Myths of Baikal. From the Son of Heaven Geser and the Afterlife Office to Mount Sumber and Genghis Khan

The peoples of the Baikal region call Baikal not a lake, but a sea. Around this “sea” stretches an enchanted world inhabited by many beings: in the heavens live stars and Tengri deities; on the land roam spirits—“needle” spirits—single-eyed and single-legged chulugy; and all kinds of unclean creatures. In underground chambers, resembling an office, Erlig Khan judges together with his demons.

The book by Alexander Isakov is a lively and captivating retelling of the myths, legends, and tales of the Buryats and Evenks, whose culture was shaped for centuries at the crossroads of shamanism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Here you’ll learn about the creation of the world and the origin of shamanic gifts; about the sacred mountain of Sumbër—the gateway to another reality; about the extraordinary deeds of Geser—and even about the exploits of Genghis Khan. The book also explains how shamans protect people from dark forces and why from time to time they have to go to the “land of darkness,” where their food is crickets.

What is hidden in the meaning of the name Baikal—“Stop, fire”? Why does the giant elk carry the Sun away at night? How are the “western” and “eastern” tengri different, and what about the “white” and “black” smiths? Which supreme deity in Buryatia resembles Father Frost? Why do both legs rot for the ruler of the dead? How did royal bureaucracy influence the Buryats’ ideas about the afterlife? And how, in the minds of the Baikal peoples, did Genghis Khan turn from a historical ruler into a demiurge and a progenitor?

Through shamanic legends, ancient records, and ritual chants, the book takes you into the space of a magical steppe, where every stone and every tree has its own hidden meaning.

For whom is this book:

For lovers of history and mythological plots.

For those interested in the culture, beliefs, and rituals of the peoples of Russia.

For readers who want to look into the past and see how it echoes the present.

From the author:

This book does not aim to collect and retell all the myths of the Buryats and Evenks. It’s conceived as a guide and first stepping-stone for those who are just beginning to get acquainted with their folklore: it will help you see the big picture of how the mythological universe is structured, remember key characters and the main plots.

For the Baikal peoples, Baikal is a place of special power. In legends, it is often explained as a gigantic fault filled with water: once there was flat dry land, but then the earth suddenly split open, and so the largest lake in the world appeared. Sometimes the answer is sought right in the name: in Buryat, Baikal sounds like Baygal and echoes the expression “Bay gal”—“Stop, fire!” Tales insist that this similarity isn’t accidental: at the site of the collapse, a terrible fire raged, and people prayed for the flames to stop. Then water poured down from the sky, put out the fire, filled the fault—and Baikal was born.