Updated 2 years ago


MORE OPULENT THAN THE GRANDEST CHATEAU
Today an old Russian friend named from a Slavic forest deity,

Leshiy (леший, “from the forest”), showed me a yurt studio he and his friends were playing in. I imagined their session, with only the white noise of waves crashing on Rockaway Beach and the bracing ocean breeze mixing with wafts of pungent diesel cannabis. Complete luxury, I thought.
That took me back, back to a time when I first learned about them in the 90s. That got me thinking about this ancient domicile and its relation to modern Russia and Ukraine.

A yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger (Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by several distinct nomadic groups in the steppes of Central Asia.
It takes anywhere from a few hours to two days to assemble them., but can be lived in for months. The trappings of the interior can be quite elaborate:

“Yurts have been a distinctive feature of life in Central Asia for at least three thousand years. It is suggested that the Indo-European nomads (mostly Slavic and Indo-Iranians) were the first that used yurts and similar tents in Central Asia and parts of Russia and Ukraine.”
Think about this.
This blows any other culture’s “We Were Kings” origin story out of the water.

The Indo Europeans 4,000 years ago spread their language across the world, from Iceland to India to China with the Tocharians. Far greater than any empire that has ever existed – greater than Rome or Alexander. It wasn’t just military expansion or migration – almost all Eurasian languages (except for a few hardy holdouts such as Basques, Magyars and Etrucans – what badasses! and obviously the Far East) come from these people. Even, probably, many of our fairy tales.

Also, around this same time, ancient Russian herders also brought the ability to drink moloko (milk) to Europe.

The people that eventually went on to become Russians, Ukrainians, and those from neighboring areas should never feel defensive, or insecure, in the long run. Empires? Pfeh! They been there done that! They were the first and biggest empire the world has ever seen. Though a huge landmass with no defensible geographical borders, they dealt with no borders by being agile, aggressive, pugilistic, and mobile. Something that requires a strong warlord like a czar, or a Putin. Or a Baba Yaga.

This area of the world is not kind to the weak.
And back to the yurt, what better shelter is there, really? Why settle in one boring area? Sedentary life is killing us. Rent is slavery. And think of coronavirus’ forced decoupling of work and place.
Let us learn from the Indo Europeans. Maybe we don’t need to pull a Terence McKenna and go full-on Archaic Revival.
Think of your ideal life – wouldn’t it be at least partially nomadic? Maybe humanity would be better served by taking one step back, not quite to hunter-gathering, but a half step to a nomadic life,
Living in a nice portable Hobbit hole looks comfortable by me.



