Уходящий аргиш: фольклор нганасанов

This book presents several samples of Nganasan folklore collected by various researchers between 1992 and 2016. The Nganasan language belongs to the Samoyedic group of the Uralic language family. It is currently spoken by about a hundred people living on the Taimyr Peninsula, mainly in the settlements of Ust-Avam, Volochanka, Novaya, and the town of Dudinka. Throughout their history, the Nganasans have always been a small group (about 1,000 people), yet their oral folklore tradition is characterized by remarkable richness and diversity. Unfortunately, as the Nganasan language fades from active everyday use, the folklore tradition is also disappearing. Several tales included in this collection are records, probably, of one of the last generations of storytellers, who themselves heard these tales when the traditional reindeer herding culture of the Nganasans was still alive. Hence the title of the collection, The Leaving Argish (an “argish” is a sledge train with harnessed reindeer that the Nganasans used for traveling). Of course, fifteen texts can only provide a preliminary glimpse into the richness of Nganasan folklore. They are just an invitation to explore its extraordinary world.