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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A Lamut tale

A man or Monster builds fish traps and stockpiles nine storehouses of fish but consumes them all in nine days. Seeking food, he finds a Lamut village, scaring away its people except a talking needle case. Tricked into injuring himself during a game, the Monster is taunted by the needle case. The villagers return, attack, and ultimately kill the Monster, ending his menace.

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

Good vs. Evil: The villagers confront and eliminate the Monster, representing the triumph of good over malevolence.

Cunning and Deception: The needle case deceives the Monster into injuring himself, showcasing the use of wit to achieve a goal.

Supernatural Beings: The Monster exhibits extraordinary abilities, such as consuming vast amounts of fish and surviving significant injury.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

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

There was a man or perhaps a Monster. He prepared a fish trap of willow, and made a weir across the river. He put the fish trap in a suitable place and waited for the catch. After a while he listened, and heard the fish trap whistle. “Eh, fish trap! are you whistling?” — “Yes, I am whistling because the water runs through me.” After a while he asked again, “Eh, fish trap I are you choking now?” — “Yes, I am,” said the fish trap. So the man drew out the fish trap, and it was full of the choicest fish. He constructed a drying rack, and hung up the fish. Then he asked again, “Eh, fish trap! are you choking?” Again he pulled out the fish trap, and it was full of the best fish. Thus he worked for nine days. He built nine fish racks and filled every one with the precious fish. Then he built nine storehouses and stored his dried fish in them. After that he began to live on the fish. The first day he consumed one storehouse full. The second day he finished the second storehouse. Thus in nine days he was through with all his stores of dried fish. Then he said, “I have nothing to eat, so I will go and try to find a dwelling.”

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He walked about, and after a while saw a village. He felt full of joy. “Oh, now I shall have a meal!” Then he sang aloud, “Nia’hu, nia’hu, there live some people! I shall have a meal, and I shall have much joy from it!” Some Lamut boys were kicking a football. A needle case shouted from within a work bag, “Take care! The Monster is coming. Hear him roar!” “What do we hear! It is you that roar.” And the Monster sang again, “Nia’hu, nia’hu, there live some people!” They heard his voice, and ran away. Only the needle case was left among the offal. The Monstrous old man came to the village and passed from house to house. Not a soul was there. Only a gray jay was skipping from one drying rack to another. “Here, grandfather! come play with us! Let us have a skipping-match!” — “I cannot skip.” He skipped once and once again. The third time he tried he broke one of his legs. He drew out a small knife and cut off his leg. “See here!” said the Monster, “my marrow is quite fat.” At that moment the Needle Case jumped up from the heap of offal and sang, “Goldia, goldia, nesoya, koroya. The monstrous old man has broken his leg! Ub-chub, chub!” “Oh, oh! stop your shouting! Take this little knife.” “I do not want it.” “Then take a little marrow of this bone.” — “I do not eat it, Ub-chub-chub!” As soon as the people heard his voice, they came with knives and axes and attacked the Monster. Some struck him with axes, some cut him with knives. At last they killed him. They turned the body over and examined its back. They found that a long whetstone had entered his anus fully a foot.

The end.

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A Lamut tale

A Lamut camp is destroyed by mysterious invaders, leaving three sisters as the sole survivors. The eldest sister infiltrates the enemy camp, discovers their weakness—a maggot-infested reindeer liver—and destroys it, killing the invaders, including their shaman leader. She reunites with her sisters, shows them the lifeless enemy camp, and they claim the camp’s resources for themselves, triumphing over their foes.

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 eldest sister uses her wit to infiltrate the enemy camp, gain their trust, and uncover their weakness.

Trials and Tribulations: The sisters face the hardship of losing their family and home, testing their resilience and resourcefulness.

Revenge and Justice: The eldest sister’s actions serve as retribution against the invaders, restoring balance and avenging her family’s demise.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Anne Sosykin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman, in the village of Markova. Recorded by Mrs. Sophie Bogoras, winter of 1900.

There was a Lamut camp. An old Lamut had three daughters, who were not married. Another family made their camp nearby. I do not know whether they were men or spirits. They attacked the Lamut, and killed all of them. The three sisters fled. The strangers dried the flesh of their victims. They split the bones and extracted the marrow. The sisters were very hungry. The oldest one said, “I will go to them. I am very hungry. Perhaps they will not kill me.”

They bade her welcome and offered her meat. It seems, they gave her flesh of one of her own people, for she could not eat it. The master of the house was the shaman of the camp. In the evening he said to his wife and the visiting girl, “I will sleep this night with both of you.” So they lay down side by side. The shaman copulated first with the one, then with the other. When they lay there tired, the girl asked the mistress, “Do you live on the flesh of those Lamut people?” — “It is so,” she answered.

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The shaman suddenly jumped up. “Ah! my heart is throbbing. It forbodes something.” — “What does it forbode?” asked his wife. “Is there anybody stronger than you are?” — “Lie down!” said the guest, “since you are my new husband.” He lay down. The guest asked again, “Eh, sister, do you ever suffer from any illness?” — “Never,” answered the mistress. “In the valley down there is a reindeer that belongs to my husband. Its liver is full of reindeer fly maggots. Whoever gets this liver kills all of us. This is our only fear.” — “Ah, sister!” answered the guest, “it is time to sleep.”

Soon they slept. The Lamut woman crept out of the tent. She took the bow and arrows, put on her snowshoes, and went to look for the reindeer. She saw it in the valley, close to a group of larch trees. It was spotted, and its antlers stood upright. She tried to approach, but it ran away. At last she came within range of it and killed it. Then she opened it and extracted the liver. It was full of maggots. She destroyed these one by one. Soon there was heard a great lamentation from the camp of the invaders. “Arai, arai.” [in the Lamut language, “Alas, alas!”] She came to the shaman’s tent. He jumped up; but when she destroyed the largest maggot, he fell back dead. Then she went to her sisters. “Ah, sisters! I have killed them all.” — “How is it possible?” said the sisters. “It is not true.” — “Indeed, let us go and look at them!” They arrived at the camp. All their enemies were stone-dead. They carried out the bodies, and took everything in the camp for themselves.

The end.

Lamut tale

A Lamut man marries a magical stone woman who later saves him by eliminating a water spirit he secretly meets. Angry over his betrayal, the stone wife is eventually killed by the man after he falls for the revived water girl. He burns his stone wife and chooses to live with the water girl in her world, leaving his past behind.

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: The narrative features a magical stone woman and a water spirit, both integral to the plot.

Love and Betrayal: The man’s relationships with the stone woman and the water spirit highlight themes of love, infidelity, and betrayal.

Transformation: The stone transforming into a living woman and the man’s transition to the water world illustrate physical and existential transformations.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Anne Sosykin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman, in the village of Markova. Recorded by Mrs. Sophie Bogoras, winter of 1900

There was a Lamut man, who traveled about looking for a wife. One time he found a stone in the likeness of a person. He took it home and put it near the fireplace. He awoke in the morning, and said to the stone, “There, wife, cook some food!” Since the stone never stirred, he got up and cooked the food himself. Then he went off to look for game. He came back in the evening, and said again to the stone, “Wife, cook some food!” But since the stone never stirred, he cooked the food himself. He awoke next morning, and, lo! the stone wife was cooking food. They lived together as husband and wife.

After a while he went to a river and walked along the bank. He felt thirsty; he found a water-hole and stooped down. When about to drink, he saw a girl down below, who was combing her long glossy hair. “Ah, come here! let us play!” She came out, and they played shooting at each other with bow and arrows. At last he looked up. The sun was already setting.

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“Ah! it is late. I must go home. He went home, but his wife pouted at him. “Why are you so late? Before this you used to come in time.” — “I have been tracking a fox.” The following morning he arose early and went to the river. The water girl was already down there in the water, combing her hair. “Come along, let us play!” They played again till sunset. When he came home, his wife was very angry. “Why are you so late?” He gave no answer, thinking of the girl, and promising himself, “Tomorrow morning I shall getup still earlier.” The wife, however, caused a heavy sleep to fall upon him. Early in the morning the stone woman arose. She put on her husband’s clothes, took his bow and arrows, and on snowshoes went to the river following her husband’s tracks. She came to the water-hole and looked down. The girl was there, combing her hair. “Come along, let us play.” — “Ah! my heart is in a flurry. I feel as if we had never played before.” — “Oh, nonsense! Well, at least come up a little! Let me have a look at you.” The other one appeared out of the water up to her armpits. Then the stone wife shot at her and pierced her breast with an arrow. Blood spurted from her breast and from her back. The girl dropped back, and the stone woman returned to her home. She put her husband’s clothes in their former place, also his bow and snowshoes. Then she removed the sleeping-spell from him. He jumped up, and saw that the sun was already high up in the sky. He took his bow, put on his snowshoes, and hurried to the river. The girl, however, was not to be seen. “Ah!” said he with many lamentations, “she is no more! I do not want to stay here either.” He jumped into the water and sank down. His ears rustled, his body tingled all over. Then he found himself in a new world. He found a beaten track, and walked on. After a while he came to a city. All the houses of the city were covered with black calico. Apart from the others stood a little house in which lived a little old woman. He entered. The old woman asked, “Where do you come from?” — “I am from the other world. What has happened here! Is anybody sick? Why all this black calico?” — “Our chief’s daughter is sick. Somebody hit her with an arrow.” — “I want to heal her.” The old woman hurried to the chief: “A man has come to our city who offers to heal your daughter.” The chief ordered that the visitor be brought in. As soon as he entered the house, the girl moaned aloud, “Aah!” He touched the arrow, and in a moment she was dead. Then he asked for some men’s clothes. These he put on her body, and on himself he put her clothes. “Well, father and mother, take your last farewell. I will watch the body all by myself.” After sunset there came two young birds, two spoonbills. Two high larch trees stood there. The spoonbills alighted on the trees.

O sister! get up!
Let us play, and let us flutter about!
O sisters! I cannot play,
I cannot flutter.
O sisters! my wings are broken,
My feathers fell down.
O sister! who broke your wings?
Who plumed your feathers?
O sisters! he who broke them.
He lies down like one dead.

The spoonbills alighted on the ground, and turned into young girls. They came to the one who was dead. The first girl blew upon her, the second girl spat upon her. Then she jumped up, and exclaimed, “Ah, ah, ah! I slept very long! Now I am up again.” “Ah! without our aid, you would have slept forever.” They stayed there till the following morning. When the other people awoke, they carried her to her parents. The mother immediately fell in a swoon. She came to herself only in the evening, and they married the girl to the visitor. They lived together. One time he said, “I want to visit my former wife.” As soon as the stone wife saw him, she jumped up. “Ah! my husband is coming, my husband is coming!” She whetted her teeth, ready to bite; but the man strung his how and shot her. She fell back. “Ah! so it is. I wanted to devour you, but you got ahead of me.” He built a great fire and burned the woman. Then he went back to the water girl and lived with her.

The Lamut and the Russian

Before Russian contact, the Lamut lived primitively in the mountains, using stone, bone, and antler tools for survival. Russians were impressed by the Lamut’s hunting skills—precision archery and swift reindeer hunting. They offered the Lamut iron tools, weapons, and tobacco, recruiting them as allies against other tribes. The Russians established tribute and positioned the Lamut as their strategic partners in regional conflicts.

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

Cultural Heroes: The Lamut are portrayed as foundational figures whose skills and alliance significantly influence their society and its interactions with the Russians.

Conflict with Authority: The Russians establish tribute and position the Lamut as strategic partners, indicating a dynamic where the Lamut must navigate their relationship with a more dominant external authority.

Community and Isolation: The Lamut’s alliance with the Russians sets them apart from neighboring tribes, highlighting themes of belonging and estrangement within the broader regional context.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Ulashkan, a Lamut man, on the upper course of the Molonda River, in the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

In olden times, when the Russians were not here, the Lamut lived in the mountains. They had no iron, no ax, no knife. A stone tied to a stick served as ax; a rib of reindeer, as knife; splinters of elk thigh bone, as spears; and a thin splinter of reindeer fawn thigh as needle. They had no kettles. They spread the meat upon stones for roasting. They melted the snow into drinking water, putting it in a reindeer stomach, which they hung high above the fire.

Then came some Russian people. They questioned our men, “Who are you?” — “We are Lamut.” — “How do you kill wild reindeer?” — “With bow and arrows.” — “We want to see them.” — “There they are.”

One young man strung the bow and shot at a splinter of wood stuck into a high tussock quite far away, and his arrow with a point of fish bone split the slender bit of wood.

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“Oh, how glorious!” said the Russians. “And how do you do in spring when the snow has a thin ice crust?” — “We overtake them running on snowshoes.” — “We want to see you do it.” Another young man put on his snowshoes and ran off. He sighted a wild reindeer buck, overtook it, and stabbed it with his long spear. “Oh, glorious! Indeed, you are quite active and strong, and successful in hunting, so you must be our closest friends and assistants. You must be our best companions in every way. If some member of a strange tribe should come here with evil intentions, you must kill him without fear. You must give us assistance in every struggle against all kinds of invaders.” [The Lamut consider themselves, and are considered by the Russians, as the closest allies of the latter in every struggle against other more stubborn and refractory tribes, such as the Chukchee and the Koryak.] They gave them iron knives, and axes, match-locks, and kettles, and all kinds of iron ware. “Take this, and be stronger than any of your neighbors. Chastize them according to their deserts and evil intentions.” After that the Russian chief instituted the tribute and noted it down in a big black book. He gave to the young Lamut pipes and tobacco, saying, “Have this to smoke, and with that smoke be first to fight, speeding ahead on your snowshoes.”

A shaman and a boy

A powerful elderly shaman encounters a wandering orphan boy and challenges him to a supernatural contest. They engage in a mystical battle using supernatural creatures: the shaman creates a small bear from his spit, while the boy produces a louse. Surprisingly, the louse defeats the bear, causing the shaman to die. The boy inherits the shaman’s wealth and wives, becoming 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

Conflict with Authority: The boy challenges the authority of the shaman, who attempts to dominate and even threaten his life, leading to a reversal of power dynamics.

Transformation: The boy’s status transforms from a wandering orphan to a wealthy individual, inheriting the shaman’s possessions and wives after the contest.

Cunning and Deception: The boy’s unexpected victory through seemingly simple means underscores the theme of using wit and deception to overcome a more powerful adversary.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Ulashkan, a Lamut man, on the Molonda River, in the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There was a great shaman who reached a very great age. When angry he could lay his spell on any one, even upon another shaman. One time he as walking about and met a little boy, who roamed about, not knowing where to go. “Who are you?” — “I do not know.” — “Perhaps you are a shaman.” — “What kind of a shaman may I be? Though, indeed, I get up in my sleep and walk about sleeping.” — “I shall kill you.” — “Do, please. I shall not resist. My father and mother are gone, and I wish to follow them.” — “Oh, well! then follow me.”

He took him to his house, and put a plate before him. “Sit down and let us have a match!” — “What kind of a match shall we have?” — “A shamanistic match. You area shaman.” — “No, I am not, I know nothing.” — “Enough. Be quiet, or I shall kill you.” He spat into his palm, and put the spittle upon the plate. It grew to a small bear not greater than a louse.

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“Here is my champion and where is yours?” The boy scratched his head, not knowing what to do, and, lo! a small louse fell down upon the plate, a real louse. “Ah! this is yours. All right, let them fight.” The bear and the louse fought throughout the day, and the louse proved the stronger. It caught the bear by the throat and wanted to strangle it. “Let go!” cried the old man. “Leave the bear alone! I shall die.” — “No, I shall not do so,” said the boy. “It is you who wanted to have this fight.” So the louse strangled the bear. As soon as the bear died the old man fell down and died also. The boy took his wives and all his goods, and became a rich man.

A Lamut man turned into stone

A harsh Lamut reindeer owner, known for beating his assistants, searches for a lost herd. On a boulder, he encounters a mystical white figure who criticizes his cruelty. As punishment, the figure causes his reindeer to ascend to the sky and gradually transforms the man into stone. Over time, he becomes completely petrified, serving as a permanent reminder of his mistreatment of others.

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

Transformation: The man’s gradual change from human to stone serves as a central element of the narrative.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts a lesson on the consequences of mistreating others, emphasizing the importance of compassion.

Sacred Spaces: The boulder where the encounter occurs becomes a significant location, marking the site of the man’s transformation and serving as a lasting reminder of his actions.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Ulashkan, a Lamut man, on the Molonda River, in the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

It was told in the olden times that in the Gishiga country, on the Okhotsk side, there lived some Lamut of the Lam branch who were all rich in reindeer. One of these reindeer owners had a bad temper. He used to strike his assistants for mere trifles. One time his herd went away from their usual pasture. One of the assistants set off to look for it. He came to the pasture, which was covered with the tracks of reindeer hoofs, but farther off there was not a single track. He walked and walked and grew tired. So he came home, and said, “I could not find the herd.” The master gave him a severe thrashing, and then said, “How is it that you could not find it? Where can it be? I will go and look for it myself.” He came to the pasture, and walked all around it, but he also could not find any tracks outside of it. He grew quite tired. There was on the border of the pasture a boulder. He climbed it and sat down to rest. His head was resting on his hands, and so he sat thinking.

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All at once he heard a voice, “Biya!” [one of the usual invocations. “You man!” (Biy, “man”)] He sprang to his feet and looked up. High on the rock there stood an old man, large and white, as high as the sky. “O man you see me?” — “I see you.” — “You hear my voice?” — “I hear your voice.” — “What are you doing?” — “I am resting myself.” — “And where are your reindeer?” — “I do not know.” — “Ah, well! but why do you strike your assistants with so little reason? Now you must look for reindeer yourself.” But the man did not stir. “Why do you strike your assistants? Is not each of them a man and a Lamut like you? Look upward! There are your reindeer.” He looked up, and his reindeer were mounting up to the sky, all of them, — bucks and does and fawns. He looked on, but still did not stir. “So you will stand here forever.” The white one vanished. Then the Lamut came to himself, and tried to climb down; but his feet stuck to the stone. He tried to disengage them, but he was unable to do so. After a while his feet and legs were sinking into the stone.

The next morning his people came to look for him. His feet had sunk into the stone up to his ankles. They tried to pull him out, but he cried for pain, “Leave me alone! I cannot stand it. It seems that I am done for. Better go away and tell the other people.” So they went and told the neighbors what had happened. In a couple of days they came back. He had sunk into the stone up to the knees. They talked to him, but he did not answer. Only the look in his eyes was still life-like. They went away, and came back in the spring. He was all stone. And so he is up to the present, and stands there upon the boulder.

Bear, Wolverene, and Wolf story

Bear, Wolverene, and Wolf, brothers, clash over marriage. When the youngest Wolf seeks the middle Wolverene’s daughter, he is rejected due to their different origins. Bear arbitrates, limiting Wolf to two or three offspring and Wolverene to one child. Wolverene curses Bear to winter-long sleep, making him vulnerable to hunters. Their conflict shapes the reproductive patterns of their species.

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 the relationships and conflicts among Bear, Wolverene, and Wolf, who are brothers. The tension arises when Wolf seeks to marry Wolverene’s daughter, leading to familial discord.

Conflict with Authority: Bear assumes the role of an arbitrator, making authoritative decisions about the reproductive capacities of Wolf and Wolverene, which reflects a challenge to personal desires by an authoritative figure.

Transformation: The curses imposed lead to significant changes in the natural behaviors of the animals, such as Bear’s hibernation and the reproductive patterns of Wolf and Wolverene.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Ulashkan, a Lamut man, on the Molonda River, in the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

Bear, Wolverene, and Wolf, being brothers, lived side by side. The youngest brother paid suit to the daughter of the middle one. “No,” said the middle one, “How is it that you ask me for my daughter? We cannot join. You are born from the snow, and I am born from the earth.” [The polar wolf is of light gray color, sometimes almost dirty white. The wolverene is brown.] Wolf grew angry and made complaint to Bear. Bear bore judgment and ordered, “If that is so, you must part.” He said to Wolf, “Your temper is worst of all, you shall bring forth not more than two or three children.” Wolf departed sorrowfully. Bear said to Wolverene, “You have a daughter, and refuse her to suitors, so you must not bring forth more than one, child.” He blamed Wolverene, and said, “If you had given your daughter in marriage, our people would be more numerous, so you must meet your fate in the wooden thing.” [deadfall made of logs]

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Wolverene also grew angry, and retorted, “And you must meet your fate underground.” [in the bear-lair when sleeping in winter, and tracked by the hunters] Wolverene laid a curse upon Bear: “You must sleep throughout the winter, and your fate will come to you while you are insensible to it.”

So the Bear’s word caused young wolves to be born by two’s and three’s, and wolverenes singly. The Wolverene’s word caused the Bear to sleep throughout the winter, so that hunters kill him in his sleep.

Wolves and Men

Some people without dogs domesticated fox and wolf puppies, which surprisingly bred different types of dogs. One man’s wolf became exceptionally skilled at hunting, making him wealthy. When he stopped providing for the wolf, it retaliated by gathering a pack of twenty wolves to attack his reindeer herd. The man killed four wolves, marking the beginning of an enduring conflict between humans and wolves.

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

Transformation: The domestication of fox and wolf puppies leading to the emergence of different types of dogs signifies a transformative process in the relationship between humans and animals.

Conflict with Nature: The man’s decision to stop providing for the wolf, resulting in the wolf retaliating by attacking his reindeer herd with a pack, highlights the inherent tensions and conflicts that can arise between humans and the natural world.

Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts a lesson about the consequences of neglecting responsibilities and the importance of maintaining harmonious relationships with nature and animals.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Ulashkan, a Lamut man, on the Molonda River, in the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There lived some people who had no dogs at all, so they caught the small puppies of a gray fox, and brought them up. These gray foxes brought forth black and spotted dogs. Another man caught a wolfling and fed it. That wolf brought forth another kind of dog. They were long-legged, and light in color. This wolf was so nimble of foot, that it could overtake and catch reindeer and elk and any other kind of game. So its master became the richest of all the people.

At last the man said, “I am quite rich. My assistants are too many.” So he ceased to pay the, wolf in food and shelter. The wolf went off and called all his companions. Twenty wolves came with him, and attacked the reindeer herd. Many reindeer were killed. The man caught his bow, shot at the wolves, and killed four of them. From that time began the war between man and wolf.

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Story of an arctic fox

An arctic Fox cleverly tricks both a Bear and a Wolf while setting up a fish weir. He convinces each to sit still by promising a share of the fish, but actually leaves them freezing and immobilized. With the Bear, he lets his children kill and eat him. With the Wolf, he escapes by feigning blindness and lameness, ultimately causing the Wolf to attack another fox.

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 fox’s actions are driven by deceit, convincing the bear and the wolf to sit still under false pretenses, resulting in their harm.

Conflict with Nature: The fox manipulates natural elements, such as the icy environment and the fish weir, to execute his deceptive plans.

Trials and Tribulations: The bear and wolf face challenges orchestrated by the fox’s schemes.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Evens (Lamut) Lore

Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)

Told by Ulashkan, a Lamut man, on the Molonda River, in the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

An arctic Fox constructed a fish weir on a small river to catch fish. It was winter time, and he was at work cutting the ice. A Bear came to him, and said, “O Fox! what are you doing?”

“I am arranging a fish weir for catching fish.”

“All right. Give me a share in the spoils.”

“I will not. How can I? I bring forth children by the dozen at each litter. How shall I feed them?”

“Nay, nay! You must give me a share of the catch.”

“All right. Since you are so insistent, I will give you half. Come here! I will show you what to do.” He made him sit down on the floor planks, which were all wet with water.

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“Sit down here and keep watch over the weir. Perhaps the ice will split. You must not stir, lest you should frighten the fish away. In due time I shall come back.”

The bear sat there for three days. He was frozen to the ice. At last, on the fourth day, the arctic Fox came back.

“Here, you, Fox! Come to me! You talked about the fish, but where is the fish? I am near dying of cold. At least, help me to get away, pick me off, and make me free from this ice.”

“Ah!” said the arctic Fox, “You are too heavy. I cannot pick you off. Here!” cried the arctic Fox, “Children, come here, all of you. I caught a big fat bear for you. Come here and have a meal!”

The young arctic Foxes came and bit the bear to death. They had a liberal meal, and soon the bear was gone.

After that a Wolf came.

“You, arctic Fox, what are you doing?”

“I am constructing a fish weir to catch fish.”

“Give me a share.”

“O, no! How can I? I have too many children. I bring forth a dozen in one litter.”

“I say, give me a share!”

“All right, I shall give you half the catch.” He made him sit down on the flanks. “See here!” said Fox, “put your bushy tail down into the water, you will catch some nice fish. But you must stay quiet, and not even move a toe. Otherwise all the fish will be scared away.”

After three days the arctic Fox came back to the weirs.

“Oh, oh!” cried the Wolf. “There, you arctic Fox, where is your fish? I am frozen and nearly dying of cold. Please help me get away, and pick me off!”

“Ah!” said the arctic Fox, “You are too heavy. Pick yourself off.”

Then the Wolf turned his head and gnawed at his tail. Seeing this, the arctic Fox set off, and ran away along the river bank. The Wolf, tail-less and very angry, found his tracks, and gave pursuit, but the Fox dug a hole in the snow and lay down, feigning to be lame. “Ah, you scoundrel!” growled the Wolf through his teeth, “I will catch you and tear you into three parts. You have deceived me most heartlessly.” He came to the Fox, and snarled, “Here you are! You thief! where is your fish? I will tear you to pieces.”

The arctic Fox shut one eye and pretended to be blind. “What fish?” asked he innocently. “I am lame and nearly blind. My other eye is also worthless. I have not left here for a number of days.” —

“Of course,” acquiesced the Wolf, “the other one had two eyes, but still these seem to be your tracks.”

“How can they be mine?” said arctic Fox. “Am I the only arctic Fox hereabouts? There are ever so many.”

“That is right,” said the Wolf. He followed another track, and caught another arctic Fox. “I have you,” snarled he. “It is you who made me stick to the ice of the river.” And he tore him to pieces.