Myths and legends of the Udmurt people message. History of Udmurtia
Udmurt mythology existed many years ago and protected not only culture, faith, but also folklore.
IN Udmurt mythology there are a large number of negative creatures and gods who send troubles to the Udmurt people, for example, the spirits of disease can send: damage, paralysis, the evil eye.
Also in their mythology there are brownies - Korkakuz, banniks - Minchokuze, garden ones - Bakchakuze. To the owners wildlife attributed to Ludmurt, he was the owner of meadows and fields, people turned to him with requests for good hunting, preservation of livestock and abundance of honey, successful fishing.
In ancient times, priests were divided into higher servants and lower ones; the lower ones served the higher ones and carried out orders.
The chief priest did not take any part in the rituals, he was only present during them, sanctified the ritual with his presence, and monitored the sequence of actions during the rituals. During the ritual, all ministers dressed in snow-white clothes.
The main sanctuary, in which all rituals were carried out, was built from tree logs; the floor was also covered with wood; the most valuable relics that belonged to the patron of the clan, the main spirit, were kept in it.
Depending on the ritual, it was necessary to make a sacrifice; in all rituals there had to be a tree and a sacrifice (cattle of different colors and breeds).
Today, the Udmurts glorify the Orthodox faith with elements of pre-Christian beliefs.
They still perform ancient rituals, follow ancient customs and do not want to adapt to modern world and its currents.
The Udmurts have three places of worship:
- neither worship the ancestral patron;
- owner of wild nature;
- burial places and funeral rituals.
The Udmurts are an ancient Turkic people who present their own mythology, which is very similar to the myths and ideas of neighboring peoples. Their beliefs were greatly influenced by Islamic overtones and some aspects of the above-mentioned religion.
So, among the Udmurts, the main deity was named Inmar, and he performed the functions of the creator of the world, the creator who was “to blame” for the emergence of literally everything on Earth. If you delve deeper into theological and linguistic research, you will notice that the name of this deity is very similar to other main gods from nearby religions.
The mythology of the Udmurts says that Inmar had to monitor the normal functioning of the elements, so that the rain would fall and the sun would shine on time, and that the climate in the world would be optimal and comfortable. As elsewhere, the Udmurts also had a negative deity, Keremet (an analogue can be considered the Islamic Shaitan), who is responsible for evil forces. According to legend, at the very beginning the gods were friends, but Keremet deceived Inmar, after which they quarreled.
Udmurt mythology has changed over time and in accordance with emerging world religions, in particular Christian principles. In particular, as they say, after “communication” with them, a legend arose about a huge bull that holds our planet on its horns, and which is responsible for all the tremors of the firmament.
According to the Udmurts, and the traditions of the Finns and some other peoples close to them, the world is divided into 3 regions, heaven, the place of residence of earthlings - the planet, and hell, which was cold and dark. In many variants, you can find a central axis that holds all these areas together, which could be a tree (like the Slavs), a rock, and other similar objects. Accordingly, deities lived at the top, and only the top ones from the pantheon; in the middle part, the beautiful halves of the divine society were usually found, as well as demigods, patrons of the natural elements - in particular, water creatures, goblins, etc. In hell there were dark forces– and directly the symbol of the devil, Keremet, as well as dead souls.
As we already said, main god among the Udmurts it was called Inmar; their system of religion is dual, i.e. There is a confrontation between good and evil, with Keremet playing the role of the latter. But they also have one more god from among the most noticeable and important - this is Kyldysin, who is responsible for our world, for nature, for the harvest, etc. Usually, by the way, in other religions, similar functions are performed by a lady - for example, Hera among the Greeks, etc., but the Udmurts appointed a man to this position.
Many demigods inhabited the earth - there were both good and bad among them, Keremet fought with the good ones, and Inmar fought with the bad ones. The demigods were responsible for diseases, natural phenomena, for epidemics, etc.
You will find all this in the ancient beliefs and judgments of the people of Udmurtia, captured in unusual folklore, rituals and works of folk art. In conscious mythology, family, clan and tribal (territorial) holy places took the place of domesticated symbols. The traditions of sacrifices were also associated with this. They were in the nature of economic requirements (the beginning of sowing, harvesting), preventive measures against natural disasters and diseases (drought, pestilence of domestic animals, famine), and everyday needs (the birth of children, a successful marriage).
Later, one can find variants of double beliefs, when residents who converted to Orthodoxy, making sacrifices, did so with Christian prayers. The explanation for this is the late Christianization of the Turkic people, compared to other nationalities. At the present time, there is a noticeable tendency among the Udmurts to revive mythological beliefs through the prism of pagan ideas about the structure of interaction between people and the forces of the elements. A significant role in this is still played by the traditions of spiritualizing the surrounding nature, which is a strong indicator of “Udmurtness”, one of the defining features of the ethnic group of Udmurt culture.
In principle, the mythology of the Udmurts is quite standard and similar to Islam - Shaitan is also found here, but only in the form of small demigods, there are also peri - female genies or something like that, and many others. But the Udmurts also took a lot from the Slavs, which testifies to their closeness and commonality in mentality and human self-awareness.
Udmurts (self-name - Udmurt, outdated name - Votyaks) - people, indigenous population of Udmurtia (496.5 thousand people). The total number according to 1998 data is 714.8 thousand. Believers are Orthodox. The Udmurt language belongs to the Perm branch of the Finno-Ugric family of languages. Writing based on the Russian alphabet.
ESH-TEREK
In ancient times, the great warrior Esh-Terek lived among the Udmurts. In his youth, he plowed the land, felled wood - he was a simple peasant.
He didn't go to war. And at that time there was endless hostility with the Tatars and various Tushmons, which no one will remember now.
The villagers wanted Ash-Terek to be a toro, but he refused.
“I’m still young,” he said, “there are people more worthy than me.” And they have experience, and services to the people, and wisdom, which I have not yet acquired.
But by the time he was forty, he was finally made a Toro.
Ash-Terek began to think about combat equipment. He made himself a bow from a young maple tree, which he tore out of the ground along with the roots. He prepared some birch arrows, but there was still no horse for him. Not one could withstand the hero, his legs gave way, his spine broke. Where could one find a horse to match such a giant?
Ash-Terek came to the bank of the Kama, sat and was sad. It’s bad to fight on foot against the fleet-footed Tatar horsemen, but he doesn’t know where to get a horse.
The mighty warrior sighed deeply, and wide Kama became agitated, as if from his sigh. The waves crashed onto the shore, and when they retreated, Ash-Terek saw the gray-haired Vumurt. He stood waist-deep in water near the rocky shore and looked at the gloomy Toro.
What are you grieving about, Ash-Terek? - asked the bishop.
It's none of your business, green beard. Get lost!
I am Vumurt, owner of the waters and ancient friend of your fathers. I want to serve you. Tell me what you need!
I need a war horse. So that he doesn’t bend under me and overtake the Tatar horses. Where can you find such a horse, green beard! All you have to do is scare the girls and tear the nets. Get lost!
You're wrong to vilify me, Ash-Terek! There will be a horse to match you. Here's my advice: sit down in the reeds by the river tonight and wait. Keremet's herd will come to water. The leader there is good - a black stallion. When the horses start drinking water, you catch the leader. But don’t forget the condition: you will bring me the first beautiful Tatar as a gift...
I agree, if the horse is worth it.
Remember: a horse for you, a beauty for me.
At midnight, Esh-Terek waylaid the herd and caught the stallion.
The horse turned out to be dashing, he carried Ash-Terek through the fields and meadows, tried to throw him off, reared up, dug the ground with his hooves, bared his teeth at the rider. Then he humbled himself, seeing that he had found a worthy owner. And he became a faithful friend of the famous Toro.
Esh-Terek won many victories over his enemies. Rumors about him spread along the Kama and Votka rivers, through the mountains and villages.
One day he captured a Tatar woman of wondrous beauty, put her on a horse in front of him and rode to her home. “I will have a wife that everyone will envy,” he thinks, driving along the bank of the Kama.
He was about to cross the river, but it became raging and began to swirl in whirlpools, as if during a flood.
He sees: Vumurt sticking out of the water up to his waist.
Have you forgotten the agreement, glorious Esh-Terek? - asks the water owner. - Give me back the beauty!
It’s too much to joke, old devil,” Toro replies. - Why do you, old man, need a beautiful wife? If you want, I’ll bring you a toothless old woman. There will be a couple! Ha-ha-ha... - Ash-Terek laughed.
Vumurt turned gray with anger and disappeared into the abyss of the river. Ash-Terek got off his horse, grabbed his mane with his hand, and supported the beauty in the saddle with his other hand. So he swam across the raging Kama.
And in the middle, a terrible whirlpool overtook him, spun him, overwhelmed him headlong... Neither the dashing horse nor his own heroic strength helped the young man.
He found his death not in a bloody battle, not in military affairs, but in the watery abyss, together with a beautiful Tatar woman and a faithful horse.
And the rumor about him never dies.
AX-SAMORUB
There lived a poor peasant in one forest region. He knew little joy in life, and he had never even seen happiness. His only joy were his three sons: Petyr, Pavel and Ivan. They were surprisingly different. The eldest, Petyr, is tall, stately and proud. The middle son was distinguished by cunning and laziness, and the youngest was so-so: short in stature, simple in character and trouble-free at work.
When the time came for the poor man to die, he called his sons and said:
I lived my life in poverty, I gained nothing but calluses and sorrow. I have nothing to bequeath to you. Walk around the world, look for your own happiness, maybe you will find it.
So the three brothers went from home good life search. They walk along the road wherever they look. They look: the mountain is high, the slopes are steep and covered entirely with trees. The guys got tired and decided to rest in the shade of an old oak tree.
As soon as they lay down on the grass, they hear: someone is chopping with an ax on the mountain, often like this, tapping quickly.
We should go take a look, maybe we can find work too,” says Ivan.
“I don’t have official legs,” Petyr answers. - Yes, and this is not for me. I'll look for something to match.
“I would have gone, brother,” says Pavel, “but I was completely exhausted.” Let me rest first. - He lay down more comfortably and began to snore.
Water doesn’t flow under a lying stone,” Ivan continued. - I want to find out who is working so happily.
Ivan climbed the mountain. I climbed for a long time, my hands were torn off by thorny bushes, my sandals were broken on snags. But I got to the cutting area. He looks - there is no one, the ax is the only one working. Yes, he does it so famously that the guy’s mouth gaped.
Hey, axe, whose will you be? - Ivan was amazed.
And I'm on my own. I serve those who love work.
What should I love if not work! - the poor man rejoiced. - Come with me?
Why not go, I see you’re not a quitter.
Ivan took the ax, put it in a bag and returned to his brothers. And they got enough sleep, sit, open their eyes.
Well, did you climb the mountain? - cunning Pavel laughs.
Without a head, your legs have a hard time,” says Petyr.
“I don’t complain about my head,” Ivan answered and did not tell his brothers about the wonderful axe. They still won't believe it.
Eh, it works great! - Ivan praised. - I wish I could learn from someone.
Go and study, if you’re not tired,” says Petyr. - I'll take a nap. I need a shoulder job.
Run, run, Ivan, you are young and smart! - Pavel encouraged.
I'll go. Otherwise I won’t sleep until I find out.
Ivan climbed the mountain, was exhausted, and could barely drag his feet.
He sees: a steel pick is cutting out stones, turning out huge blocks. And not a soul around. The pick itself is working.
Hey, Kylo, whose are you, who taught you to work like this? - the guy shouted.
And at least it’s yours, if you’re not afraid of difficulties.
Sissies are afraid of difficulties, but I am a peasant’s son,” answers Ivan. - Come with me to look for a good life.
He took the steel pick and put it in the bag along with the axe. And below, under the tree, the brothers are snoring, as if thunder were rolling across a clear sky. Ivan also lay down to rest, and in the morning it was already light on his feet.
It's time to get up, couch potatoes, sleep through your happiness.
Happiness knocks on the window for the well-fed, but we don’t even have a hut lying around,” Petyr answers, stretching.
Happiness is tricky, you can’t take it with your bare hands! - Pavel grinned slyly. - Well, what did you see there in the mountains? What did you find besides calluses?
Ivan felt offended that his brothers were such idiots, and he decided to hide his findings from them for the time being.
Let's move on. They wanted to drink, but there was no fontanel or river around. The swamp has passed, but you won’t drink from the rotten quagmire! The rain began to fall, but it did not quench my thirst. The brothers were completely desperate; they almost drank from a puddle. Here they look - a stream is running, clear and clear. And the water is so tasty that you don’t want to leave the stream.
It is necessary to discover the secret of water, says Ivan, so that you never suffer from thirst.
You chatterbox, says Petyr, but does water really have a secret? It flows and flows as it pleases.
What will you wear to the city? - Pavel joked. - Look, your fingers are already peeking out of your bast shoes.
You can weave other bast shoes,” Ivan answered. - And the opportunity may not turn up a second time.
Well, go, if you don’t mind your legs, and be back by dinner,” the brothers decided.
Ivan went. He made his way through the bushes - the ax helped him; he climbed up the mountain - the pick helped him. So I got to the source of the stream. A stream came out from under a mighty rock.
“I am the mistress of water,” said the rock, “if I want, I will seal it up completely, and people will die of thirst.”
Ivan smiled, did not argue with the stubborn rock, but only noticed the place. He took a pebble from the spring as a souvenir and went to his older brothers.
Well, eccentric, have you discovered the secret of water? - Petyr grinned.
And here it is,” Ivan showed a round piece polished with water.
Hey, brother,” says Pavel, “you need to sleep more, otherwise you’ll go completely crazy.” Look what you came up with! I started collecting pebbles.
“This is not a simple pebble,” Ivan objected, “it is key.”
The brothers didn’t understand anything, they waved their hands: they say, well, he’s an eccentric. What will you take from him if he starts moving? And we went further.
The brothers walked for a long time and finally came to Constantinople. There are crowds of people on the streets: ragged, hungry, crippled by wars and troubles.
What's going on here? - the brothers ask.
But the people gathered to ask the king for favors. “We have been tormented by severe hunger and endless, bloody wars,” people answer. - But the king himself doesn’t know what to do. A craftsman from among the people calls out that he could avert trouble. Many have already tried, but they all ended badly.
The brothers looked around: one poor fellow had no ear, the other had his nose cut off... This was their bad reward for failure.
Eh, we need to try it too! - Ivan straightened his shoulders. - A person cannot be happy if misfortune lives next to him.
You're crazy! - the brothers were scared. - And you will drag us into trouble, we will leave here without ears and without eyes.
No, dear ones, we must fight grief together, one by one it can deal with everyone,” Ivan objected.
The royal servants overheard the brothers' conversation and took them to their ruler. “These people boasted that they could help everyone’s grief.”
“Okay,” says the king, “if you can do it, I’ll reward you, and I’ll give my daughter in marriage to the most daring one.” If you fail, I’ll chop off your noses and ears and send you into the dense forest. And this is what needs to be done: my sages have established that the thousand-year-old oak is to blame for everything: it blocked the sky from us, hid the sun, and brought in clouds. Cut it down at the roots, well done.
They gave the brothers axes, and they began to chop down the age-old oak tree. Petyr will cut down a branch, and twenty new branches will grow in its place. The kid got tired and lay down on the ground in exhaustion.
Pavel took over the matter. And he was cunning in this and that way. Out of habit and laziness, my hands were ripped bloody, but the oak tree stands intact.
Ivan took out his labor ax and let’s fell the oak tree. He not only chops, but chops firewood and puts it in woodpiles. He managed it quickly.
The sky cleared, the sun came out, but life in the country did not improve much.
The king again called the brothers to the palace and said:
You have dealt with the oak tree, which means you can deal with adversity. If not, I’ll order you to gouge out your eyes. My wise men are fools - they ruined the oak in vain. Apparently, this is not the problem. Well, you can figure it out for yourself.
“You brought destruction upon us, Ivan,” Petyr whined. He felt sorry for his nose.
“You can’t think of anything like that to stay intact,” Pavel thought.
“We live in dense forests,” said Ivan, “we need to expand the fields.” Then the peasants will have more freedom, and we will live richer.
How can we manage the forest? - Petyr became timid. - We can’t see our ears.
Maybe set it on fire, the forest? - said the cunning Pavel.
Why bother with good things! - the younger brother was surprised. - Let's chop wood and logs.
The brothers began to cut down the forest. One tree is felled, and a new one grows in its place. And Ivan took out a self-chopping ax and, as soon as he began to cut trees left and right, he instantly finished with the thicket. Then the forest begged: “Don’t destroy me, Ivan, without the forest it will be bad for people. Where will they get firewood, where will they hide from the heat? And fields for dry winds will be exposed, defenseless rivers will dry up..."
Look! - Ivan admired. - But it’s the forest that speaks, without it we’ll really be lost.
The brothers spared the forest. And the cleared clearings were turned into arable land. They began to uproot stumps and raise virgin soil.
Here the king again called the brothers into the palace. And he himself began to be afraid of them, he saw: great power was in their hands.
You have liberated the fields, workers, and you are entitled to a reward,” said the king. - What's the use of fields if drought is coming? Wells in the country were drying up. People have nowhere to drink, let alone animals. There is great turmoil. The people are dissatisfied with my rule. We need to dig deep wells. Yes, such that they never run out. Fulfill this command and I will get rich; if you don’t fulfill it, I will rot in a pit.
The brothers listened to the king and hung their heads.
It’s all your fault, Ivan, they say. - We found a job beyond our strength. We can’t get to deep water enough for all people and animals. Let's just dig a hole for ourselves.
“Have you forgotten the secret of the stream,” Ivan laughs, “or what?” - And he took out a smooth round piece from his pocket. - Here it is, the secret of water. Let's go to the stream and ask it to quench people's thirst.
There is good water in that stream, the brothers say, but it’s only enough for one royal palace.
Don't worry, there's enough for everyone.
The brothers came to the formidable rock and bowed to the spring. And the rock hums: “I won’t give you any more water. I am a housewife, I do what I want. If I want, I’ll kill you all.”
Come on, kylo, show us what you can do. Break, scatter the stingy rock, - exclaimed the younger brother, - free the deep river from eternal captivity.
As the pick began to hammer, crumble the impregnable rock, only rubble and sparks began to fall. And when the block of stone finally collapsed, a stormy stream was released and a full-flowing river began to flow. Izh - her brothers called her.
The Izh River gave water to people, animals, and the fields around. Then the brothers, together with other workers, went to collect old debts from the king. The king was frightened by such unheard-of power and ran away. Since then, honest labor has reigned in that region. And the brothers found something they could do.
Description of the presentation MYTHOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT UDMURTS The main deity of the Udmurt pagansInmar on slides
The main deity of the pagan Udmurts. Inmar. This is the source of all good things; he is the creator of the sky, lives constantly in the sun, and is so kind that the Udmurts are not afraid of him. Only grateful sacrifices are offered to him.
Etymology of the name In the 19th century, the most common etymology was in + mar “sky-what”. Some scientists believed that the name Inmar comes from Inmurt “heavenly man”. But according to M. G. Atamanov, the word Inmar arose as a result of the merger of Udm. in(m) “sky” and ar “man” (from Bulgarian). Currently, the most acceptable hypothesis is that the word Inmar retains the ancient suffix -*r, and the word itself comes from the Finno-Permian name of the heavenly deity (*ilmar, cf. Ilmarinen).
Thus, the most appropriate name our first ancestor is Ilmar. In Russian Orthodox tradition he was replaced by Elijah the Prophet, riding a chariot across the sky during the rain and the roar from this chariot generates thunder. A distant descendant of Ilmar - in the genetic and etymological sense - is Ilya Muromets - Il-Mar.
Vukuzyo (“master of water”) - in Udmurt myths - the ruler of the water element, an inhabitant of the primary ocean. In dualistic cosmogonic myths, Vukuzyo is the opposite of Inmar, who retrieved the earth from the bottom of the ocean. According to myth, Vukuzyo will spoil the Alangasar giants created by Inmar by deceiving the dog guarding them. Imitating Inmar's creation - a dog, he created a goat, and then the water spirits of the Wumurts. Vukuzyo was represented as an old man with a long green beard.
Everyone knows the cheerful holiday - Neptune Day, but not everyone knows Vukuze Day, which is celebrated in Izhevsk for the second year in a row in the middle of summer! Vukuzyo (“master of water”) in Udmurt myths is the ruler of the water element, settled in our city. This summer you can meet Vukuze and his friends in the Summer Garden, in his renovated house.
Nyules-Murt (nyul - forest, thicket) lives in the forest, has his own farm and family. In clothing and lifestyle, he is similar to people. As people, the Nyles-Murts marry and feast. The route taken by the Nyles-Murtov wedding is marked by many broken trees. Nyles-Murts are distinguished from people by their high stature (the height of the tallest trees) and black skin color. Nyules-Murts allow animals to lie down in holes and dens; They send prey to hunters, food to cattle, and help the army win thanks to their special ability to produce wind and throw sand into the eyes.
Nyulesmurt stood out in its significance among all other creatures of Udmurt mythology. Sometimes he was called “Great Grandfather, Father.” Some researchers even believed that “the first and most important god in the galaxy pagan gods Uglyazov Votyaks - god of forests and winds. All this is explained by the huge role of the forest in the life of the Udmurt people. traditional culture. Nyulesmurt is the owner of the forest, and since the forest practically made up the entire natural environment of the Udmurts, Nyulesmurt was in charge of all this, he is the owner of the animals, hunters turn to him for help and assistance in the hunt. The well-being of livestock also depended on Nyläsmurt. Sometimes he was even somehow connected with deceased ancestors. Nyulesmurt's road was called the rubble of the forest where a hurricane or tornado passed through, which is why sometimes Nyulesmurt was considered the deity of the wind.
Lud-Murt (lud - field) - field worker. He is a small man, no taller than a five-year-old child. Its growth can vary depending on the place where Lud-Murt is located: between the tall ears of Lud-Murt it is higher, in the young grass of the meadow it is very small. In the spring, when driving cattle into the Lud-Murt field, a prayer is read: “keep the animals well, lead them well into the field, do not give them to animals (wolves).”
Korka-Murt (ko rka - hut) - a spirit like a brownie (among Russians), is in charge of men's and women's work performed in the hut. Sometimes he does work for the mistress of the house - plucking wood, chopping wood, spinning, etc. Corca-Murts sometimes replace their children with people.
In appearance, the korkamurt looks like an elderly man in a sheepskin coat with the fur turned outward. If a korkamurt moved with its owners from an old hut, it is called. Vuzhmurt (at dm. Old man). The transition from the old hut to the new Uudmurt was accompanied by a special ceremony in honor of the korkamurt; As a relic in this ritual, the memory of sacrificing a korkamurtubka when moving to a new home was preserved.
Vu-Murt (wu - water) - water man; all waters on earth are subject to his jurisdiction; it lives in lakes, small rivers, ponds, mainly in deep places. He has an incredibly beautiful wife, sons and daughters. The Vu-Murts marry their sons to the daughters of the Vu-Murts from neighboring waters; weddings take place mostly in autumn and spring, and the wedding train, directing its path through the water, breaks mill dams and raises the water level in all oncoming rivers. Vu-Murts are not averse to becoming related to people and in general often appear among people.
Vumurt (Udmurt vu - “water”, murt - “person”) - in Udmurt myths a water spirit with long black hair, sometimes in the form of a pike. Created by the “master of water” Vukuzyo. Lives in the depths of large rivers and lakes, but likes to appear in streams and millponds. It can drown people and send diseases, wash away dams, destroy fish, but sometimes it helps people. In the water he has his own house, great wealth and a lot of livestock, a beautiful wife and daughter. Vumurt appears among people at fairs, where he can be recognized by the wet left side of his caftan, or in the village at dusk; its appearance portends misfortune. Vumurt is driven away by banging sticks and axes on the ice. To pay off the vumurt, animals, birds, and bread are sacrificed to him.
Lopsho Pedun – fairy tale hero Udmurtov According to legend, a long time ago there lived a man in one of the Udmurt villages. Life was difficult for him, but fun, because one day he learned the secret of life. The Udmurts know that long ago they had a Holy Book, according to which they built their lives. Over time, it was lost, and the leaves of the Holy Book scattered all over the world. During his next walk around his family, he was lucky enough to find one of the pages of this wise book, on which it was written: “Don’t take everything to heart, look at everything cheerfully, and luck will not bypass you.” From then on, any work in his hands was a success, and he became a source of inexhaustible humor, wit, and worldly cunning. People called him Lopsho Pedun.
KREZ is the name of a traditional song, as well as a musical instrument such as GUSLI among the Udmurts. With the modern growth of national self-awareness, the traditional instrument is increasingly attracting interest and becoming known to a very wide circle of listeners. Before our eyes, this amazing instrument is being revived virtually from complete oblivion. With joy one can observe how krez becomes an integral part of not only Udmurt musical folklore, but also cultural life in general, and in the near future it will enter every Udmurt home, as it was at the beginning of the last 20th century.
Melody of Heavenly Dew
Udmurt legend
Once upon a time there lived in a dense forest an old wise spruce. Her name was Mudor-Kuz- Les's mother. They say that the Forest began with her, and perhaps the Earth itself. The sun rested on its branches. From under its roots a timid spring was born, which later turned into the mighty White Kama.
People came from far and wide to worship Mudor-Kuz. But one day the stepmother of the Sun, Evil Lightning, scorched with terrible fire Mudor-Kuz. El died.
But a man came and revived her. He made Gusli out of it Kreuz and put his human soul into them. This is how people got Bydzym Krez- Great Gusli. When they sounded, the Sun approached the Earth to listen to them. When they sang Invu Utchan Gur" - "Melody of Heavenly Dew", The sky cried with rain.
How the earth was created
The myth of the creation of the earth
It was so long ago that no one even remembers when it was. No land, no people in the whole world: only sky, water and sun. The master of the sky lived in the sky Inmar. His name itself consists of the words “in” and “mar”. Anyone who learns to understand the Udmurt language will recognize the “in” as the sky, and the “mar” as the what. What is in the sky is Inmar.
And the owner of the water lived in the water Vukouzo. The sky was clear, clear, like snow, white, white like a birch tree. It hung so close to the water that Inmar Without going down, he scooped up water with a golden ladle with a long handle and watered the clouds so that they would not dry out from the sun. The owner of the sky did not care. And Vukuzyo didn’t know any work, all he did was dry his green beard all day long: he hung the end of his beard on a cloud, and he lay down on the water and lay there, dozing.
Although the beard Vukouzo was longer Inmar was considered older among them, and therefore the owner of the water had to obey him. So they lived for many centuries in the neighborhood. One was tending the clouds, the other was drying his beard and muddying the water from time to time.
Once I felt sad Inmaru, and it occurred to him to change his occupation. He hung the ladle on his favorite cloud, which he always kept at hand, took off his beard Vukouzo from the cloud and ordered him to dive deeper - to get the earth from the bottom.
Did not like Vukouzo, What Inmar prevented him from drying his beard and basking in the sun to his heart's content, but he did not dare to contradict the elder. He obeyed - he obeyed, but he harbored a grudge. "Look, since he Inmar agay(Udmurt - elder brother), then he urges! - he thought, sinking to the bottom. - Get him some land and give him even a grain. Everything to him, but to me, I'll take it out(Udmurt - younger brother), - nothing?” He took two handfuls from the bottom and, in order to hide it from Inmar, he put some of the earth behind his cheek and emerged.
Inmar He carefully accepted the delivered soil, placed it on his palm, leveled it, waited for it to dry, and then began to blow it away in all four directions. Having fallen on the water, warmed by the sun and the breath of Inmar, the earth began to swell and grow. It became more and more, so much that there was no end in sight. Although it was visible from afar: the earth turned out to be smooth, smooth, like a frying pan - no mountains, no hills, no ravines, no swamps.
The land that Vukouzo hidden behind his cheek. It grew, grew, and was about to blow my head off. It would probably have happened if you didn’t guess Vukouzo spit as much as you can. And that land scattered in different directions, fell onto the flat land of Inmar in mountains and swamps, hummocks and ravines. Don't cheat, don't disobey Vukuzö Inmara, the people would get a completely flat land - without hills and lowlands, without mountains and swamps.
Inmar, pleased with the accomplishment of an unexpected idea, did not even notice the change that happened to the earth due to Vukouzo. He had already begun his usual occupation: he began to move the clouds from place to place. I just noticed that they don’t whip well, they don’t curl a lot, it’s time to pour some water on them. Took it Inmar a ladle with a long handle, drove away the clouds so that they would not interfere with drawing water. Only then did I see what had become of the earth, only then did I understand why the clouds had become crumpled and torn: the mountains scratched their bellies, crushed and tore them apart. There was no need to guess whose trick it was: only two lived in the world. “Well, you slacker, well, you couch potato! Just wait!” - got angry for the first time Inmar. He left everything he was doing and began to think about how to teach him a lesson once and for all. Vukouzo so that it would be discouraging to act without permission.