Yugra
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2020) |
Yugra or Iuhra (
In a current context, the word "Yugra" generally refers to a political constituent of the Russia Federation formally known as
In beginning of the 16th century, the similarity between Yugria (latinized form of the name) and ugry, an
From 16th century onwards, Yugra was often assumed to be the Hungarians' ancestral home. Contemporary Uralic linguistics locates the
History
The 12th century missionary and traveller Abu Hamid al-Gharnati gives one of the earliest accounts of the region, which he calls Yura in Arabic:
But beyond
Wisu by the Sea of Darknessthere lies a land known by the name of Yura. In summers the days are very long there, so that the Sun does not set for forty days, as the merchants say; but in winters the nights are equally long. The merchants report that Darkness is not far (from them), and that the people of Yura go there and enter it with torches, and find a huge tree there which is like a big village. But on top of the tree there sits a large creature, they say it is a bird. And they bring merchandise along, and each merchant sets down his goods apart from those of the others; and he makes a mark on them and leaves, but when he comes back, he finds commodities there, necessary for his own country ... (Al Garnati:32)
The
In connection with
Of the "Copper Goose" Novitski wrote the following:
The goose idol very much worshipped by them is cast of copper in the shape of a goose, its atrocious abode is in the Belogorye village on the great river of Ob. According to their superstition they worship the god of waterfowls – swans, geese and other birds swimming on water ... His throne in the temple is made of different kinds of broadcloth, canvas and hide, built like a nest; in it sits the monster who is always highly revered, most of all at the times of catching waterfowls in nests ... This idol is so notorious that people come from distant villages to perform atrocious sacrifice to it – offering cattle, mainly horses; and they are certain that it (the idol) is the bearer of many goods, mainly ensuring the richness of waterfowls ...
Comparisons of different Yugran traditions indicate that the goose was one of the shapes or appearances of the most popular god of the "World Surveyor Man", and that Belogorye is still sometimes referred to as his home. Novitsky also describes a site for worshipping this "World Surveyor" or "Ob Master":
The home of the Ob Master was presumably near the stronghold Samarovo in the mouth of the river Irtysh. According to their heathen belief he was the god of the fish, depicted in a most impudent manner: a board of wood, nose like a tin tube, eyes of glass, little horns on top of the head, covered with rags, attired in a (gilt breasted) purple robe. Arms – bows, arrows, spears, armour, etc – were laid beside him. According to their heathen belief they say about the collected arms that he often has to fight in the water and conquer other vassals. The frenzy ones thought that the atrocious monster is especially horrifying in the darkness and in the large waters, that he comes through all the depths where he watches over all fish and aquatic animals and gives everyone as much as he pleases.
— Novitsky: 59.
Modern history
The Christianization of the Mansi en masse started at the beginning of the 18th century. Grigory Novitsky describes the Christianization of the Pelym Mansi in 1714 and the Konda Mansi in 1715. The words of the village elder and the caretaker of the sanctuary Nahratch Yeplayev have been recorded:
We all know why you have come here – you want to pervert us from our ancient beliefs with your smooth-tongued flattery and damage and destroy our revered helper, but it is all in vain for you may take our heads but this we will not let you do.
— Novitsky: 92–93
Novitsky describes the above-mentioned idol as follows:
The idol was carved of wood, attired in green clothes, the evil looking face was covered with white iron, a black fox skin was placed on its head; the whole sanctuary, especially his site which was higher than anywhere else, was decorated with purple broadcloth. Other smaller idols nearby which were placed lower were called the servants of the real idol. I think there were many other things in front of him – caftans, squirrel skins, etc.
— Novitsky: 93
It seems that a compromise was reached whereby the idols would be saved – for now at least – and at last Nahratsh who had consulted the elders of the village proposed a compromise:
We will now obey the ruler's regulations and ukase. So we will not discard your teaching, we only beg you not to reject the idol so revered by our fathers and grandfathers, and if you wish to christen us, honour also our idol, christen it in a more honourable manner – with a golden cross. Then we will decorate and build a church with all the icons ourselves, as a custom goes, and we will place ours also among these.
— Novitsky: 94–95
This arrangement seems to have lasted for a while, but later it is recorded that this agreement was broken and the totems and idols so sacred to the Mansi and Khanty were burned by Russian Christian zealots.[citation needed] Many of these totems were not destroyed, but hidden, their locations kept secret over the generations. Even during repression of the 1930s many of these sacred sites remained undiscovered by the authorities and some can be found today.[citation needed]
Yugrian Principalities and relations with the Tatars and Russians
There are three or four known proto-states of the Yugran inhabitants, both
. The stronghold of the Pelym princes was also a significant religious centre; a sacred Siberian larch grew in its surroundings and even in the 18th century people used to hang the skins of sacrificed horses on its branches. Near the sacred tree was a worship storehouse with five idols of human figure, and smaller storehouses with high pillars and human-faced peaks around it for storing sacrificial instruments. The bones of sacrificial animals were stored in a separate building (Novitski: 81).The Principality of Konda (mainly Mansi) formed a large semi autonomous part of the Pelym principality, according to the tax registers from 1628/29 it was inhabited by 257 tax-paying Mansi. The treasures of Prince Agai of Konda who was imprisoned by the Russians in 1594 gives us a good picture of the wealth of the Yugran nobles of this period. Namely, the Russians confiscated two silver crowns, a silver spoon, a silver beaker, a silver spiral bracelet, "precious drapery" and numerous pelts and precious furs (Bahrushin 1955,2:146). The third part of the Pelym principality was the region of Tabary, in which inhabited 102 adults in 1628/29. Preceding the coming of the Russians the Mansi of this region were farmers and according to the tradition Yermak collected tribute in the form of grain (Bahrushin 1955, 2:147).
It is believed the Yugran people or
And from
Wisu; marvellous beaver skins come from there, and they take there wedge-shaped unpolished swords made in Azerbaijan in their turn… But the inhabitants of Visu take these swords to the land that lies near the Darkness [Yugra] by the Black Sea [now known as the White Sea], and they trade the swords for sable skins. And these people take the swords and cast them into the Black Sea; but Allah the Almighty sends them a fish which size is like a mountain [a whale]; and they sail out to the fish in their ships and carve its flesh for months on end.— Bahrushin 1955,2: 58–59 [verification needed]
According to some sources, Novgorod launched military campaigns against the Yugrans "living with the
From the 13th to 15th centuries, Yugra was supposed to pay tribute to Novgorod. But taxes could be collected only by means of armed forces. The chronicles describe several campaigns, mentioning the strong resistance of Yugran princes who took shelter in their strongholds. After the annexation of
In the 15th century, the most important Russian stronghold in Permland and the starting point for all expeditions going to the East was the diocese established on the
In 1499, Moscow dispatched a great force against "Yugra" (Pelym; led by Prince Semyon Kurbski), Konda or Koda (led by Prince Pyotr Ushatyi), and the "Gogulichi", the free Voguls or Mansi). The 4000 strong army, using dog and reindeer teams, reached the
In response the Khanty and Mansi of
In 1592, another Russian campaign against the Mansi of Pelym was launched. It ended in 1593 when the stronghold of Prince
The close connections between the Yugrans and the Turkic Tartars are also demonstrated by the fact that even in the 1660s, the idea of restoring the Kuchum Khanate was still popular with the Khanty of
In the 18th century, the successors of the Principality of Pelym and Principality of Konda – princes Vassili and Fyodor – lived in Pelym. They became Russianized and performed various duties for the Tsarist government. The Mansi, however, considered them still as their rulers. The fact that the ancient family of princes ruled on in Konda is also proved by a tsar letter from 1624:
He, prince Vassili and prince Fyodor have close brothers in Big Konda – our tax-paying murzas, and our simple Voguls are ruled by them in Big Konda, the brothers of prince Vasily, the murzas." (Bahrushin 1955,2: 148
Prince Vassili and Prince Fyodor have close brothers in Big Konda – our tax-paying murzas, and our simple Voguls are ruled by them in Big Konda, the brothers of PrincePrince Kyntsha of Konda received a deed of gift from the Tsar in 1680 which confirmed his noble position. Even in the 18th century the Konda princes were known for their relative independence. It is assumed that, as late as 1715, Prince Satyga of Konda and his 600 armed men made an attempt to impede the
Hungarian Urheimat
Yugra and its vicinity to the south are considered to be the place of origin of the
The
See also
References
- ISSN 0001-5946.
- ISBN 978-963-05-2851-1.
- ISBN 978-963-9116-48-1.
- ISBN 978-0-19-876766-4.
- ^ Sudár (2015). Magyarok a honfoglalás korában. p. 152.
- ^ Sudár (2015). Magyarok a honfoglalás korában. p. 153.
Sources
- Bakhrushin 1955, 1 = Bakhrushin S. B. Puti v Sibir v XVI-XVII vv. Nautshnyje trudy III. Izbrannyje raboty po istorii Sibiri XVI-XVII vv. Tshast pervaja. Voprosy russkoi kolonizatsii Sibiri v XVI-XVII vv. Moscow 1955, ss. 72–136.
- Bakhrushin 1955, 2 = Bakhrushin S. B. Ostjatskyje i vogulskije knjazhestva v XVI i XVII vv. Nautshnyje trudy III. Izbrannyje raboty po istorii Sibiri XVI-XVII vv. Tshast vtoraja. Istorija narodov Sibiri v XVI-XVII vv. Moscow 1955, ss. 86–152.
- Al Garnati = Puteshestvije Abu Hamida al-Garnati v Vostotshnuju I Tsentralnuju Jevropu. Moscow 1971.
- Pieksämäki, The Great Bear = The Great Bear. A Thematic Anthology of Oral Poetry in the Finno-Ugrian Languages. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran Toimituksia 533. 1993.
- Karjalainen 1918 = Karjalainen, K. F. Jugralaisten usonto. Suomen suvun uskonnot III. Porvoo.
- Karjalainen 1922 = Karjalainen, K. F. Die Religion der Jugra-Vöaut;lker II. FF Communications 44. Porvoo.
- Novitsky = Novitskij G. Kratkoe opisanie o narode ostjackom. Studia uralo-altaica III. Szeged 1973.
- Shestalov 1987 = Shestalov J. Taina Sorni-nai. Moscow.
- Shestalova-Fidorovitsh 1992 = Svjashtshennyi skaz o sotvorenii zemli. Mansiiskie mify. Perevod O. Shestalovoi-Fidorovitsh. Saint Petersburg, Khanty-Mansiysk.
- Sokolova 1983 = Sokolova Z. P. Sotsialnaja organizatsija khantov i mansi v XVIII-XIX vv. Problemy fratrii i roda. Moscow.
- Aado Lintrop, The Mansi, History and Present Day (1977)
- Endangered Uralic Peoples, RAIPON (Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North) – sourced at hunmagyar.org
- Sudár, Balázs (2015). Magyarok a honfoglalás korában (in Hungarian). Helikon. ISBN 978-963-227-592-5.