The dirtier — the stronger? Millennial traditions of personal hygiene of the Chukchi
The Chukchi have always believed that when washing a person loses strength and vital energy. Representatives of this people can be understood — it is not only difficult, but also dangerous to arrange water procedures in the conditions of the Far North. But does this mean that the stories that the Chukchi wash only once in their lives, after birth — are true? Of course not — the indigenous people of the most remote region of Russia maintain the purity of the body, but at the same time they use methods that are unusual for us.
There is always plenty of water in the tundra. If in winter the land of Chukotka is covered with a thick layer of snow, then during the short summer its boundless expanses are dotted with large and small lakes. It seemed — bathe yourself as much as you want, but not everything is so simple, because the water that has spilled over the permafrost is very cold.
There is almost no vegetation in the tundra to support the fire, so any wood becomes valuable. The Chukchi appreciated any, even the thinnest and unsightly firewood, because thanks to them you can warm up in the winter in the plague and cook food on the fire. Using fuel to warm a bucket of water and arrange a bath for themselves was an unacceptable waste for these people.
Ethnographers and geologists who know firsthand how the people of the tundra live, say that earlier, reindeer herders who did not have access to the benefits of civilization, cleaned themselves from dirt with the help of seal fat — a small variety of seal. On a certain day, the Chukchi gathered around the camp and smeared their bodies with fat. After that, they sat around the fire and scraped off the substance that had melted from the increased temperature with bone scrapers, along with dirt.
Another method of washing, which can be called "passive", was to wear fur clothes with a pile inside. When moving, the villi were cleaned off the dirt from the body on the principle of a brush. This method may seem inefficient, but if there is no other way out, then it is also perfectly suitable.
But frankly speaking, the Chukchi are still reluctant to wash today — millennial traditions and a justified need are stronger than any imposed innovations. To escape from the cold, representatives of the northern people rub their bodies with fat, and washing it off, they can easily become victims of hypothermia.
Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, we know very little about the peoples living in remote corners of the earth. Therefore, gaps in knowledge are often supplemented with myths and conjectures, sometimes offensive.