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Keingeirsya - enigmatic allegorical songs in Nganasan folklore
25 June 2024, by INEL-Webredaktion
Photo: C D-X via unsplash.com
After introducing you to Nganasan tales about shamans last week, this week's focus is on Keingeirsya.
Keingeirsya are poetic miniatures with allegorical content. Keingeirsya can be translated as "singing competition", "competition in singing" or "singing together", "singing to each other". According to Boris Dolgikh and Lev Feinberg, "... young men and women explain and joke with each other in the Keingeirsya language and compete in witty joke songs. Sometimes old people tell in this form how they used to visit each other, how they used to go fishing, and so on. They call each other by various allegorical names and nicknames. It even happens that the old people sing in the Keingeirsya language about love, how they used to take care of the girls and so on. The younger generation understands the words, but not always their hidden meaning" (Долгих, Файнберг 1960: 55).
According to Eugen Helimski (Хелимский 1995: 274), the proximity of the genre to riddles is particularly evident in allegorical miniatturas, as can be seen here in some examples:
| Source | Original Text | Translation | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Хелимский 1995: 274 |  |
The famous ski track Along its core The foam began to float. |
The river has opened up; in winter it is most convenient to ski on the snow and ice covering of the rivers. |
| Хелимский 1995: 274 |  |
By a wolf star Bitten Torn from their tether reindeer, The reindeer went limp. |
Pregnant unmarried girls; "wolf star" - their nocturnal visitors, limping - change of gait. |
| Хелимский 1995: 278 |  |
What is fiddling there, What bug is fiddling, crossing the lydas (tundra plains)? |
The author speaks disparagingly about his rival. His rival is barely able to comprehend the allegorically expressed deep thoughts ("cross lydas"). |
| Хелимский 1995: 280 |  |
A hammer of wrought iron Though it crackles, Still is sharpening my bone-handled knife. |
The hammer refers to the appearance of the rival, the knife to the much more subtle and graceful allegories of the author himself. |
Our Nganasan corpus contains the sound recordings of two Keingeirsya, which we present to you below together with the interpretation:
Keingeirsya 1, Monologue of a young man
| Original Text | Translation | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
|
Takəə ŋəðüŋürüɁ. AnikaɁa tari Sʼitirəkɨmənɨ DʼabubtuɁkiɁiðə. |
Look, the big river split into two branches. | A young man's life was divided, his love was not reciprocated by his girlfriend. |
|
Ŋami͡aj dʼabu tari Toltə dʼijku tari. |
One branch of the river is a turn towards the setting sun. | Bad side, the man feels bad because he is not loved. |
|
Ŋami͡aj dʼabu tari Dʼalɨ dʼijku tari. |
The other branch of the river is a turn towards the rising sun. | It's a good way, the girl feels good, she must love someone. |
|
Toltə dʼijku tari MorurəgaɁ nʼini Sɨra sulku nʼasuɁ. KintəranʼdʼəɁ ləmbəɁ SʼimbitilʼiɁiðə. |
A branch towards the setting sun, reindeer bulls with white withers stand on its banks. The raised flanks [of the bull] are faded and barely visible. | The boy compares himself to this reindeer, so he has fallen in spirit. |
|
Dʼalɨ dʼijku tari MərurəgaɁ nʼini KəhɨɁ saruədʼəəɁ NʼomuɁ saruədʼəəɁ SaruəɁ dʼentiririɁ. |
The branch which is towards the sun, on its banks as if there were grouse trails, hare trails; the trails stretch. | |
|
Kudʼümə kəitə Təsʼiə təsʼiəhəðə SəmaɁtuðaŋkumə Kərɨtəbininə? Mənə minʼsʼiəhənə Toltə dʼabu tari Nʼasənandukəndum. Tə-tə təsʼiəhəðə DʼijkuləndəɁkiɁəm. |
In what direction shall I now direct my Enets reindeer? I myself am thinking to choose the branch in the direction of the setting sun. Now I will turn round. | The man will turn round and walk away, that is, he forgets the girl. |
Keingeirsya 2, Dialogue between two friends
| Role | Original Text | Translation | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| The first girl friend sings: |
HeŋguɁəj heŋguɁəj Tənərə tənɨjŋu Kanərə tənɨjŋu Kəntərə tənɨjŋu? MaruɁsʼatəðəmə Mənə nandukəndum Huurnʼandɨkəndɨm. |
My dear friend, how many sledges do you have? I would like to find a friend, a mate. | |
| The second friend answers singing: |
Ŋami͡ajlʼə mununtu: SʼüamaɁaj heŋguɁəj Mənəmə tənɨjtʼü Nagürmə tənɨjtʼü Kəntəmə tənɨjtʼü. |
My dear friend, I have three sledges. | Sledges = brothers |
|
Nʼerəðɨtɨ kəntə Sɨraŋkuj tʼeriti Ŋülʼaðəj tʼeriti. |
The first sledge is filled with white wolf skins. | The eldest brother is already getting on in years. | |
|
Sʼiðimti͡aɁku kəntə Beləduskəj tundɨj Tundɨj tʼerititʼi. |
The second sledge is filled with white-necked fox skins. | The second brother is a grown-up chap. | |
|
NagəmtaɁku kəntə Sʼeŋki͡aŋkuj tʼeriti Satərəj tʼeriti. |
The third sledge is filled with skins of blue foxes. | The younger brother is still young. | |
|
Beləduskə tundɨ MaruɁsʼaðətətə Tohəðunantundum. |
I want to make you a friend of the white-necked fox. | ||
| The first friend sings: |
Ŋami͡ajlʼə mununtu: HeŋguɁəj, heŋguɁəj Takəə ŋəðüŋürə? DʼigüɁtaɁku turku Heŋkuðəj hoŋhi͡aðɨ. HeŋkuðiɁ barusʼi NamtəraɁa mənə namtəraɁa. |
My dear friend, see that over there? The lake has ravines with high banks. The devil of the ravines kidnapped me. | She is already engaged to a man she doesn't know. |
|
NʼenɨŋkiɁ, nʼenɨŋkiɁ ŋojbuənə nʼiməənɨ kürütündətundə. |
Mosquitoes, mosquitoes over my head, though they swirl. | Although I have many other admirers. |
Sources:
Долгих Б.О., Файнберг Л.А. Таймырские нганасаны // Современное хозяйство, культура и быт малых народов Севера. М. 1960. С. 9–62.
Хелимский, Е.А. 1995. Загадки-иносказания в нганасанском фольклоре - In: Малые формы фольклора: Сборник статей памяти Г. Л. Пермякова. Москва, 1995, 270-282.
