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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Ministry of Culture and Spiritual Development of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and to the M. K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University for their financial and moral support of my project.

An Olonkho-teller improvising a fight

This translation would not have been possible without the advice and assistance generously provided by various people. First of all, my special thanks are extended to the Chancellor of M.K. Ammosov University, Professor Dr Evgeniya Isaevna Mikhailova; to the First Vice-Minister of Culture and Spiritual Development of the Republic, Tuyaara Igorevna Pestryakova, who believed in me from the very beginning; to Professor Vasily Vasilievich Illarionov, a world-leading expert in Olonkho who encouraged me to translate the Yakut epic; to Professor Tamara Ivanovna Petrova; to Dr Lyudmila Sofronovna Zamorshikova; to Yuri Petrovich Borisov, a researcher of the Olonkho Research Institute, NEFU, Yakutsk – all these experts in the Sakha language who led me to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Olonkho and who were a greatly appreciated source of moral support. I would also like to mention Dr Robin Harris’ approval and enthusiasm towards this project, and her precious initial ideas, which included referring us to a proofreader.

I also wish to acknowledge the help provided by the staff at the Olonkho Research Institute, namely the Director, Professor Vasily Nikolayevich Ivanov, and the Chairperson of the Translation Department Natalia Alekseevna Nikolayeva, for her valuable technical assistance.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to my team: Dr Svetlana Yegorova-Johnstone, Albina Skryabina, Zoya Tarasova, Sofia Kholmogorova, Lyudmila Shadrina, Varvara Alekseeva, Agrafena Ivanova, Zoya Kolmogorova, Irina Popova. Many thanks to Geneviève Perreault for being a patient proofreader and adviser. Our team discussions on the ideas and highlights of the translation revealed much that I could not have discovered from any other source. A special word of thanks to Mr Paul Norbury for his patience and support, for his brilliant finessing in making our texts sound more English, and thus more acceptable to a world audience.

Most of all I am grateful to my family: to my mother, Maria Nikolaevna Nakhodkina, who offered countless pieces of advice with regards to the Sakha language and supported me in spirit; and to my son Aleksey, who believed in me and inspired me.

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE: ILLUSTRATIONS

Under guidance from M.V. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, the illustrations appearing in this volume were supplied by a number of artists, including Yu. Votyakov, Vladimir Karamzin, I. Koryakin, Afanasiy Osipov and Elley Sivtsev. It was not possible to match artist with illustration, or identify the original source.