Numerical complexes in texts and material culture of the peoples of the Urals and Siberia
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
History, ethnography, archeology
About author:
Center for the study of religions, Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russian Federation, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: there is a steady interest of researchers to the problem of frequency and semantics of the numbers in texts. However, the author is not aware of the works, which considered the reasons of the existence and semantics of the numerical complexes (the NC) in the texts of the peoples of the Urals and Siberia. Objective: identification and analysis of the NC in the texts of the peoples of the Urals and Siberia (Ob-Ugric, Samoyed, Ket, Altai, Yakut) in order to identify their frequency and semantics.
Research materials: folklore, mythological and epic texts of the Ob Ugrians, the Finns (the Kalevala), the Nenets, the Ket, the Altai Turks and the Yakuts.
Results and novelty of the research: we revealed the dominance of the numerical complex in the form of steps «7–6» and «6–7» in mytho-poetics of the Ob Ugrians (the Khanty, the Mansi), and some Turkic people of the Altai. The specified NC «7–6» is rare in the Kalevala and it is not found in the Selkup and Yakut texts. These complexes are matched with the numerical complexes on the basis 6 and 7 in the archaeological artifacts related to the cultures of the early Iron Age of the Urals and Western Siberia. The number 7 correlates with the duration of the «summer road» of the Sun (increase of solar insolation), which covers the time from winter solstice to the Elijah’s Day (beginning of August), which is expressed in the sidereal lunar months (27 days). The duration of the «winter road» of the Sun from the Elijah’s Day to winter solstice is 6 sidereal months. The method of calculating of the duration of the solar annual calendar cycle, using the basic numbers 6 and 7, is offered.
Key words: counting symbolics, numerical complexes, circular calendars, mytho-poetics, the Urals, Siberia, winter and summer «road» of the Sun.
Acknowledgements: the author is grateful to the peer reviewers for their critical comments and useful advices.
For citation: Vrtanesyan G. S. Numerical complexes in texts and material culture of the peoples of the Urals and Siberia // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2018; 8(3): 525–538.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: there is a steady interest of researchers to the problem of frequency and semantics of the numbers in texts. However, the author is not aware of the works, which considered the reasons of the existence and semantics of the numerical complexes (the NC) in the texts of the peoples of the Urals and Siberia. Objective: identification and analysis of the NC in the texts of the peoples of the Urals and Siberia (Ob-Ugric, Samoyed, Ket, Altai, Yakut) in order to identify their frequency and semantics.
Research materials: folklore, mythological and epic texts of the Ob Ugrians, the Finns (the Kalevala), the Nenets, the Ket, the Altai Turks and the Yakuts.
Results and novelty of the research: we revealed the dominance of the numerical complex in the form of steps «7–6» and «6–7» in mytho-poetics of the Ob Ugrians (the Khanty, the Mansi), and some Turkic people of the Altai. The specified NC «7–6» is rare in the Kalevala and it is not found in the Selkup and Yakut texts. These complexes are matched with the numerical complexes on the basis 6 and 7 in the archaeological artifacts related to the cultures of the early Iron Age of the Urals and Western Siberia. The number 7 correlates with the duration of the «summer road» of the Sun (increase of solar insolation), which covers the time from winter solstice to the Elijah’s Day (beginning of August), which is expressed in the sidereal lunar months (27 days). The duration of the «winter road» of the Sun from the Elijah’s Day to winter solstice is 6 sidereal months. The method of calculating of the duration of the solar annual calendar cycle, using the basic numbers 6 and 7, is offered.
Key words: counting symbolics, numerical complexes, circular calendars, mytho-poetics, the Urals, Siberia, winter and summer «road» of the Sun.
Acknowledgements: the author is grateful to the peer reviewers for their critical comments and useful advices.
For citation: Vrtanesyan G. S. Numerical complexes in texts and material culture of the peoples of the Urals and Siberia // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2018; 8(3): 525–538.
