Among the
Nenets people of
Siberia
Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
, Nga was the god of death, as well as one of two
demiurges, or supreme gods.
According to one story, the world threatened to collapse on itself. To try to halt this cataclysm a
shaman sought the advice of the other demiurge,
Num. The shaman was advised to travel below the earth, to Nga's domain and call upon him. The shaman did as told and was wed with Nga's daughter. After that point he began to support the world in his hand and became known as "The Old Man of the Earth."
In another myth, Num and Nga create the world, collaborating and also competing with each other — the myth is an example of
dualistic cosmology.
[Vértes 1990: 104–105]
See also
*
Ceremonial pole
Notes
Sources
* The title means: “Belief systems of our language relatives in Siberia”.
Nenets mythology
Siberian deities
Death gods
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