Maia Lomovtseva explains family ornaments

39:10 - 49:45

"In this bead embroidery, you can see reindeer. That immediately tells you it’s an apron from a reindeer-herding people. When they use blue beads, they represent rivers. When they use black and white beads, those are reindeer in motion. You can see the black and white reindeer walking in a line, one after another. It shows how hard it is for their legs when they run. The legs are marked here. The reindeer are walking on snow, and above is the sky, and here is the sun. You can see a stream here, where flowers are blooming, and there is also grass – that’s why they call it the migration. In this case, it was a long and difficult journey, but the herd was well protected. Even though it was a long road and a lot of snow fell, everything went well. The migration is clearly visible against the snowy background, as is the crossing of a river. It was a hard, exhausting journey – but with a good outcome. To help make the journey easier, they decorate the parka with tufts of hare fur, which hold special meaning for the Eveny people. They symbolize lightness, and when traveling somewhere, they are meant to bring good luck. To ensure the success of the pasture migration, they throw a tuft of hare fur to the side and whisper a wish for a safe journey." (Subtitles ☸︎ + cc)

Recorded by Erich Kasten. Esso, 2014.