Folklore narratives on the toponymy of the Russian Far North (Based on the Yukaghir, Even, and Yakut languages)

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe examine the historical toponymic system of the Russian Far North in the context of folklore traditions of Indigenous peoples of the North. Our methodology is narrative analysis, aimed at identifying the semantic features of toponyms, whose origins lie in traditional legends and tales. We treat toponyms as geocultural codes, which provide not only ethnocultural data but also geographic and spatial information. We present shared patterns in the naming practices of geo-objects among the Yukaghirs, Evens, and Yakuts (Sakha), and the ways that these practices are rooted in folklore. We also examine ethno-cultural differences in toponym naming among these three groups. We identify four broad strategies in the naming of geo-objects in northern regions: anthroponymic, commemoration of events, after sacred concepts, and after common household objects and concepts. In addition to linguistic information encoded by toponyms, it is also possible to establish extralinguistic information about the historical settlement of different peoples, contact among them, and their societal values. Such anthropological studies are relevant for onomastics and linguistic typology. Through the present study, we are able to gain a better understanding of Indigenous cultural development in the Russian Far North and the nature of inter-ethnic relations before written history.KEYWORDS: YukaghirsEvensYakuts (Sakha)toponymsetymologyfolklorespatial typology AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to express gratitude to the editorial board for its support and consideration on the paper.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 A note about transliteration: Russian terms and toponyms are transliterated according to the system proposed by the United States Board on Geographic Names. Material presented in the Yukaghir, Even, and Yakut languages, which are also written in Cyrillic but whose phonologies differ significantly from Russian, is transliterated according to widely-accepted linguistic conventions for those languages.2 Uraankhai is an archaic ethnonym of the Sakha (Yakuts).3 “Story about Edilwej”, recorded by A. N. Laptev in 1959, from N. T. Trifonov in the village of Kolymskoe, Nizhnekolymskiy region, Yakutiya.4 The legend “Idilwej” recorded by G. N. Kurilov in 1963 from G. I. Kurilov in the village of Andryushkino, Nizhnekolymskiy region, Yakutia.5 According to another consultant, A.V. Kurilova, the oronym Čuon’el Ibal - a hill located next to the southern hill of the lake Bolshaya Olera - arose on the basis of the nickname for an old woman whose apron was hung with iron ornaments and who was buried there (Kurilov Citation1999, 35).6 The Yukaghir themselves cannot decide on the etymological root of the variant Id’ilwej, deriving it either from the transitive verb id’i “to kiss”, or else with the intransitive verb id’ilwe “to suffer, to grow tired” (N. N. Kurilov Citation1999, 17; G. N. Kurilov Citation2005, 31).7 Wolme – the name for a religious servant in the belief system of the Tundra Yukaghirs; alme – the same term among the Forest Yukaghirs8 “The legend of the origins of the lakes between the Kolyma and Yasachnaya rivers,” recorded by V. I. Jochelson in 1896, from A. Dolganov on the Omolon river.9 The legend “Latnej,” recorded by I. A. Nikolaeva in 1986, from N. M. Likhachev in the village of Nelemnoye, Verkhnekolymskiy district, Yakutia.10 “Tale of the stone woman,” recorded by V. I. Jochelson in 1896, from A. Dolganov on Nelemnoye river, Verkhnekolymskiy district, Yakutia.11 The legend “Jarkhadan,” recorded by L. N. Zhukova in 1988 from V. G. Shalugin in the locality Mugudan on the Yasachnaya river, Magadanskaya Oblast’.12 “Legend about Yarkhadan”, recorded by L. N. Zhukova in 1989 from L. N. Dyemina, in the city of Yakutsk.13 “A romantic legend about the mountain peaks near the mouth of the river Korkodon,” recorded by V. I. Jochelson during 1895-–1897 on the Yasachnaya and Korkodon rivers, in the Verkhnekolymskiy ulus and Magadanskaya oblast.14 “Legend of the mountain highlands”, recorded by L. N. Zhukova in 1992, from V. G. Shalugin on the Yasachnaya river of Magadanskaya Oblast.15 In several sources, this is noted as a Mongolian anthroponym.16 The Lena Pillars (Lenskiye Stolby) were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.17 This lore was recorded by P. R. Nogovitsyn (a local historian and museum employee in the village of Nemyugyu in Khangalasskiy ulus.18 An uraha is an archaic type of Yakut summer dwelling, constructed from poles pulled up into a cone-like shape.19 The etymology of the word ojuun has not been determined. Some researchers trace it to the Manchu-Tungus languages, others to the Uralic languages. The word refers to a practitioner of an animist religion.20 This location used to be called Čuolğan Atax “Wooden Leg”.21 This tale was recorded by P. N Repin, from local resident S. D. Smetanin in the Kobyay village, Kobyayskiy ulus, Yakutia.22 Consultant 1 – S. I. Koryakin from an Even clan of the Zhiganskiy region of Yakutia; consultant 2 – V. E. Boltunov from the first Nogotskiy clan of the Ust-Yanskiy region of Yakutia.23 Yakut: kjos – measure of length between and 10 km.24 Stories about both lakes were recorded by N. N. Kurilov from D. N. Kurilova.25 Now it is called Kisilbit from Yakut: Kyys ölbüt “lake where a girl died”.26 Now it is called Tyy tökünüppüt “(where) the boat overturned”.27 An argiš is a caravan of sled reindeer.28 The Even word has the meaning “wise person” or “one who knows”. The term spread to European languages through Russian, which borrowed the Even word as šaman.29 Man-made structure of neatly stacked stones, designated for sacrifices.30 Tygyn Darkhan is a historical figure who served as the sole ruler of the Yakut clans in the second half of the sixteenth century and the first third of the seventeenth century.Additional informationFundingThis research was funded by grant number 075-15-2021-616 from the Government of the Russian Federation for the project titled “Preservation of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development of the Arctic and Subarctic of the Russian Federation”.