Page 31 - ARCTIC_Atr&Culture_eng_3

The Material
Heritage

(goddesses’) change into birds “she became a diver and her knife with to be dead. I will order my knife to make you alive. You will jump on
birchbark shaft was converted into a sharp pecker”, into reindeer “he your feet quickly and boil a teapot. Soon two Khabies on the sledges
was cutting a reindeer’s stomach when his knife was stopped with a metal arrived. Nardalye tells his old woman: ‘The guests have come, boil the
buckle”, “Tes’da Junior targeted and killed a wild reindeer. He started teapot’. She has disagreed. Nardalye stabbed his knife into her neck,
cutting his body when, suddenly, his knife stumbled over an iron object. It blood started streaming. Then he threw the knife towards her and said:
turned out to be a buckle” [3:268]. The researcher V.P. Evladov mentions ‘The knife, makes the old woman alive’. The old woman jumped on her
the similar subject in his travel notes: “Once upon a time manufacturers feet at once and boiled the teapot. Khabies tell: ‘What a good knife
went wild reindeer hunting and they killed the complete Herd of 30 heads, you have got! This knife needs buying. Nardalye, sell the knife because
only one grey she-reindeer was left. My granddad Okatetta says that it our wives do not listen to us’. Nardalye responds: ‘I will sell for thirty
needs to be left alone. But the young did not listen to him and they killed reindeer’. Khabies bought the knife from Nardalye and left” [1:270].
her. The granddad started cutting in layers when his knife stopped. He A knife played a specific role in sacral rituals, an initiation, swearing-
pulled out the knife, there were jags on it. He lifted she-reindeer skin and in ceremonies, and oaths. So, during the nomads’ visits of the Obdor
cut. There was a female buckle. The granddad sewed it into the head of his fairy and tribute collection, the oath “on the wool” was administered,
deerskin overcoat. After a while, everyone knew about it and envied us. It under their beliefs. The swear in front of the bear skin was called so. An
was a buckle from she-reindeer Khaen-sale” [2]. axe and knife were laid on it. Besides, a juror was given a piece of bread
An owner’s knife was vested with specific power. The master on the knifepoint and an interpreter was pronouncing the words of the
does not only take care of it but also confers special magic properties oath: “Let a bear tear me apart, let me choke with this bread, let me be
upon it. “Do you have force to win Syeba Tes’da? He is a strong killed with this knife”.
shaman. You won’t be able to kill him in a simple way. Look at it, – she The ritual of young men’s first sacrifice existed among the Nenets.
has pulled out of the bosom a long knife like a sabre. I was unable to “When we killed she-reindeer, the old man told: ‘You will have your first
kill him with it. I think he is not worth killing. Num has punished him meeting.’ He put the reindeer on a bald mountain, with its head looking at
for misdeeds…” (Legends about Kin Heroes. Nomads Camp Tes’da) the sun, and he tied the skull to a protruding larch trunk. We put our knives
[3:270]; “Sokho Junior won’t be killed by any weapon. His death is near the warm body.”
always with him. He’s got a knife. He can die from his own knife. It is The law of hospitality has always reigned in tundra: a guest
not submitted to a shaman or a weapon. Maybe, you will kill him with was not only welcomed but was also given a present. From V.P.
this knife. Where will you take it? It seems to me that I will have to Yevladov’s travel notes: “Numed’s brother Khauku Puyko has decided
take this knife. Despite being my brother, he has bothered me a lot. He to present me with a knife ‘that is incomparable in Yamal’. He took
killed many innocent people” (Epic Songs. Syudbabts. The Master off his own one, with which he had been filing all day, and gave it
to me. It was offensive not to take the offering , otherwise Khauku,
It is true that a knife was presented who had been ‘chosen’ into a kin council, could be badly offended . I
took the knife and he made me promise that I would not present it to
in exceptional cases as a sign of anyone, would not give it to ‘an important chosen head’ but I would
special reverence. In the founds bring it back next time, he would gift me another knife, even better.
So the exchange would take place and then our sons would continue it.
of the museum and exhibition It was a specific suggestion of strong friendship. I took off my knife
complex, there is the exclusive immediately and hung it on his belt. Khauku shone with pleasure. He
got a new friend. The presented knife was not bad: it was made of a
exhibit such as a knife with a sheath strong trap spring with a mammoth bone handle” [2].
gifted to V.P. Yevladov It is true that a knife was presented in exceptional cases as a sign of
special reverence. In the founds of the museum and exhibition complex,
there is the exclusive exhibit such as a knife with sheath gifted to V.P.
Yabta Salya) [6:141]; “The old man Nenyang sat down on his sledge, Yevladov.
observing the struggled. Narechi could not free his head, drew his knife A knife (khar) and a belt (ni) serve both basic tools and dignity symbols
and started stabbing. But the knife is broad and cannot break through for a Nenets. The belt and knife have been converted from a simple category
a chain armour. ‘He has got armoured and you should do the same”, of the material culture with defined functions to the complicated sign
says Nenyang to his son. The young leader pulled out a knife. He had system as well as the sacral and social symbol. A man has valued his knives
panaruy. He cut under Narechi’s shoulder blade, so the knife went in very much from time immemorial. They were not only seen as a working
up to the shaft. Narechi was cut through a shoulder, from the shoulder tool but also as an art object having special cult meaning.
blade to the heart, and was killed” (The Epic Song. The Old Man
Nenyang) [1:275]. Literature:
There is a subject from lakhnako about the cunning poor 1. Golovnev A.V. The Tundra Nomads: the Nenets and their Folklore. Yekaterinburg: UrD RAS, 2004. – 344 p.
2. Yevladov V.P. Across Yamal Tundra to the White Island. The Expedition to the Far North of Yamal
Nardalye who defrauded two Khabies and got reindeer: “Once Peninsular in 1928-1929. Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. – Tyumen, 1992. – 281 p.
3. Yamal Nenets Myths and Legends / Compiled and illustrated by L.A. Lar. – Tyumen: The Pub. House of SB
Nardalye tells his old woman: ‘Those two on the sledges will go soon. RAS, 2001. – 294 p.
When they arrive, I will ask you to prepare tea for them but you should 4. Kharyuchi G.P. The Traditions and Innovations in the Nenets Culture (late XX century) / Ed. by N.V.
Lukina – Tomsk: Tomsk Univ. Publishing House, 2001. – 228 p.
disagree. Fill a partridge crop with blood and tie to the neck. Then I will 5. Khomich L.V. The Nenets. – M.-L., “The Pub. House: Nauka”, 1966. – 330 p.
6. The Nenets Epic Songs / Compiled by Z.N. Kupriyanova. – M.: Nauka, 1965. – 783 p.
stick a knife into that place, you will bleed, and you should pretend

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