Myths of Western Siberia: From the Ob and Altai Mountains to the Old Owl and the Golden Woman

Myths of the peoples of Western Siberia are complex and rich. In this astonishing figurative and poetic world, gods descend from the sky in golden cradles, a bird-demiorg dives for land at the bottom of the ocean, a drop of water can turn into a beautiful maiden, river spirits control the lives of people, and what seems like disjointed baby babble is actually a conversation with a deity.

Tatyana Muravyova’s new book is partly a concise retelling and partly an artistic narrative of the myths and legends of Siberia’s peoples: the Khanty, Mansi, Nganasan, Nenets, Enets, Selkups, Altaians, and Shors. About a hundred stories are collected here—majestic and playful, funny and deeply sad: about the creation of the world, sky and underworld gods, talking animals, spirits, and shamans who can travel between three worlds.

Who tends a herd of mammoths underground? Why do the gods plug holes in the earth with copper cauldrons? Can you appease a little woman who lives in fire? How were the Ural Mountains formed? And finally, the most important question: how did people befriend deer?

For whom is this book:

For fans of history and mythology.

For those interested in the culture and beliefs of Russia’s indigenous peoples.

For those who want to plunge into the past and find parallels with the present.