Sihirtia (Nenets: сихиртя) or Sirtia (Nenets: сиртя) were a mythical people who lived in the tundra before the arrival of Nenets. According to legends, Sihirtia were small-sized, wearing beautiful clothes with metal pendants. They had "white" (light blue) eyes and spoke with a slight stutter. Tall sandy hills served them as homes. They came out to the surface of the tundra at night or in the mist; they lived under the ground, where they traveled on dogs and pastured mammoths ("earth deer"). Sihirtia were skilled smiths and good warriors. Meeting a Sihirtia brought either misfortune or good luck. There were cases of marriage between Nenets and Sihirtia.