MIASU Research Seminar – 03 June – İlya Gruntov

Rivers in Vernacular Religion and Folklore of the Khamnigans Living along the Onon River (Mongolia)

İlya Gruntov, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

My presentation is based on extensive field research I've been conducting mostly among Khamnigans and other ethnic groups in Mongolia between 2012 and 2023. The Khamnigans are a nomadic people living in three countries: Mongolia, China, and Russia. Unlike many other Mongolic groups, they traditionally inhabit areas near major rivers such as the Onon, Shilka, and Argun, and they  have developed unique relationships with  these rivers.  My presentation highlights the following topics:Rivers and the Mongolian Nomadic Lifestyle;The Sacred Nature of Rivers; Spiritual Practices and Rituals, related to veneration of rivers;Supernatural beings living in lakes and rivers;Rivers gender as a folklore motif;Relevance to Contemporary Mongolia