Ysyakh |
Yhyach
"Participants
in
spring
ysakh
festivals
drank
offerings
of
kumiss,
a
sacred
brew
of
fermented
mare’s
milk,
from
special
vessels
called
choron.
Jochelson
believed
the
ritual
was
dying
out,
but
in
modern
times
ysakh
has
played
a
key
role
in
Sakha
cultural revival.
The
ceremony
pictured
here
was
held
early
to
accommodate
Jochelson's
travel
schedule."
(In
Kendall,
Laurel,
ed.
1997.
Drawing
Shadows
to
Stone:
The
Photography
of
the
Jesup
North
Pacific
Expedition
,
1897-1902.
New
York:
American
Museum
of Natural History
.