible to a larger circle of people than the epic nimngakama nimngakan. Conventionally, the Evenki heroic tale can be called a more “democratic”, “profane” type of epic narrative than the heroic tales of Nimngakam Nimngakan, for the following reasons - in order to convey, tell the gume Nimngakan, you do not need: 1) to have a special singing talent ; 2) musical ear (for memorizing all the musically individual chants of the heroes of the epic); 3) to coincide with special events (as opposed to the performance of an epic); 4) gather a large audience; they could be told to one listener (whereas the performance of an epic required collective listening). The transmission of gume nimngakans was not associated with sacred moments. Good performers of the epic had their own spirit, a patron of their talent (itchi), but the narrator of the gume nimngakans did not need one. The narrator of the epic underwent a kind of initiation to become a performer of the epic - nimngakalan; this popular definition-term is awarded only to performers of the epic, along with shamans, who are called nimngalans. Women, storytellers of the Evenki epic, in most cases went through a kind of “path of initiation,” most often through an illness, which they got rid of by mastering the skill of performing heroic tales. For example, according to the story by K.P. Afanasyeva, by the age of 29 she began to suffer from epileptic illness and faint. Her grandmother was the storyteller of the Evenki nimngakama nimngakans. As a child, K.G. Afanasyeva learned many tales from her grandmother, but did not perform them in public. Her grandmother took her to a shaman to cure her of seizures. Pokamlav (to find out the way to cure), the then famous shaman Fedot Timofeev showed her the way to get rid of the disease - she had to perform heroic tales in front of an adult audience for 7 days. So K.G. Afanasyeva was healed and became a nimngakalan storyteller.

Thus, gume nimngakan was a democratic version of the Evenki epic narrative. Works of this genre, like ulghurs (legends), could tell everything. Many threads of Evenki folklore said: “Gume nimnakanma ulgugechinme niket sari bee ulguchendinen - tarlak bo. Nimnakama nimnakanma nimkakalan-nyun nimnakandyan. ‘Gume nimngakan, like ulgur, any knowledgeable person can tell - this is so. Nimngakama nimngakan (heroic legend) only the storyteller-nimngakalan will perform and sing.”

The same requirements are not imposed on the transmission (telling) of the gume nimingakan as for the performance of the Evenki epic, for the nimbakama nimingakan is sacred for the Evenks, and the gume niminga-kan is, as it were, taken out of this sphere, like the ulgur. For example, this is how the storyteller Anisya Stepanovna Gavrilova spoke about it: - Nimkakama nimkakanma baldynal, gerbinel, alganal, ikevkil “Having given birth to Nimngakama nimngakan, naming, singing the spell alga, they perform and sing.” Speaking about how nimn-gakama nimngakan should be performed ( i.e. epic), K.P. Afanasyeva explained to us that the storyteller’s narration should be like a strong and smooth flow of a river: “Eekte bira eektekechin ikenyvkil “The singing of nimngakan should be like the powerful flow of a large river.” She spoke about the originality of the performance of the heroic legend like this: “Nadalladu eendenna, nadalladu ikendenna, Bugava tokorihinmuvna ‘For seven days you float with the current of the nimngakan, for seven days you sing the nimngakan, you circle throughout the entire Bug Universe with the nimngakan’.”

V.M. Zhirmunsky put forward the concept of the “heroic tale” as an ancestral form of the heroic epic. The archaic features of an epic in a heroic tale are: 1) the fabulous image of a giant hero; 2) the miraculous nature of his exploits; I) a clear mythological background of many motifs and images. V.M. Zhirmunsky identified the main structural parts of the heroic tale: prologue, heroic matchmaking, adventures of the hero, return home. All these structural parts are present in gume nimngakana. However, in most of them there is no heroic matchmaking in its classical form, which speaks of the archaic stage of the Evenki heroic tale. V, M. Zhirmunsky, using materials from a comparison of the heroic tale of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples about Alpamysh with the epic about Alpamysh, deduced the theory of the epic, which later became generally accepted. Published and unpublished material of Evenki folklore (available in the archives of modern collectors of Evenki folklore A.N. Myreeva, N.Ya. Bulatova, G.I. Varlamova) testifies to one remarkable fact - the popularity of the same names of heroes for the sung heroic tales of the nimngakam nimngakans and gume nimngakans performed in narrative form. Let's list the names of the main characters (with variations of affectionate, diminutive, and augmentative suffixes):

Male names

1. Umusli, Umusni, Umusliken, Umuslindya, Umusnindya.

2. Garpani, Garparican, Garpanindya, Garpas Garparican.

3. Torganay, Torganu, Torgandun.

4. Khuruguchon, Khurukuchon, Khurukuchondya.

5. Altanai, Altanukan, Altanyndya.

Female names

1. Sekankan, Sekak, Sekakindya, Sekalan

(the most common).

2. Nyungurmok, Nyungurdok, Nyungurmokchan, Nyungurdokindya.

3. Unyaptuk, Unyuptuk, Unyuptukchon, Uunyaptukindya.

For example, there is a heroic tale about Garparikan, as well as an epic about Garparikan among the Eastern Evenks. The Eastern Evenks have many works of the same name, the epic proper (nimngaka-ma nimngakan) and the heroic tale (gume nimngakan). For example, we recorded the heroic tale “The daring maiden Sekakchan-Seryozhka and her younger brother named Of those who have strong veins, the most sinewy, who never falls on his ribs, is Irani the hero” and the heroic tale “The daring maiden Sekak and Irana’s brother.” The legend was recorded in 1989 in the village. Udskoye from A.S. Gavrilova (native of the Selemdzha River in the Amur Region). The heroic tale about Sekak and her brother Irana was recorded in 1984 from Varvara Yakovleva in the village. Ulgen, Amur region. The plots of the heroic tale and legend coincide in the main points and belong to the same local territory. In the heroic tale about Sekak and her brother Irana there are more characters, the heroes have more trials than in the Bog Tyr tale.

Among the heroic epic heritage of the Evenks, one can distinguish the earliest type, when the hero, although perceived as a hero, does not perform feats in the fight against enemies - he simply travels to unknown distant lands, finds fellow relatives, participates in peaceful heroic fights, finds himself bride, returns to his native land and becomes the chief of the Evenks. Stories of this type are small in volume, the main character is a lonely hero who wants to find others like himself (humans, people), there are few secondary characters, some of them are represented by the hero’s animal assistants. The classic image of the early type of heroic tales is the text about Umusliken that we publish in this collection.

The Evenks have many tales about a lonely hero named Umusliken (Umusmi, Umuslinei, Umuslindya); he is one of the most popular heroes of the Evenki epic. We have chosen for publication the most striking example of the early type, when the hero in the story does not perform heroic feats in the generally accepted sense (fighting enemies). His entire feat consists in the fact that he finds relatives, arriving in the Upper World with the help of a wapiti assistant (ancestral totem). Umusliken takes part in the Ikenik holiday and finds himself a wife. The hero overcomes certain difficulties, reaches the Upper World, and in the final part becomes the ancestor of the Evenks. The purpose of his campaign is the instruction with which the wapiti wapiti admonishes him:

You yourself will go to the Upper Land of Irai.

To that Upper Irai-land and heroes,

And the kidak bird maidens arrive at the Ikenik games.

Go to those Ikenik games yourself.

You will find a girlfriend there.

I'll stay here, go.

If you find a girlfriend, you will become a man. You will become the root-ancestor of man,

You will light a hearth fire,

You will give birth to a child.

Well, go ahead

Become the root-ancestor of man!

Already at the very beginning of the tale, the lonely hero is warned of danger by the flying bird-maiden Kidak:

- Kimonin! Kimonin!

Kimonin! Kimonin!

From the middle-earth Turin-land

Hello residents, let it be to you!

Umuslinay, listen!

Kimonin! Kimonin!

Orphan if you are

From distant lands"

Having arrived, I travel

From the land of the Seven Gorges of the earth,

I have arrived, listen!

Enemies from the Lower World

In seven days

Your Kulumtan hearth will be extinguished,

“Run away quickly,” she said.

The next type includes tales where the main characters are a lonely brother and sister. In this work, we publish one of them as a typical example of this type of legend: the main character is a heroic sister who arranges the fate of her younger brother. She is a daring hero to the same extent as her brother. The daring girl Sekakchan-Seryozhka, wanting to marry her brother to the daughter of the Sun, fights with the hero of the Upper World, the daughter of the Sun herself, defeats her and forces her to marry Irana’s brother. Parallel to the story of the exploits of sister Sekak is the story of her younger brother Irana. Irani confronts an enemy hero from the Avakh tribe named Iron Root (Seleme Ninteni); he protects a heavenly old man named Gevan (Dawn) and his daughter from the attacks of the hero of the Lower World.

An example of a developed Evenki epic is the story of Irkismond, proposed in this book. The publication represents the first cycle of the legend “Irkismondya the Hero”; the entire legend consists of four cycles. The first cycle tells about the hero Irkismond from the moment of his birth, his heroic campaign to other worlds and countries in search of his native roots, his betrothed to continue his family, his native Evenki tribe. As a result of the victory over the enemies of the heroes of other tribes and worlds, the hero of the Middle World Dulin Buga, the hero of the Evenki tribe Irkismondya, finds his betrothed in the Upper World Ugu Buga and wins the right to become her husband. He brings her with a rich dowry to his Middle World and becomes the first ancestor of the Evenks.

At the beginning of the story, an epic picture of the appearance of the Middle World - the earth - is given. As usual, all traditional Evenki tales begin with this. This is a traditional beginning, characteristic of the epic of the Turkic and Mongolian peoples. In this legend, Irkismondi has a mute brother, a blacksmith, who makes hunting and military weapons for him.

Three cycles of the legend were first published in the scientific publication “Folklore of the Evenks of Yakutia” in 1971, the last cycle (the fourth) has not yet been published. The first cycle tells about the life and exploits of the first ancestor of the Evenki Irkismondi, then about his son, grandson and great-grandson. The Tale of Irkismond in 1971 was the first attempt to publish the heroic epic of the Evenks; the text had not yet been divided into stanzas according to the rhythmic speech of the narrator. The main monologues of the characters are also printed in continuous prose text. Scientific transcription was used for publication. In this book, for the first time, the poetic text of the heroic legend about Irkismond meets the requirements for publishing the heroic epic, and the practical writing of the Evenks is used to read the legend by a wide range of readers.

A special type of heroic tales of the Evenks are tales close to heroic tales. It should be noted that the heroic tale of the Eastern Evenks often has a short beginning. This beginning is inherent only in gume nimngakans about lonely heroes: it is similar to the beginning of an epic, it always has its own specific rhythm, which makes it easy to write it down as a poetic and rhythmic text:

Dulin Buga dulkakundun,

Egder yane hulidun,

Umun bee Baldychan.

Eni guneri enine achin,

Ami guneri amina achin.

Emukkokon bidecheng.

Tyken bidechen.

Gorovo-gu,

Ahakana-gu tyken bidechen,

N"i-kat ehin sara.

In the very middle of Middle Earth,

On the edge of a large taiga river,

One person was born.

There is no mother called mother,

There is no father called father.

He lives alone.

This is how I lived.

How long,

You never know how I lived,

No one knows.

Further narration is more often conveyed in simple speech (non-rhythmic).

Special types of heroic tales of the Evenki include the singing about the brothers Tyvgunai Urkeken and Cholbon Chokulday, recorded from the indigenous Aldan Evenk from the Devulga clan. It was passed down from generation to generation only in this clan. I.T. Marfusalov (b. 1895), from whom this nimngakan was recorded in 1965, heard it performed by his father Duley Timofey, a famous shaman and storyteller, since childhood. Nimngakan has the features of a heroic tale, for example, the presence of magical objects that turn into various insects, birds, etc. In its characteristic features, this text echoes the tales of the neighboring Upper Aldanose Evenks. Nimngakan is filled with everyday details of the traditional life of the Evenks: for example, a method of tanning skins using boiled brains and livers of ungulates is described. However, with all this, this work is characterized by elements characteristic of an epic. Nimngakan has an original beginning, not found in the tales of the Evenks of other regions:

I lay down in the wilds of the ancients,

In the depths of years gone by,

At the mouth of five deep rivers

With thundering valleys,

with flaming capes.

Under a spreading tree

Tyvgunai the young man was born.

As in many gume nimngakans, here the hero is alone:

He didn’t know at all whether he was born by his father,

Is it raised by thunder?

Did he come from his mother?

Did he come out of the cradle?

He was an orphan.

The characters are heroes, who are called bukunor, from the word buku ‘strong’; in all other Evenki legends, heroes are called mata or soning. The assistants of the bogaty-rei are magical horses-atyga, this name is recorded only in this nimngakan; in all other Evenki legends they are called the common Tunguska murin ‘horse’.

The noted features give reason to assume that this legend as a genre is at the stage of transition from a heroic tale to a heroic epic and represents a special type of heroic tales of the Evenks.

This book is addressed to both folklore specialists and a wide range of readers. The purpose of the publication is to expand the understanding of the heroic epic of the Evenks. Research on Evenki folklore and samples of works are published in insufficient quantities; for this reason, Evenks do not have the opportunity to become familiar with their folklore in more detail. We hope that this collection will allow representatives of the Evenki ethnic group to learn more about their native folklore - one of the fundamental foundations of the spiritual culture of the people.

G. I. Varlamova, Doctor of Philology

A.N. Myreeva, Candidate of Philological Sciences

Historical folklore of the Evenks: Tales and legends / comp. G.M. Vasilevich. - M.; L., 1966. - P. 15.

A long time ago - the Evenks lived in their clans - the Changita robbers roamed the taiga. The Changits killed all men, even boys. The Evenk hunter Koevai then had a son. He grew up quickly, like an elk, and soon became a hero.

Once he was hunting in the taiga. He sees a miracle: a non-taiga man is leaning against a tree, holding a stick in his hand. Fire and smoke jump out of this stick.
A lynx fell from the tree where the stick was pointing. The hero watched the new man. He saw him put a stick on his back (a rope was tied to the stick). He approached the dead animal. The man's face is thickly covered with hair. His hair looks like last year's grass in a swamp. And he himself is big, tall, wide. The man skinned the lynx. I took the skin. Let's go. Evenk is behind him. But he stepped on a dry branch. The man looked back. Evenk stopped. The man approached the hero. Asked:
- Who are you?
- Evenk the hero. And who are you?
- Russian.

He showed the Evenk a bow-stick. Evenk called the Russian to the tent. Treated him. The guest gave him a shooting stick. Gone.
All the taiga people began to envy the hero. But the hero did not want to have a shooting stick alone. He got a lot of fire sticks for the Evenks. A new friend helped him. The peaceful Evenks became very strong. The Changits were now afraid to attack them.

One day the Changits came out in peace to the Evenks. We gathered for a big holiday. Everyone began to live in friendship.

Evenki legend

Evenki (self-name - Orochon, outdated name - Tungus) - a people settled on the territory of the Evenki Autonomous Region. env. (Krasnoyarsk Territory) and in other regions of Siberia and the Far East. In total, according to 1995 data, 30 thousand people live in Russia. Small groups of Evenks live in China and Mongolia. Believers are adherents of traditional beliefs; some are Orthodox. The Evenki (Tungus) language belongs to the Tungus-Manchu languages. Writing based on the Russian alphabet.

TYVGUNAI–MOLODETS AND CHOLBON–CHOKULDAI

A long time ago, many years ago, at the mouth of five deep-water rivers with wide valleys and burning capes, under a tree with thick branches, there lived Tyvgunai the good fellow. This young man did not know either his father or mother, did not know whether he was born by a thunderstorm, whether he was born by a woman, or whether he came out of the cradle himself - he was an orphan. He gnawed the willow with his teeth and, twisting the bowstring, made himself a small hunting bow from the bast of the willow. And he lived by getting them various small animals.

Living like this, one day I thought: “I’ll go up the river and see what’s there,” and off I went. Tired on the road. Suddenly he looks - the camp appears. He comes up and sees two ducks swimming along the shore. Having crept up to them, I wanted to shoot an arrow, but the ducks continued to dive and swim. He pulled the bowstring, but did not shoot, for fear of killing someone’s bird.

Then he asked:

Maybe you belong to one of the locals? Let's talk, you tell me everything and don't say later that he killed you without warning! - says Tyvgunai, well done.

The ducks took off. As they took off, they sang:

Well, Tyvgunai, born under a spreading tree, almost destroyed us. He’s probably a kind person, that’s why he regretted it. We, having become ducks, almost allowed ourselves to be destroyed. There was a thimble left on the mound where we sat before swimming. Take it and take care of it, it will do you good!

Tyvgunai, the good fellow, looked at the golden thimble, took it and put it in his pocket. Then he came to the camp. A lot of people gathered there, and there were many heroes. Among them is the rich owner of the camp.

This owner said:

Here you can see the arc of a bow stuck into the ground. To the hero who managed to pull out this bow, I will give my daughter as a wife.

Every day the heroes tried to pull out this bow, but no one could pull it out. Tyvgunai, the good fellow, walked and walked, looked and went home. Returning, he sees a hero sitting under a spreading tree. Noticing him, Tyvgunai got scared. And he tells him:

Don't be afraid of me, I am your older brother. Many years have passed since I have been looking for you. Where did you come from?

“I walked upstream of the river, there is one camp where the heroes are trying to pull out a bow stuck in the ground in order to marry the rich man’s daughter, but no one can pull it out, I looked at it and returned,” says Tyvgunai.

Here is my horse, enter his left ear - you will find food, enter his right ear - you will find clothes, says the elder brother Cholbon-Chokuldai.

Well done Tyvgunai did everything as his brother ordered and became a hero. They rode up the river on horseback. We arrived, and the bow was sticking out as it was, no one could pull it out. Then Cholbon-Chokuldai jumped off his horse and pulled his bow, the arc of the bow broke and bounced up, a little later something flashed like lightning; when the arc reached the Upper World, it was as if thunder thundered.

Then Cholbon-Chokuldai and his brother mounted their horses and flew to the Upper World to see what had happened.

We reached the Upper World. It turned out to be land, there were so many people there, like mosquitoes, and cattle like gadflies. When we walked along it, we saw smoke coming out from under the ground. They leaned over to the place where it was smoking and saw a half-burnt old man and woman sitting.

Old lady, my liver hurts, I would like to give you a piece of liver,” says the old man.

The old woman answers:

Uh, my hostesses gave me a piece of liver, saying: “Brush the skin with the liver to make it soft.” If I give up my liver, they will again hammer my poor head with their silver tongs.

Old lady, I have a headache, don't you have a little brain? - the old man asks.

Oh, you’ve already eaten that piece of brain that they gave you yesterday, they’ll be hammering my poor head again. My chest aches, but in this world there is no one to remember me. When you were young and fought with the heroes and when they, having defeated you, flew into this world, taking us with them, I left a two-year-old boy under a large larch, covering with measles, saying: “If he remains alive, let him be called Cholbon- Chokulday." I left a six-month-old boy under a branchy tree, covered him with an old deer board, saying: “If you stay alive, you will be called Tyvgunai the good fellow.” But they probably didn't survive. How can they get into this world? My chest aches,” says the old woman.

Hearing these words, the brothers entered the tent.

Where are you guys from? - asks the old woman.

We came from the Middle World, my name is Cholbon-Chokuldai, and this is my younger brother Tyvgunai, well done,” says the eldest.

We came into this world when the heroes defeated us. They left you in your homeland. There are heroes here that no one can resist. Now they lie: their death came from the Middle World and tore half of their body from each. They roast us over the fire, asking: “Who is left in your homeland?” And they force their shamans to do magic: let them, they say, find out where death came to them from. If the shamans cannot find out, they cut off their heads,” the mother said.

Then the brothers went out, killed several heads of cattle and gave their parents something to eat. Then we went to the big house of the heroes. The house was full of people; the guys hid, sat down and began to watch how the heroes cut off the heads of the shamans. So they brought one shaman, she began to predict:

The people who sent death from the Middle World have come and are sitting here among you.

Hey, cut off her head, don’t let her deceive you, how can they be among us! - ordered the elder hero.

Then the shaman said:

Good fellows, don’t let me cut off my head, come before us. - And she lowered the tambourine.

Cholbon-Chokuldai and Tyvgunai-well done appeared before the heroes. Both wounded heroes stood up and stared at the guys. One hero’s name was Singkoltukon-Eden, the other was Begaltukon-Eden.

We were the heads of the clan, the best of Eden, the greatest of the great, and now we have become cripples, sitting here. You won, so cure us!

The guys spat on their palms, rubbed the heroes, and they, becoming the same as they were before, rose to their feet. Getting up, they went to the fighting area and went to fight. The brothers are behind them. Having mounted their horses, the elder began to fight with the elder, the younger with the younger. So they fought, taking off on horses to the very edge of the Upper World. Suddenly Cholbon-Chokuldai stopped seeing. And Singkoltukon, jumping from one side or the other, began to chop it down with his palm tree. At this time, Cholbon-Chokuldai’s horse began to sing:

Above my left ear, under my mane, there is a silver hatchet, quickly take it and hit it across my muzzle. After that, look down! When you bend over, you will see a small raft tied at four corners to Singkoltukon's horse. On it, one old woman lit a smoker and fumigates us with smoke. Kill her. The blood dripping from my nose will be extinguished by her smoker. When the smoke goes out, you will see clearly again.

Cholbon-Chokuldai, as the horse ordered him, grabbed an ax, hit the horse on the nose with a swing, blood gushed out in a stream, and it became light. I looked down and it turned out that an old woman was sitting on a raft tied to Singkoltukon’s horse, fumigating him with smoke. Cholbon-Chokuldai killed her with one shot.

They started beating again. After a while Singkoltukon says:

Well, apparently, none of us can defeat each other, let's stop fighting and come to us.

Go. Having arrived, we entered the house. The house was very nice. Singkoltukon says:

Well, sit down here!

The seat was also good, strong in appearance. As soon as Cholbon-Chokuldai said “I’ll sit down!”, the seat under him broke through and he flew down. He flew for a long time and suddenly heard:

I, Singkoltukon, brought down a brave man to the Lower World.

If he were driving cattle in front of him and behind him, we would wait for him to eat,” Cholbon-Chokuldai hears again.

Our man has nothing, out of frustration he scooped clay into his palms and said: “Transform, walk ahead of me,” and threw the clay forward. The clay turned into cattle. He grabbed the clay with his other hand, saying: “Having turned into cattle, follow behind me,” and threw it back, it turned into cattle.

A brave man: he has cattle in front and behind him. Well, bring him into the house, smoke him for three days, let him get used to the smell of this country.

When he entered the house, one old woman, sitting by the fire, was singeing a man's head, throwing it into the fire and taking it out from there. There were many human bones lying there. The old woman says:

A person who ends up in this country does not return to his homeland, I also lived in the Middle Land. If you are a human being, then don’t breathe in the air of this country for three days; if you breathe in, you won’t leave here.

For three days those cannibals burned human bones in the fire. Our man sat, not breathing the air of this country, waited for the main cannibal to fall asleep, watched him, but would he fall asleep! He didn’t close his eyes for thirty days. When a month had passed, I closed one eye, and three days later I closed the second. So he closed both eyes.

Above the place where Cholbon-Chokuldai was sitting, there hung a huge bell, like a plague, the bell had a tongue. Our man, turning into a spider, stretched his web to the bell's tongue. The web, having reached the tongue, immediately stuck. Cholbon-Chokuldai walked along it. As he approached, he saw: through the sky, like the eye of a needle, the opening of the Upper Land was barely visible.

Our man began to climb up the tongue of the bell, and when he got up, he immediately flew up, turning either into a gadfly or a bird. And so he began to approach the hole. When there was a distance left to him equal to the length of a large larch, he turned into a man and jumped. When he jumped, a bell rang below and the cannibal’s cry was heard:

Oh! Cholbon-Chokuldai escaped!

And then the sound of a chase was heard. Cholbon-Chokuldai barely escaped. In the place where he came out, an ogre stuck out up to his chest. Almost grabbed him, but did not dare to go further, he returned, saying:

And from now on, come with cattle in front and behind, then only come back.

Since then, they say, shamans began to take cattle for rituals.

Cholbon-Chokuldai returned and saw Singkoltukon-Eden watching the horses fight. Cholbon-Chokuldai said then:

You dog, before you deceive me again, I will get even with you! Let's go to the rock where the earth meets the sky, there they will judge which of us is right and which is wrong.

He agreed and went after Cholbon-Chokuldai. Finally we came to that place. Cholbon-Chokuldai was the first to mount his horse and jump into the gap when the sky moved away. Only the tip of the horse's tail was cut off. When Singkoltukon jumped on his horse, he was cut in two. That's how he died.

Cholbon-Chokuldai went to look for his brother. I followed the footsteps of the battle. Finally I saw the horses clinging to each other with their teeth. He looked again and saw that his brother and Singkoltukon’s brother, their nails dug into each other’s faces, exhausted, were already lying near death.

Cholbon-Chokulay spat on his palms, and as soon as he stroked his brother, he immediately became the same as before.

Well, how are you? Can you still fight or not?

And Tyvgunai pulled Begaltukon the hero by the hand and helped him sit down.

He said:

Now I can’t, my brother helped you, help me too. By killing me, exhausted, you will not gain glory.

He is also being treated, and he has become the same as he was before. Now we’ll look for each other’s souls, bring them in, and let them come to an agreement.

Begaltukon says:

When you go down to the Middle Land, at the mouth of five deep-water rivers there is a large reach; go down into the very middle of it, into the very depths, there are many galyans floating there. There is the smallest silver hookah, catch it, catch it and bring it.

After thinking for five days, aiming for ten days, he shot an arrow, saying:

Return with a message on the bowstring, with a gift at the tip of the tip.

When he fired, there was a splash of water below, sounding like strong thunder. Tyvgunai lost consciousness. That arrow quickly returned, carrying Tyvgunai’s soul. Tyvgunai, the good fellow, tried to take it away, but the arrow would not yield to him; it gave it to its owner.

Then Tyvgunai sang:

When you ascend the course of three deep-water rivers, pass the sources and the mountains approach them, in the very middle of the peak you will find a huge larch with ninety-nine holes. Split it like dust, from those ninety-nine holes ninety-nine swallows will fly out, from them a small swallow will fly highest, catch and bring it.

He aimed for ten days with a strong bow made from the heart of a tree, thought for five days and, saying: “Come back with a message on the bowstring, with a gift at the tip of the tip,” he shot an arrow. It exploded with a noise, as if bright lightning had flashed. After some time, the arrow thundered like strong thunder, hit the larch with ninety-nine holes and pierced it, splitting it like rotten wood. Begaltukon also lost consciousness several times.

Suddenly they see how far, far away, under the very bottom edge of the sky, a swallow is flying, with an arrow flying straight behind it. They are already approaching the opening of the Upper Land, a swallow is about to fly away. Tyvgunai, the good fellow, remembered the thimble, threw it towards the hole, and the hole closed tightly. The swallow flew into the thimble, the arrow caught it and brought it back.

Begaltukon tried to take his soul, but gave the arrow to its owner.

Well, now none of us will win, let’s make peace, we won’t fight, we’ll exchange our souls, you go home,” says Begaltukon.

The guys took their mother and father with them, returned to the Middle Land, and lived happily ever after, they say. Tyvgunai, a fine fellow, married a girl who gave him her thimble, and Cholbon-Chokuldai married the daughter of the owner of a rich camp, and they lived very well.

TORGANAY

Once upon a time, when Mother Earth was the size of a small rug, and the sky was the size of a chipmunk’s eye, it sparkled a little, two boys lived. The eldest was called Torganay, the youngest was Chanykoy. So they lived and lived, day by minute, year by night it seemed. So gradually one of the guys grew up. I made toys for myself, made bows. He made a chip-chip with a bow - he lowered the arrow, shouting “kuk-kuk”, and did not let the cuckoo fly past. He killed all the birds.

How did you become smooth and white?

Chanykoy said:

Oh, I am ironed, cleaned and whitewashed with birch bark and snow.

Torganai continued to earn a living. He hunted, killed animals and carried them home. For some reason, Chanykoy is very smooth and white! Torganai asked:

What are you doing that you turned so white, washed yourself and became smooth, removed the splinters and dirt from your hair, removed from your clothes? Tell me well. If you don't tell me, I'll beat you.

Chanykoy said:

Brother, don't hit me, I'll tell you. From the direction of sunrise, two swan maidens came and combed my hair and washed me, so I became clean.

Torganay said:

Well, you catch one of the two!

Chanykoy said:

I'll catch you!

Torganai hid behind the tent. When he hid and noon came, two maiden swan flew in. There, at the place where Chanykoy was chopping wood, they went down and entered the tent. Having entered, they combed and washed Chanykoy. When they were washing, Chanykoy, having caught the eldest, shouted:

Torganay! Hurry up and go!

Torganai ran and hung the plumage of a maiden swan on the top of the pole. So Torganai got a wife. Having married, Torganay lived with his wife for three days. Then he went to hunt for a living. Torganai came home, and there was no one at home - neither his brother nor his wife. He looked at the tree-pole - the tree had fallen, and he found his brother’s overturned cauldron rusty.

Well, Torganai was left alone. Left behind, Torganay began to think: “What should I, alone, do?” Then Torganai went west. On the way I met a three-headed eagle and sang:

Genge! Genge! Genge-koen!
Orlishche, be healthy!
I'm out of grief and misfortune
I went wandering.
Three-headed eagle,
What do you know?
Tell me.

The three-headed eagle sang:
Dyngdy! Dyngdy! Dyngdy-koen!
Great for the taiga man!
Two swan maidens
They flew to the east,
Three days have already passed.

Torganay says:

Well, you could help me!

Three Headed Eagle says:

Torganai went west and reached the river. I looked and the river was wide. Torganai has nothing to move with. Torganai looked up and down and shouted in all directions in a thin voice. He ran, took birch bark, stuck it to his soles and crossed the river. So he crossed all three rivers. Across the third river he saw the tracks of animals. Slowly Torganai crept up to the animals. The animals sensed him. Noticing him, the animals ran. Torganai chased after them. I chased and chased and caught up with the beast. Grabbing his horns, Torganai rolled over. And then a plain appeared to him instead of mountains and hills instead of pits. Overturned. I stood upside down for three days and came to my senses for five days. He stood up and said:

Beast with a silver bridle! My veins are tired, my lungs are tired from running. However, will you save me?

While he was crying, the eagle descended to the top of the mountain, and when he heard the crying, he rejoiced. “Someone sent me a son?!” - he said and, flying up, took him as his son. I brought it home. I left him at home and flew off to fish. Left alone, Torganai made toys for himself from the bones of animals, and made a tambourine. Tired of hunting, the eagle flew home and lay down to rest. As he slept, Torganai quietly tied himself to his leg. Having tied it, he hit the tambourine. The eagle flew up. He flew to the top of the mountain, and Torganai fell. Having fallen, Torganai came down. While going down, I heard crying. He started crying. I approached and looked and in the dry lake near Chirkumai a newborn child was crying. Chirkumai sings:

Cheever! Cheever! Cheever-koen!
Hush, Little Baby, Do not Say a Word.
Don't cry, don't cry!

Torganay approached Chirkumay and asked:

Whose child is this?

Chirkumai said:

It is the abandoned son of the swan-maiden that I nurse.

Torganai asked again:

Where did the swan maidens themselves fly off to?

Chirkumai said:

The swan-maidens went to their place, flew away, and will return at noon.

Torganai thought and said:

This is my son. Come on, make him cry so that the swan maidens will come sooner.

Chirkumai made the child cry a lot. Torganai himself hid in the thicket. Noticing how the swan maidens were approaching, Torganai, going to the side of the house, hid. Hiding, I heard the singing of the swan maiden.

The eldest had the name Geltangachan-Kuvulgat, the eldest says:

Let's go down quickly! The son began to cry. Chirkumai probably forgot to feed him.

The younger girl, humming, said:

Well, now goodbye!
If you didn't listen to me and came down,
Stay with your son-in-law!

She sang and flew west.

Well, now Torganai, having found his wife, began to live with her. Their son was growing up every night. His father made him toys and made him an onion. The child, having made a chip-chip with his bow, did not allow a single bird to fly over him. That's how he became an industrialist. I hunted and met various birds and animals. They asked: “What is your name?”

A boy with no name. There is nothing to answer if there is no name. The boy came home and asked his mother:

So I hunt, I meet birds, they ask me about my name, they laugh that I don’t have a name. How can I be like this without a name? Give me a name! - Having said this, he began to ask his father and mother.

The mother said to her husband:

Well, hubby, let's give our son a name! I’ll give him a name: let his name be Khuruguchon.

OK then! - Torganay said.

The boy, having received the name, was delighted, took the bow, and went to hunt. I hunted and met birds again. The birds asked him:

What is your name?

My name is Khuruguchon.

Khuruguchon beat animals while hunting. He kills ten, and brings the tenth home. One day, while hunting, I saw a chipmunk. “Chipmunk - what kind of animal is this? Why so handsome? Come on, I’ll catch him alive,” said Khuruguchon, he chased and caught him. Having caught it, he was delighted and ran home, pushing aside the spruce forest and shaking off the alder buds. He flew through the marnik, came home, and asked his father:

What kind of animal is this - edible or not?

Father said:

This is God's worker. You can't eat it!

Khuruguchon went to hunt again. As he walked and hunted, suddenly a strong whirlwind arose. And the whirlwind suddenly spoke:

Well, you strong guy, what are you waiting for? Where is your mother? Tell! If you don't tell me, I'll take the loot from you.

Khuruguchon looked - there was no one. I thought: “What did that say?” After thinking, I looked around again - there was nothing anywhere. Not understanding anything, he went forward - home. While walking, he sees the tracks of animals, and the animals were driven away before him. So, without killing anything, Khuruguchon returned home. Arriving home, I asked my mother:

When I was going fishing, a strong whirlwind arose, then someone spoke: “What are you waiting for, strong guy? Where is your mother?" - asked.

Mother said:

A! This is the daughter of the Sun, the strong maiden Sekakchan-Kuvulgat, probably.

Khuruguchon asked his mother:

Where is this daughter of the Sun Sekakchan-Kuvulgat? Tell me, I'll go to her. She greatly annoyed me and interfered with my work: she scattered my animals in front of me.

Khuruguchon's mother said:

Well, okay, I'll tell you. Go south, when you go there will be a silver house with a pillar reaching to the sky. The daughter of the Sun named Sekakchan lives in this house. The one-legged, one-armed Avasi the hero will be there. Its food is half a berry, and a spoon is half a spoon. If you defeat him, you will take the girl as your wife.

Khuruguchon placed ten-pound iron beams on both sides of the entrance to his mother’s house.

“If these beams rust, consider me dead,” he said.

He said goodbye to his father and mother and left. Khuruguchon walked and walked, day and night. As I walked, I thought to myself: “If I came from the Lower Lands, the earth would stick to my heel.” He said this and looked at his heels. There is no land there. Then he said: “If I came from the Middle Land, my leather caftan would be worn out.” He said this, looked - his leather caftan had worn out. So having passed, he came to the silver house. I came, tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open.

Well done Tyvgunai and Cholbon-Chokuldai. A resident of the village told in 1963. Ugoyan, Aldan district of Yakutia I. Marfusalov. Recorded and translated by candidate of philological sciences, researcher at the Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Yakut branch of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences, folklorist A. Myreeva.

Palma is a large knife mounted on a handle, something like a spear.

Torganai. Recorded in 1936 from a student at the Institute of Northern Peoples I. Romanov from the river. Zei, Chita region, translated and published by G. Vasilevich - Torganay. L.: Glavsevmorput, 1939.

Marnik is a bush, usually impenetrable.

Myths and legends of the peoples of the world. Peoples of Russia: Collection. - M.: Literature; World of Books, 2004. - 480 p.