Article

Name: Functions of grass in ritual practice, folklore texts, and everyday life of Kamchatka Koryak-Nymylans

Authors: T. A. Golovaneva

Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Фольклор: этнографический аспект

Abstract:

This study focuses on the role of grass within the traditional Koryak-Nymylan culture. This research primarily employs a comparative-historical methodology, enabling analysis of folklore texts within their historical context and in relation to contemporaneous ethnographic and ritualistic practices. The interpretation of the Alutor lexicon was performed with the support of word-formation analysis. The Alutor language includes distinct terms for various grasses, such as lǝʕutaŋ grass (Cyperaceae), tǝwaju grass (Elymus mollis), and v’iʕe grass (Poa pratensis L.). In the traditional culture of the Nymylan, grass lǝʕutaŋ (Cyperaceae) was used during rituals. Lauten grass was believed to attract good luck and health. In Nynymylan mythological stories, the lǝʕutaŋ grass is mentioned as a means to protect oneself from evil spirits-niŋvit. Koryak-Nymylan narratives, unlike their ritualistic and mythological counterparts, feature a distinct species of grass: v’iʕe grass (Poa pratensis L.). In fairy tales, the v’iʕe grass is personified. Given that grass weaving was the exclusive domain of Nymylan women, the feminine essence of the grass characters in Koryak folklore is thus explained. The anthropomorphic nature of the v’iʕe grass as a mythological character is also manifested in riddles and beliefs. The Koryak-Nymylans used the tǝwaju grass (Leymus mollis) for weaving. Grass threads were used to weave mats and baskets. The traditional way of life, which has been lost by now, served as a basis for the formation of national folklore.

Keywords: north-eastern Paleoasiates, Koryaks, nymylans, Chukotko-Kamchatsky languages, Alutor language Koryak folklore, Big Raven cycle, mythological beliefs, grass weaving, grass in Folklore

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