Corps de l’article

Traditional songs and incantations are widespread in Chukchi ritual practices associated with calendric and thanksgiving festivals. They also represent an extensive repertoire of magical applications.

Personal Songs

One of the most widespread genres in Chukchi traditional song culture is the personal song Чиниткингрэп[1] (Sinitkin grep). Thanks to the tradition preserved in the Chukchi singing culture of giving a song to a specific person, the Personal Song has the character of individualized and hereditary song. It occupies a special place and is related to durable family ritual objects and practices[2] as well as to the tribal songs passed down from generation to generation (Bogoraz 1900, XXXV). It should be stated that due to its intonational and rhythmic flexibility, the personal song provides the performer with additional opportunities, and the improvisational nature of these songs enables them to be repeated several times in a row (Vensten-Tagrina 2018).

Individual personal songs can constitute programmatic texts for ritual purposes. As such, in one personal song, the lyrics are as follows:

Н’эвыск’этти, мыныгрэп!
Эмчимгъутэмыныгрэммык.
Грэпн’откэнмынъяагъан.
Н’инк’эгтури, к’илюльэтгытык!

Женщины, споёмте ритуальную песню!
Все наши мысли вложим в песню.
Ритуальную эту споем.
Дети, выходите на обрядовый танец!

Women, let’s sing a ritual song!
Let’s put all our thoughts into a song.
Let’s sing this ritual.
Children, go out to the ritual dance!

Incantation N°5, Bogoras 1910–1913, 138

Ritual Songs

Ritual songs connected with calendric and thanksgiving holidays may include texts that directly indicate the order in which the ritual action is to be carried out (Vensten-Tagrina 2007, 64). For example, one of the ritual songs performed at the spring Baidara (canoe, in Russian) Festival has the following lyrics:

Увэлельоот гаграпчаленат, и’нчувильытгилюльэтлинэт,
Н’эвыск’эттигэпутурэтлинэт, нуукэльытгилюльэтлинэт,
Ы’твыннильытгэнкэвычьэчевлинэт,
Имъэлильытгапалёмтэлленато’ратчекыт

Уэленцы пели ритуальные песни, инчоунцы танцевали,
Женщины исполняли обрядовый танец, науканцы танцевали,
Изготовившие байдары (устроители) имели удовольствие (от происходящего),
Юноши из Имелина слушали.

The Uelen people sang ritual songs, the Inchoun people danced,
The women performed a ritual dance, the Naukan people danced,
Those who made canoes (the organizers) took pleasure (in what was happening),
The Imelin youths listened.

Incantation N°2, Bogoras 1910–1913, 138

This song contains the entire program of the celebration dedicated to the baidara canoe. During such festivals among coastal Chukchi, an invitation is sent out to the residents of several nearby Chukchi and Yupik villages, whose names are mentioned in this song: Uelen, Inchoun, Naukan, and Im’elin (the Chukchi name for Ratmanov Island). All invitees are assigned a specific role and the place of each participant in the event is indicated: the organizers of the holiday are those who “made the canoe”; the women perform a ritual dance; the Uelen guests sing ritual songs; the residents of the settlements of Inchoun and Naukan perform dances; and the Im’elin people are the listeners.

Family Shamanic Songs

One of the less well-known areas of Chukchi singing is called ильуткукинэт грэпыт (il’utkukinet grepyt)—family shamanic songs.[3] These form an obligatory part of the family shaman song ceremony of the autumn ritual holiday Мн’эгыргын (Mn’egyrgyn)—“Thanksgiving” (Vensten-Tagrina 2014). Нильунильуткун (Nil’unil’utkun, translated from Chukchi as “a ceremony of singing songs for reindeer does”) as well as family shamanic songs are the traditional songs associated with the Mn’ègyrgyn festival. These songs are dedicated to and have a beneficial effect on female livestock; in this case, on females whose young have been sacrificed.

We shall now also take note of the fact that the morpheme ильу- (il’u—from the root ильуткук/il’utkuk) is present in a number of the following terms. Нильунильуткун (nil’unil’utkun) is a ritual chant for female deer (Weinstein-Tagrina 2007, 261), as discussed above. This compound word includes two terms. The first part of the incorporative word нильу—(nil’u-) denotes a connection with specialized sacred singing. The second part of the linguistic incorporation—нильэт (- nil’et from нильэтык / nil’etyk, to lull or rock to sleep)—is used in the lullaby genre, as well as in ritual singing. It is attributed to a living reindeer doe, in one case, and associated in dedicatory singing with the “rocking side to side” of other ritually hunted game or sacrificial animals with which a thanksgiving feast is held. For example, the term нильунильэтык (nil’unil’etyk), according to accounts from coastal Chukchi, is used in relation to the ritual “cradle-like rocking motion” of the умк’ы (umk’y, Chukchi) polar bear: “After the нынильэтк’инэт (nynil’etk’inet) sacrifices, heads ‘lulled’ all night long, нынильэтк’инэт (nynil’etk’inet)—‘they played shamanic songs on the iarar [drum]’. They sang songs, as is usual now,” adds the informant.[4] According to the recollections of reindeer Chukchi of Provideniya District, “lullaby” songs were also sung for the animal at the Polar Bear Festival: “It was obligatory, after each polar bear hunt, to perform a ceremony like the Festival. If there were reindeer, they slaughtered the reindeer […]. Нильуткук’инэт (nil’utkuk’inet), too—they performed ritual shamanic singing […]. Somebody sang songs, as though нынильэтк’инэт (nynil’etk’inet)—they were rocking, lulling to sleep” [the bear—Z. W.-T.].[5]

A variant of ritual singing—нильунильуткун (nil’unil’utkun)—of an incantatory and protective nature was also used by shamans when attending to the deceased during the funeral ceremony. I. S. Vdovin was thus able to note the existence of “lullaby” melodies of a relict nature on the Anadyr River, citing the example of a shaman participating in funeral singing while accompanying the deceased кгыргочан’рамкэты (k gyrgosan’ramkety, “to the upper people”). For the duration of a day or night, the shaman (Chukchi эн’эн’ыльын/en’en’yl’yn) “sang the motif without words, as if lulling the dead to sleep”. As the author emphasizes, “the singing was not loud, and the blows to the frame drum were not strong” (Vdovin 1981, 191–192).

Family shamanic singing (ильуткукинэтгрэпыт/il’utkukinet grepyt) assumed a certain specified sequence in the performance of the songs as well as a special arrangement of the singing participants and their appearance (Vensten-Tagrina 2014). The host and hostess would begin the ritual singing with obligatory old personal songs (чыгрэмн’эткингрэпыт/ sygremn’etkin grepyt)—“family melodies that have been passed down” (Bogoraz 1937, 10)—and ы’ттъыюльэтыгрэпыт (y’tt’’yiul’ety grepyt, songs dedicated to the ancestors”) (Weinstein 2018, vol. 3, 430–432). A special role is assigned to the woman who is the guardian of the family hearth and the entire household ritual objects, including the drums. During the calendric and thanksgiving holidays of coastal Chukchi, women also play the main role during the hunting feast (Bogoraz-Tan 1926, 69-70). The performance of the songs themselves during the celebration only stops when the singer grows tired (Vdovin 1977, 130).

Songs associated with family totems are called мральаткэнгрэпыт (mral’atken grepyt) and refer to certain Chukchi rituals. For example, some ritual songs and incantation lyrics portray the Raven as the cult animal of a given family (Weinstein-Tagrina 2007, 264). It should be stated that the Raven and the stories about him constitute the oldest layer of folklore in Chukchi mythology. According to researcher E. M. Meletinskii, tales about the Raven—Куркыле (Kurkyle)—are concentrated in the most archaic genre of such material, the so-called “Beginning of the creation of the news”—Тоттомгаткэнпын’ылтэ (Tottomgatken pyn’ylte). “The main character in these myths is the Raven, found acting in a peculiar partnership with the Creator. He acts as the Creator of those blessings that nature gives to people, as the facilitator of life (Meletinskii 1979, 28–29). One such incantational appeal to the Raven-cum-Creator goes as follows:

Гук’! Иук’! [6]К’ууркылигыт, пэнинэйгыт лейвыльигыт, гыныкан’к’аск’ан’ынвэгыт […]
Гук’! Иук’! Ворон – ты, все тот же странник, твоей земли начало [...]
Guk’! Iuk’! Raven—you, still the same wanderer, the origin-principle of your land […]”, etc.

Incantation N° 8, Bogoras 1910–1913, 134

Incantation Practice

A special dimension of traditional song culture is the practice of incantation. Chukchi believe in the power of magic formulas, and during calendric and thanksgiving holidays, they recite incantations—эвъянвыт (ev’’ianvyt)—each of which occupies a leading position in the structure of a given festival. These incantations are verbal formulas to which a supernatural effect on the external world is attributed and enacted on the request of the person who sings them. These incantatory utterings not only reflect notions regarding the human worship of natural forces but also trace “an intimate connection with mythological concepts about the cosmos” (Vdovin 1976, 46). The incantations of reindeer Chukchi thus have the aim of purification and the desire to protect the herd from кэльэт (kel’et, spirits). They are typically phrased in the following manner:

Янотлявтэпы тыгнатыркын:
К’инэвинрэтги, ан’ан’вагыргак’инэгитэги!

“У Главного божества прошу:
Помоги, божественной силой на меня взгляни!”

“I ask the Chief Deity:
Help, gaze upon me with your divine power!”

Or-

Мратын’агыргэпытыгнатыркын:
К’инэвинрэтги, ан’ан’вагыргак’инэгитэги!

“От правой стороны Рассвета прошу:
Помоги мне, шаманским духом посмотри на меня!”

“From the righthand side of the Dawn I ask:
Help me, gaze upon me with your shamanic spirit!”

Incantation N°38, Bogoraz 1900, 137

In some incantation texts, the magical spell function валёкэвъян (valëkev’’ian, lit. “an incantation for the ears”)[7] is addressed directly at a sea mammal, particularly to the walrus:

Гук! А’мын-ым, рыркатпылвынток’к’аматанытынъимпэтк’инэтвилют, мин’кыривыргыргынрырката ванэван ы’нвалёмгъан, кэвычьычгурырката.
Гук! Ну, что же! Моржам железной чашей заслоняют уши, никакой звук они не слышат, удовольствием для сна (является крышка) моржам!
Guk! Well, now! The ears of the walruses are covered with an iron bowl, they do not hear any sound, a pleasure in sleeping (is the lid) for walruses!

Incantation N°6, Bogoras 1910–1913, 130

The name of the following incantation points to the widespread use of incantatory singing in hunting for game:

“Гыннэкэтыэ’йн’эвыткукин”
Имыгынник тъэйн’эвыркын,
Имыръэк’эйыръычьын Ынантоттомгаттагныкэн
К’эгвэлюк тыяаркын.
Ытлён-ымнак’амнатчык’эн,
Эмырак’эты натчык’эн, эвытрыкыльык’эй.
Ынпывэлюк тъэйн’эвыркын мыральо.
К’увчикычьын тыныпъючивын.
Гык! А’тав мынтэнмавмык!
Мраткольын нык’олентогъан: Ынк’эн-ымытръэттэгын!
Ынк’эн-ымигыт нытипъэйн’эк’ин:
– “Кэтэм, кэтэм. О, микигыр?”
Айвэкэн вытгыр тыяаркын,
Игыткин вытгыр тынпинтык’эвыркын.
Тыпуйъэкэлиркын льулк’ыл.
Гамгаваратэты,
Гамгагыннэкэты тытчыркын гэвэты.
Гамгаваратэты гэвылтэты тынъэлыркын.
Лыгэн льулк’ыл пойъакалепэраркын.

«Призыв для зверя во время охоты»
– Различного зверя призываю,
К различным видам Начала Творения.
Маленького чирка-свистуна использую,
Он, однако, прячется,
Везде прячется, не видно его.
Предка утки (чирка-свистуна) призываю проводником.
Одинокого оленя пустил по воде.
Гык! Ну что же, подготовимся!
Предок подаст голос: Это превосходно!
И вот начинает петь:
– «Так, ровно так. Кто ты?»
Вчерашний промежуток использую,
Сегодняшний промежуток показываю на поверхность.
Сажей мажу лицо себе.
Любому народу,
Любому зверю становлюсь невидимым.
И лицо мое подобием черной маски стало …

“Summons for a beast during the hunt”:
I call upon a different beast,
To the various forms of the Principle of Creation.
I use the little whistler-teal,
He, however, is hiding,
Hiding everywhere, he is unseen.
I summon the ancestor of the duck (the whistler-teal) as a guide.
He let a lone deer into the water.
Gyk! Well now, let’s get ready!
The ancestor will lend his voice: This is excellent!
And there he begins to sing:
—“Like that, more or less like that. Who are you?”
I use the space of yesterday,
I show today’s space to the surface.
I smear my face with soot.
To any people,
To any beast I become invisible.
And my face became like a black mask …

Incantation N°2, Bogoras 1910–1913, 127

Chukchi hunters also used incantatory singing while whaling. Harpooned whales were forced by hunters, with the help of incantatory singing, to swim in the desired direction, as a rule toward the coast. To do this, a harpoon line was fixed to the side of the whale with a harpoon. The tip of the rotary harpoon is pierced in such a way as not to inflict a mortal wound on the sea mammal. Having taut harpoon lines trailing from one or two of its flanks, the creature was thus “harnessed like a deer”. A certain number of пыг-пыг (pyg-pyg) or floats were attached to these lines, followed by the ы’твъэт (y’tv’’et in Chukchi) or baidara (canoe in Russian), which the whale would then “lead” to the shore. According to informants, the whale swam under the influence of magic. From the location where it was harpooned (often quite a distance from the settlement or camp), the whale would drag the canoe to its destination, as if in tow. As S. Etinkau remarks, some whales did this perfectly: к’утырык нытэн’ныпкирэтк’инэт—“some (of the whales) brought them (the boats) right to the (village), with perfect accuracy.” It was only once the whale had pulled the hunters as far as they needed that it would be stabbed with a spear, aiming a direct hit to the heart.[8]

The following incantation has a healing property, its lyrics involving an appeal made to the constellation Чыгэйвээм (Sygeiveem, the Milky Way):

ЫнкъамГырголягты, Чыгайваамэты лыгэн э’йн’эвэ, гивэ ынн’от:
– Чыгэйвээм, к’ыетги, выёльо мылгыгыт.
К’оныры-ым, Эн’энэн’эн гъэйн’эвэ чама.
Илиил-ым, како!
Нэнанонмавк’эн ваамычгын.
О’равэтльан-ым пыльыльынво нынъэлк’ин.
Имыръэнут нэнамалек’эн.
Тылвуйн’энынъэлк’ин.
Нак’ам уйн’э…

И прямо вверх, к Млечному Пути вот призываю, говорю так:
– Млечный Путь, приди, помощником возьму тебя.
К тому же Восточный ветер призываю.
Ну и дождь!
Углубляет (он) большую реку.
И человек течением становится.
Всё, что есть (он) смывает.
Совершенно уходит (болезнь).
И нет (её)…

And straight up, to the Milky Way, I summon, I say this:
—Milky Way, come, I’ll take you on as helper.
In addition, I call upon the East Wind.
Well, and the rain too!
Deepens (he) a large river.
And the human becomes the current.
Everything that is (he) washes away.
Completely disappears (the disease).
And (it) is not there …

Incantation N°7, Bogoras, 1910–1913, 132–133

According to the informants, a specially prepared ceremonial hat is put on before uttering incantation texts.[9]