The Avam Nganasans live in the western part of the Taymyr Peninsula, in the valleys of the rivers Pyassina, Dudypta, and Boganida. The speakers of the Vadeyev dialect live in the tundra and in the eastern parts of Taymyr, in Khatangsky District by the Kheta River, Lake Taymyr, and the Khatanga Bay. The Nganasans share their territory with the Dolgans. Their southern and southeastern neighbours are the Yakuts; in the southwest they border upon the Enets.
The Nganasans are few in number - 834 (2002 Census). Throughout most of their history they have been nomadic hunters, fishers, and herders of reindeer. They have successfully resisted attempts at conversion to foreign religions until the Soviets. The biggest change in their history occurred in the 1940s, when the Soviet authorities decided to end the shamanist beliefs of the Nganasans. Shamans were imprisoned and their holy artifacts confiscated. Since the 1960s, the nomadic life of the Nganasans has been ended and they have been settled in villages, where they live alongside Russians and Dolgans. These sudden changes caused depression for many Nganasans and alcoholism is a big problem among them.
Shamanism
The isolated location of Nganasan people enabled that shamanism was a living phenomenon among them even in the beginning of 20th century, the last notable Nganasan shaman's seances could be recorded on film in the 1970s.
One of the occasions in which the shaman partook was the clean tent rite. held after the polar night, including human sacrifice.
Notes
References
- Hoppál, Mihály (1994). Sámánok, lelkek és jelképek. Budapest: Helikon Kiadó. The title means “Shamans, souls and symbols”.
- Hoppál, Mihály (2005). Sámánok Eurázsiában.. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. The title means “Shamans in Eurasia”, the book is written in Hungarian, but it is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish. Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian)
External links
- Helimski, Eugene Nganasan shamanistic tradition: observation and hypotheses. Shamanhood: The Endangered Languege of Ritual, conference at the Centre for Advanced Study, 19-23 June 1999, Oslo. .
- Lintrop, Aado The Nganasan Shamans from Kosterkin family. Studies in Siberian Shamanism and Religions of the Finno-Ugrian Peoples. Folk Belief and Media Group of the Estonian Literary Museum. .
- Lintrop, Aado (1996). "The Incantations of Tubyaku Kosterkin". Electronic Journal of Folklore 2
- The shaman — trailer. Nganasan tribe. Youtube.
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Last updated on Monday September 22, 2008 at 05:31:07 PDT (GMT -0700)
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