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The Material
Heritage

“YOU HAVE GOT SEVEN

ǡ ǡ ǡ

Ǩdz

“The youngest brother has got seven knives. One of them is so great! If one needs
to make a hole in ferrum, it will do. If one needs to cut any iron, it will do. I will ask
about that knife”
(from the epic song. Syudbabts. A Master’s Son Yabta Salya) [6:137].

Nenets District Museum and I t is very important to know who a person was, where he lived and

how he made a living; depending on that a knife became either a
Koptseva Tatiana Valerievna,
PhD in Historical Sciences,
weapon or a tool. Say, in the Caucasus, where the whole history is
Director of the State Budgetary
Institution of the Yamal-Nenets
Autonomous District “The Yamal-
Exhibition Complex Named after marked with an armed confrontation, the knife has been drawn very
I.S. Shemanovskiy” easily. It was converted into a predatory and dangerous dagger visually being
a part of many national costumes in the region. Vice versa, the knife was

an ordinary tool for quite peace-loving Finns, that is why it looks absolutely
innocent. Both old and modern Finnish knives are often distinguished by a

blade that is shorter than the shaft. It is good to work with this knife but it is
difficult to use in a fight. It is a reliable assistant on the way for house chores,

hunting, and fishing.

A Nenets reindeer herder will also be unable to deal with his chores belt on copper chains: on the left – a knife in a sheath, on the right – a
without a knife. A boy’s hand has been accustomed to the knife since grindstone in a leather case, and behind – a bear fang protecting from
the age of five. Due to the ancient and natural labour division within a evil spirits and under the Nenets, brining hunting luck [5:117]. The belt
family, men were engaged in the working of wood, ivory, and ferrum. was fastened in front with a copper buckle. Copper adornments were
Each Nenets domestic set of tools used to consist of an axe, file, narrow bought by the Nenets from coppersmiths in the Russian villages.
chisel, piercer, bow-shaped drill, saw, and several types of knives. Axes Each Nenets man has got his own set of knives which are
and saws had been bought by the Nenets even in the past. Knives used distinguished by a purpose and a size.
to be made by the Nenets themselves. Moreover, blades were moulded Khar is a thickened waist knife with one-side (right) sharpening,
from a file, trap springs, and sometimes from a barrel of a faulty rifle located on the left of the waist belt. It resembles a straight metal stripe
[5:82]. A shaft and sheath were decorated with a rich geometric and was made of files. This knife is always at the disposal of each adult
ornament, compositions from skilfully cut out silhouettes, the stripes family member and a child who is older than six years. It is applied in
of copper and brass cut out from bought metal dishes, in order to make all possible domestic chores and during eating.
them festive and unrepeated. Khasavo khar is a double-sword, straight, thickened knife designed
A man’s belt (ni) was made of leather and decorated with copper for the rough work: the planning of a pole, staffs, details of sledges, and
plates of various shapes or buttons. The following used to be fixed to a for working of leather and ivory. It is useful for reindeer slaughter.

26 Arctic Art & Culture • №1 (3) • 2018 Arctic Art & Culture • №1 (3) • 2018 27