Genealogical legends about Tyuluyen-oyuun of the Bordons Yakuts of the Nyurbinsky district as a historical and ethnographic source

Vinokurov Aleksandr Danilovich ORCID: 0000-0001-8925-8750 Junior research fellow at IHRISN SB RAS 677000, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk, Petrovsky str., 1, office 410 ad.vinokurov@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

In pre-revolutionary Yakutia, knowledge of ancestry was of a practical nature and was associated not only with historical memory, but also with the class system of land use. The pastoral culture of the Yakut ancestors underwent significant changes under the influence of extreme climatic conditions and acquired a semi-sedentary character with inter-seasonal migrations between winter forests (alaasy with mowing) and summer forests (alaasy with pastures). As shown by the archival files related to the periodic distribution of land, disputes regularly arose in the villages, which were resolved legally with the involvement of genealogical information, audit, land and deed documents of the applicant. In fact, the traditional land use system existed until the beginning of collectivization in 1930.

Historical traditions about the life of the Yakuts before becoming part of the Russian state are oral in nature, which is the reason for the lack of knowledge of the early periods of the history of the Yakut people due to the lack of their own written language. The fixation of oral information began in the pre-revolutionary period and was reflected in the works of E.I. Ides, F.I. Stralenberg, J.I. Lindenau, G.F. Miller, I.A. Khudyakov, V.L. Seroshevsky and others. In Soviet times, the work on collecting Yakut folklore acquired a systematic character and is associated with the names of G.V. Ksenofontov, S.I. Bolo, A.A. Savvin, I.V. Popov, G.U. Ergis, M.S. Ivanov-Bagdaryyn Sulbya and others.

In the framework of this study, we have worked with folklore materials about the ancestors of the Bordonians from the collection "Nyirbakaan Udyordara" collected by N.T. Stepanov, a native of the Suntarsky district of the Yakut ASSR, a folklorist enthusiast ^[8]. I.A. Alekseev (Siulsky nasleg), I.S. Popov (Nyurbachansky nasleg), E.S. Malyrov (Megezheksky nasleg) and D.S. Sergeev (Megezheksky nasleg) became informants about the ancestors of the Bordonians. The value of the materials collected and included in the collection is primarily due to N.T. Stepanov's deep knowledge of the tribal structure, personalities and places of settlement of the Vilyui Yakuts. In total, 27 historical legends about the Bordonians containing genealogical plots have been studied and interpreted in detail from the above-mentioned collection.

The reliability of genealogical information, the sequence of generations, places of residence, and ancestral composition were checked against published collections of documents, as well as unpublished documents such as revision tales and separate statements. The collection of documents "The History of the Vilyui Yakuts (XVII-XVIII centuries): Issue 1. The Bordon Yakuts", compiled by N.S. Stepanova, Deputy Director of the National Archives of the RS (Ya), deserves special attention ^[9].

The territorial scope of this study is limited to the territory of the Nyurbinsky (Markhinsky) ulus. In the table (see table.1) the administrative-territorial structure, succession and ancestral composition of the Bordon villages are presented ^[6].

Table 1.

Having studied the ancestral composition of the Nyurbinsky Bordonians, it can be seen from the table above that the names of the genera at the time of the All-Russian Agricultural and Land Census of 1917 were formed from eponyms (the names of the founders of the genus). This fact indicates the fact of the fragmentation of large genera into small ones during the XVIII-XIX centuries. A striking example is the disintegration of the Megezhek family of the Megezhek nasleg into five genera named after their ancestors, including Christian ones.

According to historical legends ^[1] and archival documents, the Bordonians previously lived on the territory of central Yakutia along the Sinaya River (see Fig.1) and were a related tribe to the Kangalassians.

Figure 1. Map of the settlement of Yakut tribes and clans in the 17th century

Historical traditions interpret information about the life of the Tyuluyen shaman before his resettlement to the territory of the Nyurbinsky ulus in different ways. According to one version, he was the son-in-law of the Kangalas toyon Tygyn Darkhan: "...Dygyn khas daany kututteh ebit. Olorton Burgumar Bootur uonna Tuluon oyuun dien kututtere ere billeller." (translated from English: Tygyn had several sons-in-law. Of these, the names of only Burgumar Bootur and shaman Tuluen are known) ^{[8, p.144]}. Unfortunately, no archival source has yet been found among the early archival sources to confirm this version, and therefore it is not possible to confirm or deny this fact.

The second version says that Toluen-shaman of Central Yakutia withdrew into the territory of the Vilyui river before the arrival of the Russians: "Ol sauna, Baara, Atin Yes AA austryn Bayraktar kytary bodyspace, baatin almotriptan, Bordonaro, bistan, Tea tee Ten oyuun Kyara (Ochoa Blo of iti kurduk of attainer EBIT) krabice .. Kini, ol kalan, Nyurba kytytygar, bilini Sule siriger, olohsuibut. Kinitten Suor Bas Bolloy uonna Khantar Bygyi dien ikki wol toroobute biller." (translated from English: In those ancient times, the shaman Tyuluyen separated from his relatives of the Bordonians and headed towards Kiyaar, in the old days the Vilyui lands were called that. Having settled by Lake Nyurba on the territory of the modern Sulsky nasleg. It is known that Suor Bas Bolloy and Khantagar Bygyi were born from him.) ^{[8, p.105]}.

Further in the legends, the storyline of historical legends tells about the further development and settlement of Tyulyen's sons and grandsons on the territory of the Nyurbinsky ulus and the origin of the Bordon families. There is information about the genera descended from the sons of shaman Tuluen: "Suor Bas Bolloyton - Oustar, Nakaastar, Meerikeennertoroobutter. Khantar Bygytan - Katit OyoҕOs Katiray wonna Sielleh Ohulgü toroobutter" (translated from English: From Suor Bas Bolloy descended the clans Ogus, Nakas and Myarikyan. Khantagar Bygyi gave birth to Katis Oyogos Katiray and Sellyakh Yesyulgu" ^{[8, p.144]}.

The legend of the ancestor of the Sula nasleg, Sula Bagdaryn, intertwines stories about the presence of close ties with the Kangalas Kachikats, the sacred rite of the petition of children's souls: "Sielleh Ohulguleh kardya baryakhtarygar dily oolommokko olorbuttar. Arai biirde kinilerge Dyokuskaytan Khachykat oyuun kalen hommut… Iti kurduk Khachikat oyuun Sielleh Ohulgulehhe ayyyhyt tardan bierbite diiller… Kardyk, Khachykat oyuun eppitin kurduk, ikki wol oo toroobut onu Chokuk uonna Sule Bagdaryyn dien aattaabyttar." (translated from English: Sielleh Osyulgu and his wife could not have children for a long time. One day, the shaman Khachikat arrived from Yakutsk.… He conducted a rite of descent of children's souls from the goddess Ayysyt.… Indeed, after a while, they had two sons named Chokuk and Syulya Bagdarin.) ^{[8, 105]}.

The above folklore information is confirmed in the documents of the dacha collection, investigation and petitioners. In the book of the yasachny and tithe collection for the 1639s-1640s. The Lena prison, compiled by boyarsky's son Parfen Khodyrev, mentions the payment of yasak by the Yakuts of the Bordon volost Bygey, Osyurguy Tyuleneyev and Keterey Bygeyev. At the time of collecting the yasak, they lived on the territory of Central Yakutia, along the Sinaya River ^{[3, p.115]}.

In the petition of the industrial man Trifonka Fedorov, filed in 1648 about the murder of industrial people and their robbery by the Bordon and Malyagarsky Yakuts in 1640, there is information about the place of settlement: "... of the Bordon and Malyagarsky volosts on your sovereign yasach Yakuts who live above the Blue River..." ^{[9, P.108]}. This fact is indeed confirmed by a number of other documents of that time.

Of course, it is interesting that in 1650, the person of Ketyrey Mogeev (Bygeev) was referred by military personnel to the yasachny of the Malyagarsky volost in the Decree of the Siberian Order in the case of the resistance of the Malzhegar Yakuts to military people ^{[9, P.117]}. Perhaps this mention of Ketyrey Bygeev as a Malzhegarian should be treated cautiously, but at the same time, there was a Malzhegarian family (Tohuukai) in the 1st Bordonian nasleg, which indicates the antiquity of the relationship between the Bordonians and the Malzhegarians. Malzhegarsky nasleg of the Markhinsky (Nyurbinsky) ulus was part of the 1st Bordon nasleg of the Markhinsky (Nyurbinsky) ulus until 1894 ^{[4, L.1-4]}. Because of this, the formation of the exact tribal affiliation of the Tyuluyen shaman requires a separate study.

The yasach salary book for the 1648s-1649s mentions Bygiy Tyulenev, his sons Ketyrey, Devuko, Ondek. Along with them, there is information about Osyurgu Tyulenev, and his sons Chakur and Sula. At the end of the document, a list of "detective" Bordonians is given, including the names Tyusyuk Tyulenev and Omurta Tyulenev, but according to N.S. Stepanova, Tyusyuk and Omurta Tyulenev may be Tyulyakh Tyusyurgin's sons ^{[9, P.6]}.

In 1704, personal lists of Yakuts and Tunguses of the Verkhnevilyuysky winter quarters were compiled in the yasak collection book of the son of boyar Sarzin Krupetsky. This list includes the villages of the Bordon municipality of Ketyrei, Ochey, Deivuk and Tegokta Bygeevy. Additionally, the names of their sons and nephews are given. Let us take a closer look at the ancestors of the Zharin family: "Ketyrey Mygiev, yes, his son Kulut, yes, his grandson Kapchiga, yes Kusegey shaman, yes Khachyugyr Yasancha, yes Tebirey..." ^{[9, P.240]}. Based on other archival sources and folklore materials, the shaman Zharin (Dyaryn) is mentioned under the name Kulut.

The Yakut historical legends contain a lot of information about the tradition of exchanging brides and family relations with the Tungus (the ancestors of the Evenks). In the Bordon cycle, the following story about the ancestors of the Khatyryk family of the 2nd Bordon period has been preserved: "Oh Baty uola Orgodoy. Bert bylir, sakhalar bu Buluuge kaliekhterin innine, Nyurba tula Nyirbachaan wonna Soloon toustara kele-bara olokhsuya sildybyttara uhu... Otton bihigi tutterbit bylir urukku ArҕAa-HaҥAlas uluuhun siriger, Tiit Ary dien Oluone orus ulakhan arytygar olohsuyan olorbuttar… Orgodoy, manna kalen, arҕaa Soloҕun toҥustaryn kyyhyn oyoh ylbyt." (translated from English: Ergejey son of Yeseh Batu. In the old days, before the arrival of the Yakuts to Vilyu, Tunguses of the Nyurbachan and Shologon clans lived near Lake Nyurba... Our ancestors lived on the island of Tiit-Ary before resettlement. Unfortunately, we don't know their names. Ergedzhey came here and married Tunguska from a western Shologonian family) ^{[8, p.132]}. This legend is indirectly confirmed by the materials of the revision fairy tales of 1782 and 1795, where there is information about the presence of interethnic marriages and the exchange of brides of Yakuts of the Bordon naslegs with Vilyui Tunguses.

The following plot is devoted to the establishment of state-legal relations. The legends contain the names of the princes and their descendants, as an example, let's give one of the stories: "Hatylah manna tahsylarygar Daaryn kinees ulakhan wola Bytyktaah Laachymaan dien kihi baar ebit. Otton Dyaryn uola Dyalai Kiileen bilinni Maalikai siriger" (translated from English: When Khatiylyakh came here, Lachiman, the eldest son of Prince Zharin, was here. And Zhalagai Kilyan, Zharin's other son, lived in the Malykai area) ^{[8, p.134]}.

The practice of the "shaman leader" is reflected in the Bordon legends: "Dyaryn wola Dyalai Kiileen aҕata oyuunnuurun iteҕeybete uhu" (translated from English: Zharin's son Zhalagai Kilyan did not believe that his father was a shaman) ^{[8, p.114]}. The famous ethnographer G.V. Ksenofontov concluded on the basis of the collected material: "Thus, the shamans of antiquity were not only prophets who approved the election of military leaders, but also, apparently, were kings, "God's anointed" ^{[2, P. 124]}. Based on the above and the analysis of archival and folklore materials, the tradition of the "shaman leader" among the Bordon Yakuts persisted until the second half of the XVIII century.

As a result of the research, based on published and unpublished archival sources, as well as folklore materials, a family tree (see Fig.2) of the genus "Dyaryn" (Zharin family) was compiled. Due to the availability of a large number of materials, in the framework of this article, it was decided to limit ourselves to only one genus. The names of the persons in the tree are given as in the original text.

Figure 2.

Thus, the Yakut historical traditions have almost completely preserved genealogical information, which is confirmed in the records of the XVII-XVIII centuries. Later, genealogical information acquired a practical character in matters of distribution and fixing the boundaries of land plots in the XVIII-early XX centuries. This marked the beginning of the transformation of oral genealogies into written documents. In addition to the reconciliation of folklore materials and archival documents, the Bordon Yakuts established an interesting practice (custom) of electing shamans as leaders (later princes), according to the genealogy of the Zharin family, such continuity was preserved: Seal shaman – Bygey (there is no data on shamanism) - Ketyrei (there is no data on shamanism) - Zharin shaman is a Kusegey shaman. The study of information from historical legends by checking with archival documents allows the researcher to compile a family tree, trace the history of the development of the nomenclature of the ancestral composition and places of settlement, thereby filling in the "white spots" in the field of the early history of Yakutia.