Spiritual culture

The mythological world view.  Itelmens’ traditional ideas divided the world into three layers: the sky, the earth and the subterranean world.

Itelmens’ myths tell, first and foremost, about the creator of the world, Kutkh (Raven). Itelmens, along with Koryaks, believed that Kutkh “created everything, and everything came from him”. (Picture 9). The first ever people created by Kutkh wore clothes made of leaves, and ate birch and willow bark, because there were no wild beasts then, and they did not know how to fish. Then Kutkh invented the boat while his son Tyzhil-Kutkh taught people how to make nets out of nettles and how to catch fish. Kutkh also created wild beasts, taught people to hunt and make warm fur clothes, kukhlyankas and parkas. As these legends tell, mountains and valleys are the tracks left by Kutkh when he drove his dog-sled along Kamchatka. Itelmens thought the rainbow was an embroidery along the hem of Kutkh’s kukhlyanka. When they heard thunder, they said that Kutkh was getting his bat boats onto the shore.

Traditional beliefs. Itelmens believed in the existence of spirits and in everything in the world being animate. Souls were thought to be immortal. Spirits were divided into good ones and bad ones. Many religious rituals were conducted with the goal of mollifying spirits.

The religious practices were first and foremost related to the cult of nature. The one spirit worshipped above all was ‘the master of the sea” Mitg , who was visualised as a fish. The lord of all animals was Pilyachuch (Bilyukai), who lived in the clouds and sent rain onto the earth.

Economic practices were regulated by commandments and taboos. For instance, while a man was out hunting, his wife was banned from doing the housework for a certain time in order to prevent mishaps and accidents.

In areas of gathering berries, herbs, roots and other wild crops, Itelmens erected special poles as a token of worship to local spirits.

Until recently, many natural objects (knoll, hills, rocks etc) which were worshipped and bestowed gifts such as pieces of food, tobacco, tea etc. were conserved. People came to these objects for advice and assistance in case of illnesses, bad luck etc. The most revered sites were Pappak Knoll (near Khairyzovo), Babushka Knoll (around the settlement of Sopochnoye) and Izmennaya Knoll (near Tigil). 

There was a cult of “smoking mountains”. They were thought to be dwelling places of the dead, the smoke over the top of a volcano was a sign of the departed – “the volcano people” –making fires in their yurtas. As G.V.Steller wrote, “Kamchadals hold the Opalnaya Gora in great respect and tell terrible things about it, which keeps them too frightened to approach its base, let alone climb it – it is all because there are a lot of spirits living in it”

There was widely spread totemic beliefs among Itelmens. Not only various animals and plants could become totems, but natural phenomena too. Some families traced their origin to wolves, bears and other animals. There were rituals symbolising and emphasising this kinship.

Itelmens had no professional shamans. It was usually old women who carried out shamanistic functions in their community.

There were healers treating people with herbs and spells.

Festivities and rituals. Itelmens celebrated good hunts. As G.V.Speller described it, a hunter who killed a bear usually invited guests who helped him to skin and dress the carcass, but also danced and partied while doing that. Dances were an essential component of the Itelmen ritual festivities. While dancing, Itelmens imitated animals with their voices and manners. The physician and natural scientist K.H. Merck (1761-1799) who visited Kamchatka wrote that the indigenous locals “imitated bears, whales, geese, how these animals started their love plays and how Kamchadals tried to kill them”.

Among the Itelmen festivities, a central place was given to a celebration of Alkhalalalay. S.P.Krasheninnikov called it “an occasion of cleansing sins” and explained its existence thus: “While preparing supplies for winter, the ancestors of these people had a custom of making a sacrifice of the start of their work to their god, and then make merry visiting each other”. This festivity, full of various rituals, was usually held in November and continued for a month. It was started by old men who gathered around a “fire” and addressed it with ritual speeches. Then there were dances around the “fire” with the dancing men shouting “Alkhalalalay!” This Itelmen festivity of Alkhalalalay, the way it described by S.P.Krasheninnikov, was revived on the initiative of a community based organisation called Tkhsanom Council of Kamchatka Itelmens and was first held in November 1988 in Kovran.

Part of Itelmen population also celebrate Orthodox Christian Church holidays.