Munkácsi — Udmurt Superstitions

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From the Votyak Folk-Poetry Traditions of Bernát Munkácsi


One hundred and seventy-five superstitions from the living mouths of Udmurt elders — covering bear omens and lightning theology, the Water Man's grip and the forty-day wandering of the dead, the sacred boundary where Inmar walks and the forest spirit who answers when you call a name among the trees.

These superstitions (Babonák) form the first section of Bernát Munkácsi's Votják népköltészeti hagyományok (Votyak Folk-Poetry Traditions), published in Budapest in 1887. They were dictated to Munkácsi in Kazan during the spring and summer of 1885 by two Udmurt informants: Nikolaj Ivanov of the Glazov district (entries 1–155) and Iván Micháilov of the Mamadysh district (entries 156–175).

The collection reveals a rich pre-Christian Udmurt cosmology in which Inmar (the sky-god) wages perpetual war against Sajtan (the adversary) through thunderbolts, the Vu-murt (Water Man) drowns the careless, the Kil'daj spreads pestilence, and the Albasti haunts the bathhouse. Alongside these are practical farming omens, dream interpretations, taboos of the calendar and the body, and glimpses of ceremonies — the jumsan night-walks, the kwa sacrifices, the bone-cracking remedy for a slipped navel — that the missionaries and ethnographers of the period were only beginning to document.


A) Along the Ocs River

Recorded from Nikolaj Ivanov, Kazan, May 1885.

Animals and Plants

1. When you find treasure, touch it with the front of your garment and say: "Fall down, become treasure!" If you found this treasure in the form of a bear: you will be very fortunate and will grow wealthy. If you found it in the form of a hare: you will not grow wealthy. If you found it in the form of a bull: some trouble will come. If you found it in the form of a man: you will be very unlucky and will lose your mind.

2. If a bear digs its den near the village: that year will be rich in wild game.

3. If your horses' manes curl up: your livestock-guardian deity dwells in your stable.

4. If a dog howls: some trouble will come.

5. If a cat wipes its ears: bad weather will come.

6. If a pig grunts and carries straw to its bedding place: the weather will turn cold.

7. If in spring the pig roots in the frozen ground: you will die that year.

8. If you see a hedgehog stretched out flat: you will die that year.

9. If the squirrel gathers many pine cones for winter: the winter will be cold.

10. If you catch a vole and carry it to the brook with a wedding procession — with company and singing — the remaining voles will move out of your house.

11. If you eat bread gnawed by a mouse: your teeth will not ache.

12. Whatever grain the mouse has especially eaten: that grain will not yield abundantly that year.

13. If in spring the birds return early: the coming summer will be warm.

14. If the rooster crows at noon: there will be war.

15. If your hen crows like a rooster: there will be trouble.

16. If your hen lays a tiny egg: there will be trouble.

17. If the hen does not settle to roost by evening: there will be trouble.

18. If a crow alights on the rooftop: there will be a death in that house.

19. If a wall-swallow or a dove lives in your house: you will live fortunately. If a barn swallow lives there: you will grow poor.

20. If you hear the cuckoo's call while sitting on your privy: you will die that year.

21. If in spring you first hear the quail: your horses will be fat all year. If you first hear the corncrake: your horses will be thin and starving.

22. If a tick has fastened on the nape of your neck: your hemp will grow long. If it fastened anywhere lower: your hemp will grow short.

23. A white cockroach appears in your house as a sign of trouble.

24. If a black ant appears in your house: you will be fortunate.

25. If woodworm bores the inside of your room: some trouble will come.

26. If you find the flower of the fern: you may enter anywhere invisibly.

27. If the bilberry that wintered under the snow becomes spotted: peas will yield abundantly that year.

28. If tree-honey falls beside the fir, onto the leaves: the bees will be rich in honey that year.

29. If the leaves do not all fall from the trees by winter: that year will be troubled.

Weather

30. If it rains from early morning: it will not rain in the afternoon.

31. If you stand in the rain: you will grow tall.

32. If the rain falling on the ground makes bubbles: it will rain for a long time.

33. If the falling snow sticks to the house wall: it will turn warm.

34. When it thunders, do not keep your knife-sheath empty: Sajtan will enter it, and then Inmar will strike you too with his thunderbolt, together with Sajtan.

35. At the first thunderstorm of spring, lie down on the ground and roll.

36. When it thunders, do not keep your dog in the room: Sajtan walks beside it.

37. If after Inmar strikes with lightning a fire breaks out: put it out with beer, kvass, or milk. You cannot put it out with water.

38. If you make the wood struck by Inmar into a kireg-harp: your kireg will have a very fine sound.

39. Lightning falls into the earth and goes down forty cubits; then after forty days it comes back out of the ground. It is fearsome to catch hold of this thunderbolt.

40. If at night you see a will-o'-the-wisp, say: "Lord!" It is the soul of a dead witch; it roams about to snatch the soul of a living person.

41. If in spring the sun melts the snow on the road from the side: that year the summer crop will yield abundantly.

42. In spring, do not eat too many eggs: you will get jaundice.

43. In spring, do not sleep too much: you will get jaundice.

44. If in spring the floodwater passes quickly: the early-sown crop will yield abundantly. If it stays late: the late-sown crop will yield abundantly.

45. If in summer you do not observe the noon rest: it will thunder and hail will beat down your grain.

46. If in summer you carry ice out before the sun: it will thunder, crack, and rain. Therefore the ice must be carried covered.

47. If in summer you splash water upward: it will rain.

48. When the sun sets, do not sleep: your head will ache.

Dangerous Days

49. On Wednesday and Friday do not begin any work: these days are dangerous.

50. At the new moon do not begin spreading manure or doing any kind of work: this time is dangerous.

51. A child born at the new moon will have a very hard life.

52. Seeing the new moon, pray: your affairs will advance.

53. If on New Year's Eve you do not sleep: you will not sleep all year.

54. If you burn fresh leaves or fresh pine needles before New Year's Day: frost will come.

55. On the day of putting away the sled, neither does the dog bark nor does the bird build a nest: it is a very solemn day.

56. If the weather is fair on the day of putting away the sled: the year will be mild.

57. On the eve of Ascension Thursday, if you count your money: your money will be plentiful.

58. If on Pentecost Day the currant-bush you throw into the brook sinks: you will die that year.

59. If you work on St. Nicholas's Day: your work will advance all year.

Dreams

60. If in your dream you fall into water and go under: you will die. If you do not go under: you will not die, and the hostile spirits will depart from you.

61. If dreaming you see a fire and it burned completely: the weather will be clear. If it did not burn completely: it will be overcast.

62. If dreaming you fall from the rooftop: you will grow.

63. If dreaming you see a new house: either you yourself will die, or there will be a death in your house.

64. If you dream that you found money: you will either have a fine to pay, or you will lose your money.

65. If dreaming you see strollers: a contagious disease will come upon you. Saying "Let the disease not come!" — throw an egg-cake to Kil'daj.

66. If dreaming you see a priest: there will be a death in your house.

67. So that your dream may not come upon you — saying "Let it not fall on me!" — when you first go out to relieve yourself, spit upon your stool and leave it.

68. If in the morning you go to someone else's house without having bitten into bread: that person's bad dream will fall upon you.

69. If when you sleep you put your trousers under your head: you will dream.

Sickness and Death

70. If a person looks upon your small child, your livestock, your chicks and hens, your ducks and geese, or any good work of yours with a hostile eye: the evil eye will strike.

71. If you suffer from a contagious illness, vow something to Kil'daj. Having vowed, throw onto the street grits wrapped in a rag. If someone finds this discarded grits, they themselves will begin to sicken.

72. If your navel slips out of place: have someone embrace you from behind until your back makes a "lurs, lurs" sound — that is, have them crack your back. Or else command someone to rub your belly with soap and knead it.

73. If a person is choking on food, strike them on the back with your fist: the choking morsel will go down inside.

74. From a place where there is a sick person, do not call anyone to follow you. If you do, that sickness will follow you.

75. If your livestock does not thrive under your care: give it to some family member as if selling it. If it still does not thrive: give it to a third person.

76. If you find any kind of food on the road: do not eat it yourself — it will be good as medicine.

77. Carry frankincense tied to your cross-cord: the hostile spirit flees from frankincense.

78. If the dead man's eyes remain open: when you put him in the grave, someone else in your village will die.

79. If the dead man rises after the priest has prayed for him in church: the priest must kill him. If he does not kill him: the priest himself will die.

80. After you have made the coffin for the dead man, when you carry your dead one out to bury, throw the shavings somewhere into the ravine.

81. The dead man's soul comes out of the coffin. Therefore perform a libation for him. If you do not perform the offering: it will go badly for you.

82. If when moving into a new house the head of household dies: you and all the remaining ones will grow wealthy.

83. If bread falls from your hand: the dead are pulling it.

Human Life

84. When you go on a long journey, after leaving your room, sit for a moment on the bench before the house. If you do not do so: your journey will not succeed.

85. If going somewhere you meet someone carrying something empty — a woman with empty buckets, or an empty sled going to the forest — better turn back. You will go in vain.

86. If a woman crosses in front of a man: the man's journey will not succeed.

87. If after eating you go out walking around the table: you will lose your way in the forest.

88. If you walk across the sacrificial pit: your fortune will leave you.

89. If children step over an axe: they will not grow.

90. If a woman steps over your axe: the hostile spirits will no longer fear your axe.

91. If you see a bear, throw your gun before it and say: "If you have wits, do not step over this gun!" Then it will not pass.

92. If you step over a fishing rod: it will catch no fish.

93. If between the feast of standing on the ice and Shrovetide you go out to listen at night, and you hear: (a) a "sarr, sarr" sound in your granary — your grain will be plentiful; (b) a "cas, cas" sound — you will have no grain, for the house-guardian spirit is sweeping away your grain; (c) the jingling of bells approaching on the road — someone will give you their daughter, or their son will marry into your family; (d) weeping, or the sound of wood-chopping — there will be a death in your house that year.

94. If you hear something with your right ear: you will live well all year. If you hear with your left ear: your ear will cease to hear.

95. If you see the Vu-murt, the Water Man, or the Albasti in your house: there will be trouble.

96. If your eye itches: you will weep.

97. If you hiccup: someone is mentioning you. If you wish to know who it is: think of someone, moisten your finger, and rub it on your eyebrow. Looking at your finger, if an eyebrow-hair has come off: the person you thought of is the one mentioning you. If no hair came off: it is someone else.

98. Do not whistle indoors: Sajtan gathers himself to come.

99. When you winnow your grain by shoveling and tossing, whistle: with your whistling you summon the wind.

100. If a pregnant woman's belly is pointed: she will bear a son. If round: she will bear a daughter.

101. If the breasts of a woman who has given birth are cold: her newborn child will die.

102. If you spit behind the window: your guardian spirit will depart from you.

103. If you defile the side of the kwa: you will go blind.

104. The person a small child wets upon: that person will drink heavily when the child marries.

105. If you relieve yourself facing the sun: the roots of your nails will split.

106. If you defile the water: your wife will suffer from excessive bleeding.

107. If hair grows on your body: you will be fortunate.

108. If your beard grows large: you will be fortunate.

109. If a child is clever at a young age: it will die.

110. When you are eating, do not leave behind a piece of bread you have bitten into. If a dog finds it and eats it: you will lose your memory.

111. If having started to eat one piece of bread you forget and leave it unfinished, and then start another piece: a guest will come to your house.

112. If your children crumble your bread: someone in your house will die.

113. If you drink water from a brook lying face down: the Vu-murt, the Water Man, will seize you by the beard and drag you to the bottom.

114. If when eating honey you do not smear your mouth and hands: you will die.

115. To wean a small child from the breast: they smear the nipple with soot, paint it with birch-tar, and rub it with red pepper.

116. If you sleep with a witch-woman: she will no longer be able to bewitch you.

117. If you draw even a little blood from a witch: she can no longer bewitch you.

118. If your midwife is unchaste: your newborn child will not live long.

Human Affairs in Field and Home

119. Inmar walks along the boundary of the strip-field; therefore it is a sin to plough up or defile the boundary of the strip-field.

120. If you leave an unsown spot in your field: the sower will die that year.

121. If you wish to know whether your grain will yield abundantly this year: on New Year's Eve, place a whole loaf of bread on a white tablecloth and leave it overnight. If upon rising in the morning you see under the table any oat-grain or rye-grain: your grain will be plentiful.

122. "Will my grain yield abundantly, or not?" — you can also learn thus: take three eggs. If the first one taken is the heaviest: the early-sown grain will yield abundantly. If the middle one is heaviest: the grain sown at mid-season will yield abundantly. If the last is heaviest: the late-sown grain will yield abundantly.

123. If you play with a grass-blade whistle until the time of stacking: frost will come.

124. If you bring back rye or oat ears from another village when returning from a wedding: grain in your whole village will begin to yield abundantly.

125. If you step out of your strip during harvest: your hand will be cut.

126. If during harvest your sickle strikes against another man's sickle: that man's hand, or your hand, will be cut. Saying "Let it not be cut!" — touch your sickle against that man's sickle.

127. If in the field during harvest you find a stalk with two ears: your grain will be plentiful.

128. When you begin threshing, let a light-handed man strike the first sheaf. If a heavy-handed man strikes it: your flail-thongs will break.

129. When you drive your livestock out to the field, do not curse them saying "Let the forest-spirit take them!" nor speak any bad word: then the hostile spirit will not harm your livestock.

130. When you first drive your goslings and ducklings to the brook: put them in the bosom of your shirt and release them from under the front of your garment. Doing this, the magpie and crow will not harm them.

131. If you quarrel over bees: those bees will perish.

132. When you collect honey, feed anyone who comes to your honey-collecting place. If you do not feed that person, they will gaze longingly, and therefore your bees will perish.

133. If you buy livestock for raising, do not haggle long over the price. If you haggle long: your livestock will not live.

134. When you sell or exchange livestock — saying "Let my livestock-raising fortune not go with it!" — keep back for yourself a farthing of the price, or the belt.

135. Do not call out a person's name in the forest! The Palás-murt, the Forest Man, will answer back.

136. Do not build a house on the site of a road: there will be trouble.

137. Do not bring your cross into the bathhouse: the cross brought into the bathhouse will lose its power, and it will be of no use.

138. If you buy a horse whose colour does not please your stable-guardian deity: that horse will not live.

139. After entering a bathhouse heated once three times, do not enter a fourth time: then the Albasti enters.

140. Do not hand a whetstone directly from your hand to a stranger's hand. Throw it on the ground; let them pick it up from there.

141. If you place a scythe above your gate: the hostile spirits will not enter your house.

142. Do not put a sieve on your head: you will not grow.

143. When you sleep, put a scythe under your head: the hostile spirit will not come to you.

144. If you feed a puppy from the side of an axe: the puppy will grow fierce as the axe.

145. If your beer does not turn out well: there will be trouble.

146. If you strike someone with a dry splinter: that person will dry up like the splinter.

147. Do not tread on the fallen ember from the tip of a splinter-candle: your rye will get blight.

148. After the starling-chicks have flown away, take the starling-house from its place and stuff something into its opening. If you do not do this, Sajtan will enter it, and therefore Inmar will strike that starling-house with lightning.

149. Crush the shell of the egg you have eaten. If you do not crush it, Sajtan will enter it, and therefore your hen will no longer lay.

150. If you are expecting someone: ask a small child, saying, "In your eye, or in your ear?" If the child says "in my eye": the person you await will come. If the child says "in my ear": they will not come.

151. If a person offers you a small glass of drink: first make them taste it. Then tap it on the table and drink.

152. When you wish to convince someone of something, and invoking Inmar you eat bread from the tip of a sharp knife: let your oath be true. If it is not true: Inmar will strike you with his thunderbolt.

153. If the coals crackle when you heat the stove: someone will come to you.

154. If horsehair, or a woman's hair, remains long in water: that strand of hair will become a leech that clings to the leg.

155. Among the people of Saberdi there lives a wonder-working spirit in the middle ravine. Between Kuéo and Vuz-gumja there is a deep wooded valley; in that valley live very fearsome wonder-working spirits.


B) In the Votyak Settlements of the Mamadysh District

Recorded from Iván Micháilov, Kazan, early June 1885. The informant was born and raised in the village of Ulin-gurt (Russian: Nizhnie Uda; Tatar: Tüban Uca) in the Mamadysh district of the Kazan governorate.

156. If you disparage the river, calling it small, not clean, or shallow: the Vu-kuzo, the Water Master, will seize you, and scabs and boils will break out on your body, or your eyes will go blind.

157. If you disparage the Lud, the Earth God, or cut down its sacred tree: it will paralyse your hands and feet, or make your eyes blind.

158. If you defile the riverbank: the Vu-kuzo, the Water Master, will seize you, and scabs or boils will break out upon you.

159. If you defile the place where chickens roost: you will get night-blindness.

160. If on Tuesday — the dry day — you go out to sow or plough: the year will be rainless. If on Friday — the last day of the week: the grain will not yield abundantly.

161. If hair grows on your body: you will be fortunate.

162. If a hairy mole grows on a woman's face: she will be fortunate.

163. If on your way anywhere you meet an angry person: your journey will not succeed.

164. On Kusuj night, witch-folk walk about. Then people put axes on the door-thresholds and knives or iron on the window-sills, saying: "The witch cannot pass over iron."

165. On the day of the memorial offering, the souls of the dead return home.

166. If a star falls from above, they say: "Someone has died."

167. If a comet moves across the sky, they say: "Either there will be war, or the world will be destroyed."

168. If a butterfly enters the room: this butterfly is the soul of a dead person.

169. After death, the soul — without entering the grave — walks for forty days upon the earth, in the places where it walked in life.

170. After death, the grave of a witch-person caves in at the head end, forming a depression.

171. If you see the wild geese coming from the warm land, and you first see them from the side: your side will ache. If you see them from behind: your back will ache. If you see them from the front: your belly will ache.

172. If in spring you hear the first thunder from the west: the year will be good. If you hear it from another direction: it will not be good.

173. If in your dream you wept: you will rejoice.

174. If in a dream you saw silver coins: there will be weeping. If you saw copper coins: there will be joy.

175. If in a dream you saw a person being born: there will be a dead person in your house. If you saw a dead person: it will be good.


Colophon

Translated from Bernát Munkácsi, Votják népköltészeti hagyományok (Votyak Folk-Poetry Traditions), Budapest, 1887, Section I: Babonák (Superstitions), pp. 1–32.

The translation was produced from the Hungarian scholarly text, which serves as a bridge from the original Udmurt (Votyak). Munkácsi recorded the Udmurt text in phonetic transcription directly from his informants, then provided Hungarian translations with extensive philological notes. The English here is independently derived from the Hungarian; the original Udmurt text is preserved below as primary source.

Munkácsi's scholarly apparatus — word-by-word glosses, etymological notes, comparative observations on Udmurt and Russian custom — is not reproduced here but is available in the original publication. His notes on the jumsan festivities (entry 65), the vosaékon-gop sacrificial pit (entry 88), the jo-vilá sulton ice-standing ceremony (entry 93), and the kiston memorial rites (entry 81) are particularly valuable for understanding Udmurt pre-Christian religion.

Scribed for the Good Works Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Translated from Hungarian with Udmurt source verification.

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Source Text

Udmurt (Votyak) Original

Section A: Along the Ocs River (Nikolaj Ivanov, Kazan, May 1885)

a) Lulojosin pisjosnoturímjos (Animals and Plants)

1. Uksoaz settikid, sozijdnid jotkisa, so-bordi táji su: «us, ukso lu!» gondirán-ka settid ta uksodá: ton tuz sudo-no luod, uzirmod-no; — lud-kecán-ká settid: ud uzirmi; — osán-ká settid: mar-kd-no-so urod luoz; — adamiján-ká settid: tuz sudtám-no luod, vistdm-mis-no luod.

2. Gondir guzd gurt-dori matá-kd gudniz: so ar seso-kabo luoz.

3. Valjosidlán iznásjossi puniskizi-kd: pudo-ut'ised gidad ulá.

4. Puni-ká vuziz: mar-ka-no-so urod luoz.

5. Koéis petjossd-kd mal'l'az: kwag éobaloz.

6. Pars jukirtisa karaz kuro-ká nulla: kwag kejit luoz.

7. Tulís kin muzemáz paré-ká giriz: so arinju uz udalti.

8. Msjaláz voldkam-dirjaz-ká adjid: so ara kulod.

9. Koni tolaltáli kiz-kulijáz tiros-kd l'uka: tol kejit luoz.

10. Komakdz kutsa, suandn surd-ká nuid: kilam komakjos jurtisttd kocozi.

11. Sir siam nana sisa: pined uz vis-ni.

12. Koédzd-kd nanáz sir tuzges siiz: siédez so arin uz udalti.

13. Tulis tilo-burdo vag-ká vuiz: vuono guzdm sünit luoz.

14. Lun-ajd-kd ataz corjaz: oz luoz.

15. Kurdged ataz séán-ká corjaz: isan luoz.

16. Kuraged pen puz-kd puzaz: lean luoz.

17. Kurig aksan-diroz-kd oz puksi: isan luoz.

18. Korka-jild kwaka-ka juktiiz: ta jurtin kuldm murt luoz.

19. Jurtád poski, libo didik uliz-kd: sudo ulod; — vecd-kd uliz: urodmod.

20. Kikiles kikdmzd éitjilad-ká kilid: so arin kulod.

21. Tulis niris-ik bed'onodz-kd kilid; ar éozd valjostd kejes luozi; — kwazijaz-ka kilid: valjostd urodes, sutdmes luozi.

22. L'om-taj jir-dorad-kd mertciz: pised kué budoz; — kitci-ka uld-kd: pised vakéi budoz.

23. Tod'i tara kan jurtád isanan kildoz.

24. Jurtád sod kujil'i-ka kildiz: sudo luod.

25. Korka-puetd picej gopjaz-kd: markd-no-so isan luoz.

26. Kikipuni-kwarles saskazd-kd settid: adkttdk kot'-kitci pirdmed luoz.

27. Limí-ulin toljam kudi guzaz-kd: kogi so arin udaltoz.

28. Nil-pu-bordi, kicar-jild mol'-kd usiz: mus so arin cecio luoz.

29. Piézpu-vilié kicar tolaltdoy-kd ussa oz bir: so ar sokit luoz.

b) Kwaj (Weather)

30. Kwaj éukna-ik kutkisa, zoriz-kd: lun-ajd-berá uz zor-ni.

31. Zor-ulin silsa: badjin budod.

32. Zor muzdm-cild ussa, pulsaskei-kd: kicaj kema zoroz.

33. Limi usikiz, jurt-jer-bordi-ka l'akiskd: sunitli.

34. Kicaj gudirjaki, purtdstd busán voj: otci Sajtan piroz, soki Sajtanan-valcá toná-no Inmar éasjoz.

35. Nirié-ik tulis-gudiri-dirja vidsa, pogittaski.

36. Kicaj gudirjaki, punidd korkad an voj: so-bordin Sajtan vetld.

37. Inmar msjdm-berd pozar-kd luiz: kis libo surán, libo jolin libo éukasdn; imán kisdmed uz lu.

38. Inmar éasjám pudz kirej-kd léétid: kirejedtuzvajié luoz.

39. In-kil'i muzemá ussa, nil'don salem ulsi pirá; so-berd nil'don nunal ortcisa, muzemis nos-ik potd. Ta in-kil'ijáz kutilni kiskit.

40. Ujin in-vozodz adjid-kd «óstd!» su; so kuldm vedínldn luliz; ad'amilán lulzá baétini oji vetld.

41. Tulis sundi surds vilié limijdz durán-ká suntiz: so ara valds-nan udaltoz.

42. Tulis kurdg-puzáz tiros an éi: éuédkton liktoz.

43. Tulis tuz án iz: éuzdkton liktoz.

44. Tulís vu gog-kd koékiz: caz kigamju udaltoz; — berd-ká kil'iz: ber kigamjz udaltoz.

45. Guzdm lun-agdaz-kd ed ut: kiraj gudirjaloz-no je-zorön jued-nanedéakkoz.

46. Guzdm joaz sundi-sori-kd pottilid: kivág gudirjaloz-no, éukkirjaékoz-no, zoroz-no; sóin joaz sogsa pottilni küld.

47. Guzdm vuán mid pazad-ká: kwag zoroz.

48. Sundi puksiki an iz: jirid visoz.

c) Sekit nunaljos (Dangerous Days)

49. Seredád-no, pátnicdd-no ugani dn kutkí: ta nunaljos sekit eé.

50. Vil tolejd kijedno kujani, kof-mar ui-no uzani dn kutki: ta dir sekit.

51. Vil tolejd vordkdm pinaili tuá sekit luuz.

52. Vil'tolejdz adjísa, vesaskí: uied aélan luoz.

53. Vil' ar ujd-kd ed iz: ves ar éozd nis ud lu.

54. Vil' kicardz, vil' lisdz vil' ar vutoj-kd sutid: kwaj puzmerjaloz.

55. Dedi'kuston-nunald puni-no uz ut, tilo-burdo-no kar uz lesti: so tuz sekit nunal.

56. Dedi'kuston-nunal ceber-kd luiz: ar kapci luoz.

57. Velikoj cetverik uja uksodd lidjísa: uksoed tiros luoz.

58. Tirojca-nunal kustdm sutdi'-pued surd vijiz-kd: so ara kulod.

59. Mikola-nunald uzasa: artozd uied azó luoz.

d) Vetjos (Dreams)

60. Vetakid vuá-ká usid, vijid-ká: ton kulod; — ed-kd-vij-ud kid, tusmonjos bordistid kuékozi.

61. Vetasa mazjaláá-ká adgikid, cisto sutiz-ká: kuaj suldir luoz; — cisto-ká ez sut: zob luoz.

62. Vetasa lipát-jilis-ká usid: budod.

63. Vetasa vil jurtdz-ká adjid: libo acid kulod, libo jurtád kulámed luoz.

64. Ukso settisa vetad-ka: tenid libo tiriskon-vuraskon liktoz, libo uksodá istod.

65. Vetasa jumsasaz-kd adjid: kilán vison liktoz; «vison med-az likti!» susa, Kildájli éuz talán kusti!

66. Popáz-ka vetasa adjid: jurtád kulám murted luoz.

67. Vetam veted «as-vilam med-az us!» susa: niris-ik pedlo potikid, sit'-vdad saljisa kelti.

68. Éukna murt-dorá nan kurtciták-ká potid: solán urod vetez ton vilá usoz.

69. Izikid istanida jir-ulad-ka ponid: vetalod.

e) Visonán kulonán (Sickness and Death)

70. Tonestid pici pinaldá-no, piidodá-zivottá-no, cipidá-kurágdá-no, éomá-dagügdá-no, kot'-mar gec uidá-no ad'ami tusmonéinmin-ká uckiz: sin uskitoz.

71. Kil'dn visikid, Kil'dájli mar-kd-so siz; sizsa, gustirija kerttisa, ul'cáá kenir kusti, ta lustám kenirdá kin-ká settiz-ká, aciz visni kutkoz.

72. Gogijed-ká virjiz: tibirtid gigirtisa tibirid «lurs, lurs» sutojaz gutjati; libo kotta majtalán majal'asa zibilni kind-kd kos.

73. Gundié ad'amijüz tibiraz mizga: gundámcz puékaz koskoz.

74. Visiso ajis sorad ne-no-kiná-no án oi; — oiid-kd so vison ton sori minoz.

75. Pudo-zivoted kijad-kd oz ul: sója kinli-ká semna-puékad vuzam-seün sot; — éokiin-ká oz ul: kwinmütiezli sot.

76. Surás-vilis mar-kd-so sion-ká settid: sojd ton an si, ám-jumli umoj luoz!

77. Kiros-kalad kerttisa ladon nulli: ladonles tusmon pegéd.

78. Kulám murtlán sinjosiz uckámin-ká hazi: girobd ponikid, tinad gurtad kin-kd-so nos-ik kuloz.

79. Popldn cerkin vosam-beraz-ká kulám murt sultiz: sojd popli vini küld; — oz-kd vi: aciz kuloz.

80. Kulám murtli girob lestám-berad, soles seldpjossá kulám murttá vatni nuikid, kitci-ká, nurá-gopá kusti.

81. Kulám murtlán luliz pota girobistiz: sóin soli kiston kar; od-kd kar: tonid urod luoz.

82. Vit jurta potsa, jurt-kugoed-ká kuliz: ton-no, mtzon kil'amjosfz-no uzirmodi.

83. Kijiétid nan usiki: sojii kulámjos kisko.

f) Adamilan ulonez-vilonez (Human Life)

84. Kid'oká minikid, korkaétid potikíd, jus-vilad puksin; ogi-ká od kar surased uz tupa.

85. Kitci-ká minikid, busán-ka pumiékid, soki litcce beritkí; ton junmá vetlod.

86. Pijos-murilán ajtiz kisno-murt-ka potiz: pijos-murtldn surdsez uz tupa.

87. Siskdm-berad jokdz kotirtisa potid-kd: tátin jiromod.

88. Vosaékon-gop-jilti potasa: tona suded-bured kustoz.

89. Pinaljos tir-vaman potasa: uz budd-ni.

90. Tir-vamántid kisno-murt-ka potaz: tusmonjos tiredles uz kiskala-ni.

91. Gondiraz adgikid, picaldá ajad kusti, táji tusa: «tinad vizmid-kd van, ta pical-vamdn an pot!»; soki so uz pot-ni.

92. Viénan-nor-vilti potsa: corig ud kut-ni.

93. Je-vild sultondn-no voj-diran kuspin kilziskikid kilid-ká: a) kensad «sarr, sárr» karámdz: jued tiros luoz; — b) «cas, cas» karámáz-ká kilid: jued uz lu, jurt-utís judá éned; — c) surás-vilti liktis girlijáz-ká kilid: kin-ka-so nilzá sotoz tenid, libo piez kisnóaloz; — d) berdámáz, libo pukoramáz-kd kilid: so arin gurtad kulam murt luoz.

94. Bur petinid-ka kilid: ar éozá jec ulod; — pattan petinid-kd kilid: petid uz kil-ni.

95. Vu-murtdz, libo Albastijdz adjid-ká: jurtád urad luoz.

96. Sinmid-ká lidiz: bordód.

97. Vikikid, kin-ká-so tona bura vaja. Todamed-ká potá, kin tona bura vaja: kind-kd maipasa cinidd kotti, so cinijdnid-no éin-gactá mattá; uckisa cinijad, kiskiskiz-kd simgac-goned: malpam adamied tona bura vajam luoz; — ez-ká kiskiski kin-ka-so mizon murt tona bura vajam luoz.

98. Korkan an sulci: Sajton l'ukaskd.

99. Judd-nandd lolikid, sula: sulamanid toldz etod.

100. Koto kisno-murtldn ketiz jilso-ká: pi vordoz; — kotirds-kd: nil vordoz.

101. Nil-pi vordam kisnoldn nonijosiz-kd kinmo: solan vorddm pinal kuloz.

102. Ukno'seri-kd salad: uiised-vordised ton-bordís kuékoz.

103. Kwa-dorá sit'ad-kijad-ká: untam luod.

104. Pici pinal kina-ká kijaz-kd: so ad'ami pinal kisnoas-kikiz, juoz.

105. Sundi'éori-ká sit'ad-kijad: gizi-viljosid cagaskozi.

106. Vud-ká kijad: kisnoedlan viriz tiros luoz.

107. Vilad-tirad gon-ka potiz: sudo luod.

108. Tuscd badgin-ká ház: sudo luod.

109. Pinal pici dirjaz-ik-kd vizmo luiz: kuloz.

110. Siskikid kurtcildm nan-palastd an kelti; puni sini settoz, soki jir-vizmid uz lu-ni.

111. Ódig sordm nanaz sini kutsa, bidtitdk vundtid-kd, soin-no mizon soramáz-ká kutid: ton dord kuno liktoz.

112. Pinaljosid sisa nandd-kd judo: jurtád kined-kd-soid kuloz.

113. Suric vudz vidsa-ká juid: tustid Vu-murt kutoz-no vu-pidsi nuoz.

114. Im-dorid, kijid ceci sisa, oz-ká sodákti: kulod.

115. Pici pinaláz nondmles dugditni: nonizd sudn saptalo sirdn l'akilo, poz-turiman ziralo.

116. Vedin-kisno-murtdn izid-kd: so tond uz vedna-ni.

117. Vedinles oéit-no-kot virzd-kd vijatid: tond vednani uz bigat-ni.

118. Gogdvandis-mumid cicaskis-kd luiz: vordkdm pinaled kema uz ul.

g) Ad'amilan uzjosiz busijin-no jurtín (Human Affairs in Field and Home)

119. Ana-meja-vilti Inmar vetla: sóin anddz-mejddz girni-no, saptani-no selik.

120. Anaedldn kijimtd ajiz-kd kil'iz: kijis murt so ara kuloz.

121. Todámed-ka pota, jued-nanedtuz udaltoz-a, uz-a: vil-ar ujin tod'í jok-kísüted-vila nan-koldijdz pensa, kelti; éukna sultísa jek-ulin éezijdz, libo jegdz-kd adjid: jued-naned tiros luoz.

122. «Jud-nand udaltoz-a uz-a?» susa toddmed taji-no luá: basti kivin kurdg-puzdz; ta kivin kurdg-puz puekis aélo bastisa mertamez-kd sekit luiz: vaj kijam ju udaltoz; — sordti mertamez-kd sekit luiz: sor kijam ju udaltoz; — berloez-kd: ber kijámez udaltoz.

123. Gumiján cumolo puktitoj sudid-kd: kiváj puzmerjaloz.

124. Suanis bertikid, mizon gurtles jeg-sezi-sepsdz-kd vajid: tinad ves gurtad nan udaltini kutkoz.

125. Arakid, udisistid-kd voskilid: kijid vankoz.

126. Arakid, muzon murtldn surlodniz tinad surloed sukkiskiz-kd: so murtldn, libo tinad kijid vankoz. «Med-az vanki!» susa surlodnid so murtldn surlo-bordaz jetki!

127. Busijin arakid, kik-sepo jegaz-kd settid: jued-naned tiros luoz.

128. Kutsani kutkíkid, niris-ik kuttodd kapci-kijo murt med sukkoz; — sekit-kijo murt-kd sukkiz: kutds-sumisjosid cigilozi.

129. Pudo-zivottd busija pottíkid, Mesak med nuoz! susa, an tiskaskin, ne-no-mir-ik urod kil-no an vera: tusmon-aman soki pudo-zivottd uz isa.

130. Soz-jajdg-pijostd niris-ik sur-víld pottíkid: derám-pijad pensa soz'-ultid potti; oji kársa koéo-kwaka uz isa-ni.

131. Mus-penna tiskaskisa: so mus hiroz.

132. Mus tubíkid, kot-kina mus-tubon-intijad vinim murtd sud; — so murtdz ed-ká sud, so viznazkisa uckoz, sóin mused hiroz.

133. Vordini pudo-zivot baétikid kema an sil dun-vilin; — kema dun-vilin silid-ka: pudo-zivoted uz ul-ni.

134. Pudo-zivotaz vuzakid, libo vostikid: so vuzan adamiedles — amínam pudo-zivot-vordon-sudd ton-sori med-az kos'i'a susa — kondonzd, libo kus-kerttonzd aslid kel'ti!

135. Tdl'in ad'ainiles nimza verasa, an keski; Palás-murt sor ad vajoz.

136. Surds-intijd jurt an jmkti: urod luoz.

137. Muncod kirostd an nulli: muncod nullám kirosldn kuzmiz hiroz, sóin puiez uz lu-ni.

138. Gid-ut'isedli tupastdm gono valdz-kd bastid: so valed uz ul.

139. Kwin-pol ódig dstdm muncod pirdm-berd nildti-pol an pir-ni; soki Albasti pird.

140. Serdz kijistid pírak murtldn kijaz an sot; kusti muzd, otis so med baétoz.

141. Kuso kapka-jilad ponsa, tusmonjos jurtád uz pirald-ni.

142. Jir-vilad puzdz an pen: ud bud-ni.

143. Izikid, jir-ulad kuso pen: tusmon ton-dord uz likti-ni.

144. Puni-pijdz tir-bam-vilíz sudsa, puni-pi tir-kad lek luoz.

145. Sured uz-kd udalti isandn.

146. Kind-kd kwasmdm cagdn-kd sukkid: so adami cag-kad kicasmoz.

147. Cag-pumis usdm agirdá an loga: fyeged dgirjoz.

148. Sircik-pijos lobjdm-berd sircik-umortodd intijistiz bastisa, pasaz mar-kd-no-so tujalti; — ogi-kd ed kar, otci Sajtan piroz, sóin so umortodd Inmar casjoz.

149. Siam kurdg-jmzedles semzd sorili; — od-kd serili, otci Sajton piroz, sóin kuráged uz puza-ni.

150. Kind-kd vojmaskod-kd dorad: pici pinalles táji susa, jua: «sinmad-a, pel'ad-a?» Usinmam-ká suiz: ropnám ad'amied ton-dorá liktoz; — «pel'am»-kd suiz: uz likti.

151. Adamiles salam istopkaza niris ássa verjati; so-berd éok-vilá jotilisa ju.

152. Kind-kd oskitikid, Inmardz bura vajsa, lecit purt-jilis nem-ka siid: oskitdmed zam med luoz; — zam-kd oz lu: tova Inmar casjoz.

153. Gur dstikid, ágir-ká teskilitfa: kin-ká-no-so ton-dord liktoz.

154. Val-si, libo kisno-murtldn jir-siez vuin kema-kd uliz: so jir-si pidd merteié sera luoz.

155. Saberdijosldn sor-nukazi portmaskis uld. Kuéodn-no Vuz-gumjddn kuspin pazkam sik-nuk van; so nukin tuz koskdmit portmaskijoz tdo.

Section B: In the Votyak Settlements of the Mamadysh District (Iván Micháilov, Kazan, June 1885)

156. Vudz picin susa, «taza üvül» susa, d'a «kicas» susa kurlad-kd: Vu-kuzo tond kutésa, mugorad gizlo, poské potoz, da sinmid sokér luoz.

157. Ludáz kurlasa reraskid-kd, d'a pissá-puzá korad-kd: kida-pidda t'sutértoz, d'a sindd sokér karoz.

158. Vu-durd kiíad-kd, éitad-ka: Vu-kuzo kutésa, pércijad gézlo, d'a poské potoz.

159. Kurág külan-intijd kizad-kd, sit'ad-kd: kurdg-sin luoz.

160. Küs-ual kiíiné, geréné potid-kd: ar sortom luoz; — arnazn'nal-ká potid: nan uz 'dalté.

161. Vélad-pédad gon-kd potiz: sudo luod.

162. Késno-murtlan banaz gono log potiz-kd: sudo luoz.

163. Kétsi-ká, kétsi-ká ménéked, vos-potam murtlé ucérad-kd: surdsed uz 'dalté.

164. Kuéuj-nénal iijén vécum-murtjos vetlo; soké üs-vézéjosa ter ponélo, uhu-vézéjosá purt d'a kort ponélo, skort-vamán vedonldn ortcámez ug lu: susa.

165. Kiston-nal kuldm murtjosldn lulzé korka bertd.

166. Vélis kiéil'i usiz-kd: «kin-kd kuldm-dér» suo.

167. Irímén bézo kiéil'i vetliz-kd: add zugiakon, d'a dunja-bétmon luoz — suo.

168. Korka bugélé-papa, périz-kd: ta bugélé-papa kuldm murtldn luléz.

169. Kuldm-berd murtldn luléz gud pérétdk t'üldon nénal muzem-véléen vetld uldp dérjaz vetldm intéjosaz.

170. Kuldm-berá védon-murtldn d'erla-pal guez gop lusa üsd.

171. Lud-gajdgjos sünét muzem-palas lobésa, léktékézé, kiit-urddskén adjid-kd: kiit-urddskéd visoz; — tebérén adjid-ká: tebéréd visoz; — azin adjid-kd: kiitéd visoz.

172. Tidés cén azla-ik kivaz gudérjamdz sundé-pukson-paladén kélid-ká: ar dec luoz; — muzon palasán kélid-ká: dec uz lu.

173. Vütasa biirdid-kd: sum-potod.

174. Vüte'n azves-ukso adgid-kd: biirdon; — érgon-ukso-kd adjid: sum-poton.

175. Murt'vordiskámaz vyten adjid-kd: korkad kulam murt luoz; — kulam murtdz-kd adgid: dec luoz.


Source Colophon

Bernát Munkácsi, Votják népköltészeti hagyományok (Votyak Folk-Poetry Traditions), Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia (Hungarian Academy of Sciences), 1887. Section I: Babonák (Superstitions), entries 1–175, pp. 1–32. Text in phonetic Udmurt (Votyak) transcription with Hungarian scholarly translation. The Udmurt text is presented above with minor OCR cleaning; the original pagination and scholarly notes are preserved in the source volume.

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