Ethnic culture of Chinese Evenks (based on the Chi Zijian novel "The right bank of the Argun river")

Purpose: Description and analysis of elements of the ethnic culture and folklore of Chinese Evenks, which were deeply reflected in «The Right Bank of the Argun river» written by modern Chinese writer Chi Zijian (2005). Results: For the first time in Russian Oriental studies the paper considers from the ethnographic standpoint the works of the well-known writer who analyzes significant social themes related to the traditional culture of ethnic minorities in China. The study is especially actual because the Evenks as the formed ethnos inhabit now a vast territory of both China and Russia. Therefore the investigation of the ethnic culture and folklore heritage of the Evenks is of particular interest in the comparative historical aspect. The genre features of ethnic prose give grounds to analyze the roman not only as a piece of art, but also as material presenting valuable historical and ethnographic folklore source. Widely using the possibilities of folklore genres (legends, fables, myths, tales, superstitions, and shaman), Chi Zijian describes folk dances, customs and traditions closely related to the oral folklore of Evenks. Mythological plots reflect the evolution processes in the Evenk ideas about the world, the formation of certain behavior rules and taboos, including those of hunting rituals taking an important place in the Evenk culture. A group of plots reflecting a special attitude of Evenks to the nature, fire and fireside worship, and hunting is considered in detail. Thus, the myth about mountain spirit Bainacha interprets the formation of beliefs and rituals associated with the industrial activity. These beliefs and rituals are aimed at the success in hunting and fishing. Shaman songs that are closely related to the main events in each human life are an important part of Evenk folklore, which was influenced by shamanism. As a characteristic example the shaman songs addressed to the bear spirit, who is a sacred animal for Evenks, are given and the existing practices of burying bear remains are described along with some taboo related to it. In the context of a comparative analysis of mythological representations and ritual practices of Siberian and Far Eastern peoples, a group of myths about the kinship between bear and man, where the bear is perceived as one of the assistants of the Demiurge in the process of creating the man, is of great importance. The researchers have long noticed that many Siberian peoples are characterized by jolly-game ritualism associated with the bear cult and reflecting the traditional religious mythological representations. It is noteworthy that similar motifs exist not only in the folklore of Siberian peoples, but also in the mythological tradition of Oriental countries: China, Korea, and Japan. Korean mythological plots reflected in the Samguk Yusa chronicles of the 13th century are of great interest. There is a legend about the hero Tangun, the founder of the ancient Choson state, whose father was a god and mother was a bear turned into a woman. In this legend the Korean mythological tradition implies the harmonic unit between the carriers of two opposite origins rather than the battle of antagonists. Conclusion: The reference to the ethnic culture of peoples lining on a vast territory of Siberia and Russian Far East and also Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang Province of China underlines the significance of historical ethnographic studies in multiethnic communities, which are Russia and China. Current processes of globalism and internationalism make especially relevant the comparative studies of the culture of ethnic minorities.