Bahloo the Moon, and the Daens

Bahloo the moon asked earth people to carry his “dogs” (three snakes) across a creek, promising them rebirth if they agreed. Fearing the snakes’ deadly bites, they refused. Bahloo demonstrated their harmlessness but, angered by their refusal, cursed them to never rise again after death, unlike him. The earth people, resentful, began killing snakes, but Bahloo ensured their enduring presence as a reminder of their defiance.

Source
Australian Legendary Tales
collected by Mrs. K. Langloh Parker
London & Melbourne, 1896

► Themes of the story

Divine Punishment: Bahloo, a celestial being, punishes the earth people for their refusal to assist him, decreeing that they will not experience rebirth after death.

Supernatural Beings: The narrative features Bahloo, the moon deity, and his “dogs,” which are snakes with significant roles in the myth.

Origin of Things: The tale explains the perpetual presence of snakes on earth as a consequence of the people’s defiance, providing an origin story for their existence.

► From the same Region or People

Australia
- Narran Lore

Learn more about the Aboriginal Australians

Bahloo the moon looked down at the earth one night, when his light was shining quite brightly, to see if any one was moving. When the earth people were all asleep was the time he chose for playing with his three dogs. He called them dogs, but the earth people called them snakes, the death adder, the black snake, and the tiger snake. As he looked down on to the earth, with his three dogs beside him, Bahloo saw about a dozen daens, or black fellows, crossing a Creek. He called to them saying, “Stop, I want you to carry my dogs across that creek.”

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But the black fellows, though they liked Bahloo well, did not like his dogs, for sometimes when he had brought these dogs to play on the earth, they had bitten not only the earth dogs but their masters; and the poison left by the bites had killed those bitten. So the black fellows said, “No, Bahloo, we are too frightened; your dogs might bite us. They are not like our dogs, whose bite would not kill us.”

Bahloo said, “If you do what I ask you, when you die you shall come to life again, not die and stay always where you are put when you are dead. See this piece of bark. I throw it into the water.” And he threw a piece of bark into the creek. “See it comes to the top again and floats. That is what would happen to you if you would do what I ask you: first under when you die, then up again at once. If you will not take my dogs over, you foolish daens, you will die like this,” and he threw a stone into the creek, which sank to the bottom. “You will be like that stone, never rise again, Wombah daens!”

But the black fellows said, “We cannot do it, Bahloo. We are too frightened of your dogs.”

“I will come down and carry them over myself to show you that they are quite safe and harmless.” And down he came, the black snake coiled round one arm, the tiger snake round the other, and the death adder on his shoulder, coiled towards his neck. He carried them over. When he had crossed the creek he picked up a big stone, and he threw it into the water, saying, “Now, you cowardly daens, you would not do what I, Bahloo, asked you to do, and so forever you have lost the chance of rising again after you die. You will just stay where you are put, like that stone does under the water, and grow, as it does, to be part of the earth. If you had done what I asked you, you could have died as often as I die, and have come to life as often as I come to life. But now you will only be black fellows while you live, and bones when you are dead.”

Bahloo looked so cross, and the three snakes hissed so fiercely, that the black fellows were very glad to see them disappear from their sight behind the trees. The black fellows had always been frightened of Bahloo’s dogs, and now they hated them, and they said, “If we could get them away from Bahloo we would kill them.” And thenceforth, whenever they saw a snake alone they killed it. But Babloo only sent more, for he said, “As long as there are black fellows there shall be snakes to remind them that they would not do what I asked them.”

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The Galah, and Oolah the Lizard

Oolah the lizard, tired of lounging in the sun, practiced throwing boomerangs called bubberahs. A Galah admired his skill, but when Oolah threw one too hard, it struck her head, leaving her bald and bleeding. Furious, she attacked him, embedding prickles in his skin and staining him red. Since then, Galahs have bald patches, and red, spiky lizards like Oolah inhabit their land.

Source
Australian Legendary Tales
collected by Mrs. K. Langloh Parker
London & Melbourne, 1896

► Themes of the story

Tragic Flaw: Oolah’s pride in his boomerang skills causes him to throw it with excessive force, resulting in injury to the Galah and subsequent retribution.

Transformation: Both the Galah and Oolah undergo physical changes as a result of their encounter—the Galah becomes bald, and Oolah turns into a red, spiky lizard.

Origin of Things: The tale explains the distinctive physical traits of the Galah and certain lizards, attributing their appearances to this mythological event.

► From the same Region or People

Australia
- Narran Lore

Learn more about the Aboriginal Australians

Oolah the lizard was tired of lying in the sun, doing nothing. So he said, “I will go and play.” He took his boomerangs out, and began to practise throwing them. While he was doing so a Galah came up, and stood near, watching the boomerangs come flying back, for the kind of boomerangs Oolah was throwing were the bubberahs. They are smaller than others, and more curved, and when they are properly thrown they return to the thrower, which other boomerangs do not.

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Oolah was proud of having the gay Galah to watch his skill. In his pride he gave the bubberah an extra twist, and threw it with all his might. Whizz, whizzing through the air, back it came, hitting, as it passed her, the Galah on the top of her head, taking both feathers and skin clean off. The Galah set up a hideous, cawing, croaking shriek, and flew about, stopping every few minutes to knock her head on the ground like a mad bird. Oolah was so frightened when he saw what he had done, and noticed that the blood was flowing from the Galah’s head, that he glided away to hide under a bindeah bush. But the Galah saw him. She never stopped the hideous noise she was making for a minute, but, still shrieking, followed Oolah. When she reached the bindeah bush she rushed at Oolah, seized him with her beak, rolled him on the bush until every bindeah had made a hole in his skin. Then she rubbed his skin with her own bleeding head. “Now then,” she said, “you Oolah shall carry bindeahs on you always, and the stain of my blood.”

“And you,” said Oolah, as he hissed with pain from the tingling of the prickles, “shall be a bald-headed bird as long as I am a red prickly lizard.”

So to this day, underneath the Galah’s crest you can always find the bald patch which the bubberah of Oolah first made. And in the country of the Galahs are lizards coloured reddish brown, and covered with spikes like bindeah prickles.

Dinewan the Emu, and Goomblegubbon the Bustard

The story of Dinewan, the emu, and Goomblegubbon, the bustard, highlights themes of jealousy, trickery, and revenge. Goomblegubbon envies Dinewan’s supremacy and deceives her into sacrificing her wings. In retaliation, Dinewan tricks Goomblegubbon into killing her offspring. The tale explains why emus are flightless and bustards lay only two eggs, symbolizing the consequences of deceit and envy.

Source
Australian Legendary Tales
collected by Mrs. K. Langloh Parker
London & Melbourne, 1896

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: Goomblegubbon deceives Dinewan into cutting off her wings by pretending to have none herself, aiming to undermine Dinewan’s supremacy.

Revenge and Justice: After realizing the deception, Dinewan seeks revenge by tricking Goomblegubbon into killing her own offspring, leading to a cycle of retribution between them.

Transformation: The tale explains the transformation of the emu into a flightless bird and the bustard’s behavior of laying only two eggs, attributing these characteristics to the consequences of their actions.

► From the same Region or People

Australia
- Narran Lore

Learn more about the Aboriginal Australians

Dinewan the emu, being the largest bird, was acknowledged as king by the other birds. The Goomblegubbons, the bustards, were jealous of the Dinewans. Particularly was Goomblegubbon, the mother, jealous of the Diriewan mother. She would watch with envy the high flight of the Dinewans, and their swift running. And she always fancied that the Dinewan mother flaunted her superiority in her face, for whenever Dinewan alighted near Goomblegubbon, after a long, high flight, she would flap her big wings and begin booing in her pride, not the loud booing of the male bird, but a little, triumphant, satisfied booing noise of her own, which never failed to irritate Goomblegubbon when she heard it.

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Goomblegubbon used to wonder how she could put an end to Dinewan’s supremacy. She decided that she would only be able to do so by injuring her wings and checking her power of flight. But the question that troubled her was how to effect this end. She knew she would gain nothing by having a quarrel with Dinewan and fighting her, for no Goomblegubbon would stand any chance against a Dinewan, There was evidently nothing to be gained by an open fight. She would have to effect her end by cunning.

One day, when Goomblegubbon saw in the distance Dinewan coming towards her, she squatted down and doubled in her wings in such a way as to look as if she had none. After Dinewan had been talking to her for some time, Goomblegubbon said: “Why do you not imitate me and do without wings? Every bird flies. The Dinewans, to be the king of birds, should do without wings. When all the birds see that I can do without wings, they will think I am the cleverest bird and they will make a Goomblegubbon king.”

“But you have wings,” said Dinewan.

“No, I have no wings.” And indeed she looked as if her words were true, so well were her wings hidden, as she squatted in the grass. Dinewan went away after awhile, and thought much of what she had heard. She talked it all over with her mate, who was as disturbed as she was. They made up their minds that it would never do to let the Goomblegubbons reign in their stead, even if they had to lose their wings to save their kingship.

At length they decided on the sacrifice of their wings. The Dinewan mother showed the example by persuading her mate to cut off hers with a combo or stone tomahawk, and then she did the same to his. As soon as the operations were over, the Dinewan mother lost no time in letting Goomblegubbon know what they had done. She ran swiftly down to the plain on which she had left Goomblegubbon, and, finding her still squatting there, she said: “See, I have followed your example. I have now no wings. They are cut off.”

“Ha! ha! ha!” laughed Goomblegubbon, jumping up and dancing round with joy at the success of her plot. As she danced round, she spread out her wings, flapped them, and said: “I have taken you in, old stumpy wings. I have my wings yet. You are fine birds, you Dinewans, to be chosen kings, when you are so easily taken in. Ha! ha! ha!” And, laughing derisively, Goomblegubbon flapped her wings right in front of Dinewan, who rushed towards her to chastise her treachery. But Goomblegubbon flew away, and, alas! the now wingless Dinewan could not follow her.

Brooding over her wrongs, Dinewan walked away, vowing she would be revenged. But how? That was the question which she and her mate failed to answer for some time. At length the Dinewan mother thought of a plan and prepared at once to execute it. She hid all her young Dinewans but two, under a big salt bush. Then she walked off to Goomblegubbons’ plain with the two young ones following her. As she walked off the morilla ridge, where her home was, on to the plain, she saw Goomblegubbon out feeding with her twelve young ones.

After exchanging a few remarks in a friendly manner with Goomblegubbon, she said to her, “Why do you not imitate me and only have two children? Twelve are too many to feed. If you keep so many they will never grow big birds like the Dinewans. The food that would make big birds of two would only starve twelve.” Goomblegubbon said nothing, but she thought it might be so. It was impossible to deny that the young Dinewans were much bigger than the young Goomblegubbons, and, discontentedly, Goomblegubbon walked away, wondering whether the smallness of her young ones was owing to the number of them being so much greater than that of the Dinewans. It would be grand, she thought, to grow as big as the Dinewans. But she remembered the trick she had played on Dinewan, and she thought that perhaps she was being fooled in her turn. She looked back to where the Dinewans fed, and as she saw how much bigger the two young ones were than any of hers, once more mad envy of Dinewan possessed her. She determined she would not be outdone. Rather would she kill all her young ones but two. She said, “The Dinewans shall not be the king birds of the plains. The Goomblegubbons shall replace them. They shall grow as big as the Dinewans, and shall keep their wings and fly, which now the Dinewans cannot do.” And straightway Goomblegubbon killed all her young ones but two. Then back she came to where the Dinewans were still feeding. When Dinewan saw her coming and noticed she had only two young ones with her, she called out: “Where are all your young ones?”

Goomblegubbon answered, “I have killed them, and have only two left. Those will have plenty to eat now, and will soon grow as big as your young ones.”

“You cruel mother to kill your children. You greedy mother. Why, I have twelve children and I find food for them all. I would not kill one for anything, not even if by so doing I could get back my wings. There is plenty for all. Look at the emu bush how it covers itself with berries to feed my big family. See how the grasshoppers come hopping round, so that we can catch them and fatten on them.”

“But you have only two children.”

“I have twelve. I will go and bring them to show you.” Dinewan ran off to her salt bush where she had hidden her ten young ones. Soon she was to be seen coming back. Running with her neck stretched forward, her head thrown back with pride, and the feathers of her boobootella swinging as she ran, booming out the while her queer throat noise, the Dinewan song of joy, the pretty, soft-looking little ones with their zebra-striped skins, running beside her whistling their baby Dinewan note. When Dinewan reached the place where Goomblegubbon was, she stopped her booing and said in a solemn tone, “Now you see my words are true, I have twelve young ones, as I said. You can gaze at my loved ones and think of your poor murdered children. And while you do so I will tell you the fate of your descendants for ever. By trickery and deceit you lost the Dinewans their wings, and now for evermore, as long as a Dinewan has no wings, so long shall a Goomblegubbon lay only two eggs and have only two young ones. We are quits now. You have your wings and I my children.”

And ever since that time a Dinewan, or emu, has had no wings, and a Goomblegubbon, or bustard of the plains, has laid only two eggs in a season.

Chuvan, Evens, Koryak & Yupik Lore: the Book

Collector’s Edition

The volume contains the 65 stories from “The Jessup North Pacific Expedition” monography (edited by Franz Boas) and published in the Memoir of the American Museum of Natural History – New York (Volume VIII.3) under the title “The Eskimo of Siberia (by Waldemar Bogoras)” – Leiden & New York, 1913; The American Ethnological Society Publications, Volume V (edited by Franz Boas) under the title “Koryak Texts (by Waldemar Bogoras)” – E. J. Brill – Leyden, 1917; The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers, vol. 20, part 1 under the title “Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia (by Waldemar Bogoras)”, New York, 1918. Although the stories are published in our site, this volume contains additional information, notes and comments from the authors.
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Yukaghir Lore: the Book

Collector’s Edition

The volume contains the 53 stories from The American Museum of Natural History series and published in the “Anthropological Papers” (Vol. 20, Part 1) under the title “Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia (by Waldemar Bogoras)” – New York, 1918. Although the stories are published in our site, this volume contains additional information, notes and comments from the authors.
Free access to all our supporters.

50% DISCOUNT ! Use code: 2025DREAM

Get it on BuyMeACoffee

Get it on Patreon

Story of the fox and the wolf

This is the usual Old World story telling how Fox pretended to fish through a hole in the ice, and then tempted Wolf to do the same: wolf lost his tail in the Ice. Fox feigned death, and was picked up by a passing farmer, etc. I give here only an episode which seems of local character.

Source
Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia
by Waldemar Bogoras
The American Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Papers, Vol. 20, Part 1
New York, 1918

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The narrative centers on the fox’s use of deceit to achieve her goals.

Conflict with Nature: The characters’ interactions with natural elements, such as the icy environment, play a significant role in the tale.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts lessons about the consequences of deceit and gullibility.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chuvan Lore

Learn more about the Chuvan people

Told by Mary Alin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman. Recorded by Mrs. Sophie Bogoras in the village of Markova, the Anadyr country, winter of 1900.

The man pursued Fox with dogs, but Fox succeeded in plunging into the nest of a polar Owl. [Some of the nests of these large owls are said to be placed within hollow trunks of trees, or among piles of driftwood which are found at certain places all along the arctic coast.] The man chopped at the trunk with his heavy ax.

“O gossip! I want to fly out.”

“Ah, gossip! do as if you have too; but before doing so please pass water upon my neck,” said the Fox.

Owl passed water upon Fox’s neck. When the man caught Fox by the neck, she slipped out of his fingers and ran off. The dogs followed her. She ran to and fro, until she was tired.

Then she called to Owl, “O gossip! teach me how to fly.”

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“All right! Sit down on my back!”

The owl alighted and carried off Fox. They flew up high into the air.

“Oh dear!” said Fox. “I know how to fly, but I do not know how to alight.”

Owl pretended to throw her down. “O Lord! let it be upon the moss! O God! let it be upon a soft place!”

Owl threw her down and Fox was killed.

Story of heretics with iron teeth

Three brothers, married to three sisters, go to check their traps, leaving their wives and children behind. The middle sister repeatedly claims their husbands are returning early, but the others dismiss her. When the men arrive, the youngest sister notices their unusually black teeth, which grow long and sharp. She flees, lures one man into a trap, and kills him. When the men search, they find the women gone, and the fate of the captives remains unknown.

Source
Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia
by Waldemar Bogoras
The American Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Papers, Vol. 20, Part 1
New York, 1918

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The youngest sister employs clever tactics to deceive and ultimately defeat the heretic, showcasing her resourcefulness in a perilous situation.

Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on the relationships between the three sisters and their husbands, highlighting trust, communication, and the protective instincts that arise in times of danger.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts lessons on vigilance, quick thinking, and the importance of trusting one’s instincts when faced with unfamiliar or threatening situations.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chuvan Lore

Learn more about the Chuvan people

Told by Mary Alin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman. Recorded by Mrs. Sophie Bogoras, in the village of Markova, the Anadyr country, winter of 1900.

There were three brothers who were married to three sisters. The oldest brother was married to the eldest sister, the middle brother to the middle sister, and the youngest brother to the youngest sister. When fall came, they set off to examine their deadfalls. Their wives and children stayed alone in their settlement.

The eldest sister had three children, the middle sister, had only one, and the youngest, none at all.

One day the middle sister, who had been outside, came back saying, “Our husbands are coming home.”

The other said, “Why, it is too early. You are mistaken.” She ran out again, and instantly came back: “Our husbands are coming home.” So the others were quite angry. “Stop talking! Nobody is coming. It is sinful to talk such nonsense.”

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But she would not obey, and repeated the same thing. In the evening, after sunset, they heard the rattling of runners and the yelping of dogs. Sleigh-bells jingled merrily, and voices rang with laughter. Their husbands were coming back from the forest. Oh, they felt quite joyful, and busied themselves getting supper ready. The eldest sister prepared tea for them; the middle sister brought in plenty of meat, and cooked the meal; the youngest sister had nothing particular to do. She looked at them from the sleeping compartment through a chink in the partition. All at once she noticed that the teeth of the men were quite black.

She was astonished, and said to the middle sister, “Ah! sister dear, why is it that our husbands have such black teeth?”

“Oh, don’t!” retorted the other one. “They are our own husbands. What can we say about their teeth. Maybe they have eaten some blackberries in the forest.”

“It is cold weather now. There are no blackberries.”

“Perhaps you gave them burnt meat.”

“It is you who gave them meat, and it was juicy and not burnt.”

“Or perhaps it is because they have iron teeth.”

At this time, the teeth of the men were half a foot long. They protruded from their mouths, sharp-edged, and bright like so many daggers. The youngest sister rushed out of the house.

“Catch her, catch her!” cried the middle sister, but she was gone.

She ran through the dense forest straight on, like a frightened doe; and in the end when she could run no more, she stopped at a small opening and started a fire. She found the stump of a tree that was similar to her in bulk and size. She cut it off and put it near the fire. She took off her clothes and wrapped them around the stump. She also put her cap on it. Then she took a stake as strong as a spear shaft and burnt its point in the fire until it became hard and sharp. With this wooden spear she concealed herself behind a bush. Oh! a noise was heard in the forest, a gnashing of teeth, and cracking of branches, which snapped off and fell down. It was the heretic coming in pursuit of her. He rushed toward the fire, and with his terrible jaws he instantly seized the stump about the middle. His iron teeth stuck in the wood and he could not disengage himself. The woman sprang from the bush and stabbed him from behind with her wooden lance. The burnt point entered his anus and came out at the mouth. He was there like a fish on a roasting rod. She ran the other end of the stake deep into the ground, and left him there. She was afraid to return home, and went to another settlement not far away. When she had told her story the men took their spears and axes and went in search of the monsters. When they came to the house, the heretics had gone. The women and children had also gone. They looked for the bones, supposing that the monsters might have eaten the people, but they found nothing: It is not known what they did to their captives. Perhaps they carried the women away and married them. The real husbands of the women came home after a week, but their house was empty.

The end.

Story of Gege-woman

An old man warns his three sons not to climb the roof, but the eldest and middle sons ignore him and both meet Gege-Woman, who catches fish with her breeches. They each reject her food and are devoured by wolves, bears, and wolverines. The youngest son, however, marries her, and with his father’s help, traps the beasts. Gege-Woman chases him, but after a fight with another woman, both die. The son and his family become rich.

Source
Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia
by Waldemar Bogoras
The American Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Papers, Vol. 20, Part 1
New York, 1918

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: Gege-Woman herself is a supernatural entity capable of summoning wolves, bears, and wolverines to enforce her will.

Trials and Tribulations: The youngest son’s journey involves overcoming the peril posed by Gege-Woman, surviving her pursuit, and ultimately leading his family to prosperity.

Conflict with Authority: The sons’ decision to ignore their father’s explicit warning highlights a classic struggle between youthful defiance and parental authority, resulting in severe repercussions for the elder siblings.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chuvan Lore

Learn more about the Chuvan people

In Russian, Гегйка Баба which probably means “woman who cried ‘gege’!

Told by Mary Alin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman. Recorded by Mrs. Sophie Bogoras, in the village of Markova, the Anadyr country, winter of 1900.

There was an old man and his wife. They had three sons. The old man said to his sons, “Listen, my children! Do not climb the roof, do not climb to the upper beam.” The next morning the elder son climbed to the roof and mounted the upper beam. He saw from there, on the seashore, that a young woman was catching fish with her own breeches. He descended and went to the shore. Gege-Woman was there catching fish with her breeches. “Ah, you have come!” — “Yes, I have.” — “Do you want to take me for your wife? If so, I will cook some food for you.” — “All right!”

They went home. Gege-Woman cooked some fish, and offered it to her future husband; but he pushed it off, and the fish fell to the ground. “Who wants to eat of your nasty fish, Breeches-Caught?” He left the house; but Gege-Woman followed him, and called aloud, “Gege, wolves, gege, bears, gege, wolverines, poz, poz, poz!” [one of the calls addressed to the dog-team] So the wolves, the bears, and the wolverines came and devoured him. The old man had lost the first son.

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The second son, mounted the roof, and saw Gege-Woman catching fish with her breeches. He went the same way, and came to the shore. “O young man! take me for your wife. If you are willing, I will cook some food for you.” — “All right!” They went home, and she cooked some fish and offered it to her visitor; but he pushed it off. “Who wants to eat of your nasty fish, Breeches-Caught?” He left the house; but she followed him, and called aloud, “Gege, bears, gege, wolves, gege, wolverines, poz, poz, poz!” Bears, wolves and wolverines came and devoured him. The old man had lost his second son.

The third and the youngest son mounted the roof, and saw Gege-Woman. He went to the seashore. “O young man! take me for your wife. I will cook some food for you.” “All right!” He ate of the food. So they lived together. She forbade the bears and the wolves to devour the young man. Meanwhile the old man built a number of deadfalls and other traps. He caught all the bears and wolves and wolverines one by one. Then he said to his boy, “You may go away. There is nobody left to destroy you.” That very night he fled from there. Gege-Woman followed him. He saw a small stream of smoke coming out of the ground, and plunged down. It was the underground house of Haihai-Woman. [in Russian Гайгайка Баба “woman crying ‘hai, hai!’”] “Oh, oh I give me back my husband!” “I will not. He shall be mine.” So the two women fought and killed each other. He went out, and fled to his parents’ house. They visited the houses of the dead woman, and took everything there was. So they grew rich.

That is all.

Story of Magus

Magus had four sons with strange characteristics. After an elk hunt, two sons die from accidents while fetching water, the third while handling the elk’s brisket, and the fourth while cooking the meat. Magus, now alone, travels and kills the children of an evil spirit named Kosetoka. Kosetoka, enraged, attacks Magus, but the latter outwits him, using a trick to kill the spirit. Magus returns home victorious.

Source
Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia
by Waldemar Bogoras
The American Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Papers, Vol. 20, Part 1
New York, 1918

► Themes of the story

Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on Magus and his four sons, highlighting their unique characteristics and the tragic events leading to their demise.

Cunning and Deception: Magus employs clever tactics to deceive and ultimately defeat Kosetoka, showcasing the use of intelligence over brute force.

Revenge and Justice: Following the loss of his sons, Magus embarks on a journey that leads to the defeat of Kosetoka, symbolizing a form of personal renewal and triumph over adversity.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chuvan Lore

Learn more about the Chuvan people

Told by Mary Alin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman. Recorded by Mrs. Sophie Bogoras in the village of Markova, the Anadyr country, winter of 1900.

There was a man, Magus by name. He had four sons. One of them had legs of grass, another a head of bladder, the third a brisket of leaves, the fourth a voice of hair. Magus said to his sons, “Children! let us go and hunt elks!” They killed a big elk and carried it home. Magus said to the elder sons, “You, Legs-of-Grass I and you, Head-of-Bladder! — go and bring some water from the river.”

They went to the river and put the water tub near the water-hole; but they were so slow in filling it with water, that it was frozen to the moist ice. They tugged at it, but could not move it. Then Legs-of-Grass kicked it with his foot. He broke both of his legs and was dead. Head-of-Bladder was much troubled, and scratched his head. His nails cut through the bladder, and he dropped down dead. The other ones waited and waited, but nobody came: so they went to the river, and found the two dead.

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“Ah!” said their father, “let us arrange their funeral! We will cook a funeral meal. Brisket-of-Leaves go and bring the elk’s brisket from the drying-poles.” He wanted to take it down, but it slipped from his hands and fell down upon his own brisket and smashed it. He also dropped down dead. “Ah, woe! what is to be done?” — “Now, you must go, Voice-of-Hair, and fetch that brisket.” Voice-of-Hair brought it and cooked it; but when he was tasting the meat, his throat of hair burst open, and he died. So Magus remained alone.

“Now, I will depart from here. I will go traveling.” He walked on for several days and came to Kosetoka. The evil spirit was not at home: only his children were there. He killed them all, and cut off their heads. Then he spread a large blanket, and set the heads close to it, in a row. It looked as if they were asleep side by side under the blanket. He also took a large bag and filled it with their meat and bones. He wrapped the bag in his own overcoat, and attached his cap to one end of it. Kosetoka went home carrying some human carrion as food for his children. “Ah!” said he, “they waited so long that they have fallen asleep.” He made a fire and cooked the meat; but when he tugged at the blanket, the heads rolled off and out of the house. Kosetoka was wild with anger. “Who has done this?” He looked about and saw the bag. “Ah! it was you, Magus! it was you!” He rushed at the bag and trampled it down with his heavy feet. All the bones broke, and the blood of the children spurted through the holes. “I have killed YOU!” shouted the spirit; but from underground a voice answered, “I am here.” It was Magus, who had found the underground storehouse and entered it, blocking the entrance behind him. “Ah! where are you?” — “I am here.” The spirit ran out of the house and back again. The entrance was blocked; but he found a round hole, and tried to squeeze himself through it. His body was tightly wedged in and could move neither forward nor backward. Magus said, “O hole! you are round and tight, turn now into a circular knife and cut Kosetoka in halves.” And thus it happened. He took everything he found, and went home.

Story of a stepmother and her stepdaughters

An old man remarries a Yahga-Witch, who treats his daughter cruelly. One day, the girl is sent to wash a net but the current sweeps it away, leading her to the lower world. She cleans a stable, barn, and house, where an old woman helps her, giving her a silver net and a magical box that provides food. The Witch’s daughter follows the same path but opens a box that burns them both. The old man and his daughter then live with the kind old woman.

Source
Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia
by Waldemar Bogoras
The American Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Papers, Vol. 20, Part 1
New York, 1918

► Themes of the story

Trials and Tribulations: The stepdaughter faces numerous challenges, including the loss of the net and her subsequent journey to the lower world, testing her resilience and character.

Moral Lessons: The contrasting behaviors and outcomes of the stepmother’s daughter and the stepdaughter impart lessons on the virtues of kindness, diligence, and humility versus laziness and entitlement.

Supernatural Beings: The presence of the Yahga-Witch and the old woman in the lower world introduces elements of the supernatural, influencing the events and outcomes in the story.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chuvan Lore

Learn more about the Chuvan people

Told by Mary Alin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman, in the village of Markova, the Anadyr country, winter of 1900.

There was an old man and his wife. The old woman died leaving a single daughter. The old man sought another wife, and married a widow, who had a daughter of her own. This widow was a Yahga-Witch. The stepmother had a violent dislike for her stepdaughter. She used to strike her hard and gave her nothing to eat. One day she sent her to the waterhole to wash some old nets. [Old nets are used in the households of the Russian and the Russianized natives instead of towels and napkins.] While the girl was washing it the swift current carried it away. She cried bitterly. Then she looked down the water-hole and saw a road. She descended and came to the lower world. She walked and walked, and then saw a horse stable. Several horses stood in it, and the place was quite unclean. So she cleaned it well, plucked some grass from under the snow among the tussocks, and brought it in for fresh litter. Then she continued on her way.

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After a while she saw a cow barn. Several cows stood there. The barn was more filthy than the preceding one. She cleaned it well, and brought in some grass for fresh litter. Then she milked the cows and went away. After some time she came to a little house. It was so dirty that the rubbish covered the sill. She entered and cleaned the house. Then she made a fire and sat down on the bed. Sitting thus alone, she cried bitterly. All at once a noise was heard outside, and the shuffling of old feet clad in bristle-soled boots. There entered a small old woman. “Ah, my dear! whence do you come?” — “I have no mother. The Yagha-Witch was very hard on me. She sent me to the water-hole to wash an old net, and the current of water carried it off. So I thought, ‘She will surely kill me. I may as well descend to the lower world of my own free will?’” — “All right!” said the old woman, “you may pass this night in my house; and in the morning I will give you a net to make good your loss.”

In the morning the old woman gave her a net made of pure silver and also a small box with an iron cover. She said to the girl, “Give this net to the Yagha-Witch. She will thank you for it ever so much. You must keep the box for yourself. Everytime you feel hungry, you may call your father. Then open that box unseen by your stepmother. The box will give you-food and drink.” She took the presents and went home. She gave the silver net to the Yagha-Witch. Oh, the witch was so glad! She called her own daughter and gave her a piece of a new net, quite clean and white. Then she said, “Go to the water-hole. Perhaps they will give you something too.”

The daughter of the Yagha-Witch came to the water-hole. She washed the net. The current carried it off. She looked down the water-hole and saw a road. She followed it and came to the lower world. After some time she saw the horse stable. Several horses stood in it, and the place was unclean. The girl grumbled, “Oh, what a filthy place!” and passed by. Then she saw a cow barn. Several cows stood in it, and the place was dirtier than the preceding one. She passed by with much aversion. After that she came to the little house. It was so full of dirt that the rubbish covered the sill. “Oh, what awful dirt!” said the girl. She entered, however, and she sat on the bed in the cold and among the heap of rubbish, singing lustily. The old woman came in, and asked, “Oh, my dear! where do you come from?” — “My mother sent me to wash a net, and the current carried it away. I looked down the water-hole and saw a road. I followed that road and came here.” The old woman gave her a net, the very same she had dropped into the water-hole, and also a large box with a cover of larch wood. She warned her also, “Be sure not to open this box in the presence of anyone! You must open it only when you and your own mother are together.” The girl went back and came out of the water place. “Mother,” she called to the Yagha-Witch, “I have a box, ever so large.” — “Do not open it, will you?” said the mother. They took the box and hid beneath a bush. Then she opened the lid. A flame came out and burnt them both. So they were destroyed. The old man and his daughter left that place and departed for the under world. They came to the old woman. The old man married her, and they all three lived together.

The end.