Have you ever wondered what mysteries lie hidden in the frozen realms of distant Siberia? What dreams are there to be dreamt, lost on the open steppe?
We begin a journey that will take us along the Silk Road, over steppes and buried hoards, right into the heart of the last colonial empire.
Yakutia on the map
So be prepared to leave your comfort behind as we begin with a land far away, a place still well attached to its dreams, the world’s pole of coldness, Yakutia or as Russians call it the Sakha Republic.
First we will need a means of transportation, a very local one and perfectly adapted to stand the coldest temperatures on Earth and which can only be found here: the Yakutian horse.
This will be the cutest horse you have ever seen, measuring only 150 cm in height and being covered in the fuzziest coat ever to be worn by any equine. Do not, however, dare confuse it with a pony, as this four legged adorableness is stauncher than any of its bigger cousins.
A typical Yakut horse
So don’t be afraid and get on the smooch pictured here, as we braze the taiga in search for our forgotten dreams.
We have managed to find a local guide. His name is Нюргустай, you can call him Nyurgustay, but don’t ask him what that means, he said it is something which must remain between him and the spirits. He was tending to his horsey flock when we ran into him and has agreed to show us around.
His furry horses are called: Ай, Кустук and Айыы Сиэнэ, that is Ay, the inventor, he’s the dark one, Kustuk, the rainbow and Aiy Syene, the daughter of the god of light, who is looking at us in the picture.
Yakutian horses
Yakuts use Cyrillic in writing their names, but not the Russian version as their language is far from Slavic.
Нюргустай – call him Nyurgustay, said that he will let you pick which horse you would like to ride. He will also tell us a few things about Yakut names, seeing as you will be getting one.
“A Yakut name must say something about who you are or who you would like to be. You are a creature of nature, so the spirits will most likely give you a name that shows that connection”, Nyurgustay told us.
“A girl will be thought of like a flower or be given a name that reflects her beauty, like Aiy Syene, the daughter of the god of light, while a man must be strong and brave, and will get a hero’s name. A good name will give you a good future.”
Nyurgustay’s own name is a classic of Yakut culture, one of the most popular and still in use. Following his path we now head towards the cold waters of the huge Lena River with its unbelievable gorge, which offers spectacular luxury cruises. And here’s why:
View of the Lena Pillars
Following Lena’s meadow you find the stone pillars left by lost gods of Ancient times, guarding the spirit world from anyone who enters it with bad intentions.
Yakutia is one of the last places on Earth where you can go on your own shamanic journey. All you need is a shaman, a drum, the yurt at dusk, with its smoke lifting up towards the skies and a small, furry horse to take you away into the spirit world.
Thus far, we have acquired the horse, whether it is Ай / Ay, Кустук / Kustuk or Айыы Сиэнэ / Aiy Syene, that you’ve picked. What we need to find next is a shaman. The horse, even if it looks like a furry pony, was still recognizable, a shaman is something completely different. Should we search for an animal or is it some sort of human, maybe one with two heads and a tail.
First of all, a shaman is a man who has the ability to travel to other worlds and talk to spirits. They dance to the ongoing beating of a magical drum until entering a trance that opens the gate to the spirit world. A shamanic journey will certainly reveal to you what lies beyond the surface of all things and even inside yourself.
After all, the purpose is to find yourself a new name, proper for the spirits, because unless it is already somewhat connected with nature, they will not approve.
Naming customs in Yakutia can seem different to an outsider, especially traditional ones, which is what we will be given by the spirits.
The spirits are not very fond of new fashions. Now hopefully you will be given a “nice” name, something positive and impressive, like “brave warrior” or “enchanting wild flower” but don’t get too carried away. Chances are that you will receive quite a nasty name, like “unworthy one”, “mud” or “ugly child”, because Yakuts don’t like to tempt the spirits. You see, not all of them are your best friends and lifelong admirers, some prove downright evil and will snatch away your newborn child or loving companion into death.
And don’t forget to look around to see what catches your eye, because you might very well end up being called Саргылаана or Sargylaana, the light beam, Сулустаан or Sulustaan, the star or even Айнан or Aynan, the name for travel.
Our journey moves on and as we head deeper and deeper into the taiga, we start to meet the natives and get acquainted with them, in the hope that they might tell us where the shaman lives.
This is how we meet Нюргуяна, call her Nyorguyana, it means Pulsatilla, a delicate flower of the cold regions. This is another classic Yakut name for a woman, given to her in the hope that she will be as beautiful. Flowers are a rarity in the Taiga and because of that, they are highly treasured.
Reindeer riding
Нюргуяна, call her Nyorguyana, knows Yakutian life, as she tends to her reindeer herd by actually riding a reindeer.
We asked if he too has a name and indeed she answered that he has several, but will only reveal the one used for humans, his spirit name remains his own. For us, he wants to remain simply Айхан / Aykhan, happiness. Animals are greatly prized here and will be given significant names.
Nyorguyana, has agreed to show us the way to the shaman’s den. So we braise the cold and snow on our furry horses, hoping to perhaps have the chance to ride our own reindeer and find our true name.
So we travel far and wide, for three days and three nights, onwards and onwards until the known path is lost and new ways are found, the forest sees the stars change on the sky as the celestial arches beam above us with unfamiliar constellations… From now on, there will be no turning back!
Until finally, fellow traveller, after many days of hardship and fear, we reach the shaman’s dwelling. They have been waiting for us, ever since the golden hawk Эрхаан / Erkhaan, the brave blood, told them that we are coming.
A Siberian shaman
The drums are beating, the fire is bright, our horses now sing along with men, the other worlds open and the dancing deer gods Тускул / Tuskul, the better future and Уйгууна / Uyguuna, wealth, beckon us to go with them. One step and the dream begins, the reindeers jingle, the smoke soars high, from here on, you must go alone…
Photo Sources:
- Lena valley: by Eugene Kaspersky
- Yakut horse: by Maarten Takens
- Shaman: by Arkady Zarubin
- http://portal.unesco.org/…/4-boys-on-reindeer1.jpg
