Shaman magic rituals: Shingkelevun ( Singkelevun, Hingkelevun) To go for pelt - quarrying. Yikenipke ritual Shingkelevun ( Singkelevun, Hingkelevun)To go for pelt - quarrying.Shaman magic ritual Part one
This ritual was spread among the inhabitants of Podkamennaya and the Upper Nizhnya Tunguska. It's on present Baykitsky and Tungussko-Chunsky district's area. Usually it was carried out in summer before all nomad camp family began hunting. A big raw-hide tent is on a stage... Since the ritual actions will be held not in a forest but on a stage, so, the shaman tent lay -out will be simple. Because of many reasons present performers don't know shaman rituals very well, their ancient philosophic would view. So, we'll explain scenery lay -out and some scenes. It'll be useful and help the participants to improvise during the performance. Thus, there is a big tent on a stage. It is able to seat all relatives - men, women, old men and children. Only half of a tent can face the spectators, just they can watch everything. A bonfire is in the middle of the tent. (Hope the ritual directors know the technology of a bonfire imitation, where red light lamps mostly used). It barely smoulders. Young thin larch is put into smoke near a bonfire. It symbolizes world tree - TURU. TURU butt is at the hearth. Kumalan, where the shaman will seat, is spread on MALU - honored place. If the performance was supposed to be held on water, then raft was made from wooden images of salmon trout spirits. But in our case it is Kumalan. On both sides from Kumalan there are small spear, palm, three-pointed branch of a young larch and images of pike and tench are near. This is weapon in struggle with alien hostile spirits, pike and tench are guards. The raw -hide tent is comprehended as Dulin Buga - Middle world, where we live. To the east from entrance, DARPE is constructed - gallery from young live larches and different images of spirits. It is comprehended as the Upper World river or UGU -BUGA - the Upper World. To the west from entrance, ONANG is constructed. It embodies HERGU BUGA, the Lower World and settled from lifeless wood - stamps, dead -fall. There are NELGET - small larch posts, rooted out - along DARPE sides. NELGET's tops are in the ground, roots are above. This is shaman tree of the Upper World. In the opposite side, in ONANG gallery, nelgets are set with roots in the ground. Thin larches are put above nelget. In DARPE these posts' roots are pointed towards the east, in ONANG the west. In DARPE between larches shaman's ancestors images will be settled then. Images of bears, deer, salmon trouts, pikes, which guard the Upper World entrance. In onang mugdenge are settled, bird images made of wood - loons, ducks and goose. They guard the family way to the Lower world. Sekan is chief guard here. It is spirit of burbot, which lies across the Onang. The burbot will gulp all hostile spirits of the Lower world, which try to get into our Middle world to do harm to people. Gulp them like frogs. All guards are surrounded with spirits' images armed with spears.
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Last essential detail of shaman tent scenery is TURU, spirit of larch with sacrifices hung out on it. It was set near Darpe and the sacrifices were sacrificial deer hide, scraps of different colors. TURU was a kind of long larch pole, which was put into the ground and tied to larch's stump for strength. On top of pole there was a cross -bar. Fabric intended for the Upper divinities was fastened to it. Of white and red colors -- to spirit of earth, black - to spirits of the Lower world.
If something like this is on a stage, then it will be possible to perform. So, shaman ritual begins... Gloom is on the stage. Fire barely smoulders. Shaman sits on Kumalan. For the present he is in usual dress. He rocks from side to side pensively, yawns. From time to time he catches something into the month, gulps it and sits with aloof look again. Then he straightens his back, stretches his arms like wings and cries, imitting loon's cry; - Ku - u - uk! Ku -u -uk! This is a sign, calling of relatives. Nomad camp inhabitants one after one go into the tent along darpe through the hole called Ugdupka. After the last, sticks representing guards are crossed. The entrance is closed. The way, which ritual participants did is comprehended as reincarnation - from family to Middle world - DULIN BUGA.
Everybody sits down in a pose typical for nomads - feet under themselves. They talk softly, joke, smile, act as if nothing interesting is expected. Shaman sits on Kumalan, rocks. He straightens his back and raises his hand. An assistant rises and gets shaman's dress out of a tursuk - raincoat, fur boots and a hat with antlers. He gives it to shaman, helps him to dress up. The assistant stirs the fire up, heats the tambourine above it. Shaman is ready and the assistant gives him the tambourine. He holds it in a left hand, puts it on his left knee and hits it with a rattle. Talks are broken off abruptly. Wearisome silence is on. Fire is almost burnt out and the tambourine sounds in gloom... Shaman rocks in the tambourines time and with low, tuneful voice begins sing a song. The song is addressed to his relatives: Dylvi minngil girkielvi! (Relatives, my friends!)
Participants repeat the refrain:
Shaman continues:
The refrain is repeated by participants again:
Pause.
Participants in chorus: Slowly, calmly! Slowly, calmly!
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Shaman hits the tambourine fiercely, twirls around on the spot. He jumps, waves his hands, catches somebody into the month, or rather not somebody but spirits. This is the dance of gathering spirits. Shaman throws the tambourine and the rattle to his assistant, continues his dance. Meanwhile the assistant tries to hit the tambourine. All those present make sounds like animals' roar, birds' cries, wind whistle, sounds of water or frost. Then shaman grabs the spear and stabs air with it. After that he changes it for other "weapon" and performs the same hunting movements. When doing it he explains his actions: " Hargy -glutton, don't let aliens in!" "Hargy -snake, bite aliens!" Shaman jumps, gulps spirits, then calms down and says: "I found everybody." The only thing left is to catch spirit of luck, which will help to herd animals in family area. The assistant gives the tambourine and the rattle again. Shaman hits softly, takes new rhythm and chants again: Hargingilvi -belemnilvi, (Spirits my, helpers,)
The tambourine thunders again. Shaman jumps. Strangers can think he is mad, but only strangers, for relatives every shaman's move is full with symbolism and signs. He is not simply jumping but travelling posing as spirits in unknown worlds. If he spreads his wings like an eagle, so, he flies into the Upper World. Sometimes he comments his actions himself.
Shaman lies down on kumalan again and whispers something to himself. In a minute he stands up, takes the tambourine and begins waving it and twirl it round on a spot. Then he looks into the tambourine and goes out of the tent. He is satisfied and shakes the imaginary animals out into taiga. They are in a shape of hair. He comes back and says:
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Birds made from wood are necessary:
In a raw-hide tent and near it bonfires are smoking. Shaman sits in a tent on a rug (in the center), rocks himself from side to side pensively. Two assistants are near on either side of him, participants of the ritual are around.
Hegey, hegey, hegey-ye-ye:
How to keep Evenkian customs:
After the singing shaman goes out of the tent and walks around the scenery: enters a deer stall, fumigates them. He kneels down in front of every animal and pats them on with a rattle. Then he goes out of the stall, touches Namu (shaman rug), animals and trees with a rattle. Singing he walks around all scenery and goes back to the tent, passes the tambourine and a rattle to his assistants, sits down. Assistants rock the rattle slightly and "heat" the tambourine over thenfire again. They pass the "heat" tambourine to shaman and help him to get up. Tuneful rhythmical knocking is heard, it speeds up gradually, shaman's movements become quick, energetic. Raven cry is heard, elk's, buck's, bear's bellow, pendants jingle - spirits' "voices". Shaman is excited, he cries out the words: "Degilim! Degilim!" - he stretches his arms and waves them like a bird. Swans', cranes' cries are heard, ducks' quacking. Shaman jumps, dances, cries: "Degilim!" One of the assistants trying to calm him down cry out:
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After singing shaman goes out of the tent again and enters a deer stall, fumigates them, asks them for good increase, touches the animals and trees, walks around the scenery. Then he moves away in direction of Sunrise, where Eneken Buga lives, shaman sings a song. Not far off he begins to wave the tambourine - begins to "catch" animals soul, which are in a shape of deer hair, because they have the Holy Power. Shaman gathers the hair thoroughly and goes back to relatives, in our case to ritual participants. Coming near them he begins to shake out of the tambourine fur-bearing animals' souls. He keeps domestic deer souls inside, though they also struggle to get free, he needs to drive them into a stall. He utters sonic signals for deer not to scatter and performs hunting. At the time ritual participants jump out of the tent and begin helping him. They hold in the deer, wave hands, drive them within the fence. Women open ritual stall gate, shake little bags for salt, click tongues attracting deer. So, with that cheerful, excited cries deer are finally driven in. Cries of approval are heard. Shaman strikes the tambourine and invites to go through "cleansing" - through Khipichkan. All participants go between Khipichkan idol "legs". The last is Shaman. He carries Mugdygre idol. He passes three times. Passing through for the last time, he spits into Mugdygre's month, leaves him behind as if by accident and grips the idol between Khipichkan' s "legs", straps him. Those who present help him to knock Khipichkan together with strapped Mugdygre down and beat it with Mentay idol by turns. They say:
Khipichkan and Mugdygre are knocked down into the fire and burnt. Cries of approval are heard again and shaman like a drunkard staggers to the tent and falls down on the rug. Assistants help him to sit down, but his eyes are closed. Shaman asks spirits to leave his body, opens his month wide, and spits them out. Assistants give him a glass with water or blood. He dips right hand little finger in water, rubs his right eye with it three times, then left one. Eyes brighten up instantly, he sighs suddenly:
"Feeding" spirit of fire with fat bits begins, they grease Serge, "feed" other spirits. They present spirits of forest - birches, larches with ribbons and scraps of different colours. Men slaughter a sacrificial deer, dress it properly and pass the meat to all people present. It is the Nimat custom. Hear, of this very they prepare shashlik over the bonfire and the feast begins. Shaman and ritual participants thank all those who present, wish them good health, prosperity, congratulate on new-born deer, green taiga, birds flown back, Evenkian New Year. they perform "Ekhorye" round dance: Then - youth sporting contest: national wrestling, archery (shooting the mark and for range), endurance run, jumps over sledge, throwing the hatchet and so on. In the evening - amateur artistic concert. |