The article analyzes the religious traditions of the Manzi (Ginseng Gatherers) in the Ussuri Region during the second half of the 19th century, as documented in the literary prose of Alexander Yakovlevich Maximov – a naval officer, writer and publicist who was one of the first to explore the Ussurian Region. The relevance of this study is driven by growing interest in Russian ethnography and the literary exploration of the Far Eastern frontier, as well as the value of Maximov's literary legacy as a source for information on intercultural interaction in the region. Scientific novelty of the article lies in comprehensive examination of Maximov’s literary works (“The Enchanted Hollow”, “For the Precious Root”) as an ethnographical source reflecting the early and understudied period of the religious life of Ussuri Manzi. Particular attention is paid to unique elements, such as the image of the red wolf as a guardian spirit and the legend of the origin of ginseng, which are not found in later sources. The author concludes that Maximov reliably captured the complex syncretic nature of the ginseng gatherers' religiosity, which combined Buddhism, folk beliefs, and animistic cults. His works provide detailed descriptions of mythological concepts including the legend of the origin of ginseng, sable, and ula grass; the pantheon of taiga guardian spirits (tiger, bear, red wolf) and their roles in trade ethics; ritual practices such as the brotherhood rite kady (from Chinese ketou – a bow to the ground) which served an important social regulatory function in frontier conditions; and a system of taboos and moral guidelines associated with “The Law of the Taiga”. The author also concludes that Maximov’s literary prose is a valuable historical and ethnographic source that contributes to an understanding of the processes of cultural adaptation, the formation of frontier mentality and the perception of the Far East by Russian explorers in the 19th century.
Key words: Far Eastern frontier, literary ethnography, religious practices, religious syncretism, ginseng, Manzi
DOI: 10.22250/20728662-2025-4-80-91
About the author
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Olga E. Tsmykal – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Assistant Professor at the Department of Literature and World Artistic Culture; Amur State University; bldg. 7, 21 Ignatievskoe highway, Blagoveshchensk, 675000, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |