Stories of Wild People in the Kurgan, Kostroma, and Arkhangelsk Regions

This article is based on materials collected in the Kurgan (2000, 2005), Arkhangelsk (2000), and Kostroma (2013) regions. These materials report on “wild people” or “bigfoot”. The collected information correlates with folklore descriptions of wild people from various regions of the world. First, they are able to ward off danger using supernatural powers. Second, they have affairs with women, who bear their children. The stories echo traditional Russian folklore. The materials cited above overlap with folk tales about forest spirits and legends about marriage to bears. At the same time, although wild people are called forest spirits, their characteristics bear little resemblance to forest spirits. Wild people are a distinct folklore character. Of the materials presented here, the folklore component is most prominent in the stories from the Kurgan region. Undoubtedly, stories about “bigfoot” are decisively influenced by hominological information from the media. On the one hand, the influence of the media and popular culture (in particular, the writings of hominologists) is noticeable; on the other, folklore motifs are present. The influence of these two factors is difficult to separate. The folklore component can be clarified by comparing it with stories about wild people living in different regions of the planet. These stories served as the basis for the development of hominology.

Cultural and Sociopolitical Studies · European Linguistics and Anthropology · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies