Myths of Baikal. From the Son of Heaven Geser and the Afterlife Chancellery to Mount Sumber and Genghis Khan
19.99 €
In stock
Myths of Baikal. From the Son of Heaven Geser and the Afterlife Chancellery to Mount Sumber and Genghis Khan
19.99 €
The peoples living near Lake Baikal call it not a lake, but a sea. And in all directions from this sea there is a magical and densely populated world: stars and Tengri deities live in the sky, spirits that look like needles, one-eyed and one-legged Chulugdy and other evil spirits live on the earth, and Erlik Khan and his demons settle their disputes in the "underground chancery".
Alexander Isakov's book is a fascinating exposition of the legends, traditions and fairy tales of the Buryats and Evenks, whose unique culture has lived for many centuries at the crossroads of paths - between shamanism, Buddhism and Christianity. You will learn how the earth arose and how shamans acquired their gift, read about the sacred mountain Sumber, which was considered the gateway to another world, and about the amazing exploits of Geser and Genghis Khan himself. And also about how shamans save people from evil spirits and why they travel from time to time to the "abode of darkness", where they feed only on grasshoppers...
Why does the name of Baikal mean "Stop, fire"? Why does a big elk steal the Sun at night? What is the difference between the "western" and "eastern" Tengris - and between the "white" and "black" blacksmiths? Which supreme deity in Buryatia is the analogue of Santa Claus? Why did both legs of the god of the dead rot? How did the bureaucratic apparatus of tsarist Russia influence the Buryat ideas about the structure of the afterlife? Finally, how did Genghis Khan turn from a historical figure into a demiurge and ancestor for the Baikal peoples?
Through shamanic tales, ancient chronicles and ritual songs, this book immerses you in the world of the magical steppe, where every tree and stone is filled with mystery.
Alexander Isakov's book is a fascinating exposition of the legends, traditions and fairy tales of the Buryats and Evenks, whose unique culture has lived for many centuries at the crossroads of paths - between shamanism, Buddhism and Christianity. You will learn how the earth arose and how shamans acquired their gift, read about the sacred mountain Sumber, which was considered the gateway to another world, and about the amazing exploits of Geser and Genghis Khan himself. And also about how shamans save people from evil spirits and why they travel from time to time to the "abode of darkness", where they feed only on grasshoppers...
Why does the name of Baikal mean "Stop, fire"? Why does a big elk steal the Sun at night? What is the difference between the "western" and "eastern" Tengris - and between the "white" and "black" blacksmiths? Which supreme deity in Buryatia is the analogue of Santa Claus? Why did both legs of the god of the dead rot? How did the bureaucratic apparatus of tsarist Russia influence the Buryat ideas about the structure of the afterlife? Finally, how did Genghis Khan turn from a historical figure into a demiurge and ancestor for the Baikal peoples?
Through shamanic tales, ancient chronicles and ritual songs, this book immerses you in the world of the magical steppe, where every tree and stone is filled with mystery.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
- All books in the series Myths from A to Z. Russia