Nart Sagas From the Caucasus : Myths and Legends From the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs

The Nart sagas are to the Caucasus what Greek mythology is to Western civilization. This book presents, for the first time in the West, a wide selection of these fascinating myths preserved among four related peoples whose ancient cultures today survive by a thread. In ninety-two straightforward tales populated by extraordinary characters and exploits, by giants who humble haughty Narts, by horses and sorceresses, __Nart Sagas from the Caucasus__ brings these cultures to life in a powerful epos. In these colorful tales, women, not least the beautiful temptress Satanaya, the mother of all Narts, are not only fertility figures but also pillars of authority and wisdom. In one variation on a recurring theme, a shepherd, overcome with passion on observing Satanaya bathing alone, shoots a "bolt of lust" that strikes a rock--a rock that gives birth to the Achilles-like Sawseruquo, or Sosruquo. With steely skin but tender knees, Sawseruquo is a man the Narts come to love and hate. Despite a tragic history, the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs have retained the Nart sagas as a living tradition. The memory of their elaborate warrior culture, so richly expressed by these tales, helped them resist Tsarist imperialism in the nineteenth century, Stalinist suppression in the twentieth, and has bolstered their ongoing cultural journey into the post-Soviet future. Because these peoples were at the crossroads of Eurasia for millennia, their myths exhibit striking parallels with the lore of ancient India, classical Greece, and pagan Scandinavia. The Nart sagas may also have formed a crucial component of the Arthurian cycle. Notes after each tale reveal these parallels; an appendix offers extensive linguistic commentary. With this book, no longer will the analysis of ancient Eurasian myth be possible without a close look at the Nart sagas. And no longer will the lover of myth be satisfied without the pleasure of having read them. __Excerpts from the Nart sagas__ ? "The Narts were a tribe of heroes. They were huge, tall people, and their horses were also exuberant Alyps or Durduls. They were wealthy, and they also had a state. That is how the Narts lived their lives. . . ." "The Narts were courageous, energetic, bold, and good-hearted. Thus they lived until God sent down a small swallow. . . ." "The Narts were very cruel to one another. They were envious of one another. They disputed among themselves over who was the most courageous. But most of all they hated Sosruquo. . . . A rock gave birth to him. He is the son of a rock, illegally born a mere shepherd's son. . . ." A Selection Of The Circassian Nart Corpus. If Our Lives Be Short, Let Our Fame Be Great -- The Tale Of How Warzameg And Yimis Came To Be -- How Warzameg, Son Of Meghazash, Won The Damsel Psatina -- Setenaya And Argwana -- The Blossom Of Lady Setenaya -- Why The Sun Pauses On The Horizon At Sunset -- Lady Setenaya And The Magic Apple -- Lady Setenaya And The Shepherd : The Birth Of Sawseruquo -- How Setenaya Was Led Astray -- The Childhood Of Shebatinuquo -- How Far-seeing Setenaya Rescued Warzameg -- The Ballad Of Warzamegyuquo Shebatinuquo -- Setenaya And The Great Nart Warzameg -- Nart Wazarmeg And His Friends Decide What To Do About A Black Fox -- The Old Age Of The Great Nart -- How They Made Tlepsh Fashion The First Sickle -- Tlepsh And Lady Tree -- The One Who Committed One Hundred Sins -- The Lament For Nagura Tlepshuquo -- How Nart Tlepsh Killed Bearded Yamina With The Avenging Sword -- Tlepsh's Gold Cellar -- The Story Of Nart Totaresh And The Chinta Leader -- Two Fragments Of The Ballad Of Sawseruquo -- The Ballad Of Sawseruquo -- How The Horse Of Setenayuquo Sawseruquo Was Killed -- Lady Nart Aana -- Adif -- Wardana And Chwindizh Dwell In The White-haired Forest -- Warzamegyuquo Yasheruquo's Search For Courage -- How The Nart Khimish Married And How He Was Killed -- The Ballad Of Khimishuquo Pataraz -- How The Narts Sought To Reach The Sky -- How Khimishuquo Pataraz Won The Three Magical Whetstones -- How Pataraz Freed Bearded Nasran, Who Was Chained To The High Mountain -- Bound Nasran -- An Old Man Chained To Elbruz -- A Cyclops Bound Atop Wash'hamakhwa -- How Bearded Nasran Visited Ashamaz -- The Ballad Of Ashamaz -- Lashyn's Satirical Couplets About The Nart Men -- Hymn To T'haghalej -- The Shiblawuj, A Round Dance To The God Of Lightning. The Abaza Nart Corpus. The Time Of The Narts -- The Burial Ground Of The Narts -- The Golden Apple Tree Of The Narts -- Satanaya -- How Sosruquo Was Born -- Satanaya And Bataraz -- Satanaya And Tlepshw -- Sosruquo's Sword -- How Sosruquo Attended The Council Of The Narts -- How Sosruquo Brought Fire To His Troops -- How Sosruquo Brought Back The Seeds Of The Millet -- Shardan -- How Sosruquo Brought Sana To The Narts -- Sosruquo And The Blind Ayniwzh -- Sosruquo And The Inquisitive Ayniwzh -- Sosruquo And The Giant's Skull -- Sosruquo And Six Men -- Sosruquo And Sotrash -- Sosruquo And Sosranpa -- Qaydukh Of The Narts -- Qaydukh Fortress -- The Doom Of Sosruquo -- Sosran Of The Narts -- The Nanny Goat Of The Narts -- Badan And Badanoquo Of The Narts -- Badanoquo Of The Narts -- How The Barrel Of The Narts Was Set To Boiling -- The Dream Of Ayniwzh, Nana's Son -- Tataruquo Shaway -- Chwadlazhwiya's Tale -- Nasran And Shamaz -- Khmish And Bataraz Of The Narts. A Selection Of The Abkhaz Corpus. The Mother Of Heroes -- The Birth Of The Valiant Sasruquo -- How Sasruquo Plucked Down A Star -- The Ayirgs' Sister, The Sister-in-law Of The Narts -- Sasruquo's Sorrow -- The Light-giving Little Finger -- How Sasruquo Tamed The Wild Stallion -- How The Narts Cultivated Fruit -- Khozhorpas -- Narjkhyaw -- An Account Of The Narts. The Ubykh Nart Corpus. The Birth Of Soseruquo -- Another Birth Of Soseruquo -- The Death Of Soseruquo -- Yarichkhaw -- Three Brothers, Their Sister, And A Nart -- The Adventure Of Marchan Shaghy -- A Marvelous Sword. Appendix : Specimen Texts. Kabardian East Circassian -- Bzhedukh West Circassian (adyghey) -- Ubykh -- Abaza (tapanta Dialect) (northern Abkhaz) -- Bzyb Abkhaz. Assembled, Translated, And Annotated By John Colarusso With The Assistance Of B. George Hewitt ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [543]-552). The Nart sagas are a series of tales originating from the North Caucasus, forming the basic mythology of the tribes in the area. In ninety-two straightforward tales populated by extraordinary characters and exploits, by giants who humble haughty Narts, by horses and sorceresses, these myths bring these cultures to life in a powerful epos. In these colorful tales, women, not least the beautiful temptress Satanaya, the mother of all Narts, are not only fertility figures but also pillars of authority and wisdom. In one variation on a recurring theme, a shepherd, overcome with passion on observing Satanaya bathing alone, shoots a "bolt of lust" that strikes a rock -- a rock that gives birth to the Achilles-like Sawseruquo, or Sosruquo. With steely skin but tender knees, Sawseruquo is a man the Narts come to love and hate. Despite a tragic history, the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs have retained the Nart sagas as a living tradition. The memory of their elaborate warrior culture, so richly expressed by these tales, helped them resist Tsarist imperialism in the nineteenth century, Stalinist suppression in the twentieth, and has bolstered their ongoing cultural journey into the post-Soviet future. Because these peoples were at the crossroads of Eurasia for millennia, their myths exhibit striking parallels with the lore of ancient India, classical Greece, and pagan Scandinavia. The Nart sagas may also have formed a crucial component of the Arthurian cycle. Notes after each tale reveal these parallels; an appendix offers extensive linguistic commentary The sagas of the ancient Narts are to the Caucasus what Greek mythology is to Western civilization. This book presents, for the first time in the West, a wide selection of these fascinating myths preserved among four related peoples whose ancient cultures today survive by a thread. In ninety-two straightforward tales populated by extraordinary characters and exploits, by giants who humble haughty Narts, by horses and sorceresses, Nart Sagas from the Caucasus brings these cultures to life in a powerful epos. Contents Preface Symbols and Abbreviations Maps Introduction A Selection of the Circassian Nart Corpus The Abaza Nart Corpus A Selection of the Abkhaz Corpus The Ubykh Nart Corpus Appendix: Specimen Texts Bibliography