Re: Reindeer: another ideer

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 62172
Date: 2008-12-19

On 2008-12-19 17:54, Arnaud Fournet wrote:

> Do you have any information or reference of "that price for a bride" ?

I've done some checking and it seems that my memory didn't serve me too
well: in Saami traditions reindeer are part of a girl's dowry, and the
married couple merge their herds:

http://www.geocities.com/rodeodrive/6232/lapland.html

But they did make various payments in reindeer and/or reindeer products:

"In 1602 the tax structure was reorganized (Kvist, 1989b:44)
and the Saami were required to pay their taxes in live reindeer
and dried fish. One live reindeer became an equivalent tax
unit."

http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic44-4-337.pdf

> This also exists with Tatar and Other Finno-Ougric people.

Indeed. Here's an example: "The price of a wife is from 30 to 100
reindeer, besides skins and various other things." (Fridtjof Nansen,
_Through Siberia: The Land of the Future_, describing the Samoyeds).

Piotr