Galina Mamonova, About Traditional Prohibitions and How People Should Start a Journey
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Galina talks about traditional prohibitions and how Kalmyks should start a long journey: I don’t know much about bad omens, but I’ll try to recall what I can. We were always told not to shout loudly or to cry in order not to disturb our neighbors. In general, arguing with others was always considered a bad sign. Women were not supposed to go out in the evening. Since night was seen as a bad time, it was forbidden to take anything out of one’s house after sunset. If a hoopoe bird (mu duutl) sits on the roof your house and starts pecking, it is a bad sign. You should scare it away. Once, when I was a child, such a bird sat on our roof. My grandparents became very scared and tried to scare it away. Later my grandfather told me that the hoopoe was a very bad bird. In the past Kalmyks were forbidden to shout or cry loudly. It was considered a very bad omen. People observed many prohibitions back then. Before sending someone off on a long journey, it was important that those who saw them off uttered a well-wish so that the journey went well for the traveler. At the start of their journey, travelers were also supposed to toss red and white coins on the road.