Article

Name: Folklore of the Chukchi and the Russian Old-Timers of the Far North (a case study of the artistic essay by Teki Odulok)

Authors: Tatiana V. Krayushkina

Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russian Federation

In the section Study of folklore

Abstract:

The paper examines the folklore of the Chukchi in the Eastern Chukotka and the Russians of the Lower and Middle Kolyma regions. The study is based on the seminal work of Yukaghir literature, the artistic essay “Na Kraynem Severe” (“In the Far North,” 1933) by Teki Odulok, supplemented by historical sources and oral folklore records. The research identifies two specific episodes related to Chukchi folklore and four pertaining to Russian Old-Timer traditions. A key finding is that the essay helps fill a recognized deficiency in the documented folklore from these regions, specifically regarding the Chukchi the Chukchi (1897–1938) and the Russian Old-Timers (1902–1959 in Nizhnekolymsk; 1905–present in Srednekolymsk). The reliability of the essay as a historical source is confirmed by its alignment with materials from various folklore collectors and the inherently observational nature of the essay genre. Teki Odulok documents both prose genres (among the Chukchi) and song genres (among the Kolyma people), while notably omitting ritual folklore and paremias (proverbs). The essay incorporates various layers of oral tradition, from myths and Chukchi legends to epics, ballads, and Kolyma chastushki (ditties). The author utilizes specific techniques for folklore inclusion, such as naming genres, retelling plots, and citing fragments, providing rare insights into the performance and survival of these traditions in the early 20th century.

Keywords: Chukchi folklore, folklore of the Russian old-timer population, folklore of Nizhnekolymsk, folklore of Srednekolymsk, history of collecting folklore, Teki Odulok, essay “In the Far North”

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