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The Material
Heritage

The male belt. The owner: Yevladov V.P. Early XX cent. From the funds of the SBI “MEC”.

For carving, finishing work on wood or ivory the knife Pyakh’ khar The symbolic character of a knife with sheath is a universal
is applied. He is always located in an igloo, as one knife or a set of them phenomenon of the world culture. Moreover, its functional and
to perform remedial work. One knife is larger than Khasavo khar, its semantic essence in different societies, historical layers, and
blade is sharpened from one side, and the back is straight and thickened. demonstration forms are usually integrated. It is connected with
The second knife from Pyakh’ khar set is thinner, sharpened from both thinking over macro- and microcosm by a person. The Ob-Ugrian and
sides, and its blade is pointed to the end. It is comfortable for ivory Samoyed mythology assigns a part of the earth creation to the very
carving or engraving. Its length is defined by a person’s palm. The third belt. The Northern Khanty myth was published more than once. It was
knife is thicker than the second one but thinner than the first one. It about the following. Numi-Torum stopped the first land spinning that
is also designed to carve ivory. This knife is sharpened on both sides had been lifted from the bottom by two divers. He did it having tied the
and the back is straight and thickened. With the help of the fourth earth by a belt using heavy silver buttons. The highland emerged on
knife, holes are more often made and details of round shapes are cut the Ob right bank from the first demiurge’s belt. The Urals grew from
out. It is especially exquisite and is sharpened on both sides. Its end the second shirt belt and fixed the land. It is obvious that the myth was
is pointed and back is straight and flexible. One more knife that looks familiar to the Russian pioneers who introduced a borrowed toponym
like a piercer is attributed to the Pyakh’ khar set. It is appropriate for into the Russian lexis. Under V. Dal’, “The Urals in the North were
working with leather, wood, and ivory. called ‘The Stone and Belt’”.
Other Knives are known such as Palirka khar (a knife like a sabre), The idea about the outer space vertical model having the upper,
Panaruy (a knife with a thin faceted blade). middle, and lower levels of the universe was spread in the archaic
Each Nenets woman has got her own set of knives: the big one or an societies and was inherent in the Western Siberian population as well.
axe for cutting purple willow in summer (in winter it is cut down with The belt served as a border marker of a human body. In the Nenets
a big axe); a gutting knife for fish and meat; a knife for dress-making worldview, a man’s belt divides its owner into two equal parts that are
(with a thin blade) and cutting out ornaments; a household knife for absolutely symmetrical with respect to the upper and lower worlds.
planning the kindling (it lays near the fireplace) [4:55], a safety knife A fixed belt with its shape of a circle (as a territory closed from the
with a blade made of reindeer bone to remove fish scales. effects of evil forces) corresponded to a role of a hurdle, obstacle, and
A knife received by a boy in the age group of 5-6 years has protector of the included space. Taking off the belt or unbelting meant
accompanied him for the rest of his life. When buried , a dead man was a break with the outer space, the liquidation of the frontier between the
found with all his belongings. His knife, traps, and deerskin overcoat middle and lower worlds that was fraught with the most unpredictable
buried with him. consequences. The probability to be exposed to the evil forces effect

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