Remnants of the Snake Cult Among the Khakas (Late 19Th to Mid 20Th Century)
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ETHNOLOGY DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2019.47.2.122-130 V.A. Burnakov1 and A.A. Burnakov2 1Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia E-mail: [email protected] 2Khakas Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, Shchetinkina 23, Abakan, 655017, Russia E-mail: [email protected] Remnants of the Snake Cult Among the Khakas (Late 19th to Mid 20th Century) On the basis of folklore and ethnographic data, some of which are introduced in this article, the Khakas mytho-ritual complex relating to the snake is reconstructed. It is demonstrated that these beliefs were central to the traditional Khakas worldview, and that the snake was endowed with elaborate symbolic meanings. It was a sacred animal, associated with ideas of life and death. It played a key role in mystical initiation practices, including those related to shamanism, and it was perceived as a guardian spirit. Among the Khakas’ traditional beliefs was the idea that the elect could marry snakes, which turned into beautiful girls. Such a union, short-lived as it was, brought wealth and luck. The snake was also associated with elements and landscape features, such as water and mountains, linked to the ideas of a sacred center, fertility, and the ancestor cult, which were central to the Khakas worldview. This reptile was often believed to be a mountain spirit, a mystical patron, and a donator of magical capacities. Thus, beliefs about snakes were part of Khakas folk medicine and domestic magic. Keywords: Khakas, folk culture, religion, folklore, mythology, ritual, symbolism, image, snake. Introduction that in the past, the cult of snake was widespread in the spiritual culture of this people. The snake (Khakas ‘chylan’) is one of the most For the fi rst time, this article reconstructs the set famous representatives of the fauna that inhabits the of Khakas beliefs associated with the snake and based entire territory of Khakassia. In the early 20th century, on a wide range of folklore and ethnographic sources, while describing the animal world of this region, including those which have been previously unknown. A.V. Adrianov emphasized that “among the reptiles, The purpose of this study is to describe the snake cult in various species of lizards, snakes, toads, frogs, tritons, the traditional worldview of the Khakas. etc. abundantly occur” (1904: 16). The multiplicity of Folklore and ethnographic evidence, some of snakes, as well as their peculiar appearance, contributed which is published for the fi rst time, constitute the to the fact that snake played a special role in the source of this study. Folklore evidence include myths, traditional worldview of the Khakas. The image of the fairy tales, and legends in the Khakas and Russian snake has always been surrounded by a mystical aura. languages. This work cites published and unpublished Many ethnographic and folklore materials indicate texts that were found in the National Archives of Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 47/2 (2019) 122–130 E-mail: [email protected] © 2019 Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences © 2019 Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences © 2019 V.A. Burnakov, A.A. Burnakov 122 V.A. Burnakov and A.A. Burnakov / Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia 47/2 (2019) 122–130 123 the Republic of Khakassia (NARKh. F. 558, Inv. 1, deities and spirits. Marital union between humans and D. 115). Field materials of the authors collected otherworldly beings was a form of such interaction during the expeditions to Khakassia in 2002–2005 and (Dyrenkova, 2012: 340–341; Potapov, 1991: 64–83; to the Altai in 2002 serve as ethnographic sources. Burnakov, 2006: 31–42), and was mentioned in many The ethnographic materials of the local historian myths. We have discovered a version of such a myth S.Е. Karachakov (2004) and the historian-archaeologist written in the Khakas language, in the National Archive Y.I. Sunchugashev (1991), published in the Khakas of the Republic of Khakassia; it is published for the language and containing the records of informants fi rst time in our translation. “Once, three brothers went about traditional ritual practices associated with the hunting. [In the taiga, already close to the evening] one snake, were also used in this study. These materials are of them returned to his odag hunting hut earlier than published for the fi rst time in our translation. the others, and found that a huge snake had wrapped The chronological framework of this study covers itself around it. The man did not understand the snake’s the late 19th to mid 20th century. The choice of these language [and did not know what to do]. The snake, chronological boundaries is primarily determined by the hissing, crawled closer to him and spat out its saliva state of the sources associated with this research topic. [in the form of foam] onto the ground. The hunter Notably, fi eld ethnographic materials were collected swallowed it. After that, he began to understand the by us in the early 2000s, but the information recorded language of snakes and other animals. [Then] the snake reflects events and phenomena relating to the mid said to the hunter: ‘Tomorrow on that ridge [it showed 20th century. the ridge] I will fi ght the Khan of frogs. You have to This study is based on historical and ethnographic shoot my enemy. As a reward you will receive a happy research methods. The relic method, relying on the life from me’. The next day, closer to noon, a fight remnants of the past surviving in myths and rituals, between the khans of snakes and frogs began. The hunter allows a conclusion to be drawn about the situation in took aim and fi red – he hit the frog in the forehead [and the society at an earlier historical stage; while semantic it fell dead]. After that, the Khan of snakes crawled up analysis makes it possible to uncover the deeper meaning to the man and said: ‘Now let us go to my dwelling. of a specifi c mythological image and ritual activities I want to thank you. I will give you whatever you ask, associated with it in the culture of the people under study. because you saved my life [literally, soul]’. The snake placed him on its back and rushed off swiftly [literally, ran in a trot]. They arrived and started to go inside some Mystical marriage of man and snake, mountain. Suddenly someone invisible whispered in the and the cult of mountain ear of the hunter: ‘Don’t take anything from that which the Khan of snakes will offer you as a reward, just ask The presence of the snake cult among the Khakas for a puppy’. Soon, the Khan of snakes began to offer was observed by some scholars of the 19th century him various gifts. The hunter fl atly refused everything, (Kastren, 1999: 221; Latkin, 1892: 148). Individual and only asked for a puppy. The master had to fulfi ll Khakas seouk clans perceived the snake as their the guest’s wish. Passing the dog into the hands of the totemic animal. According to specialists, this reptile man, he warned him: ‘Do not offend this puppy. Feed suborder was the symbol of the Yzyr seouk (Butanaev, him with whatever you eat’. The hunter fully agreed to Torbostaev, 2007: 27). The motif of kinship and marital fulfi ll this wish. relationship between people and snakes became After returning home, he began to take care of the widespread in the Khakas folklore (Katanov, 1907: puppy exactly as he had promised the Khan of snakes. 515–521; and others). We should note that the issue Once the hunter went to taiga. Having returned home of interaction between man and nature was manifested in the evening, he found a lot of varied and delicious in a veiled form. This can be explained by its certain food on the table. The man thought, ‘What miracles are esotericism, as well as the rethinking and even playing happening? Where does all this come from?!’ He tasted down of certain mythological ideas associated with this the food. He decided to fi nd out everything. The next issue. Nevertheless, the analysis of folklore texts and time, having pretended to go hunting, he hid and began ethnographic evidence, using the relic method, may to watch what was happening in his house. Suddenly, allow us to reconstruct the beliefs and rituals associated he saw that a beautiful girl appeared in his house and with the snake. started to do housework. The man immediately hurried In the traditional beliefs of the Khakas and other into the house. The beautiful woman did not expect Turkic peoples of Southern Siberia, luck, supernatural to see him, and told him reproachfully, ‘You came at abilities, and the shaman’s gift among people were a moment when I had not had time to braid my hair attributed to their active interaction with the world of completely. Therefore, we are not destined to live 124 V.A. Burnakov and A.A. Burnakov / Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia 47/2 (2019) 122–130 together all our lives’. Yet after that, they still began If we consider the above myth in this context, the to live as a married couple. They had two children. Khan of snakes may be identified with a guardian However, soon the attitude of the wife to her husband spirit. The following detail is notable: full-fledged changed. She no longer wanted to associate her destiny communication between snake and human happens only with his, and one day she said, ‘Can a snake live with after the human swallows snake saliva—a particle of a human?!’ Then the woman grabbed her two children the animal.