A Siberian Archipelago: environmental perception and cardinal directions in Sakha alaas economy

Research on cardinal directions in Sakha has predominantly concentrated on the linguistic and folkloristic dimensions of these concepts. This article aims to elucidate the complex meanings of cardinal directions by integrating fundamental aspects of local environmental perceptions, orientational systems, and metageographies. Drawing on local narrative knowledge collected during fieldwork conducted in Central Yakutia from 2002 to 2015, the author examines the representation of cardinal directions in Sakha narratives. The study addresses a gap in existing scholarship: while the etymology and ritual uses of directional terms have been thoroughly studied, the stratified and interconnected nature of their conceptualization – encompassing egocentric, intrinsic, and absolute orientational systems alongside emic metageography – has received insufficient attention. The methodology combines linguistic anthropology, cognitive approaches to spatial orientation, and the analysis of local narrative practices. Field materials include interviews, mental maps drawn by interlocutors, and associative dictionary data. The author contends that the characteristics of the permafrost landscape and the presence of an archipelago of alaas meadows in the boreal forest contribute to a distinctively Sakha environmental perception, emphasizing the importance of both egocentric and allocentric navigation in the Central Yakutian Lowland. Furthermore, cardinal directions not only locate and contextualize the immediate environments of villages in Central Yakutia, but also contribute to stereotyped images of landscapes and residents in distinct regions. Both the ethnic affiliation and the major character traits of those who dwell in a particular landscape can be stereotypically defined in this system. The results show that in Sakha environmental perception, cardinal directions are not neutral: south (soghuruu) and east (ilin) carry positive values and are associated with the Sakha homeland and the alaas landscape, while north (khotu) and west (arghaa) are linked to frost, evil spirits, and the territories of Evenki peoples. The study demonstrates how a linguistic system – specifically the concepts describing cardinal directions – is interwoven with environmental perception, lifestyle, and ethnic traditions. The findings contribute to comparative folklore studies, linguistic anthropology, and research on Sakha metageography, and suggest directions for further fieldwork in Northern Yakutia and the Vilyuy River region.

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