The Universe – from a pebble under one’s foot to a distant constellation

What is the right way to live? Are the material benefits of which there are more and more around us, good, or do they distract us from something that really matters, from the happy life in harmony with nature? Is such life really possible? There are entire ethnic groups in Russia (in fact, many of them) who live in the same rhythm with nature, according to the laws of their ancestors, adhering to and developing traditions.

Such are the Evens.

A very interesting people. A peculiar one. We would never confuse it with any other.

In the first millennium A.D.

The origins of the Evens date back to expansion of Tungusic tribes into Eastern Siberia. This happened a long time ago, in the first millennium A.D. Tungus’ contacts with local indigenous population, as well as with Mongolic and Turkic newcomers resulted in emergence of the Evens. Today the latter reside in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Khabarovsk Krai, the Magadan and Kamchatka Oblasts. They speak Even, which belongs to the Tungusic group of the Altaic language family. More than half of Evens now living name this language as their first. According to the 2002 Census, there are 19071 Evens dwelling in Russia. Among them, about 12 thousand are in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Let’s start with a question: what makes an Even an Even? First, the language. By the way, there are more than a dozen varieties of Even, grouped into Eastern, Central, and western dialects. The Even language is very expressive, rich of synonyms. Its speakers lead a nomadic lifestyle in extremely harsh natural conditions, yet their language virtually lacks coarse, aggressive words.

Second, an Even becomes an Even due to the customary way of running his household. Some Evens breed deer, they reside in mountainous Taiga. Others hunt and fish in rivers and lakes.

There are Evens who do more or less the same, but also migrate in the process. In spring they leave continental Taiga for the coast of Okhotsk Sea, while in autumn head back for the continent.

And there are also Evens who don’t have any deer. These are called deerless. They pursue sedentary lifestyle at the Okhotsk Coast, hunting, fishing, and breeding sled dogs. The Evens of Kamchatka and Yakutia still breed ponies.

As for the Even dwelling in mountainous Taiga, they are all into deer-breeding, both for riding and sled-driving. People learn how to ride since childhood. Mounting a deer, an Even helps him- or herself with a special staff. Deer must be ruled and shouted at from the right side. Even deer are special; they are noted for their size, strength, and endurance.

From one camp to another

From time to time the Evens migrate. See how movement from on place to place occurs. It is a sight to behold. Usually the first ride in this caravan of deer is the head of the camp or another experienced deer expert. Then a pack deer carries bags with cons and relics. Then follow wife and children between three and seven years old, tugging two or three deer behind them. Other women follow them, each with seven to twelve pack deer behind. The last deer in a train carries the carcass of family home.

Customs and traditions are an important component of ethnic identity.

Most important for the Evens (in terms of community survival) are protecting taboos. The set of these taboos forms a peculiar ethic code of the Evens, hunters and deer-breeders.

Here’s a taboo that we find too radical. When you swim or simply wade through water, never splatter, or the water spirit might take you. As children many of us (those who are not Even) found pleasure in throwing stones into river, pond, or lake. We did it for amusement, or competing who would throw a stone further. The Evens lack such games. Stones can be thrown into water only for some purpose, out of necessity. If you do it for amusement, something bad may happen. One of the most important Even taboos prohibits killing any living creature, being it animal, bird, or insect, without need. And an addendum: never kill more than your family can eat.

We think that it is on the basis of such reasonable protective taboos that the Even’s normal ecological thinking has developed.

And what about holidays? Are they too prohibited for Evens? Of course, not. Well, it is a sin to sing without purpose. But if songs are tied to ritual customs, to tribal mass festivals involving various benedictions, feel free to sing! The songs are divided into lyrical, love, everyday songs, and lullabies. All are improvisation based. There are also religious song-dances. Ring song-dances (hedye) are started by a soloist, who is then answered by the choir. A special topic is personal forms of man’s interaction with the spirit world based on shamanism. Recently anthropologists have been writing a lot about it.

Even wedding ceremonies (entertainments, food and drink, exchange of gifts, sacrifices to patron spirits) take part in the groom and the bride’s camps. Arriving to where the groom’s chum stands, the wedding train rides three times around it, after which the bride enters the chum, takes out her cauldron and cooks meat. Her dowry is presented outside for everybody to see. Childbirth, rearing and care are regulated by rules and rituals: taboos for the pregnant, distribution of duties among family members during childbirth, “cleansing” of the child bearer, naming of the newborn. It is interesting to know that when a girl is born, she is assigned some dowry, while when a boy is born; part of the reindeer stock is declared his, together with all future off-springs. Evens’ folklore includes not only songs and tales, but also life narratives, historic legends, heroic epics, beneficial spells, superstitions, and, of course, riddles.

Evens’ riddles are very diverse. This people have managed to make riddles out of the whole Universe: from a pebble under one’s feet to a distant constellation. Many Even riddles look very complicated, for they are based on very different syntactic patterns as compared to Russian riddles more familiar to us. And another characteristic feature: they swarm with metaphors. One can understand that these riddles were invented by true poets. Try to solve a few. What unknown man carries forest on his head? You are tempted to answer ‘reindeer’, but no. The correct answer is Elk. In fact may Even riddles start with reference to “unknown man”. It’s a kind of universal formula. The unknown man has four legs; as he eats something, he dies. By the way, the answer is Mosquito … This one exemplifies pure metaphor: silver horse has a long tail. What is it? A sewing needle. And another horse-themed riddle. One horse slumps in a marsh. What is it? It’s a hair comb.

And, finally, a riddle to think upon. Why does grouse swallow pebbles? You would never guess! It warms itself in this manner!

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