Doctor of historical sciences, professor, Institute of ethnology and anthropology of N.N. Miklukho-Maklay of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia [email protected]
Abstract:The article represents an extract from the fi eld journal of the expedition to the Mansi on the river Lyapin. The river Lyapin is the biggest tributary of the North Sos’va River. Pyotr Sheshkin was one of the informants. He was a famous narrator, artist and folklore collector. The paper contains valuable ethnographic and statistical evidence of half a century ago about production classes of Khanty and Mansi, information about mediaeval settlements, a Mansi cemetery, bear dances, ancient close combat weapons, the types of shamans and musical instruments. Diary entries include 50 Mansi names for ornaments, more than 60 descriptions of colors and their various shades, names of the months of the Mansi calendar.
Keywords: P.E. Sheshkin, shaman, «animal dances», Por, Mos’, Mansi, Komi, ittarma, ornaments,colour names, months of Mansi calendar.