Mebet concerns a man of the taiga, a hunter, in a moving narrative that blends ethnographic detail, indigenous mythology, and the snowy landscapes of the Arctic. The protagonist is a Nenets, a member of one of the peoples who call far northern Russia home. Dubbed “The Gods’ Favorite” for his seeming imperviousness to harm or grief, Mebet earns the envy and derision of his fellow tribesmen. He lives that carefree and blessed life until his old age, when one day a supernatural messenger arrives to lead him to where the realms of the living and the dead meet. Now the God’s Favorite must confront the price to be paid for his elevated position, and a series of dread trials that lie in store. Called a dark and terrifying fantasy and the Nenets Lord of the Rings by Russian writer and journalist Sergey Kuznetsov, Grigorenko’s Mebet is a powerful story about humanity, personal fate, and responsibility. Leading Russian literary critic Galina Yuzefovich welcomed Mebet as a true epic for the Nenets, a book that is profound, thrilling and vibrant. Whether the book will earn that lofty place within Nenets culture remains to be seen, but the very publication of the book marks a watershed event. Published with the support of the Institute for Literary Translation, Russia.

Tekna' Aban Balan is a great love story told in the poetic form in the Kayan language. It is the story of Balan Lejau, an aristocrat whose beautiful second wife was kidnapped by two people from another world because of her great beauty. Now a widower a second time, Balan Lejau became very depressed at not being able to bury his dead and refused to eat until he became emaciated with sunken eyes. After being told she was still alive however in another world, he recovered his strength and set about to recover her. He made a magical ladder from blow pipe darts to reach the sky. As a high ranking aristocrat who Kayans believed are descended from the spirit world as described in their story of the Tree of Life, he was able to enter to search for her. He overcame several challenges he never encountered on earth and seduced all the wives of the warriors that had left them to tend to their farms. The story ended with a fierce battle between Balan Lejau and the two men that had kidnapped his wife. He defeated them both and brought back their heads back as trophy to his longhouse.

The Kayan culture is one that is rich with cultural diversity, and it's important to appreciate and preserve it for future generations. The Kayan people are categorized as part of the Dayak communities of Borneo, and this book focuses on the Sarawak tribe with special reference to the Kayan Uma Pu clan. In addition to learning about the Kayans through an assortment of beautiful pictures, you'll learn about tribal customs, beliefs, and more. Get insights on how: * Kayans expanded their living area over time; * communication occurs even without an alphabet; * villagers resolve household and community disputes; * beliefs and omens play a critical role in their society. The Kayans have survived so long because they cooperate and stick together, even though they're scattered over a large area. While they've often been displaced, they'll enjoy a much brighter future if the world seeks to understand their culture, heritage, and accomplishments.

Salako, or bahasa Badamea as it is often called, is spoken in the northwestern tip of Borneo on both sides of the Malaysian-Indonesian border running through this area. It is a dialect of Kanayatn (Kendayan), a major Dayak language and one of the principal languages of West Kalimantan Province (Indonesian Borneo). The present volume contains a short grammatical description of Salako as well as a lexicon and a body of texts with translation (consisting of folk stories and fairly detailed accounts of local traditions).