Finno-Ugric peoples origin. Finno-Ugric peoples

There is such a group of peoples - Finno-Ugric. my roots- from there (I am from Udmurtia, my father and his parents are from Komi), although I am considered Russian, and the nationality in the passport is Russian. Today I will tell you about my discoveries and research of these peoples.
It is customary to refer to the Finno-Ugric peoples:
1) Finns, Estonians, Hungarians.
2) In Russia - Udmurts, Komi, Mari, Mordovians and other Volga peoples.
How can all these peoples belong to the same group? Why do Hungarians and Finns and Udmurts practically have a common language, although between them there are completely alien peoples of other language groups - Poles, Lithuanians, Russians ..?

I did not plan to conduct such a study, it just happened. It all started with the fact that I was on a business trip in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug of Ugra. Feel the similarity of the name? Ugra - Finno-Ugric peoples.
Then I visited the Kaluga region, where there is a very large and long river Ugra - the main tributary of the Oka.
Then, quite by accident, I learned other things, until it all came together in my head into a single picture. I will present it to you now. Which of you is a historian - you can write their dissertation. I don’t need it, I already wrote and defended it at one time, though on a different topic and another subject, economics (I am a Ph.D. in economics). I must say right away that the official versions do not support this, and the peoples of Yugra are not classified as Finno-Ugric.

It was the 3rd-4th century AD. These centuries are usually called the Epoch of the great migration of peoples. The peoples went from the East (from Asia) to the West (Europe). Other peoples were ousted and driven out of their homes, and they were also forced to go to the West.
While in Western Siberia, at the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh rivers, the people of Yugra lived. Then the peoples of Khanty and Mansi came to them from the East, forced them out of their lands, and the Yugra peoples had to go to the West in search of new lands. Part of the Yugra peoples, of course, remained. Until now, this district is called - Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra. However, in museums and among local historians of Khanty-Mansiysk, I heard a version that the peoples of Ugra are also not local, and before they were forced out by the Khanty and Mansi, they also came from somewhere in the East - from Siberia.
So, The people of Ugra crossed the Ural Mountains and came to the banks of the Kama River. Part went against the current to the North (this is how the Komi appeared), part crossed the river and remained in the area of ​​the Kama River (this is how the Udmurts, another name for the Votyaks appeared), and most got on boats and sailed down the river. At that time, it was easiest for peoples to move along the rivers.
During the movement, first along the Kama, and then along the Volga (to the West), the peoples of Yugra settled on the banks. So all the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia today live along the banks of the Volga - these are the Mari, and the Mordvins and others. And now the people of Ugra reach the fork (marked on the map with the Red flag). This is the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers. (now it is the city of Nizhny Novgorod).

Part of the people goes along the Volga to the North-West, where it reaches Finland and then Estonia, and settles there.
Part goes along the Oka to the South-West. Now in the Kaluga region there is a very large Ugra river (a tributary of the Oka) and evidence of the Vyatichi tribes (they are also Votyaks). The peoples of Yugra lived there for a little while and, carried along by the general current from the East, went further until they reached Hungary, where all the remnants of these peoples finally settled.

In the end, the peoples from the East came to Europe, to Germany, where there were their barbarians, there was an overabundance of peoples in Western Europe, and all this spilled over into the fact that in search of free land, the westernmost peoples in this migration are the barbarian Huns led by Attilla - invaded the Roman Empire, captured and burned Rome and Rome fell. Thus ended the 1200-year history of the Great Roman Empire and the Dark Ages began.
And the Finno-Ugric peoples also contributed to all this.
When everything settled down by the 5th century, it turned out that a tribe of Russians lives on the banks of the Dnieper, who founded the city of Kyiv and Kievan Rus. Where did these Russians come from - God knows them, they came from somewhere in the East, they followed the Huns. They definitely did not live in this place before, because several million people (toward Western Europe) passed through modern Ukraine - hundreds of different peoples and tribes.
What was the reason, the impetus for the start of this Great Migration of Peoples, which lasted at least 2 centuries, scientists still do not know, they only build hypotheses and conjectures.

The Finno-Ugrians are one of the largest ethno-linguistic communities in Europe. In Russia alone there are 17 peoples of Finno-Ugric origin. The Finnish "Kalevala" inspired Tolkien, and the Izhorian tales inspired Alexander Pushkin.

Who are the Finno-Ugric peoples?

Finno-Ugrians are one of the largest ethno-linguistic communities in Europe. It includes 24 nations, 17 of which live in Russia. The Saami, Ingrian Finns and Setos live both in Russia and abroad.
Finno-Ugric peoples are divided into two groups: Finnish and Ugric. Their total number today is estimated at 25 million people. Of these, about 19 million Hungarians, 5 million Finns, about a million Estonians, 843 thousand Mordovians, 647 thousand Udmurts and 604 thousand Mari.

Where do Finno-Ugric peoples live in Russia?

Given the current labor migration, we can say that everywhere, however, the most numerous Finno-Ugric peoples have their own republics in Russia. These are such peoples as Mordvins, Udmurts, Karelians and Mari. There are also autonomous okrugs of Khanty, Mansi and Nenets.

The Komi-Perm Autonomous Okrug, where the Komi-Permyaks were in the majority, was merged with the Perm Region into the Perm Territory. The Finno-Ugric Vepsians in Karelia have their own national parish. Ingrian Finns, Izhora and Selkups do not have an autonomous territory.

Moscow - Finno-Ugric name?

According to one hypothesis, the oikonym Moscow is of Finno-Ugric origin. From the Komi language, “mosk”, “moska” is translated into Russian as “cow, heifer”, and “va” is translated as “water”, “river”. Moscow in this case is translated as "cow river". The popularity of this hypothesis was brought by its support by Klyuchevsky.

The Russian historian of the 19th-20th century Stefan Kuznetsov also believed that the word "Moscow" was of Finno-Ugric origin, but assumed that it comes from the Meryan words "mask" (bear) and "ava" (mother, female). According to this version, the word "Moscow" is translated as "bear".
Today, these versions, however, are refuted, since they do not take into account the most ancient form of the oikonym "Moscow". Stefan Kuznetsov, on the other hand, used the data of the Erzya and Mari languages, while the word “mask” appeared in the Mari language only in the XIV-XV centuries.

Such different Finno-Ugrians

The Finno-Ugric peoples are far from homogeneous either linguistically or anthropologically. On the basis of language, they are divided into several subgroups. The Permian-Finnish subgroup includes Komi, Udmurts and Besermyans. The Volga-Finnish group is Mordovians (Erzyans and Mokshans) and Mari. The Balto-Finns include: Finns, Ingrian Finns, Estonians, Setos, Kvens in Norway, Vods, Izhors, Karelians, Vepsians and descendants of Mary. The Khanty, Mansi and Hungarians also belong to a separate Ugric group. The descendants of the medieval Meshchera and Muroma most likely belong to the Volga Finns.

The peoples of the Finno-Ugric group are characterized by both Caucasoid and Mongoloid features. The Ob Ugrians (Khanty and Mansi), part of the Mari, Mordovians have more pronounced Mongoloid features. The rest of these traits are either equally divided, or the Caucasoid component dominates.

What are haplogroups talking about?

Genetic studies show that every second Russian Y-chromosome belongs to the haplogroup R1a. It is characteristic of all the Baltic and Slavic peoples (except for the southern Slavs and northern Russians).

However, among the inhabitants of the North of Russia, the haplogroup N3, characteristic of the Finnish group of peoples, is clearly represented. In the very north of Russia, its percentage reaches 35 (the Finns have an average of 40 percent), but the further south, the lower this percentage. In Western Siberia, the related N3 haplogroup N2 is also common. This suggests that in the Russian North there was not a mixture of peoples, but a transition of the local Finno-Ugric population to the Russian language and Orthodox culture.

What fairy tales were read to us

The famous Arina Rodionovna, Pushkin's nanny, as you know, had a strong influence on the poet. It is noteworthy that she was of Finno-Ugric origin. She was born in the village of Lampovo in Ingermanland.
This explains a lot in understanding Pushkin's fairy tales. We have known them since childhood and believe that they are primordially Russian, but their analysis suggests that the plot lines of some of Pushkin's fairy tales date back to Finno-Ugric folklore. For example, "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" is based on the fairy tale "Wonderful Children" from the Vepsian tradition (Vepsians are a small Finno-Ugric people).

The first great work of Pushkin, the poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila". One of its main characters is the elder Finn, a wizard and sorcerer. The name, as they say, speaking. Philologist Tatyana Tikhmeneva, the compiler of the book "Finnish Album" also noted that the connection of the Finns with witchcraft and clairvoyance was recognized by all peoples. The Finns themselves recognized the ability to magic above strength and courage and revered as wisdom. It is no coincidence that the main character of Kalevala Väinemöinen is not a warrior, but a prophet and a poet.

Naina, another character in the poem, also bears traces of Finno-Ugric influence. The Finnish word for woman is "nainen".
Another interesting fact. Pushkin, in a letter to Delvig in 1828, wrote: "By the new year, I will probably return to you in Chukhland." So Pushkin called Petersburg, obviously recognizing the originality of the Finno-Ugric peoples on this land.

The names of the peoples included in the Finno-Ugric language group will occupy almost all letters of the alphabet. The inhabitants of Mari El, the Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug, Karelia, Udmurtia and other regions of Russia are very different and yet have something in common. We tell.

The Finno-Ugric peoples are not the largest, but rather large in terms of the number of peoples, a language group. Most of the peoples live partially or completely on the territory of Russia. There are hundreds of thousands of some (Mordovians, Maris, Udmurts), some can be counted on the fingers (in 2002, only 73 people were registered in Russia, calling themselves Vod). However, most of the Finno-Ugric speakers live outside of Russia. First of all, these are Hungarians (about 14.5 million people), Finns (about 6 million) and Estonians (about a million).

Who are the Finno-Ugrians

The largest variety of Finno-Ugric peoples is represented in our country. This is primarily the Volga-Finnish subgroup (Mordovians and Mari), the Permian subgroup (Udmurts, Komi-Permyaks and Komi-Zyryans) and the Ob subgroup (Khanty and Mansi). Also in Russia there are almost all representatives of the Baltic-Finnish subgroup (Ingrians, Setos, Karelians, Vepsians, Izhors, Vodians and Sami).

The ancient Russian chronicles preserved the names of three more peoples that have not survived to our time and, apparently, are completely assimilated by the Russian population: the Chud, who lived along the banks of the Onega and the Northern Dvina, the Merya - in the interfluve of the Volga and Oka, and the Murom - in the Oka basin.

Also, the archaeological and ethnographic expedition of the Dalnekonstantinovsky Museum of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the University of Nizhny Novgorod is now studying in detail another ethnic subgroup of the Mordovians that disappeared quite recently - the Teryukhans, who lived in the south of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

The most numerous Finno-Ugric peoples have their own republics and autonomous regions within Russia - the republics of Mordovia, Mari El, Udmurtia, Karelia, Komi and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug).

Where live

Initially living in the Urals and Western Siberia, the Finno-Ugric peoples eventually settled to the west and north of their ancestral lands - up to modern Estonia and Hungary. At the moment, there are four main areas of their settlement:

• Scandinavian, Kola Peninsula and Baltic;
• the middle reaches of the Volga and the lower reaches of the Kama;
• Northern Urals and Northern Ob region;
• Hungary.

However, over time, the borders of the settlement of the Finno-Ugric peoples become less and less clear. This is especially evident in the last 50 years, and this process is associated with labor migration both within the country (from the countryside to cities) and interstate (especially after the creation of the European Union).

Languages ​​and anbur

The language is actually one of the main features of this community, otherwise it can hardly be said simply by appearance that the Hungarians, Estonians and Mansi are relatives. In total, there are about 35 Finno-Ugric languages, divided into only two sub-branches:

• Ugric - Hungarians, Khanty and Mansi;
• Finno-Permian - all the rest, including the dead Murom, Meryan, Meshchersky, Kemi-Sami and the Akkala language.

According to researchers and linguists, all modern Finno-Ugric languages ​​had a common ancestor, named for the linguistic classification of the Proto-Finno-Ugric language. The oldest known written monument (the end of the 12th century) is the so-called "Tomb Speech and Prayer", which is written in Latin in Old Hungarian.

We will be more interested in the so-called Anbur - ancient Permian writing, which was used on the territory of Perm the Great in the XIV-XVII centuries by the peoples inhabiting it: Komi-Permyaks, Komi-Zyryans and Russians. It was created by the Russian Orthodox missionary, Ustyuzhan Stefan of Perm in 1372 on the basis of the Russian, Greek alphabets and tamga - runic Perm symbols.

Anbur was necessary for the Muscovites to communicate with their new neighbors in the east and northeast, since the Muscovite state was systematically and fairly quickly expanding in the direction as usual, baptizing new citizens

Anbur was necessary for the Muscovites to communicate with their new neighbors in the east and northeast, since the Muscovite state was systematically and fairly quickly expanding in the direction as usual, baptizing new citizens. The latter, by the way, were not particularly opposed (if we are talking about Permians and Zyryans). However, with the gradual expansion of the Moscow principality and the inclusion of the whole of Perm, the Great Anbur is completely replaced by the Russian alphabet, since, in general, all literate people in those places already speak Russian. In the 15th-16th centuries, this writing was still used in some places, but already as a secret script - this is a kind of cipher, which is familiar to a very limited number of people. By the 17th century, the anbur was completely out of circulation.

Finno-Ugric holidays and customs

At present, the majority of Finno-Ugric peoples are Christians. The Russians are Orthodox, the Hungarians are mostly Catholics, the Baltic peoples are Protestants. However, in Russia there are many Finno-Ugric Muslims. Also recently, traditional beliefs have been revived: shamanism, animism and the cult of ancestors.

As is usually the case during Christianization, the local holiday calendar was timed to coincide with the church calendar, churches and chapels were erected on the site of sacred groves, and the cult of locally revered saints was introduced.

Among the Khanty, who are mainly engaged in fishing, “fish” gods were more revered, but among the Mansi, who are mainly engaged in hunting, various forest animals (bear, elk) were revered. That is, all nations prioritized depending on their needs. Religion was quite utilitarian. If the sacrifices made to some idol had no effect, then the same Mansi could easily flog him with a whip

The pre-Christian religion of the Finno-Ugric peoples was polytheistic - there was a supreme god (usually the god of heaven), as well as a galaxy of “smaller” gods: the sun, earth, water, fertility ... All nations had different names for the gods: in the case of the supreme deity, god the sky at Finns called Yumala, Estonians— Taevataat, at Mari— Yumo.

And, for example, Khanty, engaged mainly in fishing, "fish" gods were more revered, but among Mansi engaged mainly in hunting - various forest animals (bear, elk). That is, all nations prioritized depending on their needs. Religion was quite utilitarian. If the sacrifices made to some idol had no effect, then his same Mansi could easily be whipped.

Also, until now, some of the Finno-Ugric peoples practice dressing up as animal masks during the holidays, which also takes us back to the times of totemism.

At Mordovians, engaged mainly in agriculture, the cult of plants is highly developed - the ritual significance of bread and porridge, which were mandatory in almost all rituals, is still great. The traditional holidays of the Mordovians are also associated with agriculture: Ozim-purya - a prayer for harvesting bread on September 15, a week later for Ozim-purya, the Keremet molyans, Kaldaz-Ozks, Velima-biva (worldly beer) are celebrated near Kazanskaya.

Mari celebrate U Ii Payrem (New Year) from December 31 to January 1. Shortly before this, Shorykyol (Christmas) is celebrated. Shorykyol is also called "sheep's leg". This is because on this day the girls went from house to house and always went into the sheepfolds and pulled the sheep by the legs - this was supposed to ensure well-being in the household and family. Shorykyol is one of the most famous Mari holidays. It is celebrated during the winter solstice (from December 22) after the new moon.

Roshto (Christmas) is also celebrated, accompanied by a procession of mummers led by the main characters - Vasli kuva-kugyz and Shorykyol kuva-kugyz.

In the same way, almost all local traditional holidays are timed to coincide with church ones.

It should also be noted that it was the Mari who gave a strong rebuff to Christian missionaries and still visit sacred groves and sacred trees on traditional holidays, conducting rituals there.

At Udmurts traditional holidays were also timed to coincide with church, as well as agricultural work and the days of the winter and summer solstices, spring and autumn equinoxes.

For Finns the most important are Christmas (as for decent Christians) and Midsummer (Juhannus). Yuhannus in Finland is the holiday of Ivan Kupala in Rus'. As in Russia, the Finns believe that this is a holiday in honor of John the Baptist, but it is immediately clear that this is a pagan holiday that could not eradicate itself, and the church found a compromise. Like ours, on Ivan's Day, young people jumped over the fire, and the girls let the wreaths float on the water - whoever catches the wreath will be the groom.

This day is also revered Estonians.

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The rite of karsikko is very interesting. Karelians and Finns. Karsikko is a specially chopped or felled tree (necessarily coniferous). The rite can be associated with almost any significant event: a wedding, the death of an important and respected person, a good hunt.

Depending on the situation, the tree was chopped down or all its branches were cut off completely. They could leave one branch or only the top. All this was decided on an individual basis, known only to the performer of the ritual. After the ceremony, the tree was watched. If his condition did not worsen and the tree continued to grow, this meant happiness. If not, grief and misfortune.

Where you can get acquainted with the life and history of the Finno-Ugric peoples

Seto: Museum-estate of the people of Seto in the village of Sigovo http://www.museum-izborsk.ru/ru/page/sigovo

Vepsians: Vepsian Forest Natural Park, as well as

Lyantor Khanty Ethnographic Museum http://www.museum.ru/M2228

Komi: Finno-Ugric Cultural Center of the Komi Republic http://zyrians.foto11.com/fucenter

Karely: Center for National Cultures and Folk Art

The resettlement of the Finno-Ugric peoples

Finno-Ugric mythology - the general mythological representations of the Finno-Ugric peoples, dating back to the era of their community, that is, to the third millennium BC.

A feature of the Finno-Ugric peoples is their wide settlement around the world: it would seem that what do the inhabitants of the European North - the Finns, the Saami - have in common with the inhabitants of the Urals, the Mordovians, the Mari, the Udmurts, the Khanty and the Mansi? Nevertheless, these peoples are related, their connection remained in the language, and in customs, and in mythology, and in fairy tales.

By the first millennium BC, the ancient Finno-Ugric peoples settled from the Urals and the Volga region to the Baltic (Finns, Karelians, Estonians) and northern Scandinavia (Saami), occupying the forest belt of Eastern Europe (Russian chronicles mention such Finno-Ugric tribes as Meri, Muroms , wonder). By the ninth century AD, the Finno-Ugric peoples had reached Central Europe (the Hungarians).

In the process of settlement, independent mythological traditions of individual Baltic-Finnish peoples (Finnish, Karelian, Vepsian, Estonian), Sami, Mordovian, Mari, Komi, Ob Ugrians and Hungarian mythologies were formed. They were also influenced by mythological representations of neighboring peoples - Slavs and Turks.