Women Shamans and Their Portrayal in the Sakha Epic Poems Olonkho

The term Olonkho refers to epic poems which are performed in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), situated in the north east of the Russian Federation. These epic texts deal with ancient knights' deeds: they are meant as the ancestors and defenders of the sakha people. Almost in every poem the main hero is a knight or a female knight who fight for their place on earth, for the fertility of their kin. His or her main tasks also include granting the continuity of their people and making a family. So, if a good number of Olonkho presents female characters who often act as the main heroines, one in particular, edited by E.K. Pekarskiî, Kuruubay Khaannaakh Kulun Kullustuur (Kulun Kullustuur the Impetuous) features female characters who are not only warriors, but above all shamans and sorceresses. Through an analisys of the Olonkho Kuruubay Khaannaakh Kulun Kullustuur, my paper wishes to explore the interactions between epic poems and shamanism, specifically focussing on the role of women shamans and of their recent revival in the Sakha society.