The Evenks and Evens: Time in the Mythological Cycle of the World’s Creation

Abstract

The article examines specific features of traditional attitudes and evaluation of the ancient era of the world’s creation. The mythological pre-era is referred to by the Evenks as ‘nimngakan bingahin’ (‘time of nimngakan), while the Evens denote it as ‘osidi talang’ (‘time of the ancient narrative’, ‘time of ancient history’). The time periods prior to the beginning of the creation are included in these general concepts, as well as the period of direct creation of deities and the period of improvement of the world.
The time period prior to the beginning of the creation by deities is described in the formulas ‘Dunne acin biche, dunne acin bingkin’ (Evk.) / ‘Erely yak-ta achcha bisin, eidu mo’ (Evn.) ― ‘when there was no earth’; ‘when there was no middle world’. The available texts briefly describe the period prior to the beginning of events as one when there existed deities like Seveki (Evk.) / Havki (Evn.) with their antipodes Khargi (Evk.) / Aringka (Evn.), and they lived in the top world named ‘ugu’ (Evk.) / ‘oin’ (Evn.) over the water ‘mu’ (Evk.) / ‘mo’ (Evn.).
The next stage is reflected in the formula ‘Elekes dunne ovdyarakin’ (Evk.) / ‘Tor elekes baldaddakan’ (Evn.) ― ‘when the earth appeared’ with its subsequent stages of development, when there was growth and blossoming of the earth. Texts of the myth well report about how creators decide to create the earth.
The final stage is the time of blossoming and improvement of the world when the earth’s firmament begins to expand and flourish which is determined by the formula ‘Doolin Dunne (buga) oskechan’ (Evk.) ― ‘when the middle earth revived, appeared/evolved and blossomed finally’ / ‘Titel osidu mut torengnet yak-ta hognari achcha bisin’ (Evn.) ― ‘in olden times nothing was alive in our land’. After the emergence of the earth’s firmament its landscape takes shape, there appear various animals, birds, insects, and the first people. Then mountains and rivers are created. The Creator begins to create vegetation, trees and herbs. To this period the motive is ‘to improve or complete the world’, for example, birds and animals obtain real appearances and qualities. This group of texts begins with a description of the motive-situation ― what was the original of a certain ‘earthly creature’ as created by the Creator. The myths end with the formula ‘Ever since NN became different (gained different, improved appearances)’. A mythological era comes to its end with the improvement of the external and qualitative characteristics of inhabitants of the earth. At the final stage of the mythological era of the creation cycle separate norms of social life in the world of humans and animals are established.
The mythological creation cycle of the Evenks and Evens comes to an end with the formation of a three-part model of the world: the top world is Seveki’s and Havki’s possessions, the middle world gets inhabited by people and other living beings, the antipodes of the Creator ― Khargi and Aringka ― occupy the lower world.
The Evenks and Evens once had common national ideas and beliefs concerning the time of the mythological pre-era, as well as names of periods related to the stages of the earth’s creation.