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.

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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.

Sister and brother married

A sister, desiring to marry her brother, deceives him by disguising herself as a new woman in their camp. The brother unknowingly marries her, and they have a son. When the boy learns the truth from a Snow-Bunting, the father investigates. Discovering the incestuous deceit, he sets a trap with a spell-bound ax, which kills his sister. He and his son continue living together afterward.

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 explores complex relationships within a family, particularly the taboo of incest.

Divine Punishment: The brother invokes a spell-bound ax to punish his sister for her deceit, resulting in her death.

Forbidden Love: The sister’s desire to marry her brother represents a romantic connection defying societal and familial expectations.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chuvan Lore

Learn more about the Chuvan people

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

There was a sister who wanted to marry her brother. One time while the brother was out hunting she sewed a new tent cover and prepared new poles also. Then she dug a long underground passage away from their house, and at the end of it she pitched her new tent. She said to her brother, “A strange woman has come to our camp. You should marry her. After that I will go away.” He said, “Better stay with us.” — “No, I will go and look for a husband; but you must go and visit that woman.” As soon as he was gone, she changed her clothing, and arranged her hair in a different manner. Then she dived into the underground passage and made off to the new tent. There she sat down and when her brother came in he saw her working on skins. He went back home; but she was there before him, and put on her former dress. She asked him, “Did you see her?” — “Yes, I saw her. She looks very much like you.” — “Don’t be silly! Women are alike, just like larch-cones; you hesitate too long. Marry her, the sooner the better. I will go and look for a husband.”

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The following morning he went to the woman’s tent, and spent the whole day there. He paid his suit and married her. The sister pretended to go away, but she had gone to the new tent and stayed there. There they lived. In due time she brought forth a boy, who grew up and became able to shoot. His father made a bow and arrows for him. The boy shot at a Snow-Bunting, which grew angry, and said to him, “You good-for-nothing! do not shoot at me! Better think that you are the child of a brother who married his own sister.” The boy went to his mother, and said, “The Snow-Bunting is abusing me. It says that I am the child of a brother who married his own sister.” She only said, “Do not say that to your father!” When the man came home, the boy wanted to tell him; but just as he began and said “Father!” his mother gave him a spanking and drove him away. This was repeated several times. Then the father took notice and said, “Wife! bring me some wild sheep meat.” She went to the storehouse. Then the boy began again, “Here, father!” — “What is it, child?” — “Snow-Bunting said to me that I am the child of a brother who married his own sister.” — “Ah, ah!” said the father. He took his big ax and ground it well on the whetstone. Then he hung it up just above the entrance. He laid a spell upon it and said to the ax, “If she is really my sister, fall down and split her head.” The woman entered smiling; but, as soon as she had shut the door, the ax fell down and split her head. So she died, and he prepared for her funeral. They lived on, he and his boy.

The end.

A Markova tale

An old man and woman live simply, the man hunting and the woman cooking. After he locks her out to keep his reindeer meat, she leaves in search of human company. Guided by a snow-bunting, she deceives various villagers into trading up from a goose to a doe. While traveling with animals, they betray her. Defeated, she returns to the old man, resuming their modest life.

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 old woman endures a series of challenges, including being locked out by the old man and the betrayals by animals, testing her resilience.

Loss and Renewal: After facing betrayal and defeat, the old woman returns to the old man, symbolizing a cycle of loss and the renewal of their simple life together.

Family Dynamics: The story explores the relationship between the old man and the old woman, their separation, and eventual reunion, shedding light on their interpersonal dynamics.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chuvan Lore

Learn more about the Chuvan people

This tale like some others, was indicated as a real Markova tale, in contrast to others which were indicated as Lamut, Yukaghir, or Chuvantzi tales, or again, as Russian tales coming from Russia. It represents, however, a mixture of elements, Russian and native.

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

There was an old man and an old woman. The old man used to catch hares and bring them to his old woman. She cooked them, and they ate together. One time the old man brought a fat reindeer. The old woman jumped for joy. “Ah, the fat reindeer!” She skinned it and dressed it and chopped it; and then she put some of it into a large kettle, which she hung up over the fire. The meat was nearly done. Then the old man said to himself, “This old woman will consume all my meat. Eh, old woman, fetch some water!” The old woman took a pail and went down to the river. The old man in a moment secured the door on the inside and waited in silence. The old woman came back and could not open the door. “What is the matter with this door?” — “Oh, nothing! I have fastened it on this side.” — “Why did you do so?” — “Oh, I was afraid you would eat all my fat meat.” The old woman climbed to the roof. “Old man, I put the foot of a hare behind the chimney. Please throw it out to me.” He did so. The old woman took the foot and went away. After some time she grew weary and sat down to rest. A magpie was flying by. “O magpie! please tell me where there are human people.” — “I will not tell you. When you lived with the old man, each time that I wanted to perch on the fish racks, you would hurl sticks at my head, I will tell you nothing.”

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The old woman went on and after a while sat down again. A raven was flying by. “O Raven! please tell me where there are human people.” — “I will not tell you. When you lived with the old man each time I wanted to perch on the fish racks you would hurl lumps of earth at my head. I will tell you nothing. He flew off, and the old woman went on. After a while she sat down to rest. A snow-bunting flew past. “O, Snow-Bunting! please do tell me, where there are human people.” — “I will tell you. When you lived with the old men and whenever I perched upon the fish racks, you would do nothing to me; and when you were dressing fish for drying, you would leave for us some pieces of roe and liver. Follow me, I will show you the way.”

The snow-bunting flew away, and the old woman followed. After some time she saw a village. She entered one of the houses. The people bade her welcome, and gave her shelter and food. After the meal they said, “O old woman! we have prepared a couch for you on which you may sleep.” The next morning they gave her a goose, because they had a plentiful supply of wild and tame geese. They also showed her the way. She went on and came to other people. “Old woman, this couch is for you. Go to sleep.” She looked around, and saw that these people owned many swans: so she said to them. “Please give my goose a place among your swans.” Next morning she asked them, “Where is my little swan?” — “How is that. Did you not have a gosling?” — “No, I swear I had a little swan. I call God and the King to witness that I had a young swan.” So they gave her a swan. She took it and went on until she came to other people who had plenty of does. “Please put my swan among your does. It wants to be among your does.” They put it among the does. The next morning she asked, “Where is my doe?” — “Why, mother, you had a swan.” — “No, I swear I had a doe.” They gave her a doe and she went out. The next time she slept she stole a sledge and a reindeer-harness. She attached the doe to the sledge, and, seating herself on the sledge, drove on, singing lustily, “On, on, on! Run along the track, harness not mine, on without stopping! Other man’s sledge will never break down.” An arctic fox jumped up. “Here, granny, take me along on your sledge!” — “Sit down, you S… of a B…, your anus on the stanchion!” She drove on. A wolverene jumped up. “Here, granny, take me along on your sledge!” “Sit down, you S… of a B…, your anus on the stanchion.”

They drove on. A bear jumped up. “Here, granny, take me along on your sledge!” “Sit down, you S… of a B…, your anus on the stanchion!” The bear sat down on the sledge and it broke. “Oh, goodness! Go and bring me some wood. I will repair the sledge.” The arctic fox went and fetched a rotten log. “That is good for nothing,” said the old woman. The wolverene went and brought a crooked pole. “That is good for nothing,” said the old woman. The bear went and fetched a whole tree forked at about the middle. “That is too bad,” said the old woman. She went herself, and meanwhile they devoured the doe and ran off. The old woman came back, and there was no doe, nor any of her companions. So she left the sledge and went back to the old man. He had eaten his reindeer, and was catching hares again: he took the old woman back and they lived as before.

The end.

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 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 of Kundarik

A young boy named Kundarik outwits Yaghishna, a threatening creature who demands his parents give him up. Through clever tricks, he escapes her attempts to kill him, ultimately trapping her in a deep hole covered with green wood. He then reunites with his parents, successfully defeating the menacing Yaghishna.

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

Trickster: Kundarik embodies the trickster archetype, using his wit and intelligence to outmaneuver Yaghishna.

Supernatural Beings: Yaghishna represents a supernatural entity, adding an element of the otherworldly to the tale.

Family Dynamics: The story revolves around the relationship between Kundarik and his parents, emphasizing the lengths to which they go to protect each other.

► 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 little son, whose name was Kundarik. [or Kundirik (in the Anadyr), a small bird (Acanthis exilipes)] One evening they made a fire in the house and noticed that somebody was sitting on the roof, close to the chimney-opening. It was Yaghishna. They were much frightened, but Yaghishna said, “Give me your boy, otherwise I shall swallow you.”

They ran off, leaving the boy who was sitting on the window-sill. Yaghishna called, “Kundar, where are you?” — “I am here in the house.” She entered the house, but he was not there. “Kundar, where are you?” — “I am here, outside the house.” She went out, and he was not there. She took the woman’s scraper and the whetstone and wanted to kill him with them, but he turned into an ermine and fled. She went in pursuit, and soon overtook him.

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Then she said, “O my boy! I want to defecate.” He answered, “Heretofore, when father wanted to defecate, I used to bring from the woods a big elk head, and we would defecate all around it.” She said, “All right! bring it here.” He went into the woods and brought back a stump with many roots which were sharp-pointed like so many spikes. “Here it is.” She seated herself over the stump; but just then the boy pushed her over so that she fell back and was impaled on one of the roots. Then the boy ran off again, but Yaghishna followed him, stump and all, and, overtook him. Then she said, “I want to sleep.” The boy answered, “When father wanted to sleep, he would dig a hole in the ground and sleep in that.” — “All right! Dig a hole for me.” For three days they dug the hole, the boy with his knife, and Yaghishna with her nails. The hole was deep, just like a grave. Yaghishna descended into the hole, and soon was snoring loudly. When she was fast asleep, the boy began to cut down green wood, and he threw it into the hole. In a very short time he had covered Yaghishna quite well, and she could not get out. After that he fled to his father and mother, and they continued to live together.

That is all.

Story of an old woman and her three daughters

An old woman sends her three daughters to a Bad Merchant for food, but each daughter fails to obtain help. Frustrated, the mother beats them, eventually killing Whetstone and then the other daughters. Overwhelmed by grief and despair, she ultimately takes her own life, ending the family’s suffering in a brutal cycle of violence.

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 interactions between the mother and her daughters.

Conflict with Authority: The daughters’ reluctance to obey their mother’s commands and the ensuing consequences illustrate a struggle against parental authority.

Tragic Flaw: The mother’s inability to manage her frustration and anger leads to the demise of her daughters and herself, showcasing a fatal character flaw.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by Annie Shkuleff, a Russian creole girl aged twelve years, in the village of Pokhotsk, Kolyma country, winter of 1896

An old woman had three daughters. One was Stone-Scraper, another was Scraping-Board, and the third was Whetstone. The old woman sent Stone-Scraper to the Bad Merchant. She said, “Go to him and ask him for some food.” Stone-Scraper said, “I will not go.” Stone-Scraper refused to go. The old woman gave her a flogging, and said to Scraping-Board, “Go to the Merchant.” Scraping-Board said to Stone-Scraper, “Let us go together!” They went out, and stood for some time outside. Then they came back. They did not enter the Bad Merchant’s house. They said to their mother, “The merchant was not at home.” She sent Whetstone, “Go to the Merchant, ask him for some food.” Whetstone went out, and also stood for some time outside. Then she went back, “Why did you come so soon?” cried the mother. “He is not at home.” The old woman went herself, and said to the Merchant, “Were my girls here, have they lied to me?”

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He said, “They were not here.” She went back and gave them a thrashing. She flogged Whetstone to death, and sent the other back to the Merchant. They went and stood at the door, without speaking. “What do you want?” said the Bad Merchant. “Go away!” So they went. They told their mother, “The Merchant drove us away.” She grew angry, ran to the Merchant and reproached him with tears. “Why did you drive away my little girls?” — “They had nothing to do here,” said the Merchant. “And now I will drive you away too. Be gone!” She went home. There she sat down on her bed and cried bitterly. She cried for a long time, then she jumped up and killed both her daughters. She struck them on the head with a club. After that she sat down again on the bed and cried more bitterly than before. She took her knife and stabbed herself through the heart.

That is all.

Story of the Forest Demon

A forest-dwelling man marries a Russian girl and has a son. The son, after warning his wife about his dangerous family, leaves with her and a barrel of alcohol. Each night, he faces violent encounters with his brothers. On the final night, the old forest-demon kills him. The wife takes their children and returns to her father.

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 tale explores complex relationships within the family, including the son’s interactions with his wife and his dangerous family background.

Conflict with Authority: The son defies his father’s summons, choosing to flee with his wife, which leads to violent confrontations with his brothers and ultimately his father.

Loss and Renewal: Following the husband’s death, the wife returns to her father with their children, signifying an end to one chapter and the beginning of another.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Yukaghir Lore

Learn more about the Yukaghir people

Told by John Sukhomyasoff, a Russian creole, the clerk of the church in the village of Nishne-Kolymsk, the Kolyma country, summer of 1896.

There was a forest-being, a hairy man, who lived in the woods and roamed about the country. He married a Russian girl and had a son by her. The boy grew up and in his turn married and had two children. One time he said to his wife, “My father calls me to his place, but I do not wish to go. Let us rather go away from here.” He took a barrel of alcohol (a barrel holding three pails [a Russian “pail” is equal to 2.70 gallons. A barrel of three pails forms one side-pack of the usual load of the pack horse]), and they set off. They went throughout the day, and came to a dense forest. He said to his wife, “This evening my elder brother will come to fetch me; but I shall not go. Probably you will hear a noise and clatter in the night time. Be sure to stay in the tent! Not a single look outside, nor the faintest call!” He drank from the barrel as much as one pail, then he went out. The woman remained in the tent, but could not sleep. At midnight she heard much noise and clatter, but she did not dare to look out.

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In the morning, however, she went out. All the trees around the house had their bark peeled off and their branches were broken off. Her husband was sleeping on the bare ground, very tired. They moved off. In the evening he said to his wife, “This time my eldest brother will come to fetch me. I shall obey him as little as I did the other one. You must keep in the tent and wait until morning.” He drank another pailful of alcohol and went out. At midnight she heard louder noises than before, shrill whistling, clapping of heavy blows, and the thud of falling branches. In the morning she went out. All the trees had been cut down to the very roots, and her husband was lying on the ground, half dead and senseless. She nursed him and dressed his wounds, until he came, to. The next evening he said, “This time the old one will come; and even if he should murder me, I shall not go with him. Keep this well in mind. If I am killed, do not stay here in the forest; take our children and go away to your own father.” He drank the last pail of alcohol and went out. In the middle of the night, the woman heard noise and clatter ten times worse than the two previous nights. Even the tent was torn from its supports and carried away. They fought the whole night long and then throughout the day, and the whole of the following night. This time it was the woman who lay like dead. After sunrise she came to and looked up. Nearby was a big larch tree, as thick as a man can embrace. The old forest-demon wound his son around the tree as he would a strip of leather. In this position he left him dead and disfigured. The woman took her children and went back to her father.

The end.