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Egorova A. The Male and Female Worlds in the Proverbs and Paremias of the Indigenous Peoples of the North

A. Egorova
M. K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University
Yakutsk, Russia
ORCID: 0000-0002-7985-4134
E-mail: aidaego@mail.ru

 

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ABSTRACT. Proverbs, sayings, and taboos reflecting gender dynamics among the indigenous peoples of the North reveal key aspects of social organization. These include family power structures, gender asymmetry, androcentrism, the roles in both family and society, traditional marriage practices, women’s social status, degrees of behavioral restrictions or freedoms, childcenteredness, as well as norms for raising boys and girls and etc. This study aims to reconstruct traditional gender relations among these small indigenous groups. Using content and intent analysis, the article examines male and female stereotypes, focusing on the degree of expression of key categories, such as “Traditionalism”, “Sexism” and “Prohibitions”. The study is based on folklore and ethnographic materials related to the Dolgan, Even, Evenki, and Yukaghir peoples. From these sources, 200 gender-relevant paremias and prohibitions were selected that reflect traditional views on male and female social roles and behaviors. The analysis reveals that these gendered paremias emphasize familial roles, a clear division of labor, child-centered values and etc. While many of the proverbs underscore male authority and reflect patriarchal family dynamics, sometimes accompanied by negative portrayals of women, particularly among the Dolgans and Evenks, they rarely exhibit overt androcentrism or idealization of men. On the whole, the paremias present a relatively egalitarian view of gender roles. In the traditions of the Evens and Yukaghirs, in contrast to the Dolgans and Evenks, there is a notable expression of respect for women, particularly mothers, and an emphasis on women’s roles in important family decisions. Exogamous marriage appears more frequently in the proverbs of the Dolgans, Evens, and Evenks, whereas it is largely absent in Yukaghir traditions.

 

KEYWORDS: gender stereotypes, gender psycholinguistics, paremias, proverbs, sayings, prohibitions, Dolgans, Evens, Evenks, Yukaghirs

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2025-4(30)-200-223
UDC 316.37:398.91

 

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