In old times, our ancestors used to gather at home in the dark evenings, light a fire, sit together and share scary stories that would later get passed down from generation to generation. Specially for you, we have collected the stories about the evil spirits and demons of the different peoples of Yakutia. Nine tales, based on the mythologies of the Yakuts, Evenks, Evens, Dolgans, Yukagirs and Chukchi will come to life before you and introduce to you the cultures and mindsets of the indigenous peoples of the republic.
Русская версия Сахалыы English
Mythology: Yakut Type: evil spirits Features: insufferable smell of decay, ability to inhabit dead humans. Abaahy are the evil creatures of all Yakutian scary tales. Usually abaahy are one-legged or even don’t have legs, one-armed and one-eyed giants in iron armour. The evil spirits leave a disgusting smell everywhere they go. Some people believe that Abaahy can also inhabit dead humans. In Yakutian tales abaahy kidnap beautiful girls and possess them to find a husband.
Mythology: Evenki Type: the main evil spirit Features: brings illnesses and death Many stories of indigenous peoples in Russia have their saviour, similar to Christ, and a bad spirit similar to Satan. The Evenki believe that the demiurge is the light god Seveki, and his twin brother Khargi is his total opposite. Khargi tried to be a kind and talented like his brother, but he was good for nothing. According to the Evenki legends, Khargi created mosquitos and all venomous insects and mean predators. He also created diseases and used to take old and ill people to his underworld. Charge has a frightful grinning man's head instead of the right arm, a huge claw on the left arm and the stumps instead of legs. His name shall not be said, and it is mentioned only in the Evenki mythology.
Mythology: the Yakut Type: underwater spirits Features: ability to read fortune The Yakuts believe that syllyykyns look like humans, but without eyebrows and sometimes sharp-headed. They live in tribes underwater and go out only during the Tankha (the Yakut Christmastide). Many people think that you can find out your future by listening to the conversations of these water spirits. To do this, people sat near empty houses or the water, covered with blankets, аnd waited for the spirits to start talking.
Mythology: the Yukagir Type: evil underworld spirit Features: brings troubles Mammoth appears in many stories of the northern indigenous peoples. In ancient times the Yukagirs used to find huge tusks, standing out of snow and ice, and they thought those were the traces of a huge ox or deer that comes out of the underworld from time to time to bring troubles and diseases. That is why many people who live in the North are afraid of extracting the mammoth bones and tusks.
Mythology: the Chukchi Type: a snowman Features: speed, strength and accuracy Almost every northern nation has the tales about a snowman - chuchuna. The Chukchi believed that chuchuna is a lonely human who got lost long ago and wasn’t able to get home. The old people believed that the one who had been roaming alone in tundra or taiga for a long time, ceased to be a human being, and his soul was stolen by evil spirits. That's why they weren't taken back into the tribe. The relatives of such people made the funerals of the missing ones and used to forget about them in time, and the poor loners had to survive in harsh climate and fight the nature, gradually turning into the wild creatures.
Mythology: the Chukchi Type: demon Features: brings diseases, hunts the people's souls The Chukchi stories mention these little evil demons very often. Usually they are finger-sized or less, naked and have a raw meat-color skin. Herewith, sometimes Kel may grow up to a huge size: it can fly like a mosquito or tower like a mount. They also can get through the human body and cause sores and ulcers. That is why there are different kinds of Kel: spirits of caugh, syphilis, gripes and other illnesses.
Mhythology: the Yukagir Type: the main mean spirit Features: snatches the people's souls to the underworld The Yukagirs believe that Satan or the Sharp Head is the master in the underworld. He has a man-like figure but a very long sharp head that can reach up to half a meter in length. His face is very narrow, four fingers in width, eyes are small, round and coal-black. Sometimes he is descripted like a three-fingered demon, since he leaves traces on the snow that remind crow’s traces. Despite the bad background and mean appearance, the Yukagirs believed that the Sharp Head was their arch father.
Mythology: the Even Type: the main mean spirit Features: brings diseases and death, can turn at any moment The mean spirit with a cute name Arinka is very alike the Evenki Khargi and is more likely to be its prototype. Arinka also rules in the underworld and brings diseases and death. The Evens say that this spirit is very sly and vile. It can turn into any creature at any moment. Usually it has an appearance of a man that any girl would marry. One legend says that it takes an appearance of a boy, then turns into an old man with crooked legs, wild hair, mouth to ear and eyes of different size and shape. Arinka can also kidnap people. The Evens even used to saw the special hats with ears for children, so that Arinka could not differ them from the animals.
Mythology: the Dolgan Type: a medium between the under and middle worlds Features: heals the heavy diseases, ability to talk to the dead and spirits The Dolgan mythology is very much alike to the Yakut one. Just like the Sakha, the Dolgans believed in abaahy, syllyykyns and shamans. According to their beliefs, the future shaman started to see and hear the things that other couldn't since 10 years. A child could behave very strange: sing very loudly, sleep whole days, leave to the tundra alone. Such roamings could last half a year. A boy usually was in torn clothes, hungry and skinny upon return. One became a shaman after a special ritual: the chosen's body was cut into pieces, and the newly-made shaman had to eat his own flesh. Only after that he could travel different worlds and see the things beyond other's reach.
The project was made by Text: Julia Shadrina Artist: Dariya Tatarinova Photographer: Albina Bogdokumova Animation: Diana Sleptsova English translation: Ewan Jones Yakut translation: Sajyyna Klarova Sound producer: Ilya Petukhov Text in Russian language was read by artists of the State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin: Dmitry Trofimov, Maria Larina, Elena Sulak, Ivan Mishagin, Ilya Shumkin, Alexander Kabunov, Andrey Gabyshev Text in Yakut language was read by: Liya Barbasytova, Alexey Lukin Text in English language was read by: Ewan Jones Coordinators: Petr Vasiliev, Ekaterina Karpukhina, Victoria Sunthavong, Ekaterina Malinovskaya, Ekaterina Burtseva Partners: Museum ‘Russia - My History’, State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin Stories about Yakutian monsters were aided by Dmitry Mikhailov's project Terrible Stories of Yakutia. A multimedia exhibition of works can be seen from October 31 to November 10, 2019 in the main hall of the historical museum ‘Russia - My History’ in the city of Yakutsk.
2019
In old times, our ancestors used to gather at home in the dark evenings, light a fire, sit together and share scary stories that would later get passed down from generation to generation. Specially for you, we have collected the stories about the evil spirits and demons of the different peoples of Yakutia. Nine tales, based on the mythologies of the Yakuts, Evenks, Evens, Dolgans, Yukagirs and Chukchi will come to life before you and introduce to you the cultures and mindsets of the indigenous peoples of the republic. Русская версия Сахалыы English
Mythology: Yakut Type: evil spirits Features: insufferable smell of decay, ability to inhabit dead humans. Abaahy are the evil creatures of all Yakutian scary tales. Usually abaahy are one-legged or even don’t have legs, one-armed and one-eyed giants in iron armour. The evil spirits leave a disgusting smell everywhere they go. Some people believe that Abaahy can also inhabit dead humans. In Yakutian tales abaahy kidnap beautiful girls and possess them to find a husband. Mythology: Evenki Type: the main evil spirit Features: brings illnesses and death Many stories of indigenous peoples in Russia have their saviour, similar to Christ, and a bad spirit similar to Satan. The Evenki believe that the demiurge is the light god Seveki, and his twin brother Khargi is his total opposite. Khargi tried to be a kind and talented like his brother, but he was good for nothing. According to the Evenki legends, Khargi created mosquitos and all venomous insects and mean predators. He also created diseases and used to take old and ill people to his underworld. Charge has a frightful grinning man's head instead of the right arm, a huge claw on the left arm and the stumps instead of legs. His name shall not be said, and it is mentioned only in the Evenki mythology. Mythology: the Yakut Type: underwater spirits Features: ability to read fortune The Yakuts believe that syllyykyns look like humans, but without eyebrows and sometimes sharp-headed. They live in tribes underwater and go out only during the Tankha (the Yakut Christmastide). Many people think that you can find out your future by listening to the conversations of these water spirits. To do this, people sat near empty houses or the water, covered with blankets, аnd waited for the spirits to start talking. Mythology: the Yukagir Type: evil underworld spirit Features: brings troubles Mammoth appears in many stories of the northern indigenous peoples. In ancient times the Yukagirs used to find huge tusks, standing out of snow and ice, and they thought those were the traces of a huge ox or deer that comes out of the underworld from time to time to bring troubles and diseases. That is why many people who live in the North are afraid of extracting the mammoth bones and tusks. Mythology: the Chukchi Type: a snowman Features: speed, strength and accuracy Almost every northern nation has the tales about a snowman - chuchuna. The Chukchi believed that chuchuna is a lonely human who got lost long ago and wasn’t able to get home. The old people believed that the one who had been roaming alone in tundra or taiga for a long time, ceased to be a human being, and his soul was stolen by evil spirits. That's why they weren't taken back into the tribe. The relatives of such people made the funerals of the missing ones and used to forget about them in time, and the poor loners had to survive in harsh climate and fight the nature, gradually turning into the wild creatures. Mythology: the Chukchi Type: demon Features: brings diseases, hunts the people's souls The Chukchi stories mention these little evil demons very often. Usually they are finger-sized or less, naked and have a raw meat-color skin. Herewith, sometimes Kel may grow up to a huge size: it can fly like a mosquito or tower like a mount. They also can get through the human body and cause sores and ulcers. That is why there are different kinds of Kel: spirits of caugh, syphilis, gripes and other illnesses. Mhythology: the Yukagir Type: the main mean spirit Features: snatches the people's souls to the underworld The Yukagirs believe that Satan or the Sharp Head is the master in the underworld. He has a man-like figure but a very long sharp head that can reach up to half a meter in length. His face is very narrow, four fingers in width, eyes are small, round and coal-black. Sometimes he is descripted like a three-fingered demon, since he leaves traces on the snow that remind crow’s traces. Despite the bad background and mean appearance, the Yukagirs believed that the Sharp Head was their arch father. Mythology: the Even Type: the main mean spirit Features: brings diseases and death, can turn at any moment The mean spirit with a cute name Arinka is very alike the Evenki Khargi and is more likely to be its prototype. Arinka also rules in the underworld and brings diseases and death. The Evens say that this spirit is very sly and vile. It can turn into any creature at any moment. Usually it has an appearance of a man that any girl would marry. One legend says that it takes an appearance of a boy, then turns into an old man with crooked legs, wild hair, mouth to ear and eyes of different size and shape. Arinka can also kidnap people. The Evens even used to saw the special hats with ears for children, so that Arinka could not differ them from the animals. Mythology: the Dolgan Type: a medium between the under and middle worlds Features: heals the heavy diseases, ability to talk to the dead and spirits The Dolgan mythology is very much alike to the Yakut one. Just like the Sakha, the Dolgans believed in abaahy, syllyykyns and shamans. According to their beliefs, the future shaman started to see and hear the things that other couldn't since 10 years. A child could behave very strange: sing very loudly, sleep whole days, leave to the tundra alone. Such roamings could last half a year. A boy usually was in torn clothes, hungry and skinny upon return. One became a shaman after a special ritual: the chosen's body was cut into pieces, and the newly-made shaman had to eat his own flesh. Only after that he could travel different worlds and see the things beyond other's reach. The project was made by Text: Julia Shadrina Artist: Dariya Tatarinova Photographer: Albina Bogdokumova Animation: Diana Sleptsova English translation: Ewan Jones Yakut translation: Sajyyna Klarova Sound producer: Ilya Petukhov Text in Russian language was read by artists of the State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin: Dmitry Trofimov, Maria Larina, Elena Sulak, Ivan Mishagin, Ilya Shumkin, Alexander Kabunov, Andrey Gabyshev Text in Yakut language was read by: Liya Barbasytova, Alexey Lukin Text in English language was read by: Ewan Jones Coordinators: Petr Vasiliev, Ekaterina Karpukhina, Victoria Sunthavong, Ekaterina Malinovskaya, Ekaterina Burtseva Partners: Museum ‘Russia - My History’, State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin Stories about Yakutian monsters were aided by Dmitry Mikhailov's project Terrible Stories of Yakutia. A multimedia exhibition of works can be seen from October 31 to November 10, 2019 in the main hall of the historical museum ‘Russia - My History’ in the city of Yakutsk. 2019