| Воскресенье 20.05.2012 01:02 |
Приветствую Вас Гость Главная | Регистрация | Вход | RSS |
|||||||||||||||
|
.A journey through Altai: ancient legends, shamans and kaichi-singersJourney
planned beforehand by the Club finally took place. First we planned
to make it on the 1st
of May but due to a sudden heavy snowstorm in Altai and Kuznetsk area
we had to postpone it. Probably the spirits weren`t favourably
disposed towards us. However, this time the weather turned to be very
sunny; so we set off from Novokuznetsk at 8 a.m. We
are the Club organizers: me and Alexey. The third participant was our
old friend Chyltys, the shaman and folk singer from Mountainous
Shoria. The Club group picked her up at Myski town and started the
jouney in a full force. The
first part of our journey led us to the Gorny Altai capital –
Gorno-Altaysk. We were to cross the Chuya
Highway which is so much said about that it makes no sense to say
anything again.
Numerous Altaian villages were whizzing past us drawing our attention
by the remnants of archaism.
This
time we didn`t make unplanned stops and moved vigorously further. Made
a stop at Yeltsovka settlement we refreshed ourselves with home-made
pancakes at a local pancake house. As we
found out, its business was true to its fame: we were pleased with
pancakes taste and low prices. Thanks!
I nearly forgot to mention the journey purpose. The meeting with
famous kaichi-singer and shaman Arzhan Kezerekov was the key event
for us. Let`s
make it clear who kaichi-singer is in order
to understand the most extraordinary and exciting part of our
journey. Who
is the kaichi? Kaichi
is a narrator, a person who tells tales and stories: epic legends,
heroic epos of a nation. But his narration is performed in a special
manner – with kai, Altaian throat singing. The main point for
kaichi recognition is an ability to sing an epic legend from the very
beginning up to its ending with a throat and 2-stringed topshuur
accompaniment. Taking into account the fact that a legend may consist
of about ten thousand lines and be performed during several days you
could hardly imagine what an outstanding and unusual person kaichi
can be. As a rule, kai learning starts from the very childhood.
However a boy who performs throat singing is never accepted as
kaichi. The kaichi-singers are unique people who have personal
integrity, maturity and those who made a great spur in their world
outlook.
Kai
is not a kind of music as such. It is not even tunes with words. It
is something much wider, something spiritual; it is like Mother
Nature breath. And topshuur is not just a musical instrument. Before
the kai singing kaichi-singer utters: "Topshuur, my brother, my
friend, you are my helper now.” Until the narrator soul unites with
an instrument spirit nothing happens.
Kaichi is able to recall the ancient legend only being in a special
state, in the so called trance. And it is not just a retelling; it is
also a participation in it at the moment when the spirits of passed
away warriors and Nature ones speak to kaichi. That is why kaichi is
that who brings celestial sphere down to earthly one. It is no
coincidence that there is a beautiful legend in Altai: when kaichi
sings, the Altai spirit revives in appearance of a little girl and
comes to listen to kaichi.
Altai kai, according to experts, stands out for its integrity and
depth. Alexey Kalkin, the famous kaichi-singer, the one whom people
will never forget, used to say: "Visible Altai is not true one. But
true Altai is an upper one.” For
the Altaian kai is like a prayer, sacred
rite or so. And being kaichi means destiny, the way which a person is
to overcome. It is rather hard way. Narrators
are highly respected among common people since they are heralds and
bearers of the nation history, nation roots. No a celebration –
neither wedding, nor a holiday – can be held without
kaichi-singer`s participation. As the hunting is one of the major
activity spheres for people, before going
to taiga hunters ask kaichi to perform the legend for the Taiga
Spirit; in its turn the Spirit is expected to give some presents
during hunting.
Bolot Bairyshev is to join us So
after our refreshment we kept on going further. And later we had
great luck! Since we had one more sit in the car we thought about its
rational usage and saving the balance inside our group at the same
time. At that moment Chyltys suggested taking her friend and
colleague Bolot Bairyshev, throat singing master
known in Russia and abroad with us. Alexey
and I weren`t personally acquainted to him and couldn`t just give up
that idea. Got in touch with Bolot on the phone beforehand we came to
a decision to meet nearby the National theatre of Gorno-Altaysk
believing that we would get a new friend soon; in the meanwhile we
quickly reached the republic capital.
Bolot received us with his performance taking place on the square
near the theatre and devoted to celebration in the WW II veterans`
honour. At the same time we got acquainted to his talent and highly
estimated his unsurpassed skills. Though Bolot didn`t plan that
journey, he accepted our offer to join us immediately.
Bolot
left us for some time to change his performance suit to casual field
clothes in the theatre and we didn`t fail to see round it. Recently
restored amazing building pleased us aesthetically. The marble
coolness supplemented with a charming fountain in the central hall
and large replicas of petroglyphs were all over the walls. We were
leaving the theatre hoping to return some time and see Altaian
masters performing. After all, our way was leading us to Onguday
District. Our
journey became more interesting and communication with our new member
was rather cheerful and informative. Bolot told us a lot about his
life, creative activity and future plans. I guess the whole life of
such a great master deserves separate mentioning in the form of
travel notes, so one of the Club trips will
be dedicated to certain places connected to some Bolot`s life events.
We
reached easily the place called Arzhan Suu. On our way there were
many buildings of hotel complex. Altai
seemed to be ready to receive guests right after warming. So many
different places were there: separate big and small houses, yurts,
enclosed camping sites, multi-storeyed buildings providing high
quality servicing and comfort. Something was being built or sold,
something – restored; life was in a full swing due to approaching
mass stream of visitors. Arzhan
Suu – that is how inhabitants call healing springs hallowed from
the earliest times. People used to worship
the spirit of these springs and make ritual offerings.
Place
of another stop traditionally exists under
the above mentioned name. There we found the purest spring with very
tasteful water which everybody needs to drink in order further
traveling could be a success. As a rule, everybody ties trees or
bushes twigs with ribbons and makes a wish for luck. There were also
wooden bazaar rows full of diverse national craft items. What wasn`t
there! A real Mecca for collectors: musical instruments, birch bark
articles, amulets, bracelets, rings, paintings and many other things.
After looking at the wealth of articles we set off again. We were
going towards the Seminsky Pass then. Meeting
guests from Germany
We happened to see two trailers with numbers of EU member states on
them on top of the famous Seminsky Pass. People
with video cameras were observing the territory. So we couldn`t help
but talk to them. As we learnt, a month ago they departed from
Frankfurt for Mongolia. Two cheery men and
a serious woman from Germany tasted natural delicacies sold by
inhabitants in a homemade stand. Those people made video filming of
snow leopards in Mongolia. And having learnt about our group mate –
singer visitors asked him to sing any native song right in front of
their camera. It
became absolutely clear that they were fond of throat singing when
they bought CDs lying in the car by a lucky accident. Not long ago
Bolot recorded his album in Moscow. Talking a bit and pointing the
German friends their next direction we wished each other happy
journey. Moving away from the trailers we heard sudden sounds of
throat singing from cabin and saw happy faces of listeners! Such
exciting and unexpected acquaintances may occur in the open of
distant Siberia.
Afterwards
we had to worship the Spirits of the mountain – to make a rite
using a bottle of vodka. Visiting
Arzhan Kezerekov, shaman,
narrator and peerless healer Our
further way wasn`t full of unusual adventures and we reached one of
our major destinations – Onguday District settlement – without
any problems. Arzhan Kezerekov was aware of
our arrival and was waiting for us near the gate.
We
were not actually agitated since we had been travelling for a
thousand years although we knew Arzhan was a visionary. He could see
internal nature of a person and there was nowhere to hide away from
him. Besides, according to rumours, playing
the topshuur Arzhan could see spirits surrounding a person and
pointing at his past and future, at his features. That is why if you
are dirty-minded nobody will speak to you. That personal trait (to
see internal nature of others) is also peculiar one for Bolot and
some other Altaian people. There`s no any need for them to study
psychology. It is likely to be attained through the strong ties with
Nature, with diverse world view and something that is beyond our
comprehension.
The
old friends greeted each other and we were introduced to Arzhan. Then
altogether we entered the yard.
It
was very large and consisted of numerous buildings. Of
course, the most tremendous for us was a yurt. It was a hexagonal
wooden structure with a conical roof. It is believed that the more
angles yurt has the wealthier its owner is and the happier life will
be.
Near
the yurt there was a little hill of stones;
a few logs were burning and smoking on top of it. Arzhan called
everybody to passing around the ritual flame three times in order to
think of offences and to become purer, to utter intentions and
desires mentally so that they could become real.
Out
of respect we gave all the presents brought with us
and entered the yurt. As a rule, it is not accepted among local
population to make good things to receive something from others, and
only if you want to thank someone (with money, food or just a good
word) you make up your own mind, nobody will ask you or drop a hint.
Inside
the yurt The
yurt was plenty of smoke passing away
through the pipe on the ceiling. The furniture inside wasn`t rich but
it grabbed our attention. In the centre there was the hearth – a
hole and an iron circle on legs where a cauldron and other national
kitchen utensils are putted on. Rather
high above the hearth there was an original covering. Also there we
could see a bed, table and some benches in the yurt. In the corner
there was a big cauldron and strange tuns with handles. Later they
explained us that those ones served for making national dishes
and drinks, in particular for making a special invigorative drink.
The shaman tambourine with numerous white and some blue ribbons on it
was hanging on the wall.
We
mentioned about the tambourine meaning for shaman earlier. Every
ribbon is a symbol of every seriously ill patient recovery. So the
great amount of them turned to be the reason for our delight and
admiration. On
a bench we saw two topshuurs one of which was not ready for use and
must have been made not so long ago; another one, according to
Arzhan, was reckoned from 1940 and was played by two great Altaian
narrators. As we were sitting inside the yurt we were
full of strange senses, some energy and power. And even after our
return we found some unusual and mysterious developments on our
photos. Altogether our common
experiences were
rather extraordinary.
Arzhan himself, a blue-eyed chubby man of a small
stature puzzled us with contradictory feelings. He couldn`t help but
differ from us, urban inhabitants by force of his features. All his
speech contained deep philosophic terms and hints. And often it was
supplemented with a smile so that we couldn`t sometimes understand
was he serious or joking. For instance, we saw a fabric on the wall
and asked him what was behind it. The answer
was: "There is
a drinking man!”
We were obscurely explained then that it was a
something seizing and absorbing human diseases.
When
communicating with us and exchanging some news with Bolot and Chyltys
the yurt host was making a rite and worshiping the Master Spirit in
order it accepted us and made no harm. In a
minute Alexey uttered casually that it would be great to add fresh
mutton cooking to our meeting. But to our great surprise we were
immediately answered that it would be rather possible to dress a
sheep for us! So our wish came true. Dinner,
music and shaman knowledge It
makes no sense to describe the process of dressing: not everyone
likes it. But saying it was unusual is to say nothing. For me and
Alexey dressing is not a commonplace, besides the process itself, its
sequence and methods differed much from our awareness in that aspect.
Everything was held in another room.
National instruments standing in the corner struck my eye. On the
neck of the topshuur there was a cut out face of that instrument
Spirit.
As they said, it could change its expression from a cheerful to
sinister one according to the scene which the Spirit happens to see.
It was looking at us thoughtfully. Either dressing was done very
seldom there, or such guests were very rare at that place. The
dinner turned out to be incredible, meat was delicious, all the
dishes were new for us and such plenty of
them contributed to evening pleasure.
So many words were said: about shamanism, about Altai people, its
history and life. Some new ideas for future adventures of the Club
were produced. Both Arzhan and Bolot are very interesting and unique
company who gave us knew knowledge concerning native population and
diverse natural phenomena. Moreover, there were plenty of topshuur
music and throat singing. When listening to tunes all the history of
the ancient people with its peculiar world outlook enters your mind!
Every
day, following the predestination Arzhan
receives numerous visitors who come to him with last hope of
recovery. While healing he lets negative energy and diseases through.
So the only thing we could do was admiring his strong health and his
ability to stand such tests. That is why shaman`s destination is a
hard way, as Arzhan said about narrators: "We are terrible people.”
During the initiation into shamanism a person is to choose the way of
healing people and releasing himself from troubles. There are two
bowls: one with milk, and other – with vodka. And there is no an
optimal solution. If shaman chooses a milk bowl he can`t afford
drinking alcohol at all, but if he chooses the second bowl then he is
to heal only with vodka. Arzhan got the second variant. And now
expressing their gratitude people bring alcohol more and more often.
I wonder how it is possible for one person only to stand that all!
Anyway from time to time he suffers from exhaustion: sleeping for
three hours a day, receiving and healing dozens of people, clearing
with vodka, in addition to all, may distress anybody. As witnesses we
couldn`t see the spirits but we were watching the shaman`s fighting
against them. I should say the show is not for the nervous. Not
mentioning the two of us, Bolot and Chyltys were sitting silent.
Since the process took the shaman not so long we continued our
communication and the music started playing again until everyone fell
asleep. I
woke up early in the morning and went
outside into the yard to take the air. Incredible surroundings were
there: a bit frosty air, mountains and such an unusual silence! It is
a magic and extremely beautiful place. Wonderful and mysterious
Altai! Author:
Polousov Ivan Extreme
Recreation Club "Mustag”
|
| Copyright Болот Байрышев|Анна Максимова © 2012 |  |