The gluttons of eastern Siberia. Spirits, poachers, and cannibals in Evenki perceptions

In this article, I intend to show how the sociocultural changes that occurred during the Soviet period as well as current challenges are creatively reflected and incorporated into Evenki cosmology. Various malevolent beings to whom gluttony and, in some cases, anthropophagi have existed in Evenki co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Études mongoles et sibériennes, centrasiatiques et tibétaines
Main Author: Brandišauskas, Donatas
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:http://vu.lvb.lt/VU:ELABAPDB33775794&prefLang=en_US
Description
Summary:In this article, I intend to show how the sociocultural changes that occurred during the Soviet period as well as current challenges are creatively reflected and incorporated into Evenki cosmology. Various malevolent beings to whom gluttony and, in some cases, anthropophagi have existed in Evenki cosmology for centuries. Today, these beings are continuously encountered in daily life and depicted in contemporary Evenki narrations. While references to the cannibalistic features of indigenous peoples were widely employed by colonial powers, today the Evenki link the influence of malevolent beings with past and current state policies, tragic events, ruptures of ethical norms, the exploitation of resources, and personal misbehaviour. These narrations enable the Evenki to promote awareness of potential dangers and teach other people appropriate moral behaviour and judgements.