Types of Indian dwellings. Tipi - the home of the nomadic Indians of the Great Plains The Indians' house is called a wigwam

National the best way reflect their image and lifestyle, which largely depends on the type of occupation of people and climatic conditions environment. Thus, sedentary peoples live in semi-dugouts and semi-dugouts, nomads live in tents and huts. Hunters cover their homes with skins, and farmers cover their homes with leaves, plant stems and soil. In previous articles we told you about and, and today our story is dedicated to American Indians and their famous traditional dwellings – tepees, teepees and hogans.

Wigwam - home of North American Indians

The wigwam represents the main type of North American Indians. In essence, a wigwam is an ordinary hut on a frame, which is made of thin tree trunks and covered with branches, bark or mats. This structure has a dome-shaped, but not conical, shape. Very often a wigwam is confused with a tipi: take for example Sharik from famous cartoon“Prostokvashino”, who was sure that he had drawn a wigwam on the stove. In fact, he drew a tipi that is shaped like a cone.

According to legends American Indians the wigwam personified the body of the Great Spirit. The rounded shape of the dwelling symbolized the world, and the man emerging from the wigwam onto White light, had to leave behind everything bad and unclean. In the middle of the wigwam there was a stove with, which symbolized the world axis, connecting the earth with the sky and leading directly to the sun. It was believed that such a chimney provided access to heaven and opened the entrance to spiritual power.

Another interesting fact is that the presence of a fireplace in a wigwam does not mean that the Indians cooked food there. The wigwam was intended exclusively for sleeping and resting, and all other business was done outside.

Tipi - portable house of nomadic Indians

The tipi, which, as we have already said, is often confused with a wigwam, is portable nomadic Indians Great Plains and some mountain tribes of the Far West. The tipi is shaped like a pyramid or cone (slightly slanted back or straight), made from a frame of poles and covered with a cloth of stitched deer or bison skins. Depending on the size of the structure, it took from 10 to 40 animal skins to make one tipi. Later, as America established trade with Europe, tipis were often covered with lighter canvas. The slight slope of some cone-shaped teepees made them able to withstand the strong winds of the Great Plains.

Inside the tipi there was a fireplace in the center, and on top (on the “ceiling”) there was a smoke hole with two smoke valves - blades that could be adjusted using poles. The bottom of the tipi was usually equipped with an additional lining, which insulated the people inside from the flow of outside air and thus created sufficient comfortable conditions accommodation in the cold season. However, in different Indian tribes tipis had their own design features and were somewhat different from each other.

Surprisingly, during the pre-colonial era, transportation of tipis was carried out mainly by women and dogs, and they spent a lot of effort on this due to quite heavy weight designs. The appearance of horses not only eliminated this problem, but also made it possible to increase the size of the tipi base to 5-7 m. Tipis were usually installed with the entrance to the east, but this rule was not observed if they were located in a circle.

Life in Indian tipis proceeded according to its own special etiquette. So, women were supposed to live in the southern part of the house, and men - in the northern. You had to move in the tipi according to the sun (clockwise). Guests, especially those who came for the first time, had to stay in the women's section. It was considered the height of indecency to walk between the fireplace and someone else, as this disrupted the connection of everyone present with the fire. To get to his place, a person, if possible, had to move behind the backs of the people sitting. But there were no special rituals for leaving: if someone wanted to leave, he could do it immediately and without unnecessary ceremony.

IN modern life Tipis are most often used by conservative Indian families who sacredly honor the traditions of their ancestors, Indianists and historical reenactors. Also today, tourist tents called “teepees” are produced. appearance which are somewhat reminiscent of traditional Indian dwellings.

Hogan - home of the Navajo Indians

Hogan is another American Indian species, most common among the Navajo people. The traditional hogan has a conical shape and a round base, but today you can also find square hogans. As a rule, the hogan door is located on its eastern side, since the Indians are sure that when entering through such a door, the sun will definitely bring good luck to the house.

The Navajo believed that the first hogan for the first man and woman was built by the Coyote Spirit with the help of beavers. The beavers gave Coyote logs and taught him how to. Today such a hogan is called "male hogan" or "fork pole hogan", and its appearance resembles a pentagonal pyramid. Often, from the outside, the pentagonal shape of the house is hidden behind thick earthen walls that protect the structure from winter weather. At the front of such a hogan is the vestibule. Men's hogans are used primarily for private or religious ceremonies.

The Navajo used it as housing. "women's" or round hogans, which were also called “family houses”. Such dwellings had several large sizes, than "men's hogans", and did not have a vestibule. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Navajo Indians built their hogans in accordance with the described method, but then they began to build houses in hexagonal and octagonal shapes. According to one version, such changes were associated with the appearance railway. When the Indians got their hands on wooden sleepers that had to be laid horizontally, they began to build spacious and tall ones with additional rooms, but at the same time retaining the shape of a “female” hogan.

It is also interesting that the Indians had numerous beliefs associated with the hogan. For example, it was impossible to continue living in a hogan that was rubbed by a bear, or near which lightning struck. And if someone died in the hogan, then the body was walled up inside and burned along with it, or they took it out through the northern hole made in the wall, and the hogan was left forever. Moreover, the wood of abandoned hogans was never reused for any purpose.

In addition to hogans, the Navajo people also had underground, summer houses and Indian steam houses. Currently, some old hogans are used as ceremonial structures and some as dwellings. However, new hogans are rarely built with the purpose of further living in them.

In conclusion, I would like to say that wigwams, tipis and hogans are not all types American Indian National Houses . There were also such constructions as vikupa, maloka, toldo, etc., which had both common and distinctive features with the designs described above.

Friends, if you remember, Sharik from the cartoon “Winter in Prostokvashino” drew on the stove, as he himself said, “an Indian national folk hut” - (in his mouth it sounded like “figvam,” but it meant a wigwam):

So, Sharik drew this very “wigwam” and thereby misled millions of innocent children, unwittingly distorting the bright image of an Indian home in their minds. After all, in fact, he depicted teepee- also a traditional Indian, but differing from a wigwam in its cone-shaped housing. Unlike Sharik, Karl Bodmer, a Swiss artist, used watercolors rather than charcoal, so you can get a better idea of the tipi from his 1833 drawing while traveling in North America:

Well, now we invite you to look and forever remember what a real wigwam actually looks like. The first one pictured is located near Fort Apache in the northeast American state Arizona. Its structure fully corresponds to the dwelling that the Indians had for many centuries, leading nomadic image life. It was intended mainly for sleeping, since all other tasks, such as cooking, were done outside.

So, we see that the wigwam, unlike the tipi, has a dome shape. At its core, this is a frame dwelling, that is, a hut on a frame, which is made of thin long trunks (poles) and is entirely covered with “ground material” - tree bark, branches or a reed mat. And although, as we have already said, it was not customary to cook food in the wigwam, it still had a hearth for heating, so a small chimney hole was left in the center of the “ceiling”.

And today we will introduce our readers to the meaning of the word “wigwam” and its differences from the “teepees” of nomadic tribes.

Traditionally, a place of residence is called a wigwam forest Indians, who lived in the northern and northeastern parts of the continent of North America. As a rule, a wigwam is a small hut,the total height of which is 3-4 meters. It is dome-shaped, and the largest wigwams can accommodate approximately 30 people at a time. Wigwams also include small-sized huts that have a cone shape and look like a tipi. Nowadays, wigwams are often used as a place for traditional rituals.

Analogs of wigwams can also be found among some African peoples, the Chukchi, Evengs and Soyts.

As a rule, the frame of the hut is made from thin and flexible tree trunks. They are tied and covered with tree bark or plant mats, corn leaves, skins and pieces of cloth. There is also a combined version of the covering, which is also additionally reinforced on top with a special outer frame, and in its absence, with trunks or special poles. The entrance to the wigwam is covered with a curtain, and its height can be either small or full height wigwam.

At the top of the wigwam there is a chimney, which is often covered with a piece of bark. Raise it to remove smoke using a pole. Domed wigwam options can have either vertical or inclined walls. Most often, round wigwams are found, but sometimes you can see a rectangular structure. The wigwam can be elongated into a fairly long oval and also have a number of chimneys instead of just one. Typically, oval wigwams are called longhouses.

Cone-shaped wigwams have frames made of straight poles that are tied together at the top.

The word "wigwam" has its origins in the Proto-Algonquian dialect, and it is translated as "their house." However, there is also an opinion that this word came to the Indians from the language of the eastern Abenaki. U different nations their own version of the pronunciation of this word, but in general they are quite close.

Another term is also known - wetu. Although widely used by the Massachusetts Indians, the term has not caught on in the rest of the world.

Nowadays, a wigwam most often refers to domed dwellings, as well as huts that are simpler in design, in which Indians from other regions live. Each tribe gives its wigwam its own name.

In the literature, this term is most often found as a designation of the dome-shaped place of residence of the Indians from Tierra del Fuego. They are quite similar to traditional wigwams Indians from North America, but they are distinguished by the absence of horizontal ligaments on the frame.

Also, a wigwam is often called the dwelling of Indians from the High Plains, which is correctly called the word.

Various sizes tents, shaped like wigwams, are often used in various rituals of revival and purification in the tribes of the Great Plains, as well as from a number of other regions. In this case, a special steam room is made and the wigwam itself in this case is the body of the Great Spirit himself. The round shape denotes the world as a single whole, and the steam in in this case- this is a prototype of the Great Spirit himself, who performs spiritual and cleansing regeneration and transformation.

We decided to talk about the Indians, their homes, customs, and culture. Read informative articles on the pages of Vamvigvam. After all, if you and I love wigwams so much, then we should know everything about them!

The word "Teepi" usually refers to the portable abode of the nomadic tribes of indigenous Indians who lived on the territory of the Great Plains. However, in the language of the Sioux Indian people, the word “teepee” means absolutely any dwelling, and this type of tent is called wi. This type of tent, called the tipi, was also used by many other tribes living in the Far West, as well as settled tribes from the South-West of the country. In some cases, tipis were also built in parts of the country with big amount forests IN modern world A tipi is often mistakenly called a wigwam.

A tipi is a cone whose height can range from 4 to 8 meters. The diameter of the dwelling at the base is from 3 to 6 meters. Traditionally, the tipi frame is assembled from long wooden poles. Wood is used as the main material coniferous trees, such as pine and juniper, depending on the period of residence of the tribe in which the tipi is being built. The tipi's covering, called a tire, was previously made from animal rawhide, most commonly bison skin. In order to make one tipi, it took from 10 to 40 animal skins, depending on the size of the dwelling.

A little later, when trade with other continents began to develop, the Indians began to use a lighter material - canvas - to create tipis. But both materials have their drawbacks - the fabric is flammable, and dogs really like to chew on the leather. Therefore, the Indians decided to change the design and combine the covering: the upper part is made of animal skins, and Bottom part- from fabric. The materials are fastened with wooden sticks, and the bottom is tied to special pegs that were driven into the ground, leaving a small gap for air circulation inside the structure.

At the top of the structure there is a smoke hole, which has two blades that act as smoke plugs. Thanks to these blades, the draft of smoke inside the tipi is regulated. To control these blades, either special belts or poles are used, which made it possible to stretch the valves at the lower corners. Among the Canadian Indians from the Chippewa tribe, for example, these valves were not sewn to the covering itself, so they could be rotated as desired.

Also, thanks to its design, the tipi can be connected to the most ordinary tent and to other tipis. This results in additional space. From the junction of the main poles inside the tipi, a special belt is lowered to the ground. It is tied to pegs in the middle of the tipi and acts as an anchor that will prevent the tipi from collapsing due to strong winds or other bad weather. Also, additional lining is also often sewn into the bottom of the tipi, which creates greater comfort. During rain, a special round ceiling can also be stretched. However, the Indians from Missouri put leather boats on the upper ends of poles as an umbrella when it rained.

Each tribe has its own special tipi design, and they differ from each other in the number of main support poles, the order of their connection, the shape of the tipi itself, the method of cutting the fabric and skin, as well as the shape of the smoke valves and the way they are connected to the poles.

The teepee is an integral part of Indian life. The main advantage of this design is its mobility, since the tipi can be transported disassembled. Before the arrival of colonialists on the lands of the Indians, transportation of tipis was carried out manually, but after the appearance of horses, it became possible to transport tipis with their help. At the same time, it became possible to significantly increase the size of the structure, and sometimes the diameter of the base reached 7 meters.

Traditionally, the Indians place the tipi with the entrance to the east, but this rule can be neglected if the tents are placed in a circle. Thanks to the slight slope that some types of teepees are designed with, tents can withstand quite strong wind. Also, the tipi can be disassembled and assembled quite quickly. It is thanks to these factors that this design has become very popular among Indians.

Currently, tipis are used mainly by Indian conservatives, as well as reenactors and Indianists. In many places in the United States you can buy a backpacking tent with this name, which is similar in design to a teepee.

The teepee also plays a huge role in Indian culture. For example, the location of the tipi with its entrance to the east is due to the fact that the Indians must first of all thank the sun in the morning for the coming day. The design of the tipi uses a circle - a sacred symbol of the Indians, which also plays a significant role big role, since a circle in Indian culture can represent anything, from the rising sun to the seasonal migrations of bison.

All parts of the tipi design symbolize something: for example, the floor symbolizes the earth, which can act as an altar. The walls are the sky, and the poles that act as a frame are paths that lead from the earth to the world of spirits.

Despite the small size of the tipi, families lived in them quite comfortably, as they observed their own unique etiquette. According to this etiquette, men were located in the northern part of the tent, and women, respectively, in the southern part. You can only walk inside the structure clockwise. Guests entering the tent for the first time could only stay in the women's section of the tipi.

Walking between the central fireplace and the person standing in front of it was also considered shameful, because the Indians believed that this could interfere with people's connection with the fireplace. In order to sit down in his seat, a person had to walk behind the backs of those sitting. Some tribes believed that only the male owner of the tipi could enter the altar.

Most of the dwellings in Indian camps, as a rule, were not painted. Those units that were somehow decorated were designed according to the traditions of the tribe and often the paintings on them were traditionally stylized images natural phenomena and representatives of fauna.

The most common design motif was the following: along the lower edge of the tent there was a pattern that personified the earth, and along the upper edge, accordingly, a heavenly pattern. In some cases, the drawings on the tipi were also historical in nature: for example, it could be a story that happened to the owner of the home while hunting. Enough great attention The Indians also devoted time to their dreams, images from which were sometimes also depicted on the tipi cover.

The choice of colors was limited, so some of them had double meanings. For example, red could represent both fire and earth, and yellow could represent both lightning and stone. White flowers meant water and air. The sky was painted with blue or black colors.

To decorate the tipi they used not only drawings, but also all kinds of medallions and amulets, which were made by hand in accordance with the traditions of the tribe. All kinds of trophies obtained from hunting were also used, and a little later women began to decorate tipis with the help of beadwork.

In the next article we will talk about Indian wigwams. And choose a tipi self made for your child you can.

To the question What are the names of Indian dwellings? there must be more than one option specified by the author Ask the best answer is tipi and wigwam.
The home of any people reflects its way of life and depends on the environment and the type of occupation of the people. Sedentary peoples live in semi-dugouts or buildings. Nomads live in huts or tents, which are easy to dismantle and transport from place to place. Hunters cover their homes with skins, etc.
Each group of North American Indians had their own type of dwelling. For example, the Navajo Indians built semi-dugouts with adobe roofs and an entrance corridor - hogans. Florida Indians lived in pile huts. The nomads of the Subarctic lived in huts - wigwams, which were covered with birch bark in the summer and with skins in the winter. The collapsible tents of the Great Plains Indians were called teepees. They, like the wigwam, had a conical frame made of poles, and the tire was sewn from buffalo skins. The smoke from the fire came out through the central hole in the roof, covered from the rain by blades. The chiefs' teepees were covered with drawings and insignia of their owners.
The Iroquois dwelling was also built on a bark frame. However, it could serve for 10 - 15 years, until the community living in it moved the corn fields to a new location. This is the famous Iroquois longhouse (Hodenasaunee - longhouse people). These houses reached 25 meters in length. The entrance was located at the end of the house, and above it was a carved image of a totem - the patron animal of the clan group living in the house - the ovachira. Inside the house was divided into compartments; each married couple occupied a compartment, and had its own fireplace, the smoke from which came out of a hole in the roof. The residents slept on bunks along the wall of the long house.
The fortified villages of the Pueblo Indians were built from stones and mud bricks. They surrounded in a ring or semi-ring courtyard, so with outside the walls were high. The houses were built in terraces, one above the other, so that the roof of the lower floor served as an outdoor platform for the upper one. It was on such a site that the family’s economic life took place.
Source: Internet

Answer from Yotary Tramp[guru]
Wigwam. Tipi (in the Sioux language), the dwelling of the hunting tribes of the prairie Indians of North America - a conical tent built from poles covered with a tire
from sewn skins of bison or deer. Two blades made of skins were installed in the upper part of the tire, protecting the smoke hole from the wind; A hole for entry, covered with skin, was left at the bottom. T. accommodated from 6 to 15 people and was well adapted to nomadic life.

Answer from Flush[guru]
Semi-dugouts with adobe roofing and an entrance corridor are hogans.
Wigwams were covered with birch bark in the summer and with skins in the winter.
The collapsible tents of the Great Plains Indians were called teepees.

Answer from Say goodbye to Christ[guru]
"... and he draws us figs!"

Answer from Marina Nikolaeva[guru]
Wigwam, tipi - among the Indians of North America, but among our Yakuts - chum, and among the Alaska Indians - igloo, among the Indians Gulf of Mexico- palapa.
And among our Indians - Russians hahahahaha - hut, by the way, the word HOUSE came from the Italian language - dommo - the roof of the dome in the cathedral, inside, the dome is outside, and dommo - inside - few people know, hehehe... house