Siberia, a very long time ago...
The earliest known information on the origins of the tiger is fossil records discovered in the heart of Siberia. These fossils dated back to the Pleistocene period, indicating that a Saber-toothed tiger existed there millions of years ago. Only about 10,000 years ago did this tiger become extinct, and true tigers, descendants of the Toothed-toothed tiger, began to extend their range, moving south in search of more suitable habitats. The Goldis, ancestors of the ancient tribes of the Amur still share this land with the tiger. The Goldis religion was a mixture of totemism, nature worship and fetishism. The Goldis revered the tiger and the bear as their sacred ancestors. The tiger or amba was considered the guardian of the forest, and never hunted. The tiger was the ruler of the wild regions. Anyone found killing a tiger was expelled from the tribe for having violated traditions handed down by their forefathers.
Siberia, early nineteenth-century… In the early nineteenth century travelers came, bringing with them influences that would seriously affect the harmonious existence with the tiger and the forest. The harshness of Russian law and tax collection and liquor trades with the Chinese forced many people of the land of the Amur to abandon traditional beliefs. Both countries sent traders to buy animal skins and furs from the tribesmen. At the same time European hunters arrived bribing locals with money to act as guides and “sent out” animals in the forest, primarily the tiger. The demand for fur increased and more and more animals were hunted each year. The hunters took their toll, hunting and killing as many Siberian Tigers as they could track. Today their may be as little as two hundred Siberian Tigers left in the wild. The traditions of the Amur have been totally disrupted by “modern civilization”. The future for these people is bleak. As the tiger population decreased, so did the religion of the Amur. No longer are the beliefs of man integrated with that of the tiger and the forest. |
