Who is a nomad - a herdsman or a warrior? The meaning of the word "nomads" Nomadic lifestyle

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Nomads- people who temporarily or permanently lead a nomadic lifestyle.

Nomads can get their livelihood from a variety of sources - nomadic pastoralism, trade, various crafts, fishing, hunting, various arts (music, theater), hired labor, or even robbery or military conquest. If we consider long periods of time, then each family and people in one way or another move from place to place, lead a nomadic lifestyle, that is, they can be classified as nomads.

In the modern world, due to significant changes in the economy and the life of society, the concept of neo-nomads has appeared and is quite often used, that is, modern, successful people leading a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle in modern conditions. By occupation, many of them are artists, scientists, politicians, athletes, showmen, salesmen, managers, teachers, seasonal workers, programmers, guest workers, and so on. See also freelancers.

• 1 Nomadic peoples
• 2 Etymology of the word
• 3 Definition
• 4 Life and culture of nomads
• 5 Origins of nomadism
• 6 Classification of nomadism
• 7 Rise of nomadism
• 8 Modernization and decline
• 9 Nomadism and sedentary lifestyle
• 10 Nomadic peoples include
• 11 See also
• 12 Notes
• 13 Literature
  • 13.1 Fiction
  • 13.2 Links

nomadic peoples

Nomadic peoples are migratory peoples living off pastoralism. Some nomadic peoples also hunt or, like some sea nomads in southeast Asia, fish. The term nomadic is used in the Slavic translation of the Bible in relation to the villages of the Ishmaelites (Gen. 25:16)

In the scientific sense, nomadism (nomadism, from the Greek νομάδες, nomádes - nomads) is a special type of economic activity and related sociocultural characteristics, in which the majority of the population is engaged in extensive nomadic pastoralism. in some cases, nomads refer to anyone who leads a mobile lifestyle (wandering hunter-gatherers, a number of slash-and-burn farmers and sea peoples of Southeast Asia, migratory populations such as gypsies, etc.

Etymology of the word

The word "nomad" comes from the Turkic word "koch, koch", i.e. ""to move"", also ""kosh"", which means an aul that is on the way in the process of migration. This word is still available, for example, in the Kazakh language. The Republic of Kazakhstan currently has a state resettlement program - Nurly Kosh.

Definition

Not all pastoralists are nomads. It is advisable to associate nomadism with three main features:

1. extensive cattle breeding (Pastoralism) as the main type of economic activity;
2. periodic migrations of most of the population and livestock;
3. special material culture and worldview of the steppe societies.

Nomads lived in arid steppes and semi-deserts or high-mountain regions, where cattle breeding is the most optimal type of economic activity (in Mongolia, for example, land suitable for agriculture is 2%, in Turkmenistan - 3%, in Kazakhstan - 13%, etc.) . The main food of the nomads was various types of dairy products, less often animal meat, hunting prey, products of agriculture and gathering. Drought, snowstorm (jute), epidemics (epizootics) could deprive the nomad of all means of subsistence overnight. To counter natural disasters, pastoralists developed an effective system of mutual assistance - each of the tribesmen supplied the victim with several heads of cattle.

Life and culture of nomads

Since the animals were constantly in need of new pastures, pastoralists were forced to move from one place to another several times a year. The most common type of dwelling among nomads were various types of collapsible, easily portable structures, usually covered with wool or leather (yurt, tent or tent). Nomads had few household utensils, and dishes were most often made of unbreakable materials (wood, leather). Clothes and shoes were sewn, as a rule, from leather, wool and fur. The phenomenon of "horsemanship" (that is, the presence of a large number of horses or camels) gave the nomads significant advantages in military affairs. Nomads never existed in isolation from the agricultural world. They needed agricultural products and handicrafts. Nomads are characterized by a special mentality, which involves a specific perception of space and time, hospitality customs, unpretentiousness and endurance, the presence of war cults among ancient and medieval nomads, a warrior-rider, heroized ancestors, who, in turn, were reflected, as in oral art ( heroic epic), and in the visual arts (animal style), a cult attitude towards cattle - the main source of existence for nomads. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that there are not many so-called “pure” nomads (permanently nomads) (some of the nomads of Arabia and the Sahara, the Mongols and some other peoples of the Eurasian steppes).

Origin of nomadism

The question of the origin of nomadism has not yet had an unambiguous interpretation. Even in modern times, the concept of the origin of cattle breeding in hunter societies was put forward. According to another, now more popular point of view, nomadism was formed as an alternative to agriculture in the unfavorable zones of the Old World, where part of the population with a manufacturing economy was forced out. The latter were forced to adapt to new conditions and specialize in cattle breeding. There are other points of view. No less debatable is the question of the time of the formation of nomadism. Some researchers are inclined to believe that nomadism developed in the Middle East on the periphery of the first civilizations as early as the 4th-3rd millennium BC. e. Some even tend to note traces of nomadism in the Levant at the turn of the 9th-8th millennium BC. e. Others believe that it is too early to talk about real nomadism here. Even the domestication of the horse (Ukraine, IV millennium BC) and the appearance of chariots (II millennium BC) do not yet speak of a transition from an integrated agricultural and pastoral economy to real nomadism. According to this group of scientists, the transition to nomadism took place not earlier than the turn of the II-I millennium BC. e. in the Eurasian steppes.

Classification of nomadism

There are many different classifications of nomadism. The most common schemes are based on the identification of the degree of settlement and economic activity:

• nomadic,
• semi-nomadic and semi-sedentary (when agriculture already prevails) economy,
• transhumance (when part of the population lives roaming with cattle),
• yaylagnoe (from the Turks. "yaylag" - a summer pasture in the mountains).

In some other constructions, the type of nomadism is also taken into account:

• vertical (mountains, plains) and
• horizontal, which can be latitudinal, meridional, circular, etc.

In a geographical context, we can talk about six large zones where nomadism is widespread.

1. the Eurasian steppes, where the so-called “five types of livestock” (horse, cattle, sheep, goat, camel) are bred, but the horse is considered the most important animal (Turks, Mongols, Kazakhs, Kirghiz, etc.). The nomads of this zone created powerful steppe empires (Scythians, Xiongnu, Turks, Mongols, etc.);
2. the Middle East, where nomads breed small cattle and use horses, camels and donkeys (Bakhtiyars, Basseri, Kurds, Pashtuns, etc.) as transport;
3. the Arabian Desert and the Sahara, where camel breeders (Bedouins, Tuareg, etc.) predominate;
4. East Africa, savannahs south of the Sahara, inhabited by peoples who breed cattle (Nuer, Dinka, Masai, etc.);
5. high mountain plateaus of Inner Asia (Tibet, Pamir) and South America (Andes), where the local population specializes in breeding animals such as yak (Asia), llama, alpaca (South America), etc.;
6. northern, mainly subarctic zones, where the population is engaged in reindeer herding (Saami, Chukchi, Evenki, etc.).

Rise of nomadism

more nomadic state

The heyday of nomadism is associated with the period of the emergence of "nomadic empires" or "imperial confederations" (mid-1st millennium BC - mid-2nd millennium AD). These empires arose in the neighborhood of the established agricultural civilizations and depended on the products coming from there. In some cases, nomads extorted gifts and tribute at a distance (Scythians, Xiongnu, Turks, etc.). others they subjugated the farmers and levied tribute (Golden Horde). third, they conquered the farmers and moved to their territory, merging with the local population (Avars, Bulgars, etc.). In addition, along the routes of the Silk Road, which also passed through the lands of nomads, stationary settlements with caravanserais arose. Several large migrations of the so-called "pastoral" peoples and later nomadic pastoralists are known (Indo-Europeans, Huns, Avars, Turks, Khitan and Cumans, Mongols, Kalmyks, etc.).

During the Xiongnu period, direct contacts were established between China and Rome. The Mongol conquests played a particularly important role. As a result, a single chain of international trade, technological and cultural exchanges was formed. Apparently, as a result of these processes, gunpowder, compass and book printing came to Western Europe. some works call this period "medieval globalization".

Modernization and decline

With the beginning of modernization, the nomads were unable to compete with the industrial economy. The appearance of repeating firearms and artillery gradually put an end to their military power. Nomads began to be involved in modernization processes as a subordinate party. As a result, the nomadic economy began to change, the social organization was deformed, and painful acculturation processes began. 20th century in the socialist countries, attempts were made to carry out forced collectivization and sedenterization, which ended in failure. After the collapse of the socialist system in many countries there was a nomadization of the way of life of pastoralists, a return to semi-natural methods of farming. In countries with a market economy, the processes of adaptation of nomads are also very painful, accompanied by the ruin of pastoralists, erosion of pastures, rising unemployment and poverty. currently about 35-40 million people. continues to engage in nomadic pastoralism (Northern, Central and Inner Asia, the Middle East, Africa). countries such as Niger, Somalia, Mauritania and other nomadic pastoralists make up the majority of the population.

In everyday consciousness, the point of view prevails that the nomads were only a source of aggression and robbery. In reality, there was a wide range of different forms of contacts between the settled and steppe worlds, from military confrontation and conquests to peaceful trade contacts. Nomads have played an important role in human history. They contributed to the development of little habitable territories. Thanks to their intermediary activities, trade relations were established between civilizations, technological, cultural and other innovations were spread. Many nomad societies have contributed to the treasury of world culture, the ethnic history of the world. However, having a huge military potential, the nomads also had a significant destructive impact on the historical process; as a result of their destructive invasions, many cultural values, peoples and civilizations were destroyed. A number of modern cultures are rooted in nomadic traditions, but the nomadic way of life is gradually disappearing - even in developing countries. Many of the nomadic peoples today are under the threat of assimilation and loss of identity, since in the rights for the use of land they can hardly compete with settled neighbors.

Nomadism and sedentary lifestyle

On the Polovtsian statehood All the nomads of the Eurasian steppe belt went through the tabor stage of development or the stage of invasion. Moved from their pastures, they mercilessly destroyed everything in their path, as they moved in search of new lands. ... For the neighboring agricultural peoples, the nomads of the tabor stage of development have always been in a state of "permanent invasion". At the second stage of nomadism (semi-settled), wintering and summer camps appear, the pastures of each horde have strict boundaries, and cattle are driven along certain seasonal routes. The second stage of nomadism was the most profitable for pastoralists. V. BODRUKHIN, candidate of historical sciences.

Labor productivity under pastoralism is much higher than in early agrarian societies. This allowed the majority of the male population to be freed from the need to spend time looking for food and, in the absence of other alternatives (such as monasticism, for example), made it possible to direct it to military operations. High labor productivity, however, is achieved by low-intensity (extensive) use of pastures and requires more and more lands that need to be reclaimed from neighbors (however, the theory that directly links the periodic clashes of nomads with the sedentary “civilizations” surrounding them with overpopulation of the steppes is untenable). Numerous armies of nomads, who were assembled from men who were unnecessary in everyday life, are much more combat-ready than mobilized peasants who did not have military skills, since in everyday activities they used essentially the same skills that were required of them in the war (it is no coincidence that attention that all nomadic commanders paid to driven hunting for game, considering the actions on it to be almost a complete semblance of a battle). Therefore, despite the comparatively primitive social structure of the nomads (most of the nomadic societies did not go beyond the stage of military democracy, although many historians tried to attribute to them a special, “nomadic” form of feudalism), they posed a great threat to the early civilizations with which they often found themselves. in an antagonistic relationship. An example of the enormous efforts that were directed at the struggle of settled peoples against nomads is the Great Wall of China, which, however, as you know, has never been an effective barrier against invasions of nomadic peoples into China.

However, a sedentary lifestyle, of course, has its advantages over a nomadic one, and the emergence of fortress cities and other cultural centers, and first of all, the creation of regular armies, often built on a nomadic model: Iranian and Roman cataphracts adopted from the Parthians; Chinese armored cavalry, built on the model of the Hunnic and Turkic; the Russian noble cavalry, which absorbed the traditions of the Tatar army along with emigrants from the Golden Horde, which was experiencing turmoil; etc., over time, made it possible for sedentary peoples to successfully resist the raids of nomads, who never sought to completely destroy settled peoples, since they could not fully exist without a dependent settled population and exchange with it, voluntary or forced, of agricultural products, cattle breeding and crafts . Omelyan Pritsak gives the following explanation for the constant raids of nomads on settled territories:

“The reasons for this phenomenon should not be sought in the innate tendency of nomads to robbery and bloodshed. Rather, we are talking about a well-thought-out economic policy.”

Meanwhile, in epochs of internal weakening, even highly developed civilizations often perished or were significantly weakened as a result of massive raids by nomads. Although for the most part the aggression of the nomadic tribes was directed towards their neighbors, the nomads, often the raids on the settled tribes ended in the assertion of the dominance of the nomadic nobility over the agricultural peoples. For example, the rule of nomads over certain parts of China, and sometimes over all of China, was repeated many times in its history. Another famous example of this is the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, which fell under the onslaught of "barbarians" during the "great migration of peoples", mainly in the past of settled tribes, and not the nomads themselves, from whom they fled in the territory of their Roman allies, however, the end result was disastrous for the Western Roman Empire, which remained under the control of the barbarians despite all the attempts of the Eastern Roman Empire to return these territories in the 6th century, which for the most part was also the result of the onslaught of nomads (Arabs) on the eastern borders of the Empire. However, despite constant losses from nomadic raids, early civilizations, which were constantly forced to find new ways to protect themselves from the constant threat of destruction, also received an incentive to develop statehood, which gave Eurasian civilizations a significant advantage over pre-Columbian American civilizations, where independent pastoralism did not exist ( or, more precisely, the semi-nomadic hill tribes who bred small animals from the camelid family did not have such a military potential as the Eurasian horse breeders). The empires of the Incas and Aztecs, being at the level of the Copper Age, were much more primitive and fragile than the modern developed European states, and were subjugated without significant difficulties by small detachments of European adventurers, which, although it happened with the powerful support of the Spaniards from the oppressed representatives of the ruling classes or the ethnic groups of these states of the local Indian population, did not lead to the merging of the Spaniards with the local nobility, but led to the almost complete destruction of the tradition of Indian statehood in Central and South America, and the disappearance of ancient civilizations with all their attributes, and even the culture itself, which was preserved only in some until then unconquered by the Spaniards deaf places.

The nomadic peoples are

• australian aborigines
• Bedouins
• Masai
• pygmies
• Tuareg
• Mongols
• Kazakhs of China and Mongolia
• Tibetans
• gypsies
• Reindeer herders of the taiga and tundra zones of Eurasia

Historical nomadic peoples:

• Kyrgyz
• Kazakhs
• Dzungars
• Saki (Scythians)
• Avars
• Huns
• Pechenegs
• Polovtsy
• Sarmatians
• Khazars
• Xiongnu
• gypsies
• Turks
• Kalmyks

see also

• world nomad
• Vagrancy
• Nomad (film)

Notes

1. "Before European Hegemony". J.Abu-Lukhod (1989)
2. "Genghis Khan and the Creation of the Modern World". J. Weatherford (2004)
3. "The Empire of Genghis Khan". N. N. Kradin T. D. Skrynnikova // M., "Eastern Literature" RAS. 2006
4. About Polovtsian statehood - turkology.tk
5. 1. Pletneva SD. Nomads of the Middle Ages, - M., 1982. - S. 32.

Wiktionary has an article "nomad"

Literature

• Andrianov B.V. Non-settled population of the world. M.: "Nauka", 1985.
• Gaudio A. Civilizations of the Sahara. (Translated from French) M .: "Nauka", 1977.
• Kradin N. N. Nomadic societies. Vladivostok: Dal'nauka, 1992. 240 p.
• Kradin N. N. The Xiongnu Empire. 2nd ed. revised and additional Moscow: Logos, 2001/2002. 312 p.
• Kradin N. N., Skrynnikova T. D. The Empire of Genghis Khan. M.: Eastern Literature, 2006. 557 p. ISBN 5-02-018521-3
• Kradin N. N. Nomads of Eurasia. Almaty: Dyk-Press, 2007. 416 p.
• Ganiev R.T. Eastern Turkic state in the VI - VIII centuries. - Yekaterinburg: Ural University Press, 2006. - P. 152. - ISBN 5-7525-1611-0.
• Markov G.E. Nomads of Asia. Moscow: Publishing House of Moscow University, 1976.
• Masanov N. E. Nomadic civilization of the Kazakhs. M. - Almaty: Horizon; Sotsinvest, 1995. 319 p.
• Pletneva S. A. Nomads of the Middle Ages. M.: Nauka, 1983. 189 p.
• Seslavinskaya M.V. On the history of the “great gypsy migration” to Russia: sociocultural dynamics of small groups in the light of ethnic history materials // Journal of Culture. 2012, no. 2.
• Gender aspect of nomadism
• Khazanov A. M. Social history of the Scythians. M.: Nauka, 1975. 343 p.
• Khazanov A. M. Nomads and the outside world. 3rd ed. Almaty: Dyk-Press, 2000. 604 p.
• Barfield T. The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China, 221 BC to AD 1757. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 325 p.
• Humphrey C., Sneath D. The End of Nomadism? Durham: The White Horse Press, 1999. 355 p.
• Krader L. Social Organization of the Mongol-Turkic Pastoral Nomads. The Hague: Mouton, 1963.
• Khazanov A.M. Nomads and the Outside World. 2nd ed. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. 1994.
• Lattimore O. Inner Asian Frontiers of China. New York, 1940.
• Scholz F. Nomadismus. Theorie und Wandel einer sozio-ökonimischen Kulturweise. Stuttgart, 1995.

Fiction

• Esenberlin, Ilyas. Nomads. 1976.
• Shevchenko N.M. Country of Nomads. Moscow: Izvestia, 1992. 414 p.

Links

• THE NATURE OF MYTHOLOGICAL MODELING OF THE WORLD OF NOMADERS

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Nomads Information About

in the photo Potala - the royal palace and Buddhist temple complex, located in Lhasa, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China

Buddhism originated in ancient India around the 6th century BC during the era of the formation of large states in the Ganges valley. Its founder is considered to be Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who received the nickname Buddha (Enlightened One). The prince was also called Shakyamuni, which means a sage from the Shakya family. Adherents of Buddhism believe that he opened the way to exit the wheel of samsara as a result of self-improvement (methods of understanding and contemplation) and the accumulation of virtues during rebirths.

Over time, Buddhism became widespread in the countries of Central, South, Southeast and East Asia.

In Tibet, in the eastern regions of Central Asia in the 7th-14th centuries. Lamaism emerged. Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism) is a trend in Buddhism that has spread among the Mongols, Buryats, Tuvans, and Kalmyks.

This teaching gave these nomadic peoples hope for happiness, equality, justice, which were often unattainable in their difficult real life.

Lamaism largely determined the socio-cultural development of these nomadic peoples. Lamaism quickly won many adherents among the arats due to the fact that Lamaism quickly assimilated the ancient nature cults. They entered the cult system of Lamaism without changing their essence and purpose, and only the external design of the rites was supplemented with separate innovations.

Lamaism also included in its system the centuries-old traditions of these peoples. The places of worship revered by shamanists and their "owners" still remained objects of worship, but now under the names of lamaist sakhusans - "guardian geniuses". This explains the fact that Lamaism managed to quickly become an integral part of folk culture and everyday life.

For example, the ancient cult of fire entered the ritual system of Lamaism and became one of the most common cult actions in the sphere of family rituals of Lamaists. The inclusion of the cult of fire in the system of lamaistic practice was accompanied by the written fixation of rites and texts - the creation of fire sutras. The emergence of written lama texts of prayers to fire dates back to the 17th century.

In the 1930s in Siberia, Lamaism was spread on the territory of Buryatia, to a greater extent in its eastern part and slightly less in its western part. He deeply entered the life of the Buryat-Mongolian population of the region, due to which the lamas, through spiritual instructions, had the opportunity to influence significant layers of believers. Moreover, lama dignitaries in the localities were in one connection with the tribal aristocracy and noyons, whose authority among the nomadic arats was traditionally unshakable.

In the first years after the establishment of Soviet power, representatives of the lama clergy began to take an active part in the social and political life of the Buryat-Mongolian Republic, they participated in the work of various national congresses. However, the new government saw through their plan and waged a merciless struggle with it, relying on the statement of I. Stalin:

"The Party cannot be neutral with regard to religious prejudices... The Party has not deleted the item on the fight against religion from its program."

Active actions of the Soviet authorities against Lamaism began in the mid-1920s, in parallel with the first attempts at collectivization. To put pressure on the lamas, the Bolsheviks used methods already proven in the fight against the Orthodox Church: accusations of counter-revolution and, as a result, mass repressions among the clergy and laity, then ever-increasing anti-religious propaganda and exorbitant taxes on religious buildings and property of the lamas themselves.

Over the past few decades, the religious situation in Russia has undergone radical changes, people are no longer afraid to publicly declare their faith in God and their religious affiliation.

The main pillars of Lamaism

From the unification of Tibet in the 17th century until 1959, when it was completely conquered by the Chinese, the theocratic rulers of Tibet were the Dalai Lamas (great teachers). They are now regarded as the spiritual leaders of the Lamaists.

The Dalai Lama for Lamaists is the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. According to Tibetan Buddhism, bodhisattvas are deities who provide an exit from the wheel of samsara to everyone who lives in accordance with the requirements of Lamaism. Adherents of Lamaism believe that Avalokiteshvara helps mortals overcome the cycle of being.

The main collection of canonical texts in Lamaism is the Kanjur. In Tibetan, "Ganjur" means "Translation of the revelations of the Buddha." The sayings of the Buddha make up 108 volumes of the canonical texts of Lamaism. "Ganjur" consists of seven sections:

1. Dul-va- the rules established for monks;
2. Sherchin– conditions and requirements for passing the path of religious salvation;
3. Pal-cheng- pantheon, i.e. hierarchy of Buddhist gods, and spheres of their influence;
4. Kon-zeg- Buddha's statements on ontological (about being) and ethical (about morality) issues);
5. Do-de- stories about the reincarnation of the Buddha;
6. Nyigdai- description of the transition to nirvana, liberation from sorrows;
7. Jude- a description of the procedure for casting spells, magical ways of influencing the supernatural world.

In addition to "Kanjur" in Lamaism there is a commentary literature of 225 volumes called "Danjur". In Tibetan "Dandzhur" means "Translation of interpretations (teachings)."

"Danjur" consists of two sections (Jude and Do-de). It contains the works of six Buddhist authors Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Jarmakirti, as well as additions and explanations to their writings.

In general, Tibetan theology (theology) includes the works of the founder of Lamaism, Tsongkhava (1357-1419), Dalai Lamas (great teachers), chronicles of monasteries, treatises on religion, astrology, astronomy, geography, medicine, etc.

Believers are required to show respect to the lamas. Refusal to accept teaching from a lama, disrespect for the clergy are included in the list of 10 "black" sins in Lamaism. In addition, murder, theft, lying, greed, envy, slander, malice, false views are considered sins.

In the next article, we will try to analyze why Tibet, the cradle of Lamaism, still remains one of the poorest areas in China, with historically very low levels of health and education.

Modern Tibetan woman breastfeeding her baby / AFP / Getty Images

Notes of Russian researchers of the XIX century. read about the religious beliefs of the Mongols of that time.

Sources:

1. Galdanova G.R. "The cult of fire among the Mongolian-speaking peoples and its reflection in Lamaism" / Soviet ethnography. 1980. No. 3. S. 94-100.
2. Zandanova L.V., Palamarchuk A.V. "The fight against Lamaism in Eastern Siberia in the 1930s: documents testify" / Humanitarian vector. 2016. V. 11. No. 4. S. 93-98.
3. Kulikova E.A. "Buddhism and Lamaism: the prerequisites for the emergence and essence of the doctrine" / Collections of conferences of the Research Center Sociosphere. 2016. No. 19. P. 45-49.

Our ancient ancestors, the Turks, led the mobile, i.e. nomadic, way of life, moving from one place of residence to another. That is why they were called nomads. Ancient written sources, historical works describing the way of life of nomads have been preserved. In some writings they are called bold, courageous, united nomadic pastoralists, brave warriors, while in others, on the contrary, they are represented as savages, barbarians, invaders of other peoples.

Why did the Turks lead a nomadic lifestyle? As mentioned above, the basis of their economy was cattle breeding. They mainly raised horses, kept large and small cattle, as well as camels. Animals were grazing throughout the year. People were forced to move to a new place when the old pastures were depleted. Thus, two or three times a year the places of parking - nomad camps - changed.

To lead such a lifestyle, large expanses were required. Therefore, the Turks mastered more and more new lands. The nomadic way of life was a peculiar way of nature protection. If the cattle were always in the same place, then the steppe meadows would soon be completely destroyed. For the same reason, it was difficult to engage in agriculture in the steppe, a thin fertile layer quickly collapsed. As a result of the migrations, the soil did not have time to be depleted, but on the contrary, by the time of the new return, the meadows were again covered with thick grass.

Yurt nomads

We all know very well that people did not always live, as we do now, in large stone apartment buildings with all amenities. The Turks, leading a nomadic lifestyle, lived in yurts. There was little wood in the steppe, but there was an abundance of livestock that provided wool. Not surprisingly, the walls of the yurt were made of felt (compressed wool), dressed on a wooden lattice frame. Two or three people could very quickly, in just an hour, assemble or dismantle the yurt. The dismantled yurt was easily transported on horses or camels.

The method of location and the internal arrangement of the yurt were strictly determined by tradition. The yurt was always installed on a flat open sunny place. She served the Turks not only as a dwelling, but also as a kind of sundial. For this, the dwellings of the ancient Turks were oriented with the door to the east. With this arrangement, the doors also served as an additional source of light. The fact is that there were no windows in the yurts and on warm days the doors of the dwelling were open.

Interior decoration of the yurt of nomads

The inner space of the yurt was conditionally divided into two parts. Usually, the side to the left of the entrance was considered male. The owner's belongings, his weapons and tools, horse harness were kept here. The opposite side was considered to be female, dishes and other household utensils, women's and children's things were stored there. This division was also observed during feasts. In some yurts, special curtains were used to separate the female part from the male part.

There was a hearth in the very center of the yurt. In the center of the vault, directly above the hearth, there was a smoke hole (chimney), which was the only "window" of the nomadic dwelling. The walls of the yurt were decorated with felt and woolen carpets, colorful fabrics. In rich and prosperous families, silk fabrics were hung. The floor was earthen, so it was covered with felt mats and animal skins.

The part of the yurt opposite the entrance was considered the most honorable. Family heirlooms were exhibited there; old people and especially honored guests were invited to this part. The hosts usually sat with their legs crossed, and the guests were offered small stools or sat them directly on the floor, on bedding skins or felt mats. The yurts could also have low tables.

Rules of conduct in the yurt

The ancient Turks had their own customs and traditions associated with the rules of behavior in the yurt, and everyone in the family tried to observe them. Their violation was considered bad form, a sign of bad manners, and sometimes even could offend the owners. For example, at the entrance it was impossible to step on the threshold, sit on it. A guest who deliberately stepped on the threshold was considered an enemy, announcing his evil intentions to the host. The Turks tried to instill in their children a respectful attitude to the fire of the hearth. It was forbidden to pour water, and even more so to spit into the fire, it was impossible to stick a knife into the hearth, touch the fire with a knife or a sharp object, throw garbage, rags into it. It was believed that this offends the spirit of the hearth. It was forbidden to transfer the fire of the hearth to another yurt. It was believed that then happiness could leave the house.

Transition to settled life

Over time, when the ancient Turks, in addition to cattle breeding, began to engage in other types of economic activity, their living conditions also changed. Many of them begin to lead a sedentary lifestyle. Now yurts alone were not enough for them. There are also other types of housing that are more consistent with a settled way of life. Using reeds or wood, they begin to build dugouts that go one meter deep into the ground.

Steps made of stone or wood led into the house. If the doorway was small, then it was closed with a wooden door. Wide openings were hung with animal skins or a felt blanket. In the hut, bunks and beds were made, traditionally located along the front of the hut. The floors were earthen. Mats woven from bast were laid on them. Felt mats were placed over the matting. Shelves were used to store dishes and other household utensils. The dugouts were lit with fat and oil lamps made of clay. As a rule, there was no heating in dugouts, very rarely traces of a hearth are found in them. Perhaps their inhabitants were warmed by the heat of braziers in winter.

Such a dwelling required constant cleaning and airing to protect it from dampness, dust and soot. Our ancestors sought to keep clean not only their homes, but also the territory surrounding the house. In Bulgar, archaeologists have found small streets covered with wooden flooring.

The first wooden houses of nomads

Gradually, houses begin to be built from oak or pine logs in the form of a log house. As a rule, people of the same profession settled in the neighborhood, the masters lived near their workshops. This is how settlements of potters, tanners, blacksmiths, etc. arose. The Bulgars engaged in agriculture had cellars (grain pits sheathed with boards) and hand mills in almost every household. They baked bread and other flour products themselves. Archaeologists find traces of semicircular stoves in the excavations of the Bulgar settlements, in which food was cooked, with which the dwelling was heated.

The tradition of dividing the dwelling into two parts, common among nomadic peoples, was preserved at that time. The main part of the house was occupied by the front part of the house with a stove - "tur yak". The basis of the situation was bunks (wide plank platform), located along the front wall. At night they slept on them, during the day, removing the bedding, they laid the table on them. Duvet covers, large pillows and quilts were stacked on one side of the bunks against the side wall. If there was a table, it was usually placed against the side wall near the window or in the wall between the windows. At this time, tables, as a rule, were used only for storing clean dishes.

Chests were used to store festive clothes and decorations. They were placed near the stove. Honored guests were usually placed on these chests. Behind the stove was the female half, where there were also couches. During the day, food was prepared here, and at night, women and children slept. Outsiders were not allowed to enter this part of the house. Of the men, only the husband and father-in-law could enter here, as well as, in special cases, mullahs and doctors.

Tableware. The ancient Turks used mainly wooden or earthenware, and in more prosperous families - metal. Most families made clay and wooden utensils with their own hands. But gradually, with the development of crafts, craftsmen engaged in the manufacture of dishes for sale appeared. They met both in large cities and in villages. Pottery was originally shaped by hand, but then the potter's wheel began to be used. Masters used local raw materials - clean, well-mixed clay. Pitchers, kumgans, piggy banks, dishes and even water pipes were made from clay. Dishes fired in special ovens were decorated with extruded ornaments and painted with bright colors.

Khans' palaces

When the Turks led a semi-nomadic lifestyle, the khan had two dwellings. Winter palace made of stone and summer yurt. Of course, the Khan's palace was distinguished by its large size and interior decoration. It had many rooms and a throne room.

In the front corner of the throne room was a luxurious royal throne, covered with expensive overseas fabrics. The left side of the royal throne was considered honorable, therefore, during the ceremonies, the wife of the khan and the most dear guests sat on the left hand of the khan. On the right hand of the khan were the leaders of the tribes. Guests, entering the throne room, as a sign of respect, had to remove their hats and kneel, thus welcoming the ruler.
During feasts, the ruler himself was to taste the dishes first, and then treat his guests in turn. He personally handed out a piece of meat to each of the guests, according to seniority.

Only after that it was possible to proceed to the feast. The festive feasts of the Bulgar nobility continued for a long time. Here they read poems, competed in eloquence, sang, danced and played various musical instruments. Thus, the Turks were able to adapt to a variety of living conditions. As the environment changed, so did the way of life, and even the types of housing. Love for work and loyalty to the customs and traditions of their ancestors remained unchanged.

Hello, dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!

It took hundreds of years of world history for the peoples inhabiting the Earth to settle where they live now, but even today, not all people lead a sedentary lifestyle. In today's article, we want to tell you about who the nomads are.

Who can be called nomads, what they do, what peoples belong to them - you will learn all this below. We will also show how nomads live on the example of the life of one of the most famous nomadic peoples - the Mongolian.

Nomads - who are they?

Thousands of years ago, the territory of Europe and Asia was not dotted with cities and villages, people moved from place to place in search of fertile, favorable lands for life.

Gradually, peoples settled in certain areas near water bodies, forming settlements, which later united into states. However, some peoples, especially the ancient steppe ones, continued to constantly change their place of residence, and remained nomads.

The word "nomad" comes from the Turkic "kosh", which means "village along the road." In the Russian language there are the concepts of "kosh ataman", as well as "Cossack", which, according to etymology, are considered related to him.

By definition, nomads are people who, together with the herd, moved from one place to another several times a year in search of food, water, and fertile land. They do not have a permanent place of residence, a specific route, statehood. People formed an ethnos, a people or a tribe of several families, headed by a leader.

An interesting fact was revealed in the course of research - the birth rate among nomads is lower compared to settled peoples.

The main occupation of the nomads is animal husbandry. Their livelihood is animals: camels, yaks, goats, horses, cattle. All of them ate pasture, that is, grass, so almost every season the people had to leave the parking lot for a new territory in order to find another, more fertile pasture and improve the well-being of the tribe as a whole.

If we talk about what the nomads did, then the type of their activity is not limited to cattle breeding. They were also:

• farmers;
• artisans;
• merchants;
• hunters;
• collectors;
• fishermen;
• hired workers;
• warriors;
• robbers.

Nomads often raided settled livestock breeders, trying to win back "tidbits" of land from them. Curiously enough, they won quite often because they were more physically enduring due to the harsher living conditions. Many major conquerors: Mongol-Tatars, Scythians, Aryans, Sarmatians were among them.

Some nationalities, for example, the gypsies, made a living from the art of theater, music, and dance.

The great Russian scientist Lev Gumilyov - orientalist, historian, ethnologist and son of the poets Nikolai Gumilyov and Anna Akhmatova - studied the life of nomadic ethnicgroupsand wrote a treatise "Climate Change and Nomadic Migration".

peoples

From the point of view of geography, several large nomadic areas can be distinguished around the world:

• Middle Eastern tribes breeding horses, camels, donkeys - Kurds, Pashtuns, Bakhtiyars;
• desert Arab territories, including the Sahara, where camels are mainly used - Bedouins, Tuareg;
• East African savannas - Masai, Dinka;
• the highlands of Asia - the Tibetan, Pamir territories, as well as the South American Andes;
• Australian aborigines;
• northern peoples who breed deer - Chukchi, Evenks;
• steppe peoples of Central Asia - Mongols, Turks and other representatives of the Altaic language group.

The latter are the most numerous and are of the greatest interest, if only because some of them have retained a nomadic way of life. These included peoples who showed their power: the Huns, Turks, Mongols, Chinese dynasties, Manchus, Persians, Scythians, the predecessors of the current Japanese.

Chinese yuan - the currency of the Celestial Empire - is named so thanks to nomads of the Yuan clan.

They also included:

• Kazakhs;
• Kyrgyz;
• Tuvans;
• Buryats;
• Kalmyks;
• Avars;
• Uzbeks.

Eastern peoples were forced to survive in harsh conditions: open winds, dry summers, severe frosts in the winter season, snowstorms. As a result, the lands were infertile, and even a crop that had come up could die from weather conditions, so people mainly bred animals.

Modern nomads

Today, Asian nomads are concentrated mainly in Tibet and Mongolia. The revival of nomadism was noticed after the collapse of the USSR in the former Soviet republics, but now this process is coming to naught.

The thing is that it is not profitable for the state: it is difficult to control the movement of people, as well as to receive tax collections. Nomads, constantly changing their place of residence, occupy large territories that are economically more expedient to turn into agricultural land.

In the modern world, the concept of "neo-nomads" or "nomads" has become popular. It refers to people who are not tied to a particular job, city or even country and travel, changing their place of residence several times a year. They usually include actors, politicians, guest workers, athletes, seasonal workers, freelancers.

Occupation and life of the nomads of Mongolia

Most modern Mongols living outside the city live traditionally - just like their ancestors a few centuries ago. Their main activity is animal husbandry.

Because of this, they move twice every year - in summer and winter. In winter, people settle in the high mountain valleys, where they build pens for livestock. In summer they go down below, where there is more room and enough pasture.

The modern inhabitants of Mongolia usually do not go beyond the boundaries of one region in their movements. The concept of the tribe has also lost its significance, mostly decisions are made at a family meeting, although the main ones are also turned for advice. People live in small groups in several families, settling close to each other.

There are twenty times more heads of domestic animals in Mongolia than people.

From domestic animals, sheep, bulls, large and small cattle are bred. For a small community, a whole herd of horses is often recruited. A kind of transport is a camel.

Sheep are bred not only for meat, but also for wool. The Mongols learned how to make thin, thick, white, dark yarn. Coarse is used for the construction of traditional houses, carpets. More delicate things are made from thin light threads: hats, clothes.

Warm clothes are made of leather, fur, woolen material. Household items like dishes or utensils should not be fragile due to constant movement, so it is made from wood or even leather.

Families living near mountains, forests or water bodies are also engaged in crop production, fishing, and hunting. Hunters go with dogs on mountain goats, wild boars, deer.

dwelling

The Mongolian house, as you may already know from our previous articles, is called.

Most of the population lives in them.

Even in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, where new buildings rise, there are entire blocks on the outskirts with hundreds of yurts.

The dwelling consists of a wooden frame, which is covered with felt. Thanks to this design, the dwellings are light, almost weightless, so it is convenient to transport them from one place to another, and in a couple of hours three people can easily disassemble and assemble it again.

To the left of the yurt is the male part - the owner of the house lives here and tools for breeding animals and hunting, such as a horse team, weapons, are stored. On the right is the women's part, where kitchen utensils, cleaning products, dishes, and children's things are located.

In the center is the hearth - the main place in the house. Above it is a hole from where smoke comes out, it is also the only window. On a sunny day, the door is usually left open to allow more light into the yurt.

Opposite the entrance is a kind of living room, where it is customary to meet honored guests. Along the perimeter there are beds, wardrobes, bedside tables of family members.

Often in dwellings you can find TVs, computers. Usually there is no electricity, but today solar panels are used to solve this problem. There is no running water either, and all the amenities are outside.

Traditions

Everyone who has had a chance to get to know the Mongols closely will note their incredible hospitality, patience, hardy and unpretentious character. These features are also reflected in folk art, which is represented mainly by the epic, glorifying heroes.

Many traditions in Mongolia are associated with Buddhist culture, from which many rituals originate. Shamanic rituals are also common here.

The inhabitants of Mongolia are superstitious by nature, so their life is woven from a series of protective rites. They especially try to protect children from unclean forces with the help of, for example, special names or clothes.

Mongols love to take a break from everyday life during the holidays. The event that people are waiting for the whole year is Tsagaan Sar, the Buddhist New Year. You can read about how it is celebrated in Mongolia.

Another major holiday that lasts more than one day is Nadom. This is a kind of festival during which various games, contests, archery competitions, horse races are held.

Conclusion

Summing up, we note once again that nomads are peoples who change their place of residence seasonally. Basically, they are engaged in breeding large and small livestock, which explains their constant movement.

In history, there were many nomadic groups on almost all continents. The most famous nomads of our time are the Mongols, whose way of life has changed little over several centuries. They still live in yurts, livestock, and move within the country in summer and winter.

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! We hope that you have found answers to your questions and were able to learn more about the life of modern nomads.

And subscribe to our blog - we will send you new exciting articles by mail!

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νομάδες , nomades- nomads) - a special type of economic activity and the sociocultural characteristics associated with it, in which the majority of the population is engaged in extensive nomadic pastoralism. In some cases, nomads refer to all those who lead a mobile lifestyle (wandering hunter-gatherers, a number of slash-and-burn farmers and sea peoples of Southeast Asia, migratory populations such as gypsies, etc.)

Etymology of the word

During the Xiongnu period, direct contacts were established between China and Rome. The Mongol conquests played a particularly important role. As a result, a single chain of international trade, technological and cultural exchanges was formed. Apparently, as a result of these processes, gunpowder, the compass, and book printing came to Western Europe. In some works, this period is called "medieval globalization". Modernization and decline With the beginning of modernization, the nomads were unable to compete with the industrial economy. The appearance of repeating firearms and artillery gradually put an end to their military power. Nomads began to be involved in modernization processes as a subordinate party. As a result, the nomadic economy began to change, the social organization was deformed, and painful acculturation processes began. In the twentieth century in the socialist countries, attempts were made to carry out forced collectivization and sedenterization, which ended in failure. After the collapse of the socialist system in many countries there was a nomadization of the way of life of pastoralists, a return to semi-natural methods of farming. In countries with a market economy, the processes of adaptation of nomads are also very painful, accompanied by the ruin of pastoralists, erosion of pastures, rising unemployment and poverty. Currently, approximately 35-40 million people. continues to engage in nomadic pastoralism (Northern, Central and Inner Asia, the Middle East, Africa). In countries such as Niger, Somalia, Mauritania and others, pastoral nomads make up the majority of the population. In everyday consciousness, the point of view prevails that the nomads were only a source of aggression and robbery. In reality, there was a wide range of different forms of contacts between the settled and the steppe world, from military confrontation and conquest to peaceful trade contacts. Nomads have played an important role in human history. They contributed to the development of little habitable territories. Thanks to their intermediary activities, trade relations were established between civilizations, technological, cultural and other innovations were spread. Many nomad societies have contributed to the treasury of world culture, the ethnic history of the world. However, having a huge military potential, the nomads also had a significant destructive impact on the historical process; as a result of their destructive invasions, many cultural values, peoples and civilizations were destroyed. A number of modern cultures are rooted in nomadic traditions, but the nomadic way of life is gradually disappearing - even in developing countries. Many of the nomadic peoples today are under the threat of assimilation and loss of identity, since in the rights for the use of land they can hardly compete with settled neighbors. Nomadism and sedentary lifestyle : Invalid or missing image This section is missing information. However, a sedentary lifestyle, of course, has its advantages over a nomadic one, and the emergence of cities - fortresses and other cultural centers, and first of all - the creation of regular armies, often built on a nomadic model: Iranian and Roman cataphracts adopted from the Parthians; Chinese armored cavalry, built on the model of the Hunnic and Turkic; the Russian noble cavalry, which absorbed the traditions of the Tatar army along with emigrants from the Golden Horde, which was experiencing turmoil; etc., over time, made it possible for sedentary peoples to successfully resist the raids of nomads, who never sought to completely destroy settled peoples, since they could not fully exist without a dependent settled population and exchange with it, voluntary or forced, of agricultural products, cattle breeding and crafts . Omelyan Pritsak gives the following explanation for the constant raids of nomads on settled territories: “The reasons for this phenomenon should not be sought in the innate tendency of nomads to robbery and bloodshed. Rather, we are talking about a well-thought-out economic policy.” . Meanwhile, in epochs of internal weakening, even highly developed civilizations often perished or were significantly weakened as a result of massive raids by nomads. Although for the most part the aggression of the nomadic tribes was directed towards their neighbors, the nomads, often the raids on the settled tribes ended in the assertion of the dominance of the nomadic nobility over the agricultural peoples. For example, the rule of nomads over certain parts of China, and sometimes over all of China, was repeated many times in its history. Another famous example of this is the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, which fell under the onslaught of "barbarians" during the "great migration of peoples", mainly in the past of settled tribes, and not the nomads themselves, from whom they fled in the territory of their Roman allies, however, the end result was disastrous for the Western Roman Empire, which remained under the control of the barbarians despite all the attempts of the Eastern Roman Empire to return these territories in the 6th century, which for the most part was also the result of the onslaught of nomads (Arabs) on the eastern borders of the Empire. Nomadism not related to pastoralism In various countries, there are ethnic minorities leading a nomadic lifestyle, but engaged not in cattle breeding, but in various crafts, trade, divination, professional performance of songs and dances. These are gypsies, yenishes, Irish travelers and others. Such "nomads" travel in camps, usually living in vehicles or random premises, often non-residential. In relation to such citizens, the authorities often used measures aimed at forcible assimilation into a "civilized" society. Measures are currently being taken by the authorities of various countries to monitor the performance of such persons by parental responsibilities in relation to young children who, as a result of the lifestyle of their parents, do not always receive the benefits that are due to them in the field of education and health. Before the Swiss federal authorities, the interests of the Yenish are represented by the founded in 1975 (de: Radgenossenschaft der Landstrasse), which, along with the Yenish, also represents other "nomadic" peoples - Roma and Sinti. The Company receives subventions (target subsidies) from the state. Since 1979 the Society has been a member of the International Union of Gypsies ( English), IRU. Despite this, the official position of the society is to defend the interests of the Yenish as a separate people. According to Switzerland's international treaties and the verdict of the Federal Court, the cantonal authorities are obliged to provide the nomadic Yenish groups with a place for camping and crossings, as well as to ensure the possibility of school attendance for school-age children. The nomadic peoples are [[C:Wikipedia:Articles without sources (country: Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#property" was not found. )]][[C:Wikipedia:Articles without sources (country: Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#property" was not found. )]] Reindeer herders of the taiga and tundra zones of Eurasia Historical nomadic peoples: see also Write a review on the article "Nomads" Notes Literature Andrianov B.V. Non-settled population of the world. M.: "Nauka", 1985. Gaudio A. Civilizations of the Sahara. (Translated from French) M .: "Nauka", 1977. Kradin N. N. Nomadic societies. Vladivostok: Dal'nauka, 1992. 240 p. Kradin N. N. The Xiongnu Empire. 2nd ed. revised and additional Moscow: Logos, 2001/2002. 312 p. Kradin N. N., Skrynnikova T. D. The Empire of Genghis Khan. M.: Eastern Literature, 2006. 557 p. ISBN 5-02-018521-3 Kradin N. N. Nomads of Eurasia. Almaty: Dyk-Press, 2007. 416 p. Ganiev R.T. Eastern Turkic state in the VI - VIII centuries. - Yekaterinburg: Ural University Press, 2006. - P. 152. - ISBN 5-7525-1611-0. Markov G.E. Nomads of Asia. Moscow: Publishing House of Moscow University, 1976. Masanov N. E. Nomadic civilization of the Kazakhs. M. - Almaty: Horizon; Sotsinvest, 1995. 319 p. Pletneva S. A. Nomads of the Middle Ages. M.: Nauka, 1983. 189 p. On the history of the "great gypsy migration" to Russia: socio-cultural dynamics of small groups in the light of materials from ethnic history // Journal of Culture. 2012, no. 2. Khazanov A. M. Social history of the Scythians. M.: Nauka, 1975. 343 p. Khazanov A. M. Nomads and the outside world. 3rd ed. Almaty: Dyk-Press, 2000. 604 p. Barfield T. The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China, 221 BC to AD 1757. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 325 p. Humphrey C., Sneath D. The End of Nomadism? Durham: The White Horse Press, 1999. 355 p. Krader L. Social Organization of the Mongol-Turkic Pastoral Nomads. The Hague: Mouton, 1963. Khazanov A.M. Nomads and the Outside World. 2nd ed. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. 1994. Lattimore O. Inner Asian Frontiers of China. New York, 1940. Scholz F. Nomadismus. Theorie und Wandel einer sozio-ökonimischen Kulturweise. Stuttgart, 1995. Fiction Esenberlin, Ilyas. Nomads. 1976. Shevchenko N.M. Country of Nomads. Moscow: Izvestia, 1992. 414 p. Links An excerpt characterizing the Nomads This sad picture made my heart ache sharply and treacherously tingle in my eyes ... I suddenly felt wildly sorry for this wonderful, brave girl ... And I could not even imagine how she, poor thing, could be completely alone, in in this terrible, sinister world, to stand up for yourself?! Stella's eyes also suddenly shone with moisture - apparently, she was visited by similar thoughts. “Forgive me, Maria, how did your Dean die?” I finally decided to ask. The girl raised her tear-stained face at us, in my opinion, not even understanding what she was being asked about. She was very far away... Perhaps where her faithful friend was still alive, where she was not so lonely, where everything was clear and good... And the little girl did not want to come back here. Today's world was evil and dangerous, and she had no one else to rely on, and no one to protect her ... Finally, taking a deep breath and heroically gathering her emotions into a fist, Maria told us the sad story of Dina's death ... - I was with my mother, and my kind Dean, as always, guarded us ... And then suddenly a terrible man appeared from somewhere. He was very bad. I wanted to run away from him, wherever my eyes looked, but I just could not understand why ... He was just like us, even handsome, just very unpleasant. Horror and death emanated from him. And he laughed all the time. And from this laughter, my mother and I froze the blood ... He wanted to take my mother with him, said that she would serve him ... And my mother escaped, but, of course, he was much stronger ... And then Dean tried to protect us, which he had always been able to do before. Only the man was probably somehow special... He threw a strange orange "flame" at Dean, which could not be extinguished... And when, even burning, Dean tried to protect us, the man killed him with blue lightning, which suddenly "flared" from his hand. That's how my Dean died... And now I'm alone. – Where is your mother? Stella asked. “Mom is still here,” the little girl was embarrassed. “It’s just that she gets angry very often ... And now we have no protection. Now we're all alone... Stella and I looked at each other... It was felt that both of them had the same thought at the same time - the Luminary!.. He was strong and kind. It only remained to hope that he would have a desire to help this unfortunate, lonely girl, and become her real protector, at least until she returns to her "good and kind" world... “Where is this terrible man now?” Do you know where he went? I asked impatiently. Why didn't he take your mother with him? I don't know, maybe he'll come back. I don't know where he went and I don't know who he is. But he is very, very angry... Why is he so angry, girls? Well, we'll find out, I promise you. Now, would you like to see a good man? He is also here, but, unlike that "terrible", he is really very good. He can be your friend while you're here, if you want to be. Friends call him Luminary. - Oh, what a beautiful name! And good... Maria little by little began to come to life, and when we suggested that she meet a new friend, she, although not very confident, nevertheless agreed. A familiar cave appeared before us, and golden and warm sunlight poured out of it. – Oh, look!.. It's the sun?!.. It's just like the real one!.. And how did it get here? - stared dumbfounded at such an unusual beauty for this terrible place, baby. “It is the real thing,” Stella smiled. We just created it. Go look! Maria timidly slipped into the cave, and immediately, as we expected, an enthusiastic squeal was heard ... She jumped out completely stunned and from surprise she still couldn’t connect two words, although her eyes were wide open with complete delight, it was clear that she certainly had something to say ... Stella affectionately hugged the girl by the shoulders and returned her back to the cave. .. which, to our great surprise, turned out to be empty... “Well, where is my new friend?” – upset asked Maria. "Didn't you expect to find him here?" Stella could not understand in any way what could happen that would force the Luminary to leave his "solar" abode? .. - Maybe something happened? I asked a completely stupid question. - Well, of course - it happened! Otherwise, he would never have left. “Maybe that evil person was here too?” Maria asked fearfully. To be honest, I also had such a thought, but I didn’t have time to express it for the simple reason that, leading three kids, Luminary appeared ... The kids were mortally frightened of something and, shaking like autumn leaves, timidly huddled to the Luminary, afraid to move away from him at least a step. But childish curiosity soon clearly overcame fear, and, looking out from behind the broad back of their protector, they looked at our unusual trio in surprise ... As for us, we, forgetting even to say hello, probably stared at the kids with even greater curiosity, trying to figure out where they could come from in the “lower astral plane”, and what exactly happened here... – Hello, dear... You shouldn't have come here. Something bad is going on here... – Svetilo greeted affectionately. “Well, one could hardly expect anything good here ...” Stella commented with a sad smile. – But how did it happen that you left?!... After all, any “bad” could come here during this time and occupy all this... “Well, then you would have “turned” everything back ...” the Light replied simply. At this point, we both stared at him in surprise - this was the most appropriate word that could be used to name this process. But how could the Sunlight know him?! After all, he didn’t understand anything about it!.. Or did he understand, but didn’t say anything about it?... – During this time, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, dear… – as if answering our thoughts, he calmly said. “I'm trying to survive here, and with your help I'm starting to understand something. And that I bring someone, so I cannot enjoy such beauty alone, when only behind the wall such small ones are shaking in terrible horror ... All this is not for me if I cannot help ... I looked at Stella - she looked very proud, and, of course, she was right. It was not in vain that she created this wonderful world for him - the Luminary was truly worth it. But he himself, like a big child, did not understand this at all. It's just that his heart was too big and kind and didn't want to accept help if he couldn't share it with someone else... – How did they get here? Stella asked pointing at the frightened kids. - Oh, it's a long story. I visited them from time to time, they came to my father and mother from the upper “floor” ... Sometimes I took them to my place in order to save them from trouble. They are small, they did not understand how dangerous it was. Mom and dad were here, so it seemed to them that everything was fine ... And all the time I was afraid that they would understand the danger when it was already too late ... So this same “late” just happened ... What did their parents do to get them here? And why did they all “leave” at the same time? They died, didn't they? – could not stop, compassionate Stella. – In order to save their babies, their parents had to kill other people... That's what they paid posthumously here. Like all of us... But now they are no longer here either... They are nowhere else... - the Sunlight whispered very sadly. - How - nowhere? But what happened? Did they manage to die here too?! How did this happen? .. - Stella was surprised. The luminary nodded. "They were killed by a human, if 'it' can be called a human... He's a monster... I'm trying to find him... to destroy him." We immediately stared at Maria in unison. Again it was some kind of terrible person, and again he killed ... Apparently, this was the same one who killed her Dean. “This girl, her name is Maria, has lost her only defense, her friend, who was also killed by a “man.” I think it's the same one. How can we find it? You know? - He will come himself ... - the Sunlight answered quietly, and pointed to the kids clinging to him. - He will come for them ... He accidentally let them go, I prevented him. Stella and I got big, big, spikey goosebumps on our backs... It sounded ominous... And we were not yet old enough to destroy someone so easily, and we didn’t even know if we could... It’s all very simple in books - good heroes defeat monsters... But in reality everything is much more complicated. And even if you are sure that it is evil, it takes a lot of courage to defeat it... We knew how to do good, which not everyone can do either... But how to take someone's life, even the worst , neither Stella nor I had yet somehow had to learn ... And without trying this, we could not be absolutely sure that our same "courage" at the most necessary moment would not let us down. I didn’t even notice that the Sun was watching us very seriously all this time. And, of course, our confused faces spoke to him about all the “hesitations” and “fears” better than any, even the longest confession ... – You are right, my dears – only fools are not afraid to kill... or monsters... And a normal person will never get used to it... especially if he has never even tried it. But you don't have to try. I won't allow it... Because even if you righteously defend someone and take revenge, it will burn your souls... And you'll never be the same again... Trust me. Suddenly, a terrible laughter was heard right behind the wall, chilling the soul with its wildness ... The kids squealed, and all at once fell to the floor. Stella feverishly tried to close the cave with her protection, but, apparently because of strong excitement, she did not succeed ... Maria stood motionless, white as death, and it was clear that the state of shock she had recently experienced was returning to her. “He is…” the girl whispered in horror. “He killed Dean… And he will kill all of us…” - Well, we'll see about that. - Deliberately, very confidently said the Sun. - You haven't seen them! Hold on, Maria girl. The chuckle continued. And I suddenly realized very clearly that a person could not laugh like that! Even the most "lower astral"... Something in it all was wrong, something did not fit... It was more like a farce. To some kind of fake performance, with a very terrible, deadly end ... And then, finally, it “lighted up” on me - he was not the person he looked like !!! It was just a human mask, but the inside was terrible, alien ... And, it wasn’t, - I decided to try to fight it. But, if I knew the outcome, I probably would never have tried ... The little ones with Maria hid in a deep niche that the sunlight did not reach. Stella and I stood inside, trying to somehow keep, for some reason, torn all the time, protection. And the Sun, trying to maintain iron calmness, met this unfamiliar monster at the entrance to the cave, and, as I understood, was not going to let him in there. Suddenly my heart ached a lot, as if in anticipation of some great misfortune .... A bright blue flame flared up - we all gasped in unison ... What a minute ago was the Luminary, in just one short moment turned into “nothing”, without even starting to resist ... Flashing with a transparent blue haze, he went into distant eternity, not leaving a trace in this world... We did not have time to get scared, as immediately after the incident, a terrible person appeared in the aisle. He was very tall and surprisingly... handsome. But all his beauty was spoiled by the vile expression of cruelty and death on his refined face, and there was also some kind of terrifying “degeneration” in him, if you can somehow define it ... And then, I suddenly remembered Maria’s words about her “horror movie " Dina. She was absolutely right - beauty can be surprisingly scary ... but the good "terrible" can be deeply and strongly loved ... The creepy man laughed wildly again... His laughter echoed painfully in my brain, digging into it with thousands of the finest needles, and my numb body weakened, gradually becoming almost “wooden”, as if under the strongest alien influence ... The sound of crazy laughter like fireworks scattered into millions of unfamiliar shades, immediately sharp fragments returning back to the brain. And then I finally realized - it really was something like a powerful "hypnosis", which, with its unusual sound, constantly increased fear, making us panicky afraid of this person. - So what - how long are you going to laugh ?! Or are you afraid to speak? And then we are tired of listening to you, all this nonsense! – unexpectedly for myself, I rudely shouted. I had no idea what came over me, and where did I suddenly get so much courage?! Because fear was already making me dizzy, and my legs gave way, as if I was going to fall asleep right now, on the floor of this very cave ... But it’s not for nothing that they say that sometimes people are able to perform feats out of fear ... Here I am, I was probably already so “outrageously” afraid that I somehow managed to forget about the same fear ... Fortunately, the scary person did not notice anything - apparently he was kicked out by the fact that I suddenly dared to speak to him so brazenly. And I continued, feeling that it was necessary at all costs to break this "conspiracy" as quickly as possible ... - Well, how about we talk a little, or can you just laugh? Have you been taught to speak? I deliberately angered him as best I could, trying to unsettle him, but at the same time I was wildly afraid that he would show us that he could not only speak ... Glancing quickly at Stella, I tried to convey to her the picture that always saved us , green ray (this “green ray” simply meant a very dense, concentrated energy flow emanating from a green crystal that my distant “star friends” once gave me, and whose energy apparently was very different in quality from the “earthly”, therefore it worked it almost always fails). The girlfriend nodded, and before the terrible man had time to come to his senses, we together hit him right in the heart ... if, of course, it was there at all ... The creature howled (I already realized that it was not a person), and began to writhe, like would “tear off” from himself, which interfered with him, someone else’s “earthly” body ... We hit again. And then suddenly they saw two different entities, which, tightly clinging, flashing with blue lightning, rolled on the floor, as if trying to incinerate each other ... One of them was the same beautiful human, and the second ... such horror was impossible with a normal brain neither imagine nor imagine... On the floor, violently grappling with a man, something incredibly terrible and evil was rolling, similar to a two-headed monster, flowing with green saliva and "smiling" with bared knife-like fangs... The green, scaly-serpentine body of the terrifying the creatures were astonishing with their flexibility and it was clear that a person could not stand it for a long time, and that if he was not helped, then this poor fellow would have nothing left to live, even in this terrible world ... I saw that Stella was trying her best to hit, but she was afraid of hurting the person she really wanted to help. And then, suddenly, Maria jumped out of her hiding place, and ... somehow grabbing a terrible creature by the neck, flashed for a second with a bright torch and ... ceased to live forever ... We did not even have time to scream, and even more so, to understand something, and the fragile, brave girl sacrificed herself without hesitation so that some other good person could win, remaining to live in her place ... My heart literally stopped from pain. Stella began to sob... And on the floor of the cave lay an unusually handsome and powerful man. Only now he didn’t look strong at all, rather, on the contrary, he seemed dying and very vulnerable ... The monster disappeared. And, to our surprise, the pressure was immediately removed, which just a minute ago threatened to completely crush our brains. Stella came closer to the stranger and timidly touched his high forehead with her palm - the man did not show any signs of life. And only from the still slightly trembling eyelids it was clear that he was still here, with us, and had not completely died, so that, like the Sun with Mary, he would never live anywhere else ... – But what about Maria… How could she?! on the chest. – And the Luminary... Well, how is it?... Well, tell me?! How so!!! It's not a victory at all, it's worse than a defeat!.. You can't win at such a price!.. What could I say to her?! I, like her, was very sad and hurt ... The loss burned my soul, leaving deep bitterness in such a still fresh memory and seemed to imprint this terrible moment there forever ... But I had to somehow get together, because nearby, timidly clinging to each other, stood very small, mortally frightened children, who were very scared at that moment and who had no one to calm or caress. So, forcing my pain as deep as possible and smiling warmly at the little ones, I asked them their names. The kids did not answer, but only clung to each other even tighter, completely unaware of what was happening, nor where did their new, newly found friend, with a very kind and warm name - Luminary.... Stella, huddled up, sat on a pebble and, sobbing softly, wiped her still flowing, burning tears with her fist ... Her whole fragile, shriveled figure expressed the deepest sadness ... And now, looking at her, so mourning, and so unlike on my usual “bright Stella”, I suddenly felt terribly cold and scared, as if, in one short moment, the whole bright and sunny Stella’s world went out completely, and instead of it we were now surrounded only by dark, soul-scraping emptiness... For some reason, Stellino's usual high-speed "self-deception" did not work this time... Apparently, it was too painful to lose friends dear to her heart, especially knowing that, no matter how much she missed them later, she would not see them anywhere else and never... It was not an ordinary bodily death, when we all get a great chance to incarnate again. It was their soul that died ... And Stella knew that neither the brave girl Maria, nor the "eternal warrior" Luminary, nor even the ugly, kind Dean, would ever incarnate, sacrificing their eternal life for others, perhaps very good, but completely people they don't know... Just like Stella, my soul was very sick, because it was the first time I saw in reality how brave and very kind people left of their own free will ... my friends. And it seemed that sadness settled in my wounded childish heart forever ... But I also already understood that no matter how much I suffered, and no matter how much I wished it, nothing would bring them back ... Stella was right - you can’t it was to win at such a price ... But it was their own choice, and we had no right to refuse them this. And to try to convince - we simply did not have enough time for this ... But the living had to live, otherwise all this irreplaceable sacrifice would have been in vain. And this was exactly what was not to be allowed. - What are we going to do with them? - Convulsively sighing, she pointed to the kids who had huddled together, Stella. - You can't leave it here. I didn’t have time to answer when a calm and very sad voice sounded: "I'll stay with them, if you'll let me, of course." Together we jumped up and turned around - this was the man saved by Mary speaking ... And somehow we completely forgot about him. - How are you feeling? – I asked as friendly as possible. I honestly did not wish harm to this unfortunate stranger, saved at such a high price. It wasn't his fault, and Stella and I knew that very well. But the terrible bitterness of the loss still clouded my eyes with anger, and although I knew that this was very, very unfair to him, I could not pull myself together and push this terrible pain out of myself, leaving it "for later" when I all alone, and, closing myself “in my corner”, I can give vent to bitter and very heavy tears ... I was also very afraid that the stranger would somehow feel my “rejection”, and thus his release would lose that importance and beauty victory over evil, in the name of which my friends died ... Therefore, I tried my best to gather myself and, smiling as sincerely as possible, waited for an answer to my question. The man sadly looked around, apparently not quite understanding what had happened here, and what was happening all this time to himself ... - Well, where am I? .. - he asked quietly in a voice hoarse with excitement. What is this place, so terrible? It doesn't look like what I remember... Who are you? - We are friends. And you are absolutely right - this is not a very pleasant place ... And a little further, the places are generally wildly scary. Our friend lived here, he died... “I'm sorry, little ones. How did your friend die? “You killed him,” Stella whispered sadly. I froze, staring at my girlfriend... This was not said by the “sunny” Stella, who was well known to me, who “without fail” felt sorry for everyone, and would never make anyone suffer! .. But, apparently, the pain of loss, like me, it aroused in her an unconscious feeling of anger “at everyone and everything”, and the baby was not yet able to control it in herself. “Me?!..” exclaimed the stranger. But that can't be true! I have never killed anyone! We felt that he was telling the pure truth, and we knew that we had no right to shift the blame on him. Therefore, without even saying a word, we smiled together and immediately tried to quickly explain what really happened here. The man was in a state of absolute shock for a long time ... Apparently, everything he heard sounded wild to him, and certainly did not coincide with what he really was, and how he treated such a terrible evil that did not fit into normal human frames. ... - How can I compensate for all this?! .. After all, I can’t do it? And how to live with it?!.. - he clutched his head... - How many I killed, tell me!.. Can anyone say that? What about your friends? Why did they go for it? But why?!!!.. - So that you can live as you should ... As you wanted ... And not as someone wanted ... To kill the Evil that killed others. Because, probably ... - Stella said sadly.