Yukaghir tale

Two sisters encounter Kosetoka, a monster. When he approaches the first sister playing dead, he rejects her as spoiled meat. The second sister challenges him to a “game” on the ice, tricking him into removing his testicles. He falls dead, and she returns home triumphantly claiming she killed him through her clever, brutal strategy.

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 sister’s deceptive game leads to the monster’s demise.

Supernatural Beings: The encounter with Kosetoka, a malevolent spirit.

Trials and Tribulations: The sisters confront and overcome a life-threatening challenge.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

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

There were two sisters. One time they walked about and met Kosetoka [a bad spirit]. The first sister saw him, and immediately let herself fall down, pretending to be dead. He came to her and investigated the body. He found an aperture in the hind part, and said, “Ah! this is the wound.” Then he put his finger into the wound and smelled of it. “Ah!” said he, “bad odor. Probably she was killed long ago.” Then he stooped down and smelled of the pretended wound. “Too bad!” said he, “I will not eat of it.”

The other sister was deaf, and did not hear his words. All at once she looked back and saw the monster. “Ah, ah!” said he, “this is fresh meat. I will cook some of it for today.” She retorted, “Better let us go and have a little play! After that you may eat me.” They went to a lake which was frozen. “Let us have our play hereon the ice.” The woman had two round stone scrapers concealed in her bosom. “Here, sister! what shall we play!” asked the monster.

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The woman put her hand into her bosom and took out one of the scrapers. This she jerked out suddenly, and threw it on the ice. It rolled down with much noise. “Ah sister! you have there some very nice playthings.” — “You also have similar playthings between your legs. There are two of them. You may tear off one and throw it on the ice.” He put his hand between his legs and roared with pain. “Quick!” said the woman, “tear it off and throw it down!” He threw his testicle down on the ice. It made a shuffling noise and stuck to the ice. “Ah, ah!” roared the monster, “now it is your turn!” The woman jumped up and jerked out the other scraper. Doing this, she also roared feigning great suffering. “Go along! It is your turn now!” — “Ah, sister! it is too painful.” — “For shame, I, a woman, can stand as much.” He tore off the other testicle, and immediately fell down on the ice. He was dead and the woman ran home. “Ah, ah!” said she to her sister, “I have killed him. We tried a new game, all of my own invention, and I killed Kosetoka.”

The end.

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Story about Yaghishna

A girl encounters two boys claiming to be her brothers. After sinking into the ground and rising again, she strikes them when they mock her. Returning home to find all wood burned, she meets Yaghishna, who wants her as a daughter. Rejecting the offer with a condition that Yaghishna die soon, she is struck and scattered into gravel.

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 character Yaghishna is depicted as a she-monster, representing interactions with mystical entities.

Conflict with Authority: The girl’s rejection of Yaghishna’s offer to become her daughter, coupled with the condition that Yaghishna must die soon, signifies a challenge to an authoritative figure.

Cunning and Deception: The girl’s clever response to Yaghishna’s proposal demonstrates the use of wit to navigate a dangerous situation.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Annie Korkin, a Russianized Yukaghir girl, aged fourteen, in the village of Pokhotsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There was a young girl. She walked about, and saw two boys coming. She shouted to them, “Who are you?” — “We are your brothers.” — “And where are you going?” — “We are going to your house.” She sat down on the ground and sank through it. The brothers came to the house, and cried bitterly. Then they went down the road the girl had descended before them. They came to the girl, and cried again, “Why should the earth refuse to carry you? You are probably too clumsy to walk upon it.” She felt very angry. Therefore, she jumped up to the earth’s surface, and struck both boys on the face. Then she went home. Not a single piece of wood was left there. The two boys, while crying, had burnt up all the fuel, to dry their tears before the fire. She left the house and went away. After a while she met Yaghishna. The she-monster said, “I want to take you for my daughter. Would you like to be my daughter?” “I should like it on one condition.” — “What is that? Speak!” — “On condition that you die very shortly.”

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Yaghishna was very angry, and struck her face. “If I die shortly, I want no daughters.” She first slapped her right cheek, and then the left, — and flew away snorting with anger. The girl fell down and was scattered about as gravel. After a while Yaghishna came back. She looked for the girl, but she was not to be found. Only some gravel lay scattered all around. “Is it you?” But the gravel was silent. “Who made you fall down?” The gravel was dumb.

That is all.

Story of a small girl

An elderly couple receives a son after praying to God. After a minor accident with a teakettle, they spank him and wish for a daughter. When a girl is born who grows quickly, the son dies choking on an elk head bone. Grief-stricken, the father accidentally cuts his foot and kills his wife with an ax, leading to their mutual death and the girl’s demise.

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 within a family, highlighting the parents’ desire for children and the subsequent interactions with their son and daughter.

Tragic Flaw: The parents’ inability to appreciate their son and their impulsive wish for a daughter serve as their tragic flaw, ultimately leading to the demise of the entire family.

Loss and Renewal: The story depicts cycles of loss and the fleeting nature of renewal, as the family’s brief joy with their daughter is overshadowed by successive tragedies.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Kitty, called the Lamut girl, a Russian creole girl, aged twelve, in the village of Nishne-Kolymsk, summer of 1896.

There was an old man and an old woman. They had no sons or daughters so they prayed to God, and he sent them a son. He grew up quickly, and was useful in their household work. One morning they ordered him to start a fire. He climbed to the roof and pulled the skin stopper out of the chimney. Then he kindled the fire, and it flamed up brightly. He wanted to put the teakettle on the burning coals; but the kettle was set awry, and reclined to one side. Some of the scalding water poured out on the boy’s hand. He let go of the kettle, and it was nearly overthrown.

The father and the mother grew angry and gave him a severe spanking. “In vain was it that we prayed to God for you. Better were it if we had prayed for a little girl.” The old woman wanted to put the kettle in order, but she could not even move it from its place. Then the boy put the teakettle upon the hearth, at a safe distance from the fire.

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The old woman said again, “Bring some wood. We will cook the elk head.” He brought the wood and the elk head, and she cooked it; but the head remained tough, however long she cooked it. Meanwhile the old woman did not feel well. She lay down on the bed and brought forth a girl. This girl grew up in a couple of days, and was able to work. The old man said, “Thank God, we have a girl now! She shall work for us and do everything.” Again the girl cooked the elk head, and when it was done they ate of it; but the boy had a bone stick in his throat, of which he died. The old man and the old woman cried from grief, and repeated, “Ah, ah! we have a girl now, but the boy is gone.” — “It was you, old fool! who complained of the boy,” said the old man to his wife. After that he went chopping wood, and in his grief he cut his foot. He came back to the house; and the old woman said, “I always knew you were very clumsy.” He grew angry, and struck her neck with his ax. Both fell down and died. The girl also died.

The end.

Story of elk’s head

A family suffers a series of devastating losses. After their daughter chokes on a meal and dies, the grieving mother gives birth to a son, only to die immediately with the child. The distraught father lashes out at his wife’s corpse, prompting her to rise and strike him before dying again, ultimately causing his own violent demise.

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

Loss and Renewal: The narrative depicts a family experiencing profound losses—the death of their daughter, followed by the mother’s death during childbirth. The brief renewal through the birth of a son is overshadowed by subsequent tragedies.

Divine Punishment: The father’s act of striking his deceased wife results in immediate retribution, leading to his own demise, suggesting a form of divine or supernatural punishment.

Tragic Flaw: The father’s inability to cope with grief leads him to a rash action—striking his deceased wife—which precipitates his own death, illustrating a fatal flaw in his character.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Marie Dauroff, a Russian creole girl, aged fifteen, in the village of Nishne-Kolymsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1896.

There were an old man and an old woman. They had one daughter. They said to her, “Go to the roof and bring the elk’s head.” She brought the elk’s head. They chopped it up small and cooked it in a kettle. They ate of it, and in one day they finished it. Then they said again to the girl, “Go to the roof and bring the mare’s tongue.” She brought the tongue. They cut it up small, and then fried it in a frying-pan. Then they wanted to eat of it; but the first morsel stuck in the throat of the girl, and she fell down, with the rattle of death in her throat.

The old man and the old woman cried for grief, but the girl soon died. The old woman cried so much, that she brought forth a boy. The old man felt joyful, so he wanted to celebrate the birth. He kindled a large fire, and went to the roof to get a leg of elk; but before he came back, the old woman had died along with the boy.

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The old man was frantic with grief. He cried at first; then he struck the old woman, and said, “Why did the ‘black ruin’ take you this time? You never even felt slightly indisposed.” The old woman was so angry, that she jumped up, struck the old man on the head, and died again. The old man fell down and scattered all around in their ashes.

The end. They lived and lived, and live till now, but get nothing good whatever.

Story of the tom-cat and the cock

This is the Kolyma version of the well-known Old World story. Among the Russians of Europe several versions of it are known, mostly in rhymed prose. The Kolyma version is also in rhymed prose; but its form seems to be more ancient, and some of its details are not without interest.

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 She-Fox uses deceitful tactics to lure the Cock and capture him.

Trials and Tribulations: The Cock faces challenges, including abduction and the need for rescue.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts lessons about trust, caution, and the consequences of naivety.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Mary Shkuleff, a Russian creole girl, aged fourteen, in the village of Pokhotsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There lived a Tom-Cat and a Cock. The Tom-Cat went to fetch fuel, and ordered the Cock to bake pancakes. Meanwhile there came a She-Fox and sang:

O Cock, my Cock! let me in!
We two shall play with little gold rings.
But the Cock refused to let her in.

Then she sang again:

O Cock, my Cock! the golden crest,
The battered head, the silken beard,
Permit me at least to warm one single nail.

The Cock felt compassion, and pierced with a needle a little hole in the window-skin. The She-Fox thrust her nail in through the hole, and tore off the window-skin.

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Then she caught the Cock and carried him off through the window. The Cock sang aloud:

O Cat, my Cat!
The Fox is carrying me off
Beyond the dark forest,
Beyond the high mountains,
Beyond the white rocks,
Beyond the round lakes.

But the cat heard nothing and the Cock cried again:

O Cat, my Cat!
The Fox is carrying me off
Beyond the dark forest,
Beyond the high mountains,
Beyond the white rocks,
Beyond the round lakes.

The Cat heard this time, and chased the Fox. He swung over her head his mighty sword, but she slipped into her furrow and was gone. So the Cock went to market and bought for himself a fine dulcimer. Then he came to the Fox’s house, and sang thus:

Jingle, jingle, my fine dulcimer,
My golden one, my sonorous one!
Are you at home, O my red fox!
In your warm nest?
The first daughter of yours is the Small-Stuffed-One,
The second daughter is Palachelka.
The son is Valorous.
He went up the sky
Clap my little staff
At the oaken door-sill.
Bring me, O fox!
An oven-baked cake.

So the Fox said to the Small-Stuffed-One, “Go and give him this oven-baked-cake.” She went with the cake, but he struck her on the head and killed her.

He hid the carcass under the sand,
And the little skin under a heavy stone,
Lest the people see anything.

Then he sang again:

Jingle, jingle, my fine dulcimer,
My golden one, my sonorous one!
Are you at home, O fox!
In your warm nest?
You are
Quite fair of face,
But your husband is unfair.
Clap my little staff
Upon the oaken door-sill,
Bring me, O Fox!
An oven-baked-cake.

“Ah,” said the Fox, “go, Palachelka, and give him this oven-baked cake.” She went with the cake but he killed her likewise. Then he sang again:

“Ah!” said the Fox, “Go, little Cock, and give him this oven-baked cake!”

The Cock went with the cake, but the Tom-Cat caught the Cock and hurried back to his home. [According to another version, likewise from the Kolyma, the Tom-Cat killed also the mother Fox. He found the Cock firmly frozen in a block of ice, lying in the corner. He broke the ice, and thawed the Cock’s body before the fire. The Cock came to life, and crowed lustily.]

He gave the cock a sound thrashing. “Another time, whoever comes, you must not forget to keep the door tightly closed.” After that they lived happily.

Story about two girls

Two girls encounter mysterious men who warn of Yaghishna’s approach. When she attacks them, they miraculously survive and kill her. They return home, only to be confronted by fiery, vengeful horses that cannot harm them. Ironically, when the elder sister tries to light a candle in gratitude, they both burn to death.

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 girls encounter Yaghishna, a supernatural entity, and mysterious men from the “Upper Land,” indicating interactions with otherworldly beings.

Divine Intervention: The girls’ miraculous survival against Yaghishna’s attack and the fiery horses suggests the influence of higher powers protecting them.

Tragic Flaw: The elder sister’s attempt to light a candle in gratitude, leading to their demise, highlights a fatal mistake stemming from good intentions.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Mary Shkuleff, a Russian creole girl, in the village of Pokhotsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There were two girls. They had plenty to eat, and knew nothing bad. One time they were walking about, and saw some men on horseback ride by. They went home, and found five men in their house, before the burning fire. “Who are you?” — “We are people from the Upper Land. We came from on high, and Yaghishna is also coming. She is not very far off.” — “Ah! we are afraid. Take us along!” — “How can we take you? Our horses are few, and we are too many for them.” Indeed, only two horses were tied to the posts opposite the entrance. The girls cried from fright. Meanwhile Yaghishna came. She took both girls and laid them down on the ground. Then she struck them with a big knife; but the knife could not cut them, and not a single wound was inflicted upon either of them. She raised her knife again; but one of the girls snatched it out of her hands, and struck her directly in the heart. She died. The girls started for home.

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They arrived there and wanted to have some tea. They prepared it, and were going to drink it. The elder sister said, “I am very hungry. Go and look in the storehouse. Perhaps you will find at least a dried fishskin.” Indeed, she found a piece of fishskin, and they ate of it. In the meantime they heard the clattering of hoofs outside. They saw horses that were breathing fire, and that sought revenge for the death of Yaghishna. They struck at the girls with their iron hoofs, and trampled them down; but they could not inflict upon them even the slightest wound. So they went away, all covered with foam and even their breath of fire was extinguished.

The girls wanted to thank God for their salvation. The elder one took a thin wax taper and wanted to light it; but with the taper her own finger flamed up. She was burnt to death, and her sister with her.

That is all. They live and live, and get much that is good. I visited them recently. They washed their house.

Story about a crazy old man

An old hunter empties his three storehouses of food after a prophetic dream, disregarding his wife’s protests. When hunger strikes, they desperately search for scraps. A fly lands on their meager soup, leading to a comical confrontation where the wife is killed by her husband’s hatchet. He then chokes on a fish bone and dies.

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

Prophecy and Fate: The old man’s actions are driven by a prophetic dream about impending death, influencing his decisions and leading to the story’s tragic outcome.

Tragic Flaw: The old man’s impulsive and irrational behavior, stemming from his dream, serves as a tragic flaw that brings about the demise of both himself and his wife.

Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts lessons on the dangers of impulsive decisions, the importance of prudence, and the repercussions of not valuing one’s resources.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Marie Shkuleff, a Russian creole girl, in the village of Pokhotsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There was an old man and an old woman. The old man was a good hunter: so he filled three large storehouses with the game he killed. One storehouse was full of reindeer and elks, another of seals and walrus, and a third was full of fish. They had plenty to eat. One morning he awoke, and said to his wife, “Listen, old woman! I dreamed last night that we were going to die. If this is so, then there is no need of all these stores of food. I want you to go to the first storehouse and throw all the food out to the ravens and the crows.” The old woman refused; but he was so angry that she finally went and did as she was bidden. She worked all day long, and was very tired. Then she went back to the old man. The next day she emptied another storehouse; and the next day she emptied the third one, and threw all the fish back into the water. “Let us swim off,” said the old man. The fish, however, was dead and dry, so it could not swim.

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The following morning they awoke quite early. Neither was dead; and, moreover, both felt very hungry, but all their food was gone. “Ah!” said the old man, “You, old woman, go to the storehouses and look among the rubbish. Perhaps you will find some scraps.” The old woman really found some scraps, and brought them home. A few of them were reindeer meat, others were seal blubber, and a third kind were some heads of dried fish. They put all this into a large kettle and prepared a soup. They ate of it. All at once a fly settled on the brim of the kettle. Oh! both felt alarmed. The old woman seized her culver-tail, and the old man a hatchet, and both attacked that nasty fly. The old woman struck at it with the culver-tail, and overthrew the kettle. The old man threw his hatchet at it, but the hatchet hit the old woman and broke her head. She fell down dead. The old man ate the remainder of the soup, and a fish bone stuck in his throat of which he also died.

The end.

Story of five brothers

Five brothers face a brutal winter ordeal. Two become frightened by wolf tracks, while the other three encounter a devastating snowstorm. They are tossed by ice and river currents, nearly buried, and ultimately freeze into the river. When spring arrives, one briefly awakens, only to die again, trapped in the melting ice.

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 Nature: The brothers struggle against harsh winter conditions, including snowstorms and freezing temperatures.

Tragic Flaw: The brothers’ fear and actions in response to natural signs, like wolf tracks, contribute to their downfall.

Family Dynamics: The story centers on the relationships and fates of the five brothers.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Mary Shkuleff, a Russian creole girl, in the village of Pokhotsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There were five brothers. Two of them were walking about, and saw on the trail some wolf’s tracks, quite fresh, but covered with a little snow. They were frightened, and hastened home; but their three brothers were not there. They sat down on the bed and cried bitterly. Then they went out and saw someone coming. It was their eldest brother. They hugged him and kissed him. Then all three fell down senseless. A snowstorm came and covered them up. They almost ceased breathing. The eldest one, however, succeeded in getting up. He crept home, but a blast of wind carried him off to the river. Then he fell down again, and became senseless as before. He was frostbitten all over and as cold as ice. The wind was so strong that it broke the ice on the river. All the ice moved onward down the river, and the eldest brother moved with it. The other two were also there. They were nearly dead. The ice crumbled to pieces.

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They fell into the water, and were rocked to and fro by the waves and at last carried to the shore. There was a steep bank, where the flow of the water rushed by with great force. They were dragged to the bank, and then under the wall of earth overhanging the water. It fell down on them and nearly buried them. They were carried off however, back to the open water. The river was now free of ice. Two boats were paddling by; and all at once the bow of one of them split and the boat filled with water. The paddlers had to swim for their lives. Everything floated to the surface and the boat sank to the bottom. In ten days the river froze again. The three brothers who had been buried by the fall of earth and carried off by the water were frozen into the ice. They stuck there quite firmly, and stayed there until spring. In the spring the ice began to melt from the heat of the sun. The three brothers melted with it. One of them opened his eyes and looked up. His eyelashes were full of ice. So he died again, worse than ever.

That is the end.

Story of hungry children

A family descends into tragedy after the younger daughter chokes to death. The father beats the children, the mother kills him with an oven rake, and the older son subsequently murders his mother, younger brother, and sister. Ultimately, Yaghishna arrives and decapitates the remaining boy, ending the family’s brutal story.

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 interactions within a family, highlighting how dire circumstances can strain and ultimately destroy familial bonds.

Conflict with Authority: The story depicts the breakdown of parental authority and the ensuing chaos when traditional family roles are disrupted.

Tragic Flaw: The characters’ inability to cope with their desperate situation leads them to commit irreversible acts, underscoring human vulnerabilities.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Mary Shkuleff, a Russian creole girl, in the village of Pokhotsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There lived an old man and an old woman. They had two sons and two daughters. They sent the younger daughter to get provisions. “Go to the roof and bring the reindeer leg that is there.” She brought it. They took off the skin, broke the bone and extracted the marrow. They put it on a plate and ate it. Then the old woman sent the younger son: “Go and bring the reindeer tongue that is outside.” He brought the tongue. They cut it up small and ate of it. One morsel stuck in the throat of the younger daughter, and she died. The mother cried much. Then she sent the elder boy to get from the roof the remaining food; but he found nothing there, and came back empty-handed. The mother cried more bitterly than ever, “How shall we live now? We have nothing to eat. The old man said, “Do not be afraid! We shall find something. Till now we always have found something.” He went into the storehouse and found a piece of bread.

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He brought this to his wife. She was very glad, and ate it. The children, however, whimpered again, “Mother, we are hungry!” She said, “I have nothing. Go ask your father.” They went to their father. “Father we are hungry!” The old man was furious. “I have nothing at all for you! Go away!” The younger boy cried louder than the others, so the father caught him and gave him a flogging. “I have nothing. Go and look in the storehouse!” He took the other boy and gave him a flogging. The old woman seized the oven rake and struck the old man on the back. He fell down and died. The night passed. In the morning the children awoke, but the old woman slept on. They wanted to waken her, but were unable to do so. One of them took up an ax and struck her on the loins. The old woman was cut in two. After that they cried again; but the older boy said, “Why do you cry? We did it ourselves, so there is no reason for crying. The younger boy quarrelled with him, until he took him by the neck and thrust him into the oven which was burning brightly. He shut the door, and the younger boy was burned to death. The little sister cried, so he put her too into the burning oven. She tried to creep out, but he struck her on the head. Then he said, “Now I am left alone. I will go away from this place.” Then he saw a cloud of dust coming down the road. It was Yaghishna. She came to the house and entered it. Then she took that boy by the nape of his neck. With her large knife she struck him on the head. The head jumped off and rolled away. Yaghishna went home.

So they have lived till now, but get nothing good whatever. [One of the usual final refrains of the Russian folk-stories. The most frequently used are: “They live and live and get much of the good”; “They lived and lived, and live till now.” But in northeastern Asia, with the ill-starred creoles, the first refrain changed to a negative “They live and live, and get nothing good whatever”.]

Story about Yaghishna

A young girl is left with Yaghishna, who tasks her with watching a spark. Disobeying, the girl opens a forbidden storehouse, frees magical reindeer, and escapes across a river. When Yaghishna attempts to cross, she drinks the river, falls in, and is killed. The girl refuses to help her, and Yaghishna offers her body parts as tools.

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

Forbidden Knowledge: The girl is explicitly instructed not to open a particular storehouse, yet her curiosity leads her to defy this prohibition, unveiling hidden truths.

Supernatural Beings: Yaghishna herself is depicted with supernatural attributes, such as her ability to drink vast amounts of water and her menacing presence.

Conflict with Authority: The girl’s actions represent a challenge to Yaghishna’s dominance and control, highlighting a struggle against an oppressive figure.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Mary Shkuleff, a Russian creole girl, in the village of Pokhotsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.

There lived an old man and an old woman. They had a small girl still in her swaddling clothes. They swathed her tightly and put her upon the bed. Then they heard Yaghishna coming. They were frightened, and ran off, leaving the girl behind.

Yaghishna came in shuffling over the floor with her bristle-soled frozen boots. She seized the old man and the old woman, but forgot to take the girl. Then she came back and felt with her bands on the bed. She found the girl, put her into the corner behind the chimney, and covered her with a large dish.

Yaghishna kindled a large fire, then she put a cast-iron frying-pan upon the fire and said aloud, “O girl! get up!” And the girl got up. Then she said again, “Take off your swaddling clothes.” And the girl did so. “Now, come here!” And the girl went to her.

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She slapped her upon the face, and asked her, “For what did your mother bring you forth?” — “She brought me forth to carry water for you.” — “I am strong enough. I shall carry it myself.” She gave her another box on the ear, and asked again, “For what did your mother bring you forth?” — “She brought me forth to chop wood for you.” — “I am strong enough. I shall chop it myself.” She gave her another box on the ear, and asked the same question, “For what did your mother bring you forth?” — “She brought me forth to make fire for you.” — “I am strong enough. I shall make it myself.”

She put out the fire in the chimney, leaving only one small spark. Then she said, “Stay here and watch this spark. If it should go out, I shall tear you in two when I get back home.” She prepared to go away, and warned the girl. “Keep house and take good care of everything. You may open and visit all the storehouses. There is only one which you must not open. It is the one tied with a bark thread and sealed with excrement. This storehouse is forbidden to you.” Yaghishna flew away. The girl thought, “Why should I not examine this storehouse?” She went straight to it, tore off the bark thread, and broke the excrement seal. The storehouse was filled with charmed reindeer, neither living nor dead. She led all these reindeer out of the storehouse, and tied them one after another to a long heavy line. Then she pulled in one end of the line and threw it across the river. It flew off and carried her along with it. She dragged the reindeer across, and waited for Yaghishna. In the evening Yaghishna came home, and saw the storehouse open and empty. She went to the river, but the girl was on the other side. Yaghishna asked, “You opened my storehouse?” — “I did,” said the girl. “You took my reindeer?” — “I did,” answered the girl. “You fled across the river?” — “I did,” still answered the girl. “And how did you do it?” asked Yaghishna eagerly. “I drank up all the water and dried up the river,” said the girl. Yaghishna stooped down and drank of the river. She drank and drank, and became full like a water-bag; but the river still flowed on, as before. “I shall cross,” said Yaghishna angrily. “Ah! it is too sticky here.” Indeed, the river bank was covered with slime. “Say! what did you take hold of when you left, this bank?” — “I took hold of a tree and then of a bush, and last of all of a small weed,” said the girl. Yaghishna caught hold of a weed, and it broke off. She fell into the water, and her belly burst. A stream of water came out of it and carried her off to the middle of the river, and downstream. “Ah, ah!, help me out!” cried Yaghishna. “No, I will not,” answered the girl. Then Yaghishna shouted to the girl when passing by:

Take my head for your cup,
Take my fingers for your forks,
Take my joints for your supports,
Take my buttocks for your mortar,
Take my legs for a stone-scraper handle,
Take my backbone for your scraping-board.