Yamal Iri
Encyclopedia
Yamal Iri is a character associated with Christmas
in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
, Russia
, a counterpart of Ded Moroz
and Santa Claus
.
It was introduced in 2007 on an initiative of several tourism organizations of Yamal. Its image was based on a contest of children's drawing
s and works of decorative art. It was also supplied with a legend, based on traditions of the Northern indigenous peoples of Russia.
According to legend, Yamal Iri works all year long, travels a lot, and helps people in various ways. Не conducts the ritual ceremony of joining travelers to the Northern Brotherhood in the spot of Arctic Circle
stela in Salekhard
. Yamal Iri's vestments are done in the national traditions style of the North. His magic rune-covered staff is not his only attribute; he also possesses a drum
which he utilizes regularly to conduct his rituals. The drum is made up of reindeer
skin and wood, following the ancient Nenets
technology. The drum's beetle is made of birch
. It is covered by reindeer fur. Its sound is supposed to drive away evil spirits, to give a charge of cheerfulness and positive energy, and bestows chances for good and happiness. He is both gentle in speech, and very self-confident and self-assured in his strength.
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug , is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the town of Salekhard. Population: -Geography and natural history:...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, a counterpart of Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz is a fictional character who in some Slavic cultures plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. The literal translation of the name would be Grandfather Frost, although the name is often translated as Father Frost....
and Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
.
It was introduced in 2007 on an initiative of several tourism organizations of Yamal. Its image was based on a contest of children's drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
s and works of decorative art. It was also supplied with a legend, based on traditions of the Northern indigenous peoples of Russia.
According to legend, Yamal Iri works all year long, travels a lot, and helps people in various ways. Не conducts the ritual ceremony of joining travelers to the Northern Brotherhood in the spot of Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
stela in Salekhard
Salekhard
-International relations:-Twin towns/sister cities:Salekhard is twinned with:*Azov, Rostov Oblast, Russia-External links:*...
. Yamal Iri's vestments are done in the national traditions style of the North. His magic rune-covered staff is not his only attribute; he also possesses a drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
which he utilizes regularly to conduct his rituals. The drum is made up of reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
skin and wood, following the ancient Nenets
Nenets people
The Nenets are an indigenous people in Russia. According to the latest census in 2002, there are 41,302 Nenets in the Russian Federation, most of them living in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Nenets Autonomous Okrug...
technology. The drum's beetle is made of birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
. It is covered by reindeer fur. Its sound is supposed to drive away evil spirits, to give a charge of cheerfulness and positive energy, and bestows chances for good and happiness. He is both gentle in speech, and very self-confident and self-assured in his strength.