Even

A ghost story

Dora Mikhailovna Neustroyeva tells a story about an abaγa (a devil).

The alder tree girl

In this folktale, a fairy nurses an alder tree into a girl in order for her to look after her baby daughter.

The bear hunt

A story about the speaker and her husband’s encounter with a bear on the river Dzali.

The bird cherry song

A children’s ditty traditionally sang while softening bird cherry fruits.

Bird cherry tree shavings in Udihe culture

An account of how to make cherry tree shavings and their range of uses in the Udihe community.

Birds in love

A tale of two birds – a nutcracker and a jay – falling in love with a beautiful woman.

An Even farce

A comedic theatrical performance about folk songs and dances from the past.

The fairy and the ten bald spirits

A folktale about a fairy whose magical tricks and malice save her from being eaten by ten bald evil spirits.

Fire and the evil man (TY0003)

A folktale about an evil man deprived of fire as a punishment.

Fire lighting rituals (TY0004)

A monologue describing old Tundra Yukaghir fire lighting rituals.

The flower wife

A tale about a man’s quest to find his lost wife after she is reincarnated in a flower.

The fox wife

A story about a man whose beautiful new bride turns out to be a fox.

The fox with ten tails

Illustration by Gennadii Pavlishin from a collection of Udihe folk tales (V. Kialundziuga, "Dva solntsa" (Khabarovsk, 1974)).

This tale is about a man who fights the fox with ten tails to get the beautiful bride he desires.

Gamuli and Amuli

A folktale about two girls travelling around looking for husbands.

Ginseng hunting

A personal story telling how the Udihe used to hunt for ginseng roots.

Glove and love

A traditional tale about love amongst three young people.

Healing

Dora Mikhailovna Neustroyeva tells a mixed story, partly about healing.

How I tamed a roe cub

A true story about a couple raising an abandoned roe cub.

How Udihe elders used rotten ash tree

An account by an Udihe woman explaining how her community used pieces of rotten ash tree for newborns.

A hunting trip

A true narrative about an Udihe woman going on a hunting trip on the river with her husband and her son.

The iron bird and the silver bird

A folktale about a hero. Helped by the silver bird, takes revenge on the evil iron bird who killed his family.

Life story (TY0005)

Svetlana Atlasova talks about her childhood and memories of living as nomads.

A lighthearted exchange

A lighthearted conversation between two friends.

The moose and the frog

A short fable about a naive bored moose who challenges a clever frog to a race.

My newborn son’s death

An account of the passing of an Udihe woman’s newborn son.

An old woman and her tiger cub

This contemporary Taiga legend tells of an unlikely friendship between an old woman and a tiger cub.

The oriole grandson

A folktale about a woman searching for her grandson, changed into an oriole bird for killing too many birds.

The raven and the crow

A fable about a thieving raven and his victim’s murderous revenge.

Running barefoot in winter

A speaker’s story about an Udihe amusement from her childhood: running around in the cold barefoot.

The sacred reindeer

A traditional folk tale about a man and his God sent sacred white reindeer.

The seven sisters

A folktale about seven sisters living together. When the eldest turn into an evil spirit, the others must flee.

A short conversation

A short conversation between two Tundra Yukaghir speakers about young people.

Sisam Zauli and the hero

A folktale about a hero whose life is saved and protected by a good spirit named Sisam Zauli.

Spirits

An explanation for a number of rituals related to birth and death.

A tame roe cub named Wasya

A true story about a roe cub adopted by a couple and raised in their home as a dog.

The tiger for the Udihe people

An account of the place, role and power of the tiger in Udihe culture.

The bear, the tiger and the man

A folktale about a bear and a tiger who go in search of a two-legged animal, reputed to be the strongest of all.

The tree with children’s souls

A legend about how shamans made barren Udihe women pregnant in the past.

The two wives’ song

A traditional performance of a song about a man and his two wives’ travel on the river Dzali.

The weasel

A tale about a human-eating evil weasel and a brave young girl trying to kill it.

When Yegdige ate an evil spirit

A tale detailing the adventures of a hero who ate an evil spirit and turned evil himself.

Yegdige in a silk gown

A tale narrating the adventures of a man known as the silk gown hero and his new beautiful witch wife.

Zabdala, an extraordinary snake

An epic tale narrating the adventures of a snake and his human family.