The course of the year with the Forest Nenets
In contrast to the concept used in the western world of dividing a year into months depending on astronomical events, the Forest Nenets are guided by their environment and derive the division of time from recurring natural phenomena. Recurring events that divide the Forest Nenets year, such as the arrival of the eagle, occur depending on the climate and not on specific calendar dates — so there are no static dates for the beginning and end of a month.
January is the month of cold weather.
It can get very cold in Siberia, especially around the period known as January, when temperatures are below freezing and seem unimaginably cold for us here in Hamburg.
Siberia has a harsh climate, with the coldest winter period lasting from around mid-December to the end of January. The Taimyr Peninsula is located in the far north, around 1,300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and is therefore part of the polar region. The average maximum temperatures in the months of December to March are around -24 ˚C at most, with the lowest temperatures averaging below -30 ˚C. Extremes of -60 ˚C are not uncommon. The ground is covered in snow for almost two thirds of the year, with temperatures on the Taimyr Peninsula only exceeding 0 ˚C in June, July and August.
In winter, it is not only very cold on the Taimyr Peninsula, but the days are also very short: the polar night, a period in which the sun does not rise above the horizon, begins around the end of November and ends around mid-January. The Forest Nenets use this period for a winter rest: hunting is stopped and preparations are made for the upcoming hunting season.
Source: Kusterer, K. 1987: Die Jagd im Leben der Völker Westsibiriens (Europäische Hochschulschriften, 19; Abt. B, Ethnologie, 14)
February is the month of the first arrival of the eagle: as it is still cold, the eagle flies away.
As explained in the article for January, it is very cold on the Taimyr Peninsula in winter. So, it's no wonder eagles are spotted in the sky, but then immediately turn back and stay in warmer areas for the time being.
March is the month of the real eagle's arrival: the eagle comes from the south.
For the Forest Nenets February and March are the eagle months, and they have a double naming motivation. On the one hand, the eagle returns to central and northern Siberia in spring, and on the other, it symbolizes the return of the sun.
The first functional equivalence seems to denote a different type of eagle. In the second functional equivalence, the frequently used motif 'false - real' appears. According to Harva, such doubly used naming motifs serve as leap months in years in which only 12 lunations take place (Sobanski 1995:p. 56). The Khanty, the neighbors of the Forest Nenets, so to speak, call these periods 'lying eagle month' and 'true eagle month', which is a variant of true and false.
Source: Sobanski, K.-F. 1995: Untersuchung der Monatsnamen samojedischer Sprachen (Wissenschaftliche Hausarbeit zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Magister Atrium der Universität Hamburg)
April is the month of the crow: the crow arrives.
In April, it gets warmer and crows that have spent the winter here in Europe fly back east, including to the forest nests in the taiga region of the central Ob. With the milder temperatures, the insects awake from their winter torpor and earthworms become more active again: the food supply corresponds to the crows' diet.
Spawning month — May: fish begin to spawn.
Reindeer accompany the life of the Forest Nenets all year round, while hunting and fishing are also important sources of food. There is even a whole month dedicated to fish: the spawning month of May.
The following text from the Nenets about fish and fishing, which will be soon part of our INEL Nenets corpus, shows the relevance of the spawning month for the forest Nenets. The cycle of life is emphasized here, as well as fish as food and for earning a living. Enjoy reading!
“Fish, fishing.
Fish live in the water. In the lakes of our land a lot of fish live. In large lakes, in lakes in the spring fish spawn. Eggs are laid in the weed. From these eggs small fish emerge.
When they grow up, we catch these fish with nets, seines, muzzleloaders. In big cities they make canned fish from this fish. This fish is dried, fried and eaten. In our places delicious soup is made of ruff.
If only our land were always like this!”
Text from Aleksandr Teklevich Aivaseda, published in Пящитаӈ неша'' вача''мы'': Рассказы варьёганских ненцев. На ненецком (лесной диалект) и русском языках, collected and in 2007 published by N. B. Koshkareva, S. I. Burkova, V. V. Shilova.
Chick hatching month - June: small chicks hatch out of eggs.
June is an important time for Forest Nenets — the wild bird chicks hatch!
Many anatidae species spend their summer months in the taiga region of the middle Ob near the Forest Nenets and give birth to their offspring there. In addition to greylag geese, other important anatidae species for hunters are greater and lesser white-fronted geese, as well as northern pintails and wigeons. Galliformes in western Siberia are not migratory and can be hunted all year round. The willow grouse, for example, is of particular interest to the Forest Nenets, as it gathers in flocks in the tundra in autumn and spends the cold season in the forest zone.
Swan molting month - July: the swan molts.
The moult of anatids takes place in a period roughly corresponding to our months of June, July and August. Here we'll tell you why the moult is so important for Forest Nenets and why even a month is dedicated to it.
For many birds, moulting is a gradual process lasting two to three months. The plumage renews itself according to a fixed sequence so that the ability to fly is maintained. With male anatids, however, the process is very rapid and the plumage is completely renewed in a short period of time. This is of great importance for hunters: towards the end of the breeding season of the female anatids, the males gather in very large flocks and meet at fixed moulting sites to spend the time they are unable to fly there. This is the peak season for hunting large waterfowl. Large numbers of birds can be caught using the simplest methods, so that the supply of preserved poultry often lasts well into the winter.
Source: Kusterer, K. 1987: Die Jagd im Leben der Völker Westsibiriens (Europäische Hochschulschriften, 19; Abt. B, Ethnologie, 14)
The month of pre-fall flooding of rivers - August: then you put the new woven fence into the water.
As already described in the article on May, fishing is an important source of food for the Forest Nenets.
Fish are caught all year round, but with different methods depending on the season. The type of fishing can be divided into three categories:
1. fishing when the water is not frozen,
2. fishing when ice begins to form on the water, which is not yet bearing, and
3. fishing when the ice is bearing.
During the period, which roughly corresponds to the months of April to August, the waters are ice-free and fish can be caught with weirs, nets and fishing rods. As soon as the temperatures drop and the first ice forms on the waters, the weirs serve as the main fishing technique - which is why the wattle fences have to be replaced in August.
From September onwards, fish are caught with rods attached to these same wattle fences. This construction is called a weir. The weirs are so stable that it is possible to walk on them, take the rods out of the water and remove the fish.
From the end of November to the end of March, the temperatures drop so much that people can walk on the ice. Holes are made in the ice so that fish can be caught underwater with nets.
Source: Spodina, V. I. 2022. Ne tol‘ko oleni: rybolovnaya kul’tura lesnykh nencev bassejna reki Agan. Khanty-Mansijsk: Pechatnyj mir g. Khanty-Mansijsk
September is the month of leaf fall: leaves fall from trees.
When the leaves fall from the trees, the grass also begins to die back and the vegetation in Siberia retreats. The deciduous trees in the forests on the Taimyr Peninsula and the Yenisei are mainly birch, but also alder, poplar and willow.
In the past, birch trees were an important source of material for the Forest Nenets. The trunks were used to make pillars for tents and the birch bark harvested in spring was used to sew summer tarpaulins. Birch bark was also used to make baskets and containers for storing food and for hunting, such as quivers for arrows. The stability and flexibility of birch bark made it possible to produce a wide variety of vessels that were light and durable. Fortunately, this craftsmanship has not been completely lost and vessels are still made from birch bark today.
Reindeer rut month - October: the male reindeer rut.
In Western Siberia the reindeer rut begins in mid-September, the animals gather in mixed herds on hills or near watering holes. During this time, the stags can be recognised by their snorting and, above all, their smell.
The venison is at its best in autumn before the rut: the animals are fat, with some specimens producing over 100 kg of venison.
In mid-May to early June, the cows give birth to a calf; two calves in one litter are rare.
Source: Kusterer, K. 1987: Die Jagd im Leben der Völker Westsibiriens (Europäische Hochschulschriften, 19; Abt. B, Ethnologie, 14)
November is antler shedding month: mature males shed their antlers.
Both reindeer sexes develop branching antlers over the years. Stags shed their antlers after the rut - in the case of the reindeer of the Forest Nenets this happens around the time we call November. Female reindeer do not shed their antlers in November, but after settling, around mid-May to early June. From April, the male reindeer grow new antlers, which do not fully harden until July.
The different timing of antler shedding in males and females is due to the different uses of the antlers. For males the antlers are important during mating season, as they can impress and win over females with their large antlers and defeat other males in fights for territory and females. The females also defend their territory with their antlers, but in winter, when they are pregnant, it is more important for them to use them to find food.
Source: Kusterer, K. 1987: Die Jagd im Leben der Völker Westsibiriens (Europäische Hochschulschriften, 19; Abt. B, Ethnologie, 14)
December is the month of shedding horns of young males: young males shed their horns.
The forest Nenets distinguish between the time when the adult reindeer and the time when the younger ones shed their antlers.
After the first year of life, reindeer antlers begin to grow. The older reindeer oxen get, the more testosterone they produce and, depending on this, their antlers grow stronger, they are more ready to mate and lose their antlers earlier due to the drop in testosterone levels after the rut, which ensures that the blood supply to the antlers is stopped. Young reindeer oxen, whose testosterone levels do not yet show such pronounced ups and downs, loose their antlers later, around the time we call December.