A bear holiday among the Khanty peoples. Khanty - keepers of the bear cult

The peoples of the North carry out an ancient ceremony with a beautiful festival that lasts for several days.

Previously, this was arranged in honor of a killed bear. The duration of the holiday among peoples such as the Mansi and the Khanty depended on who the hunters killed.

If it was a male, then they celebrated at least 5 days, the female - 4 days, and the cubs - 2-3 days.

Then the holiday began to be held not constantly, but not less than once every seven years.

Often, each of us could hear such expressions as "Clumsy like a bear", "Bear toed," "Bear stepped on the ear." But very often you can hear about him and affectionate - "Bear Father", respectful - "Mikhail Potapych", "Forest Old Man", "Guest", "Old Man Prince". Many peoples of the world have a special attitude towards. After all, this is a beautiful, dexterous animal. Few of the animals dare to attack him. A rival for this species can only be a person.

According to an ancient legend, the bear was the youngest son of the God Torum. That is why he is so strong and agile. God sent his son to Earth and asked not to destroy villages and kill. But due to hunger and the attacks of the gnat, the father's order was violated. Therefore, punishment fell upon the bear. The beast became mortal, and the hunters had the right to kill him for disobedience. The soul remained immortal and had to return to Torum. The bear is also called a forest man. People revere him and even celebrate the Bear Festival.

During this ancient and interesting ritual, traditional rituals are held, theatrical performances are arranged, accompanied by music, singing, dancing, dressing up in various costumes. There is even a special ritual dance with seven arrows. All days they praise the bear and shift the blame for killing the beast on a gun, and for eating meat on a crow. Only then the bear is boiled and eaten whole.

The holiday itself begins with a staged hunt with many rules. For this, a bear is specially raised up to the age of three. Then they celebrate the meeting. A treat is distributed. Most often, coins, sweets. The animal is also dressed up. Silver coins are placed over the eyes and nose. The bear is put on a birch bark muzzle. The bear receives a headscarf and beaded jewelry on her head.

Songs are sung with apologies for having to kill the bear. Even a fawn sacrifice is offered. The number of songs is always odd. The songs praise the bear as a representative of the clan of a whole people. There are special songs that are performed on this occasion, in costumes and animal masks. People imitate their habits and dances. Ravens act as thieves who want to steal the meat and soul of the bear. People try to protect and prevent the abduction of an immortal soul.

After the chant, sports competitions and dramatic performances begin. Hunters compete in well-aimed stelae hitting the target, prepare bear meat for dinner in accordance with the rules and rituals, after which the meal begins. After dinner, people collect all the bones to bury in a special place, believing that the bear will be able to revive again.

The skin, part of the muzzle, lips, skull are considered sacred and kept separately. On this holiday, you can not only watch the performance, but also buy many souvenirs that depict a bear. For women, beaded jewelry, knitted rugs, fur products are of interest. Men will be conquered by knives that have an image of a totem animal on their handles, and handmade leather goods. National costumes are also beautiful. And what masks you can find and hang to decorate the interior of your apartment! Toys in the shape of a bear are presented for children.

In Russia, the bear has also been revered for a long time. There is even an East Slavic bear awakening holiday. This holiday was connected with Shrovetide. But after the adoption of Christianity, the celebration of the awakening of the bear was postponed to an earlier time and they stopped worshiping this beast. On March 24, mummers in clubfoot suits, which were made of bearskin skins, walked around. There was a merry promenade with burning stuffed animals, rolling burning wheels and dancing real bears with buffoons. The owner of the forest looked like the Russian God Veles, or, as they call him in another way, Volos. Veles was considered the patron saint of cattle, was shaggy and hairy. Even the Magi put on bearskin.

Until now, the people still love this beautiful, powerful animal. If the opportunity presents itself, you should definitely go to the festival, which is held by the peoples of the Oroch and Udege. Today, this national festivities have turned into a competition of agility and strength, backgammon races, mass dances with singing, which are accompanied by the playing of national musical instruments.

And, of course, one cannot fail to mention the Olympic bear - the favorite of the people, the mascot of the two Olympic Games held in Russia in 1980 and 2014.

Vera Smolnikova
Summary of the lesson "Bear is a sacred animal of the Khanty and Mansi peoples"

Subject: Bear is a sacred animal of the Khanty and Mansi peoples.

purpose:

1. Continue to introduce children to the ritual culture of indigenous Khanty peoples.

Tasks:

1. Correctional educational:

Learn to slowly but cleanly pronounce difficult-to-pronounce words and phrases;

Introduce children to the rite bearish holiday and give an idea of bear as sacred an animal of the Khanty and Mansi peoples.

Clarify knowledge about animals of our region.

Continue to learn how to perform the appliqué with the tearing method.

2. Correctional and developmental:

Develop cognitive abilities, curiosity.

3. Correctional and educational:

Cultivate interest in occupation, activity, discipline, friendliness in collective activities.

Methods: verbal, practical, visual, games, correctional - developmental impact on the development of the child.

Material: presentation with illustrations with pictures animals of our forests, painting by Kurmaev « Bear holiday» ... Sheets of paper with silhouettes bear, brown paper, brushes, glue, napkins, hat bear; multimedia system,

Course of the lesson

1. Conversation about our region.

Educator: - Guys, today we will get acquainted with one of the very interesting holidays of local residents. To do this, we will remember what city we live in? (in Uray) And in which district is our city (in KhMAO)... What indigenous people live in our area (Khanty and Mansi) . (Slide 3 - map) We will try to be attentive and reasonable so that everyone is interested. What surrounds the cities of our region? (taiga) (Slide 4 - taiga)

Guys, imagine that you live in the taiga, and many different animals and birds live in the taiga. Locals - Khanty, recognize the beast on the trail.

- What animals do you know our region? (slide 5 - animals)

(deer, wolf, fox, arctic fox, hare)

2. Game "Who are they talking about?"

Educator. - Now we will play a game with you "Who are they talking about?"

"Cowardly like ...." (hare)

"Evil as ..." (wolf)

"Agile as ..." (squirrel)

"Sly as ..." (a fox)

"Strong as ..." (bear)

"Thorny like ..." (hedgehog)

Educator. - Can you guess about which of these animals riddle:

“Through the unknown taiga

There is a man

In cloth pants. " (bear)

Articulation gymnastics (Slide 6)

Himself big bear, lazy

And the language is big, lazy.

To be able to speak "Spatula"

We will teach him.

Right-left, right-left "Hours"

Move your tongue boldly.

And then don't be lazy "Swing"

Up and down, up and down.

Do your best, buddy, (Slide 7)

Circle your lips.

One, a circle, two a circle, "Running through the stadium"

Look! You already could.

And now, without regret, "Delicious jam"

Pick up the jam from your lips

Raspberry, blueberry.

And of course blueberries.

Our language is almost ready "Drummer"

But let's start without words for now,

We knock on the teeth

And quietly growling -RRRRRRR!

Educator. - That's right, this bear... Look at the picture and tell me, what is it like? (Slide number 8 bear) (he is big, strong, hairy, brown) What habits bear you know? (he loves to feast on honey, raspberries) What is the external similarity between a person and bear? (can walk on its hind legs, like a human)

Educator. - Yes, you guys are right.

The educator's story. Everyone has it people have their own: rituals, holidays, language. Have Khanty and Mansi all ceremonies and holidays are associated with mother nature. Today I will tell you how the locals celebrate « Bear holiday»

« Bear holiday»

Russian bear people, it is considered "Master of the taiga". Bear at the Khanty and Mansi considered sacred animals. Khanty believed, what bear- this is a man - a hero.

Bear struck these people by the fact that he could stand on his hind legs and walk like a man on "Two legs" what others could not do animals... It is also interesting that the feet of the hind legs bear similar to human.

(Slide number 9 bear stands with a paw)

All this suggested the idea of ​​kinship. bear and man. (Slide number 10 bear stands with a paw) ... Hunting for bear Is always a big event. Everyone was invited to it. Previously, women also went on such a hunt. They had to cut down the tree so that it fell into the den. bear.

Khanty bear feared as a formidable predator and believed that after death he could be reborn. So that the soul of the killed beast did not bring harm to people, it was necessary to appease it. So there was « Bear holiday» , the brightest and oldest.

Here's what he says Khanty legend: “There was one hero who loved to go to the forest. One day he went into the forest and got lost: I went so far into the depths of the forest, into such an impassable place, from which it was possible to get out only if you climbed over a log covered with moss. The hero could not climb over it in clothes and he had to take off his clothes. When he climbed over the deck without clothes, he felt that his body was covered with wool. Not finding his clothes, the bogatyr covered with wool went to wander through the forest and eat what he finds in the forest "

According to another legend, “Once in his childhood he lived in heaven, but he really wanted to get to earth. The father - the supreme god - yielded to the requests of his son and lowered him to the ground in a cradle. At the same time, he instructed him to keep order here and not harm people. but bear broke some rules and the hunters killed bear... They arrange a ceremonial holiday in honor of the heavenly beast

Bearish the holiday is considered the most colorful holiday in Khanty and Mansi peoples... It is considered one of the most ancient in its origin, for the preservation of traditions and rituals. Have Khanty and Mansi no special day to celebrate « Bear holiday» ... This holiday is associated with a successful hunt for bear.

The slain beast is placed in the front corner of honor on the table (or bench)... They put coins over their eyes so that bear"did not see" those present at the celebration and did not harm them. A treat is placed in front of him. The hunter who killed bear, sits down on the right side of his head, a musician sits down on the left and the holiday begins. People in dance show how they hunted, others sing songs about life bear in the forest... Performances alternated with dances, scenes from everyday life were played Khanty... This holiday lasted for many days. When the holiday ends - skull bearish the heads are taken out and hung on the nearest tree. It was believed that this skull would bring good luck to people.

(music Khanty(Slide number 17 - poem)

Fairy tales fly through the taiga

Legends roam the taiga,

Like hunters bear,

Having met, by cunning "Bring down".

The villages will tell mansi,

how bear"Lower".

But no one dares to say

what bear - kill ...

"Downgraded" bear, "Omitted", -

He succumbed inadvertently, -

His head is big ...

On the table lies wide.

And then his men ...

As a hero is praised

They call it the spirit of the forest,

They entertain with kunya song,

They see off with a bird dance.

Yu. Shestalov

Physical education.

The teacher invites children to portray a bear, reads a poem and shows the movements that children repeat:

Teddy bear walked through the forest, they walk on the spot

The bear collected cones, "Gathering cones from the floor"

Our bear is very tired, They tilt their head left and right.

The bear sat down and dozed off. Place the palms folded together on the cheek.

3. Outdoor play « Bear and hunters» .

Educator. -And now we will play with you. The game is called « Bear and hunters» .

Rules of the game: hunters arm themselves "Stones"(soft balls, the bear lies in the den... Hunters throw "Stones" in a den, bear, angry, growling, gets out of the den and rushes to the hunters. They run away the bear is trying to catch up with them.

Educator. - Malik we will have bear, and we are all hunters.

4. Preparatory work for the application.

Educator. - Guys, I suggest you sit down at the tables. Today we will carry out the application on theme: "Younger brother Khanty» .

Educator. - Whom Khanty called a younger brother? (bear)

Educator. - Right bear... Let's remember the application method - cutting off. How do we start work?

(We spread the base with glue, tear off small pieces of paper and glue them on the base, blot excess glue with a napkin).

Educator. - Right. In front of you are sheets of paper with an outline bear... Let's get to work. We work carefully, apply the glue evenly.

5. Independent work.

6. Summary classes.

Educator. - What new have you learned today at occupations?

(Khanty legend about the hero which turned into bear).

Educator. - What else have you done on occupations?

(application "Younger brother Khanty» ).

Educator. –Guys, choose now the works that you like the most. And tell us what exactly did you like about them?

Educator. - Thank you for your work.

Day of the reindeer herder, hunter and fisherman

The Day of the Reindeer Herder, Hunter and Fisherman is a holiday organized not so many years ago, but it took root and became permanent in the Surgut region. The holiday takes place at the end of March, when reindeer herders, hunters and fishermen leave the taiga and tundra to hand over the products of traditional crafts at the end of the hunting season and replenish food supplies, communicate with each other, undergo a medical examination, solve problems that have arisen, show themselves and their prowess ... For the latter, sports competitions are organized: reindeer races, snowmobile races, jumping over sledges, throwing a lasso, wrestling, sacking, climbing a pole, demonstrating national clothes, etc., for which the winners receive prizes. These events are held annually in the city of p. Lyantor, S.p. Russkinskaya, the village of Trom-Agan, the village of Nizhnesortymsky.

The indigenous people of our region worship the god Torum, who has many faces for them - the God of heaven, the God of water, the God of the forest, etc. Each Khanty clan has its own common God. It is located in a holy place, located in the most remote and inaccessible places. At this place, at a certain time, members of the clan gather for ritual ceremonies with the participation of a shaman. The content of ritual ceremonies remains secret from outsiders (strangers are not allowed), and the location of the holy places is kept secret.

Raven day - a holiday of spring, love and meetings

Vurna khatl (Ravens day) - Torum angki khatl (Mother's Goddess day) in Khanty, Urin-ekwa khatal - in Mansi - was originally celebrated on the day of the arrival of the crows. Later, it began to be celebrated on April 7, on the Annunciation, which is apparently connected with the Christianization of our northern region. The arrival of crows from the Ob Ugrians was associated with the arrival of spring and warmth. It is these birds that arrive first, begin to build nests, croak loudly, as if awakening nature.

At the crow's festival, one of the adults must tell the legend of the crow.

They say that a long time ago, the crow was white. And she lived with people in a plague. But now the hard times have come. People have nothing to feed the living creatures - they themselves have nothing to eat. And the crow went in search of food. She circled for a short time, saw carrion, ate a lot, turned back. People greeted her and did not believe her eyes: a white bird flew away, and returned - a black one. And when they found out that she was full, she fell, they drove away from the plague. Because, no matter how poor you are, you cannot stoop to such baseness.

People drove the crow, but it still returns to them with the first spring winds. And no matter how angry they are with the exile, they are glad of her. After all, the crow is the first messenger of spring in the North. And also, probably, because people remember those ancient times when everyone lived in peace and prosperity, and the crow was a white bird.

This is how the Khanty legend is told, as ancient as the people themselves who formed it. In Khanty and Mansi legends, crows are the patroness of women and children. Wet dac (softwood shavings that were poured into the baby cradle) were usually piled up in one place on the outskirts of the village under a hemp. And the crow, having flown in from the south, on cold days, sat on this bunch of dying daggers and warmed their paws. And when the crow flies to warm lands, it flies over the village goodbye and says: “Let more boys be born, let more girls be born. When I return here in the spring, there will be a place to warm my paws in the spring ”. Old people say that the crow is a good bird, it rejoices at the birth of children. The crow's holiday used to be held in its own way in each village. In tags, women gathered for the ceremony on this day in the southern side of the forest. They cooked food on a fire, set up a table, and threw pieces of food towards the forest, as if to a crow, so that it would bring good luck, happiness, warmth, and sun. Be sure to make pores (a table with treats) near the birch, they brought ribbons, scarves with white coins tied in them as a gift to the spirits. They bowed, addressing the light spirits (nineworth), and prayed for the well-being and health of children and adults. On this day, a festive meal was arranged. They cooked salamat - flour fish soup, various fish dishes, baked from golden bird dough, treated children and each other.

On the crow's holiday, they usually competed in strength and dexterity, organized musical competitions: who will outplay whom at the sankvyltap, who knows more melodies. And the young on this day chose their grooms and brides.

The crow has always been a sacred and revered bird for the Khanty people. The Khanty legend says: “It was long ago. One day in the spring a crow flew to our northern land. She flew and flew, there is no one around, it is cold, gloomy. She gathered her strength and croaked at the top of her throat. Her sonorous: "Kar-Kar!" over the vastness of the North, over the mighty Ob River, it echoed in the Ural ridges. From this cry the Earth came to life, a man woke up. From that day the Khanty clan began. People were very grateful to the crow. And that day was the seventh from the beginning of the month of solid crust. Un ker tylishch 7 - met khatl. "

Since then, the Crow's Day has been one of the most revered holidays in the Yamal North. The crow is a symbol of life, a messenger of spring. By will, if the first crow arriving sits on a low tree, the spring will be fleeting, if on a high one it will be protracted.

On this day, you cannot sew, cut wood, chop wood. Parents wake up their children early in the morning with the words: "Hurry, run to the street - the crow flew in and brought gifts!" And indeed, bunches of rolls and bagels hang on birch branches, symbolizing warm spring suns. Sculptures of good spirits have already been exhibited at the chum; during the holiday they will be treated to the blood of a sacrificial deer. Sacrificing a deer to the gods, they thereby ask them for understanding, mercy and prosperity. If the plague has many guests, it is a great honor for the owner of the plague, the head of the family.

Raven's Day is an ancient Khanty holiday, which gathers people from all over the area, bringing delicious food, prepared in advance. The festival is attended by women, girls and boys no older than thirteen years old. The tables are laid, after which the men and women go to their sacred trees. To the spruce - men, to the birch - women and ask the welfare of their children. To the branches of trees, everyone ties pieces of cloth with coins tied to them (according to the number of children), referring to "turum" and wishing his loved ones the very best in life. Then a deer is slaughtered at the male tree, and at the moment of the death of the sacrificial animal, they shout “turumu” three times, as if escorting the deer from this world to the next. The skin and skull of a deer are hung on a holy tree. After tasting fresh venison, the celebrants should drink two cups and fresh reindeer blood.

A crow song recorded on the Sosva River contains the following words: “Let little girls, little boys be born with my appearance! I'll sit down on the hole with the tal rot. I will warm my frozen feet. Let the long-living girls be born! " According to Khanty beliefs, all things of small children must be strictly monitored so that trouble does not happen to the child. The Khanty believe that a crow, having flown in from the south, warms its paws on wood shavings intended for a child's cradle on cold days, and wishes to continue their family and health to children for many years. There is a legend about the dispute between a raven and a chaley. “Once Khalei said:“ Let the person die! ”. And the crow answered him: “No! The man will not die! I will arrive in the spring with a bunch of rolls and rescue him. Just let him throw me a handful of wood shavings from his baby's cradle. I will warm my paws in them. " Therefore, on Raven Day, it is customary to change wood shavings in children's cradles, and throw old ones to a crow.

In general, the meaning of the holiday lies in communication of relatives and friends of people living far from each other, in veneration of the sacred bird, which awakened nature and notified the tundra people about the coming of spring. Meetings after a long winter darkness, expectation of joyful spring worries - may more healthy, smart children be born, and vazhenki will give the owners of the herds a good offspring of deer. The raven day is also called the holiday of love and meetings.

Bear holiday

This beast has many names - allegorical, "encrypted", its very name is a taboo, learned from childhood. He is worshiped, feared, revered as a relative. His name is BEAR.

Each nation that shares its territory with it has dedicated a whole layer of its culture to this dangerous neighbor. The Bear Holidays arranged in honor of the beast are extremely varied. The Ob Ugrians - Khanty and Mansi have a particularly complex structure of the bear holiday. This is a bright, colorful, multi-genre action, a fascinating spectacle and at the same time an ancient ceremony.

From the snow, not only hair turns white, but also eyelashes. Numerous snowballs fly into the sky over the snowy clearing. This is how the Bear holiday begins among the Mansi people.

They hunt bears in late autumn to preserve their meat until the New Year. The carcass of a bear with its head and paws is brought to the village on a reindeer sled, and the hunters are notified of their arrival with five or seven shots. Here the tramp of reindeer hooves is heard closer and closer, and finally the sledges roll up to the porch. A fanged bear carcass flaunts on them. Those who meet her sprinkle her - and the hunters too! - with snow, and then the bear's head is placed on its paws and laid in a barn. The eyes of the beast are covered with silver coins.

The holiday is usually held in the house of the hunter who killed the bear. If the male was killed, the holiday lasts five days, if the female - four. A lot of people gather in an ordinary Mansi house. All participants of the holiday, entering the house, bow to the bear, come up to him and kiss his paw. Only after that, everyone dignifiedly sit down on the benches. And those who did not get into the house look out the windows. A treat is set in front of the bear - meat, bacon, bread and vodka.

In the far corner of the house there is a “sacred” table, on which lies a bear's head, decorated with multi-colored ribbons and beads - she even has earrings hanging in her ears! A saucer with a smoking birch outgrowth is placed in front of her for the ritual of purification. This holiday cannot be predicted or calculated according to the calendar, because in order for it to take place, a bear must be killed. "The bear is killed" - the Mansi would never say that: why take in vain the name of the owner of the taiga, his great ancestor, if he hears, he will be offended. Better to say "vortolnut" - "living in the forest":

Fairy tales fly through the taiga

Legends roam the taiga,

Like bear hunters

Having met, by cunning they "bring down".

In the villages the Mansi will tell

Like a bear is "lowered".

But no one dares to say

That a bear is being killed ...

The bear is "brought down", "down", -

He gave in inadvertently, -

His head is big

On the table lies wide.

And then his men

As a hero is praised

They call it the spirit of the forest,

They entertain with kunya song,

They see off with a bird dance.

Gradually, the holiday turns into a theatrical performance. "Ooh-ku-loo-lu!" - suddenly sounds quite unexpectedly. It was the participants of the performance who came running. On their faces are birch bark masks with long, long noses. Above the narrow slits of the eyes are long eyelashes and eyebrows. This mask is called sasnel. The owners of the masks are also called by the same name. Sasnel can say everything, laugh and make fun of everyone present, even a bear. After all, his face is not human, but birch bark. And the birch bark will withstand everything! Often a beard and mustache made of wool are attached to such masks. At one end of the table sits the Hunter, who has led the Forest Spirit to the people. On the other side sits Kastan-hum - a kind of steward at the holiday, toastmaster. He hits the tambourine - people start dancing; the word says - everyone immediately falls silent, listening to the legends of magical antiquity. A long time ago, when people still did not know how to make fire, the bear and their father Torum loved to look from the seventh heaven to the earth. They saw very interesting transformations taking place there: the earth from time to time changes its outfit from white to green. And the young bear began to ask his father to let him go down to the ground and walk through its expanses.

Twice the old bear refused his son, and the third time he agreed and lowered his son in a cradle from heaven to earth. Finding himself on the coveted land, the bear began to walk through its expanses and admire its beauty. But soon he felt hungry and began to beg back to heaven. However, his father threw his bow, arrows and fire from heaven and commanded him to live on earth: to get his own food and to execute judgment on those who commit evil. If the bear himself acts unjustly, then the person will inflict judgment on him.

The young bear did not listen to his father's warnings and did many misfortunes on earth. Then one of the seven hunting brothers killed him and took from him the bow, arrows and fire, which people have since started using ...

The dance that tells the story of the bear ends. It's time to blame the slain beast. Three old men appeared in front of the bear's head. Holding hands and gently swaying to the beat of the music, they begin to sing the story of the bear. The voices of the singers now rise up, then fall to the ground and sound in a low tone, as if he roars - the Master Bear. The old people sing that they remember the heavenly origin of the beast and call him "He", not a bear. They remember that He is the ancestor of people, and a brother living in the forest cannot be killed. And they say that they "did not kill" him, but "brought him down", otherwise He will be offended. And if people nevertheless "bring down" the bear, it will happen by chance, and they are ready to apologize for the blood.

And then the hunter who killed the bear steps forward: “Forgive me! It was not me who killed you, it was my gun that went off. So they killed you by accident, this will never happen again! "

At this moment, two other hunters appear, who confirm the words of their comrade. They are in light malitsa, belted with belts, on which bear teeth and a large sharp knife hang. They have guns in their hands. "Ooh-ku-lou-lo!" - fingers dance on musical strings. Birch bark masks are spinning, jumping, dancing, waving their arms like birds with wings - they confess to the bear in all their troubles and sorrows. The gazes of the people present inevitably turn to the paws and claws of the beast.

After all, the Mansi believe that if you lie in front of the beast, then you cannot avoid its clawed paw. And if you tell the truth in front of him (that is, you will have fun in the dance), the good spirit of insight will wake up in the bear. According to the Mansi, a person with death does not disappear without a trace, but turns into animals, plants, trees and flowers. It is not by chance, therefore, that the most crucial moment of the holiday is the awakening of the bear Vortolnut ("Living in the Forest").

After that, a real carnival begins. Figures in birch bark masks jump, spin, jump, depicting a hunter putting a trap on the beast; that of a fisherman pulling a net full of fish out of the river; then an unlucky fisherman who fell into the wormwood.

The carnival spills out into the courtyard, where venison is cooked in cauldrons over a fire. And bear meat will only be cooked in a day or even two in a large cast-iron cauldron. It is cut by the host of the holiday himself, and only sometimes he invites his close relatives for help.

The meat cannot be bitten off; it is cut with a knife in small pieces. The head and heart of a bear are considered sacred - no one should eat them at all. The bones must be left intact. And the whole boiled head is tied up and stored on top of the house or in the barn. This is also associated with the desire to revive the beast.

At the end of the holiday, sketches are sometimes performed with a "fox" to be smoked out of the house. She revolves around the "sacred" table, does not want to leave in any way. And then the shaman sets fire to her straw tail with a match. She begins to run around the house from corner to corner, thereby clearing it with fire. Then the "redhead" jumps out into the courtyard, where the show continues.

The "deer" in pink dresses are jumping, the "elk" in a red silk shirt is dancing, the "hunters" are pulling on their tight bows. And, illuminated by the light of a bonfire, a bear's head, taken out of the house, gazes thoughtfully at all this noisy fun.

Seeing off the swan

Few people know that in addition to the revered day "Vorna Khatla" - "Crow's Day", the Khanty people have another holiday - Seeing Off the Swan, which is dedicated to meeting and seeing off the sacred bird - the swan. This event is preceded by a holiday accompanied by a special ritual. Here is what I.S. Possokhov, an elderly man, Khanty by nationality, about the ritual of such a holiday of Farewell to the Swan, which he witnessed once in the fall.

The day before, the residents of the yurts agreed on the time of departure for the holiday.

On the day of the holiday, they drove up to the sacred place, and the male hunters announced their arrival with three volleys from hunting rifles. The guardian of the holy place, hearing the shooting, went ashore to meet the smartly dressed guests. The arrivals, mooring their boats to the boardwalk, walked in a line to the village along a path lined with branches and hay.

Then the women set fire to the stacked firewood, and put food on the board by the fire. They sprinkled the fire on the alcoholics, threw a coin into the fire and then lined up in a row and, sending obeisances, whispered: "You are our sacred bird, we came to visit you and from a pure heart brought everything we needed with us ... Soon separation will come, leave your native land ... We are waiting for your return in the spring. On our mighty wings fly over the mountains, taiga! We wish you a clear sky over our beautiful land. "

Then the women turned over their right shoulder, finishing the ritual, and began the meal.

Bundles with gifts were suspended on a peg to the side. It was a common place for the ceremony. Old and small in a crowd, stood here and asked the swan to accept their gifts.

The main ceremony was held in a sacred place where only men were allowed to go. The sacrifice was performed here. This place was founded from time immemorial by distant ancestors.

The men brought the sacrificial animal, tied it under a thick, reddish one, and on another tree a primitive table had already been made, under which poles were passed between the branches of the tree. The guardian of the holy place arranged the refreshments, untied the bundles with gifts, every thing, enveloping them in the smoke of smoldering chaga. hung on poles. Those present threw a coin on the table, stood in front of the table, bowed. Then the caregiver brought the animal out and began to lead it in the direction of the sun.

Hell! - a call-out cry was heard after each turn - and seven times the echo carried this cry ...

At the end of the holiday, one of the organizers put on a tetrahedral stick the number of people from each family, in order to then divide equally the costs associated with the ritual ritual, then he took out of the cauldron a piece of the neck, heart and eyes of the sacrificed animal, pricked them on the branches of the pole, put it on to a table attached to a tree.

This was the end of the holiday.

). It is a complex of rituals - from hunting a bear to ritual butchering. All actions of the ceremony are strictly regulated.

Rituals and their sequence

• Hunting

The holiday begins with a bear hunt. According to the beliefs of the Kets, the bear itself surrenders to the mercy of the hunter, standing on its hind legs and opening its vulnerable belly. Kets believe that at this moment one of the already deceased relatives is reborn into a bear. Usually these are older relatives, but there may be sons as well. A surrendering bear is a relative who wants to visit his own. Death is not terrible for him - he will be reborn. Thus, one person after death can look at his relatives several times in the guise of several animals. Hunters, on the other hand, will never say about a killed bear that they killed him, a bear cannot be killed, he only surrenders.

• Fortune telling

When a killed animal is dragged home, the first step is to cut off its right front paw, which is used for fortune telling. The animal is laid belly up, after which the oldest hunter asks a question and throws up a paw. If she falls with her hair up, then this means that the bear gave a negative answer. If palm up, then positive. The first step is to find out the identity of the bear, that is, who he was when he was a man. In addition, the bear is asked a number of other things, up to the desired length of stay at a party.

• Butchering and eating a bear

After the fortune-telling, skinning and cutting of the animal takes place. For the Kets, this process does not hide complex and lengthy rituals, meanings and sequences of actions. In this they differ markedly from other northern and especially from the Far Eastern peoples. First, the skin is removed, then certain layers of fat are cut out, then the internal organs are dismembered and removed, some of which are sent to the fire for frying. The fat is cut from different parts of the body, in different proportions, and the resulting types of chunks are given different types of names. These names symbolize the animals that the hunter wants to lure, etc. Only men are in charge of the process. At the same time, there used to be prohibitions on eating certain parts of the body by women, or even by all people, since, according to superstitions, this could cause problems in the future. However, now all these superstitions have practically disappeared. Although some of the organs (organs of the respiratory system) are thrown away.

• Visiting bear

Since most of the body of the bear is carefully cut, then for the next part of the ritual it is necessary to make something like a symbolic body of the bear. This symbol represents the bear throughout the holiday. The bear symbolizes the assembly of several pieces of birch bark, on which the animal is depicted, and assembled in such a way that this assembly is voluminous. They make the bear something like a bed or a room and put his head to the fire. This is how the bear becomes a guest. While he is visiting, no bear meat or fat is eaten in the house. Then the bear is revived. For this, the symbol is supplied with separate parts of the animal's body, copper plates, matches-ribs, caps and a magic ring made from a cedar twig. At the end of the ritual, the hunter dressed up in the skin of a bear (and earlier he put on a bear nose in a special way) and thus, in the guise of an animal, as if lured the prey to the hunters.

Styling and simplifying

In the case of the Kets, the meaning of most of the rituals has long been lost. Already in the pre-war period, even the oldest Kets could not always explain which ceremony was performed for what purpose. Nevertheless, Soviet ethnographers managed to establish that initially the Bear holiday among the Kets differed from that among other northern and Far Eastern peoples (for example, among the Nivkhs) not so seriously as to distinguish it into something separate. The Ket bear holiday has undergone serious stylization. If earlier in the house as a guest they could well have placed a full-fledged, perhaps not even cut, body of a bear, then gradually this part of the ritual became simpler - at best, a symbol of birch bark and some other materials remains from the bear. It is generally accepted among ethnologists that the use of copper symbolizes the transition of the Kets from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Now this curious complex of rituals is most likely completely lost; it can only be judged by the records of ethnographers.

This beast has many names - allegorical, "encrypted", its very name is a taboo, learned from childhood. He is worshiped, feared, revered as a relative. His name is BEAR.

The cult of the bear is typical for all peoples of the North, the bear holiday is only for some of them.

Each nation that shares its territory with it has dedicated a whole layer of its culture to this dangerous neighbor. Different bear holidays arranged in honor of this beast are extremely diverse. The Ob Ugrians - Khanty and Mansi have a particularly complex structure of the bear holiday. This is a bright, colorful, multi-genre action, a fascinating spectacle and at the same time an ancient ceremony.

March 24 - the vernal equinox ended, the day became longer than the night. This is the time of the East Slavic "Holiday of the awakening bear", in tune with the Greek holiday of the same name, it is also called comedians - comedy. Now Easter and Great Lent have moved Maslenitsa from its original place - March 24, and once on that day they burned a scarecrow, rolled burning wheels, danced in bearskin skins or in sheepskin coats turned out with fur. The mummers of the bear were obligatory participants in the Pancake week games.

They revered the owner of the forest - the bear - in Russia. The bear was the prototype of one of the most important Slavic gods - Veles. Veles (Volos), god - patron saint of cattle - hairy, shaggy, hence “Sorcerer” (originally a sorcerer-priest, dressed in a bearskin).

Bear holiday- This is a complex of rituals associated with hunting for a bear, it was used by many peoples of Europe, Asia and North America, who lived in the forest zone. This is a reflection of the cult of the bear that existed among the peoples. For the majority, bear festivals were held in connection with a bear killed in a hunt in order to appease him. At the same time, the meat of the bear was eaten in compliance with strict rituals. Some peoples of Siberia and North America arranged masked dances in front of the bear's carcass. Among the Khanty and Mansi, these dances resulted in a drama based on hunting plots.

The peoples of the Lower Amur and Sakhalin specially fed bears for such holidays. The similarity of the rituals of such a holiday among different peoples is explained by the generality of the conditions of the hunting economy and the religious and magical ideas associated with it. For a number of modern peoples (for example, the Khanty and Mansi), the bear holiday, having lost its magical significance, has turned into a national traditional folk festivities.

The ceremonies are accompanied by playing musical instruments, dancing, singing and are associated with the idea of ​​a bear as a sacred animal. Conventionally, the holiday consists of several parts:

Among the Orocs and Udege, the bear festival was celebrated during the full moon. The last time such a celebration was held among the orcs was in 1932. The initial stage of the bear holiday is associated with the custom of feeding a bear in a cage until the age of 3 years. The owner who caught the bear spat in his mouth so that he would not be angry. The beast was placed in a special frame and covered with logs from above.

To feed the bear, ritual dishes were made: a trough, a cup, a large ladle and spoons. On the opening day of the bear holiday, fellow villagers and residents of nearby settlements were called together, everyone came in smart clothes. At noon, the owner of the bear, who is also the organizer of the celebration, with bark in one hand and an ice pick in the other, walked to the log house and spoke to the bear, then the beast was led to a prepared arena. Having tied the bear to the racks of the goat, the men armed with bows began to shoot at him.

They shot from 3 distances; from the last distance the owner finished off the bear, thereby emphasizing his respect for the messenger of the taiga owner. Under the shout of the guests, the chain and the hook were removed from the killed animal and taken to the owner's dwelling, this was a kind of invitation to the bear. The bear meat and part of the entrails were cooked in a large cauldron. The guests sat around the cauldron and accepted the meat from the owner's hands. The owner gave the head of the bear to the most honored guest, who for this gave him a dog. The bones were piled up and piled up with logs. The bear's skull was fixed on a tree stump. This place was considered sacred and forbidden.

The guests ate, played musical instruments, sang, danced, had fun, played various games, competed in strength and dexterity, arranged races on dogs harnessed to sledges. The holiday turned into mass jubilation with a feast and refreshments, lasted for several days, on the 8th day the guests went home.