Comment
Recorded from
Vasilij Shalugin in 1990.
The Yukaghirs learned the use of tobacco from the Russians and became constant tobacco users. In the 19th century not
only the men and women but small children used to smoke a pipe. Smoking is referred to as
taba:q o:ZE literally
'drinking tobacco'. On pipes see
(21-6).
Translation
(34-1) When I was a child I worked as a servant.
(34-2) Some rich Yakuts lived by the lake Ottur-Kol.
(34-3) I worked there as a servent for a rich man.
(34-4) I gave food and water to cows, but I didn't ride a horse, I rode a reindeer.
(34-5) There I walked between the houses, and carried wood and hay. When I worked there my masters liked me very much.
(34-6) When I worked there, their wives used to gather together, smoke tobacco and say the following to me.
(34-7) There weren't any matches as there are now.
(34-8) They used to kindle a pipe by the fire place and smoke it.
(34-9) They would say to me: "Kindle my pipe and give it to me."
(34-10) I kindled a pipe, gave it to them and they all smoked it.
(34-11) They praised me.
(34-12) So I learned.
(34-13) Later they told me: "You should smoke tobacco and be a smoker."
(34-14) They made a pipe and gave it to me.
(34-15) They also gave me a tobacco-pouch.
(34-16) At that time there wasn't any real tobacco or cigarettes.
(34-17) They used to bring leaf tobacco and smoke it.
(34-18) Once in spring at the time of the snow crust they told me: "Go to Kiri.
(34-19) Stay for a night there and come back."
(34-20) They told me: "Take some tobacco for the road.
(34-21) You know the place where you have to go.
(34-22) On the way you will feed your reindeer.
(34-23) You will also eat and drink tea."
(34-24) So I left.
(34-25) I left. My reindeer were running.
(34-26) I was sitting and driving where they went and came to one place.
(34-27) I traveled like that and came to a lake.
(34-28) There I looked around, let my reindeer graze by the lake, and drank tea.
(34-29) It was in spring, the time of the snow crust was approaching.
(34-30) I met an old man there.
(34-31) He was hollowing out the ice.
(34-32) After he hollowed out the ice, he set up a fish trap there for lake crucian carps or minnows.
(34-33) I approached his camp either to look at it or to set it up traps. I came to the place at the bank of the lake where reindeer were grazing.
(34-34) I took down the straps of the reindeer and tied them together.
(34-35) They started eating and I boiled tea on the ground, like a grown man. We ate reindeer meat then, so I cooked it.
(34-36) There were dairy products, we ate them too.
(34-37) There was no flour at that time.
(34-38) Only a little tea.
(34-39) So that old man came.
(34-40) I invited him and he drank tea and ate with me.
(34-41) He was a wonderful old man.
(34-42) When that old man ate, I saw that his pipe had no chibouk.
(34-43) He had smoked all his chibouk.
(34-44) I saw that he was holding his pipe, and my own tobacco and my pipe came to my mind.
(34-45) I took it out and started smoking.
(34-46) When I smoked the tobacco, he saw it and said: "Freind, what are you doing there?
(34-47) What are you smoking?" he said.
(34-48) Then I said: "I am smoking tobacco."
(34-49) "Oh, give me a little bit."
(34-50) I thought that he would smoke it too, and gave him some.
(34-51) I thought that he wanted to smoke and gave some to him.
(34-52) He filled his pipe and breathed in deeply.
(34-53) He inhaled two or three times.
(34-54) Then I saw that the old man started shaking and his face became red. I was afraid because I thought that he would die lying there.
(34-55) I cried and ran to my reindeer.
(34-56) I took one of my reindeer and led it to the sledge.
(34-57) I hadn't reached the second reindeer yet when he said to me: "Boy, don't be afraid, don't be afraid.
(34-58) I was intoxicated.
(34-59) I was intoxicated by tobacco and that's why I became like that.
(34-60) I became like that because I haven't smoked for a long time."
(34-61) He was alive and was holding tobacco in his hand.
(34-62) When I saw that he was alive and said "I was intoxicated", I felt better.
(34-63) I gave him some more tobacco and he smoked it.
(34-64) I drank tea and ate.
(34-65) When I finished, I prepared to leave
(34-66) That old man remained there.
(34-67) I don't remember how I reached those people.
(34-68) I don't remember, I was very small.
(34-69) I was ten or eleven at the time.
(34-70) You see: that's what tobacco does to a man. It is very bad to smoke tobacco.
(34-71) It is frightening.
(34-72) That's the end.
Glosses