15 surprising facts about the Chukchi will help you learn more about the small peoples of the far north. As of today, the number of Chukchi does not exceed 16,000 people. Nevertheless, hundreds of millions of people have heard about this people.
So, here are the most interesting facts about the Chukchi people.
- According to the Chukchi belief, after reaching adulthood and under the influence of spirits, a person is able to change his gender. After such a "metamorphosis", a man began to dress like a woman, and a woman, respectively, as a man. Now this ritual has completely outlived its usefulness.
- It is curious that when the Chukchi began to receive passports, some of their names could mean a male genital organ. However, this does not bother the Chukchi at all, since such words are not offensive to them.
- Many Chukchi lived in yarangas - low leather tents. Several families lived in such dwellings. It is noteworthy that the relaxation room was so warm that it was possible to be in it without clothes or in only underwear.
- Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Chukchi practiced group marriage, but later this tradition was abolished.
- During childbirth, women did not scream or call for help. Otherwise, the woman in labor would have to endure ridicule from others until the end of her life. As a result, women not only gave birth themselves, but even cut the umbilical cord of the newborn on their own.
- Did you know that the Chukchi were among the first to invent diapers? The diapers were made of moss and reindeer fur, which perfectly absorbed all waste products.
- Once the Chukchi ate food that was unconventional for a modern person: seal fat, roots, entrails of animals and even a stew of undigested moss, which was extracted from a deer's stomach.
- An interesting fact is that salt to the Chukchi seemed bitter, and soft bread - sour.
- The head of the family in the Chukchi enjoyed undeniable authority and unlimited power. He could have several wives, and during lunch the best pieces of meat were given to him, while the rest of the family had to eat what was left of the "breadwinner."
- Chukchi sweat was odorless, and their earwax was dry, like flakes.
- The Chukchi were fantastic hardy and could endure great cold and hunger. Even in 30-degree frosts, they managed to work outside for several hours without gloves. Shepherds and hunters could remain without food for up to 3 days.
- An interesting fact is that the Chukchi had a very keen sense of smell. According to some ethnographers, during the war years, the Chukchi, by the smell of bones, could determine who they belonged to - their own or opponents.
- Until the beginning of the last century, the Chukchi distinguished only 4 colors: white, black, red and gray. This was due to the lack of colors in the surrounding nature.
- Once, the Chukchi either burned the dead or wrapped them in layers of reindeer meat and left them in the field. At the same time, the deceased was preliminarily cut through the throat and chest, after which a part of the heart and liver was pulled out.
- Chukchi women's hairstyles consist of braided braids, decorated with beads and buttons. In turn, the men cut their hair, leaving a wide fringe in front and on the back of the head 2 bundles of hair in the form of animal ears.
