Botur the Swift [njur’gun] [‘botur] – one of the most popular mythological heroes of the Olonkho, a legendary giant from the Upper World enbued with force and endowed with mysterious talents. His function is to defend the Middle World and the sunny tribe Kun Aiyy. Unlike the demons he never transforms into a dragon but can significantly change his appearance and easily become eagle, ermine, iron-scaled fish, giant bee, spear, can take the form of an Ajarai and can even transform into a fog. His nickname is the Swift. Quickness is one of the most positive characteristics of someone’s personality for the Sakha people. Cf. the constant epithets of positive epic heroes: Дьулуруйар Ньургун Боотур – Yakut, literally, the Swift Nurgun Botur; Элэс Боотур – Yakut ‘элэс’ [e’les] means ‘moving rapidly’, it becomes the name of a really fast hero Eles Botur. Slowness has more negative connotation for its association with laziness, stupidity and illness. Olonkho is full of cosmogonic characters such as water, sky, sun, moon (the Yi/Moon daughter), some constellations like Pleiades (in other words, the Wolf Constellation, cf. Yakut. ‘Urgel’ from the Yakut word ‘ur’ [jur] – to howl); the Orion constellation, cf. Yakut. Тайахтаах сулус [tajah’ta:h su’lus] which means the Elk/Moose Star. Cholbon Star – the term the Sakha use for Venus. The Olonkho supernatural characters include the triad of the gods – demiurges; the supreme deities of the Upper World; the Sacred Tree Aar Luuk or Luup Mas; the goddess of Earth; a fantastic bestiary: birds and animals including dragons, and five daughters of stars. Turtle is called the Great Turtle in Olonkho; stallion is a symbol of the Universe; eagle is a symbol of space, Sacred Tree and Sakha ancestors. Cuckoo and raven are birds-psychopomps used in shamanistic ceremonies. Moose is a solar symbol. The earth is covered by a dome-like heavenly sphere, the edge of which hangs down like a fringe and rubs the turned up edge of the earth. The noise of this rubbing reminds us of the battle of furious stallions biting each other and their teeth gnashing.
Oburgu – a traditional epithet that is attached to the names of heroes. It is a polysemantic word meaning ‘bold’, ‘mighty’, ‘brave’, ‘cunning’, ‘smart and quick’, sometimes its meaning is close to an American expression ‘good on you!’. It may be used both in a negative and positive sense. It always expresses ‘awe’.
Odun Khan [o’dun], Genghis Khan, Jilga Toyon [djil’ga] the Elders – gods of fate. It is interesting that a historical figure Genghis Khan is included in the Sakha pantheon as a god.
Olonkho [olon’ho] – a Yakut heroic epic about the feats and adventures of mythological characters. It first appeared during the eighth-ninth centuries AD. The researchers classify three main plots: the inhabitation of the Middle World by a human tribe Aiyy; the adventures of an orphan child Er Sogotokh – the Lonely Man who is the ancestor of the Yakut people; the most popular is the defence of the Middle World from the attacks of demons – Abaahy or Ajarais. In one of the versions the Abaahy occupy the Middle World, fell the Sacred Tree Aar-Luuk Mas with its eight mighty boughs that float in the Upper World like green islands and burn it. This reminds one of elements of the plot of James Cameron’s Avatar and prompted the Minister of Culture and Spiritual Development of the Republic of Sakha to talk about the similarity of the plots.
Olonkhosut [olonho’sut] – Olonkho performer or singer. They used real Olonkho performers’ names: Timofey the Fat, Kokhaian, Akim, Kylachisap, Tabakhov, Androsova, Deaf Beken and others. Tired people may go to sleep during Olonkho performances because they usually take place in the evening after the working day. There was an obligatory rule to wake sleepers up otherwise they might never get up and stay in the fantastic world of Olonkho forever. (E.N. Romanova (2007) Lecture at the Olonkho translators’ group workshop. Yakutsk.)
Platon Alekseevich Sleptsov-Oyunsky [pla’ton alek’sejevich o’junskij] – Recording the Olonkho, Oyunsky organized its written form according to the general rules of European drama. He divided Olonkho into chapters and songs, introduced short annotations to each song and monologues and dialogues to make the composition of the epic more distinct and readable. The oral forms of Olonkho do not provide a strict organization of the narrative and usually are performed as a whole without any subdivisions into fragments, parts or speeches.
Sata – a bezoar concretion, as hard as a stone found in the stomach or intestines of animals. It is believed that it can affect the weather causing dramatic thunderstorms and hurricanes. Sata-stone traditionally is found underground; because of that and because of its glimmering light it is closely associated with a piece of coal.
Seleh – a thick rope made of light and dark horse hair stretched from (birch) tree to tree around the place where the Esekh (summer festival) is held to ward off the evil spirits.
Toyon [to’jon] – a title of a lord; master; husband. It is also used in names as well as ‘эhэ’ (eheh [ä `hä] – grandfather), e.g. the Yakuts call bear ‘эhэ’ (grandfather) highlighting a high status in the family hierarchy and relative connection with a forest predator. In fact, the Sakha resort to the euphemism ‘тыатаа5ы’ [teta:’hi]– the one from the forest.
Toyuk [to’juk] – a traditional folk song of a melancholic character. Toyuk may be performed as a part of an epic or a single song.
Urankhai Sakha [u’ranhai] [sa’ha] – a self-given name of the Sakha people.
Urung-Aiyy Toyon or Urung-Aar Toyon [ju’rjung], [a’ji:], [‘a:r] – a supreme deity whose name means literally ‘the White Lord of Gods’ or ‘the White Lord of the World/Universe’ (see: Colours).
Weapons – batas [ba’tas], batyia [bati’ja], ynyy [u’nu:]; sugeh [sju’ge]. Batyia – a Yakut weapon with a long handle and relatively short blade on one side, like a wide and thick hunting knife. Sometimes it is called ‘pal’ma’ [`paljma]. Batas – ancient weapon, the closest analogue is a spear, with a type of big knife as a spearhead approximately 45 cm long and 4.5 cm wide. The handle is about 1.5 metres long. It can be three-headed. Ynyy – a spear. Sugeh – an axe.
Map of Sakha (Yakutia) and Autonomous Areas of Russia
Translators
Alina NakhodkinaAlbina SkryabinaZoya TarasovaSofia KholmogorovaLyudmila ShadrinaVarvara AlekseevaSvetlana Yegorova-Johnstone
Editors
Paul NorburySvetlana Yegorova-JohnstoneGenevieve PerraultAlina NakhodkinaEvgeniya MikhailovaVasily Ivanov
Introduction
Raised carefree on the banks
Of the Tatta Ebeh Khotun river,
With its peaceful
