Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
| Created: | 2015-11-13 15:03 |
|---|---|
| Institution: | Department of Archaeology and Anthropology |
| Description: | Omens can be understood as signs of an immediate future occurrence or of things to come. Divided into bad (mu yor) and good (syan yor), omens not only reflect the Kalmyk nomadic lifestyle, traditions, beliefs, and the history of the people, but also regulate the daily activities of individuals through traditional rules and prohibitions. Many omens and signs are based on observations of the behaviour of various animals and natural phenomena such as the wind, the snow, etc. When animals behave in unusual or annoying ways – for example, when a dog barks and whines at the same time – usually it is interpreted as a bad omen. It is also regarded as a bad sign when it is windy in early spring or raining at the beginning of winter. Social occasions and rituals are also often imbued with prophetic significance for those who witness or encounter them. For example, seeing a wedding party is believed to bring good luck to the beholder. Apart from mobile signs (a dog barking, the wind blowing, a wedding party proceeding), static objects and patterns are also imbued with symbolic significance. If someone has a mole close to their mouth, it is interpreted that that person will be prosperous.
On this page, you can watch videos about signs, omens, dreams, numbers, characteristics of people and things etc. that many traditional Kalmyks see as a valid and important form of traditional knowledge. |
Media items
This collection contains 44 media items.
Media items
Alexandra Sangadzhieva, How to Determine Quality in People
Alexandra says that smart people have a lump on their forehead, whereas skillful people have a lump at the tip of their thumb (‘tuula tong’).
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sat 12 May 2018
Alexandra Sanzheeva, Bans and Bad Omens
Alexandra recounts traditional bans, prohibitions and bad omens.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 11 Nov 2018
Anatoliy Kekeev, About Bad Omens and Sin
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 19 Mar 2018
Bulgun Lapsina, About Signs and Omens
A woman should not hold her hands behind the back. During childbirth women should not cry. People should not talk about personal difficulties or complain.
If a black dog whines,...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 11 Sep 2018
Bulgun Mankirova, About Good Signs and Omens
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 17 Aug 2017
Bulgun Mankirova, Sanal Badmaev, Bad Omens and Prohibitions
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 17 Aug 2017
Danara Ungarlinova, About an Omen Connected with the Ferret
Kalmyks believed that ferrets brought death. Therefore, they had to be killed. Between the houses where Danara lived there was a ferret. Before it was killed, a woman died who...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 28 Aug 2018
Dmitriy Orusov, Valentina Bovaeva, Zula Andratova, Bad Omens
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 10 Aug 2017
Dordzhi Barkhaev, About Sings and Prohibitions
Dordzhi expresses his skepticism regarding the validity of traditional signs and prohibitions:
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sat 4 May 2019
Dordzhi Nandyshev, About Signs and Traditional Weather Forecasting
Dordzhi says the following: When a dog rolls on the ground, there will be a blizzard. If birds fly low, it will rain. In the past there were people who could foretell the weather....
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sat 4 May 2019
Erdni Manzhikov, Signs, Omens and Traditional Upbringing
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 8 Jan 2018
Ivan Mengleev, About Omens
Ivan talks about what to do when one’s tooth falls off and when a chicken screams like a cock.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 21 Aug 2018
Ivan Mengleev, About Predictions
Ivan relays what he heard from old people who prophesized the future.
A time will come when people will be living shorter lives, and Earth will be filled with fire and water....
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 21 Aug 2018
Ivan Ulyumdzhiev, About Bad Omens
Ivan recounts bad omens:
If an owl sits near one’s house,
if someone crosses your way holding with an empty bucket,
if a fox crosses the road,
if a dog howls,
if a ferret...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 22 Oct 2017
Konstantin Dzhimbinov, About Some Characteristics of the Kalmyks
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 13 Nov 2017
Ksenia Kardonova, Bad Omens and Traditional Bans
In this video Ksenia talks about bad omens and traditional bans. This is her story:
There are many bad omens. For example, it is forbidden to pour used oil on the ground; a...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 6 Jun 2018
Maria Beltsikova, About Signs, Omens and Prohibitions
If a dog rolls on the ground, there will be a blizzard. If sparrows fly descending and ascending and changing their flight direction, expect a blizzard. It is a bad sign to cross...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 11 Jul 2019
Maria Erdnieva, About Bad and Good Signs
Refrain from leaning against the door of someone’s house, for doing so is no different to sitting on the neck of the head of that household. Both acts are disrespectful. It is...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 8 Aug 2016
Maria Pozharova, Signs and Prohibitions
Maria says the following: Children’s lost teeth are wrapped in a piece of bread and given to a dog, while uttering the following incantation: ‘Dog, dog take my bad tooth and give...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 16 Jun 2019
Mingiyan Lidzhiev, Signs and Prohibitions
Mingiyan recounts traditional prohibitions:
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (SIGNS and OMENS)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 5 May 2019