Andrew D. Gable
First Post
An Intro To the Mythology...
Journal Entry: March 22, 1839
The Pazyrskoye are an unusual people, with unusual beliefs. From all evidence linguistic and cultural, they appear to be descended from the Evenks. But in other aspects of their society - such as religion - they are wholly unlike any of the other Siberian tribes. What follows is their account of the creation of the world (a stunning parallel to Christianity‘s Gnostic heresy), as told to me by an elderly tribal shaman.
“The great father Erlik sculpted the earth from a ball of clay he found lying about. This done, the fleas from the back of the Creator’s dog hopped onto the ball, and that is the beginning of living things. But Erlik quickly tired of his new creation, and went away. And Erlik’s son lay claim to the earth in early days, before the first Pazyrskoye came to these lands. Although the Creator was kind and giving, his son was cruel, and like a young child toying with a captured animal, so he did with the living things on the earth. And he is known by us as the Tormentor.”
Journal Entry: March 26, 1839
When I emerge from this icy wilderness and return to Moscow, I must attempt to research further these tribesmen and their traditions of this cryptic figure, whom I have taken to calling "Tuchulcha" (the student of the Classical will recognize this name). The parallels to Gnosticism are most striking, and yet unexplained...
- an excerpt from The Expedition Journals of Nikolai Tarkonov, 1838-1839 Exploration of the Siberian Tungus
Journal Entry: March 22, 1839
The Pazyrskoye are an unusual people, with unusual beliefs. From all evidence linguistic and cultural, they appear to be descended from the Evenks. But in other aspects of their society - such as religion - they are wholly unlike any of the other Siberian tribes. What follows is their account of the creation of the world (a stunning parallel to Christianity‘s Gnostic heresy), as told to me by an elderly tribal shaman.
“The great father Erlik sculpted the earth from a ball of clay he found lying about. This done, the fleas from the back of the Creator’s dog hopped onto the ball, and that is the beginning of living things. But Erlik quickly tired of his new creation, and went away. And Erlik’s son lay claim to the earth in early days, before the first Pazyrskoye came to these lands. Although the Creator was kind and giving, his son was cruel, and like a young child toying with a captured animal, so he did with the living things on the earth. And he is known by us as the Tormentor.”
Journal Entry: March 26, 1839
When I emerge from this icy wilderness and return to Moscow, I must attempt to research further these tribesmen and their traditions of this cryptic figure, whom I have taken to calling "Tuchulcha" (the student of the Classical will recognize this name). The parallels to Gnosticism are most striking, and yet unexplained...
- an excerpt from The Expedition Journals of Nikolai Tarkonov, 1838-1839 Exploration of the Siberian Tungus
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