The smallest people in the world. Interesting facts about the smallest people that you did not know before Pygmy message
And etc.; formerly presumably Pygmy languages
traditional beliefs
Negril type large black race
Pygmies(gr. Πυγμαῖοι
- "people the size of a fist") - a group of undersized Negroid peoples living in the equatorial forests of Africa. Another name for African pygmies is negrilli.
Evidence
Mentioned already in ancient Egyptian inscriptions of the 3rd millennium BC. e., in more late time- in ancient Greek sources (in Homer's Iliad, in Herodotus and Strabo).
Pygmies in mythology
Physical type
The efe and sua peoples living to the east of the tank initially give birth to small children - the growth limiter is turned on during prenatal development. Bak children are born normal, but in the first two years of life, Bak children grow noticeably slower than Europeans.
Occupation
Pygmies are inhabitants of the forests, the forest for them is the source of everything necessary for life. The main occupations are hunting and gathering. Pygmies do not make stone tools, they did not know how to make fire before (they carried the source of fire with them). The hunting weapon is a bow with arrows with metal tips, and these tips are often poisoned. Iron barter from neighbors.
Language
Pygmies usually speak the languages of the peoples around them - efe, asua, bambuti, etc. There are some phonetic differences in the dialects of the pygmies, but with the exception of the Baka people, the pygmies have lost their native languages.
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Notes
Literature
- Putnam E. Eight Years Among the Pygmies / Ann Putnam; With preface and ed. B. I. Sharevskaya; Artist B. A. Diodorov. - M .: Publishing house of Eastern literature, 1961. - 184 p. - (Journey through the countries of the East). - 75,000 copies.(reg.)
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An excerpt characterizing the Pygmies
“Dr… or fool!…” he said.“And that one isn’t! they’ve been gossiping about her too,” he thought about the little princess, who was not in the dining room.
- Where is the princess? - he asked. - Hiding?...
“She is not quite well,” said m lle Bourienne, smiling cheerfully, “she will not come out. It's so understandable in her position.
- Hm! um! uh! uh! - said the prince and sat down at the table.
The plate seemed to him not clean; he pointed to the stain and dropped it. Tikhon picked it up and handed it to the barman. The little princess was not unwell; but she was so irresistibly afraid of the prince that, hearing how he was in a bad mood, she decided not to go out.
“I am afraid for the child,” she said to m lle Bourienne, “God knows what can be done from fright.
In general, the little princess lived in the Bald Mountains constantly under a feeling of fear and antipathy towards the old prince, which she was not aware of, because fear prevailed so much that she could not feel it. There was also antipathy on the part of the prince, but it was drowned out by contempt. The princess, having settled down in the Bald Mountains, especially fell in love with m lle Bourienne, spent days with her, asked her to spend the night with her, and often spoke with her about her father-in-law and judged him.
- Il nous arrive du monde, mon prince, [Guests are coming to us, prince.] - said m lle Bourienne, unrolling a white napkin with her pink hands. - Son excellence le prince Kouraguine avec son fils, a ce que j "ai entendu dire? [His Excellency Prince Kuragin with his son, how much have I heard?] - she said inquiringly.
“Hm… this excellence boy… I appointed him to the collegium,” the prince said indignantly. - And why the son, I can not understand. Princess Lizaveta Karlovna and Princess Marya may know; I don't know why he's bringing this son here. I don't need. And he looked at the blushing daughter.
- Unhealthy, right? From the fear of the minister, as this blockhead Alpatych said today.
- No, mon pere. [father.]
No matter how unsuccessfully m lle Bourienne got on the subject of conversation, she did not stop and chatted about greenhouses, about the beauty of a new blossoming flower, and the prince softened after the soup.
After dinner he went to his daughter-in-law. The little princess sat at a small table and chatted with Masha, the maid. She turned pale when she saw her father-in-law.
The little princess has changed a lot. She was more bad than good, now. The cheeks drooped, the lip rose up, the eyes were drawn down.
“Yes, some kind of heaviness,” she answered the prince’s question about what she felt.
- Do you need something?
- No, merci, mon pere. [thank you, father.]
- Well, well, well.
He left and went to the waiter's room. Alpatych, bowing his head, stood in the waiter's room.
- Abandoned road?
- Zakidana, Your Excellency; sorry, for God's sake, for one stupidity.
The prince interrupted him and laughed his unnatural laugh.
- Well, well, well.
He extended his hand, which Alpatych kissed, and went into the office.
In the evening Prince Vasily arrived. He was met on the preshpekt (that was the name of the avenue) by coachmen and waiters, with a shout they drove his wagons and sledges to the wing along a road deliberately covered with snow.
Prince Vasily and Anatole were given separate rooms.
Anatole was sitting, taking off his camisole and propping himself on his hips, in front of the table, on the corner of which he, smiling, intently and absently directed his beautiful big eyes. He looked at his whole life as an uninterrupted entertainment, which someone for some reason undertook to arrange for him. So now he looked at his trip to the evil old man and to the rich ugly heiress. All this could come out, according to his assumption, very well and funny. And why not marry, if she is very rich? It never interferes, thought Anatole.
He shaved, perfumed himself with the thoroughness and panache that had become his habit, and with a good-natured victorious expression innate in him, carrying his beautiful head high, he entered the room to his father. Near Prince Vasily, his two valets bustled about, dressing him; he himself looked around him animatedly and nodded merrily to his son as he entered, as if he were saying: “So, that’s how I need you!”
- No, no jokes, father, is she very ugly? BUT? he asked, as if continuing a conversation that had been carried on more than once during the journey.
- Full. Nonsense! The main thing is to try to be respectful and prudent with the old prince.
“If he scolds, I will leave,” said Anatole. I can't stand these old people. BUT?
“Remember that everything depends on you.
At that time, the arrival of the minister with his son was not only known in the maid's room, but appearance both of them have already been described in detail. Princess Marya sat alone in her room and tried in vain to overcome her inner agitation.
“Why did they write, why did Lisa tell me about it? After all, this cannot be! she said to herself, looking in the mirror. - How do I get into the living room? Even if I liked him, I could not be myself with him now. Just the thought of her father's gaze horrified her.
The little princess and m lle Bourienne have already received all the necessary information from the maid Masha about what a ruddy, black-browed handsome minister's son was, and about how papa dragged their feet by force to the stairs, and he, like an eagle, walking up three steps, ran after him. Having received this information, the little princess with m lle Bourienne, still audible from the corridor with their animated voices, entered the princess's room.
The shortest people on earth, whose average height does not exceed 141 cm, live in the Congo Basin in Central Africa. "The size of a fist" - so translated from the Greek pygmalios - the name of the pygmy tribe. There is an assumption that they once occupied the whole of Central Africa, but then they were forced out into the region of tropical forests.
The daily life of these wild people devoid of romance and associated with the daily struggle for survival, when the main task of men is to obtain food for the entire village. Pygmies are considered the most non-bloodthirsty hunters. And indeed it is. They never hunt for the sake of hunting, they never kill animals for the desire to kill, they never store meat for future use. They do not even bring a killed animal to the village, but butcher, cook and eat right on the spot, calling all the villagers to a meal. Hunting and everything connected with it is the main ritual in the life of the tribe, clearly expressed in folklore: songs about hunting heroes, dances that convey scenes of animal behavior, myths and legends. Before the hunt, men smear themselves and weapons with mud with the dung of the animal they are going to hunt, turn to the spear with a request to be accurate, and set off.
Everyday food of the pygmies is vegetable: nuts, edible herbs and roots, the core of the palm tree. Fishing is a seasonal activity. For fishing, pygmies use a special grass, from which the fish fall asleep, but do not die. Grass leaves are dissolved in the river, the catch is collected downstream. A particular danger for the pygmies is the jungle, full of a variety of wild animals. But the most dangerous is the python. If a pygmy accidentally steps on a python more than 4 meters, he is doomed. The snake instantly attacks, wraps around the body and strangles.
The origin of the pygmies is still not entirely clear. It is only known that the first Europeans quite recently penetrated into their world and were met rather belligerently. The exact number of representatives of the tribe is not known. According to various sources, there are about 280 thousand of them. Average duration life - no more than 45 years for men, women live a little longer. The first child is born at the age of 14-15, but there are no more than two children in the family. Pygmies roam in groups of 2-4 families. They live in low huts covered with grass, which can be done in a few hours. Boys 9-16 years old are circumcised and subjected to other rather cruel trials, accompanied by moral instructions. Only men take part in such ceremonies.
The tribe has lost native language, therefore, the dialects of neighboring tribes are most often used. Clothing consists of only a hip belt with an apron. But settled pygmies are increasingly wearing European clothes. The main deity is the forest spirit Tore, the owner of forest game, to whom hunters pray before hunting.
The culture and traditions of the pygmies are gradually disappearing. New life slowly penetrates into their life, dissolving in itself the lifestyle of the smallest people on the planet.
Watch interesting videos.
Unknown planet. Pygmies and Karamojongs. ch1.
Ritual dances of Baka pygmies.
The first mention of pygmies was made in ancient Egyptian records dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Later, ancient Greek historians wrote about the pygmies Herodotus, Strabo, Homer. real existence of these African tribes was only confirmed in the 19th century by a German traveler Georg Schweinfurt, Russian researcher Vasily Junker and others.
The growth of adult male pygmies is from 144-150 cm in height. Women - about 120 cm. They have short limbs, light brown skin, which serves as excellent camouflage in the forest. Hair dark, curly, lips thin.
Occupation
Pygmies live in the forests. The forest for them is the highest deity - the source of everything necessary for survival. The traditional occupation for most pygmies is hunting and gathering. They hunt elephants, antelopes and monkeys. They use shortbows and poisoned arrows for hunting. Apart from different meat, pygmies are very fond of wild bee honey. In order to get to their favorite treat, they have to climb 45-meter trees, after which they use ash and smoke to disperse the bees. Women collect nuts, berries, mushrooms and roots.
Pygmies live in small groups of at least 50 members. Each group has a special area for building huts. Marriages between members of different tribes are quite common here. Also, absolutely any member of the tribe, when he wishes, is free to leave and join another tribe. There are no formal leaders in the tribe. Issues and problems that have arisen are resolved through open negotiations.
Weapon
Weapons are a spear, a small bow, arrows (often poisoned). Pygmies barter iron for arrowheads from neighboring tribes. Various traps and traps are widely used.
Pygmies are the most famous dwarf tribes living in forests tropical Africa. The main areas of concentration of pygmies today: Zaire (165 thousand people), Rwanda (65 thousand people), Burundi (50 thousand people), Congo (30 thousand people), Cameroon (20 thousand people) and Gabon (5 thousand people).
Mbutis- a tribe of pygmies living in the Ituri forest in Zaire. Most scientists believe that they were most likely the first inhabitants of this region.
Twa (batwa)- a tribe of pygmies equatorial Africa. They live both in the mountains and on the plains near Lake Kivu in Zaire, Burundi and Rwanda. They maintain close ties with neighboring pastoral tribes and know how to make pottery.
Tswa (batswa)- this large tribe lives near the swamp south of the river Congo. They, like the Twa tribe, live in cooperation with neighboring tribes, adopting their culture and language. Most of the Tswa hunt or fish.
Pygmies (Greek Πυγμαῖοι - "people the size of a fist") - a group of undersized Negroid peoples living in equatorial forests Africa.
Testimonies and references
Mentioned already in ancient Egyptian inscriptions of the 3rd millennium BC. e., at a later time - in ancient Greek sources (in the "Iliad" of Homer, in Herodotus and Strabo).
In the XVI-XVII centuries. they are called "matimba" are mentioned in the descriptions left by the explorers of West Africa.
In the 19th century, their existence was confirmed by the German explorer Georg August Schweinfurt, the Russian explorer V.V. Junker and others, who discovered these tribes in tropical forests basins of the Ituri and Uzle rivers (various tribes under the names: Akka, Tikitiki, Obongo, Bambuti, Batwa).
In 1929-1930. P. Shebesta's expedition described the Bambuti Pygmies; in 1934–1935 the researcher M. Guzinde found the Efe and Basua Pygmies.
At the end of the 20th century, they live in the forests of Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Congo, and Rwanda.
The most ancient mention of the pygmies is contained in the story of the Egyptian Hirkhuf, a nobleman of the era of the Old Kingdom, who boasted that he managed to bring a dwarf from his campaign for the amusement of the young king. This inscription dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. e. In an Egyptian inscription, the dwarf brought by Hirkhuf is called dng. This name has survived to this day in the languages of the peoples of Ethiopia: in Amharic, a dwarf is called deng, or dat. Ancient Greek writers tell all sorts of stories about African pygmies, but all their reports are fantastic.
Pygmies lead a hunting lifestyle. In the economy of the Pygmies, gathering, apparently, occupies the first place and mainly determines the nutrition of the entire group. falls to the lot of women most of work, since the extraction of plant food is the business of women. Every day, women of the entire living group, accompanied by children, gather wild-growing roots, leaves around their camp. edible plants and fruits, catch worms, snails, frogs, snakes and fish.
Pygmies are forced to leave the camp as soon as all suitable plants are eaten in the vicinity of the camp and the game is destroyed. The whole group moves to another area of the forest, but wanders within the established boundaries. These boundaries are known to all and are strictly observed. Hunting on foreign lands is not allowed and may lead to hostile clashes. Almost all groups of pygmies live in close contact with a tall population, most often with the Bantu. Typically, the pygmies bring game and forest products to the villages in exchange for bananas, vegetables, and iron spearheads. All groups of pygmies speak the languages of their tall neighbors.
House of pygmies made of leaves and sticks
The primitive nature of the culture of the pygmies sharply distinguishes them from the surrounding peoples of the Negroid race. What are pygmies? Is it an autochthonous population of Central Africa? Do they constitute a special anthropological type, or is their origin the result of degradation of the tall type? These are the main questions that made up the essence of the pygmy problem, one of the most controversial in anthropology and ethnography. Soviet anthropologists believe that the Pygmies are natives of tropical Africa of a special anthropological type, of independent origin.
Height from 144 to 150 cm for adult males, skin is light brown, hair is curly, dark, lips are relatively thin, large torso, arms and legs are short, this physical type can be classified as a special race. The possible number of pygmies can range from 40 to 280 thousand people.
By external type Asian Negritos are close to them, but genetically there are strong differences between them.
According to dictionaries, Pygmies are a very small group of peoples in Central Africa, total strength which is about 390 thousand people. They speak Bantu languages. Most of the tribes maintain a nomadic way of life and adhere to traditional beliefs. Their culture is very archaic.
Pygmies photo (clickable)
The name of this people comes from Greek word pygmaios - "the size of a fist." So, Homer in his immortal "Iliad" called the dwarfs who fought with cranes. The little dancers who entertained the pharaohs of Egypt were also called the same. The European colonialists who came to Africa, faced with this undersized tribe Africans, whose average height is about 150 cm, were considered descendants of the ancients and borrowed the name.
Where do pygmies live? Pygmies live in difficult places and are extremely reluctant to come into contact with strangers. At the end of the "harvesting" in one area and the end of the hunting season, they move to a new place.
The main male occupation of this people is hunting, and in all its varieties. Pygmies of Africa perfectly comprehended all the secrets of the forest and the habits of animals that are in the area where they are in this moment reside. Hunters set snares and traps, use arrows and bows; if big game is driven in, the “weak” half of the tribe also takes part.
Children, upon reaching the age of ten, build themselves a separate dwelling and begin to live independently from their parents. Elders lead the tribe. They do not steal, they treat liars and unfaithful spouses with contempt, and all problematic issues decide on the general council.
Pygmies: photos of women (clickable)
Misdemeanors that entail punishments up to the prohibition of joint hunting and even expulsion are considered to be the unfair division or concealment of food, spoiling water, damaging trees and hunting animals unnecessarily.
Women always carry a specially made bag with them. It contains everything that can serve as food: plants, roots and stems. edible herbs, seeds, fruits and berries, insects, nuts, caterpillars - everything goes into business.
Some members of the Pygmy tribe are engaged in fishing. As fishing rods, they use flexible tree branches with a wire attached to the end in the form of a hook.
Their prey and "gifts of nature" African pygmies exchanged for agricultural products and other things. They are mainly attracted to metal products - knives, arrowheads and spearheads, axes and wire, which they use to make primitive tools or decorate weapons with it.
Attempts to fix this people on certain plots of land failed - modern pygmies, like their ancestors, continue to lead a nomadic lifestyle, although in the Democratic Republic of the Congo they are trying to give them elementary education and provide medical care.
Short video: pygmies hunting and fishing