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03/01/2015 06:34:03 AM · #1 |
A fantastic photo essay here on the nomads of Outer Mongolia. Very interesting, although the text is slightly annoying with its 'noble savage' schtick but there are some absolutely beautiful images. Enjoy.
Message edited by author 2015-03-01 07:56:54. |
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03/01/2015 07:42:32 AM · #2 |
You are right about the images. However, I can't say that I agree with your comment relative to "nlble savage" schtick since the actions are very much relevant to their way of life.
Ray |
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03/01/2015 07:44:45 AM · #3 |
Clive, you never disappoint. I don't know how you are in the sack, and don't care to find out, but in every other way you always deliver the thrills. Beautiful, improbable pictures of a kind and a culture I've never seen before in this way. The one of the horseman with the eagle is so theatrically astonishing that it could almost be a work of our own resident magician  gyaban. Great post, astonishing pictures, thank you. |
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03/01/2015 07:58:37 AM · #4 |
Reading the comments on the original linked site lead me to another great site. The reindeer folk are Tsataan and the eagle hunters are Kazakh.
Tribes |
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03/01/2015 08:03:32 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by ubique:
Clive, you never disappoint. I don't know how you are in the sack, and don't care to find out, but in every other way you always deliver the thrills. |
Ha! That's filled up my compliment quota for this Sunday nicely, Paul. Thanks! |
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03/01/2015 08:10:26 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by RayEthier:
However, I can't say that I agree with your comment relative to "nlble savage" schtick since the actions are very much relevant to their way of life.
Ray |
It's less to do with the actions being relevant to their way of life and more about how it is presented by western writers. 'The Noble Savage' is a well known, not very well regarded, aspect of historical anthropology and trope of literature, film etc. Lines such as, 'Their spiritual connection with animals extends beyond keeping company with just the reindeer of their dreamscapesâ€Â¦' set those alarm bells off for me in this text. Regardless, the images more than make up for it. |
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03/01/2015 08:37:09 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by aliqui:
Reading the comments on the original linked site lead me to another great site. The reindeer folk are Tsataan and the eagle hunters are Kazakh.
Tribes |
Fantastic. Thanks for unearthing that Michelle. |
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03/01/2015 08:58:26 AM · #8 |
Hunting wolves with eagles. Turn your speakers on for this, the music is interesting. The photos are not HDR awesomeness, though.
Message edited by author 2015-03-01 09:22:18. |
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03/01/2015 11:20:37 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by rooum:
Originally posted by RayEthier:
However, I can't say that I agree with your comment relative to "nlble savage" schtick since the actions are very much relevant to their way of life.
Ray |
It's less to do with the actions being relevant to their way of life and more about how it is presented by western writers. 'The Noble Savage' is a well known, not very well regarded, aspect of historical anthropology and trope of literature, film etc. Lines such as, 'Their spiritual connection with animals extends beyond keeping company with just the reindeer of their dreamscapesâ€Â¦' set those alarm bells off for me in this text. Regardless, the images more than make up for it. |
Having had the good fortune of living with peoples who do have what you would consider a mystical connection with animals, I can't say that I agree with your premise.
To each his own I guess.
Ray |
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03/01/2015 11:32:47 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by RayEthier:
Originally posted by rooum:
Originally posted by RayEthier:
However, I can't say that I agree with your comment relative to "nlble savage" schtick since the actions are very much relevant to their way of life.
Ray |
It's less to do with the actions being relevant to their way of life and more about how it is presented by western writers. 'The Noble Savage' is a well known, not very well regarded, aspect of historical anthropology and trope of literature, film etc. Lines such as, 'Their spiritual connection with animals extends beyond keeping company with just the reindeer of their dreamscapesâ€Â¦' set those alarm bells off for me in this text. Regardless, the images more than make up for it. |
Having had the good fortune of living with peoples who do have what you would consider a mystical connection with animals, I can't say that I agree with your premise.
To each his own I guess.
Ray |
Ray, you are completely misunderstanding what i meant and what i mean by 'the noble savage' in tnis case. It has nothing to do with what you term 'a mystical connection with animals' which, for the record i completely agree with you that some people have and these nomads probably do. Whether or not that exists is besides the point and irrelevant to the concept. If you want to understand a bit better i'd suggest doing a bit of a google search and reading up on it.
Message edited by author 2015-03-01 12:28:06. |
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03/01/2015 11:56:24 AM · #11 |
I'll clarify a bit in case my above post comes across as unduly harsh.
Whether or not the nomads have a spiritual or mystical connection to animals is beside the point. As i said, i firmly agree with you that this is the case for many people. The problem with the 'noble savage' thing in this case is when western writers, or artists/filmakers etc, attempt to apply western notions and ideas about spirituality/mysticism etc onto other cultures in a way that becomes frivolous and lacking in depth and understanding. This happens a lot with New Age type stuff. Like i said, there were a few terms in the text which set off alarm bells for me 'dreamscapes', describing the nomads as 'a people seemingly immune from degeneration' etc. This is in no way the fault of the nomads themselves or the photographer documenting the people it's just a bit of lazy journalism tacked onto the amazing photographs. Not a huge thing of course and i only mentioned it in passing really.
Message edited by author 2015-03-01 12:37:30. |
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03/01/2015 06:05:19 PM · #12 |
| A story well told! Thanks for sharing. |
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03/01/2015 07:25:20 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by pixelpig:
Hunting wolves with eagles. Turn your speakers on for this, the music is interesting. The photos are not HDR awesomeness, though. |
Incredible footage. Those Berkuts/Burguts are a subspecies of golden eagle with wingspans nearing 10ft living in the region of the Khirgiz Steppes. When I was a teen I corresponded with one of the very few falconers in the West privileged enough to own a female Berkut. He never flew her at wolves (living in Wales as he did it would have translated to dogs...and we all know how crazy Brits are about dogs. Once he sent me some of her down. It was the size of my hand.
And, without wading into the complexities of an ongoing discussion between RayEthier and rooum...I think the use of eagles to hunt wolves by the nomadic tribesmen of the Khirgiz Steppes is brilliant. Wolves prey on their herds, and I'm sure wolf pelts sell quite nicely for wolf coats. Using an eagle ensures not only a relatively quick kill but a clean one, too. Using a rifle could mean a lot of wasted ammunition, spooked ponies, a shredded pelt, and an unsuccessful hunt. Those eagles are the stealth bombers of the avian world. |
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03/16/2015 01:18:30 PM · #14 |
I guess I should read the forums more often :P
Really amazing images. |
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03/17/2015 08:36:04 PM · #15 |
| Very interesting piece. I find it somewhat strange to see domesticated reindeer, as I came from a province with 10s of thousands of reindeer (AKA caribou), I can't say as I have ever heard of someone even trying to ride one. |
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