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{{Short description|Folklore of the North Caucasus}}
{{Copy edit|date=December 2012}}
{{redirect|Nart}} {{redirect|Nart}}
{{pp-pc}}
The '''Nart sagas''' ({{lang-ady|Нартхымэ акъыбарыхэ}}; {{lang-krc|Нарт таурухла}}; {{lang-os|Нарты кадджытæ}}; ''Narty kaddžytæ''; {{lang-ce|Нарт Аьрштхой}}) are a series of tales originating from the ]. They form the basic ] of the tribes in the area, including ], ], ], ], ]-] and ]-] folklore.
{{Circassians}}
The '''Nart sagas''' (]: Нарҭаа ражәабжьқәа; ''Nartaa raƶuabƶkua''; {{langx|ady|Нарт тхыдэжъхэр|translit=Nart txıdəĵxər}}; {{langx|os|Нарты кадджытæ, Нарти кадæнгитæ|translit=Narty kaddžytæ, Narti kadængitæ}}) are a series of tales originating from the ]. They form much of the basic ] of the ethnic groups in the area, including ], ], ], ], ]-], and to some extent ]-] folklore.
{{TOC limit}}


== Etymology == ==Etymology==
The term ''nart'' comes from ] name of Narts ''Nartæ'', which is ] of ''nar''.<ref name="Abaev">] ''''</ref> The term ''nart'' comes from the ] ''Nartæ'', which is '']'' of ''nar''.<ref name="Abaev">{{citation| editor-first = V.I.| editor-last = Abaev |editor-link=Vasily Abaev|at = p.158-9 "Nartae, Nart" | url = http://allingvo.ru/LANGUAGE/etimolog_slovar.htm |script-title=ru:ИСТОРИКО-ЭТИМОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ СЛОВАРЬ ОСЕТИНСКОГО ЯЗЫКА | trans-title = Historical-Etymological Dictionary of Ossetian language | volume = II (L-R) | year =1973 | language = russian }}</ref> The derivation of the ] ''nar'' is of ] origin, from ] ''*nar'' for 'hero, man', descended from ] '']''.{{sfn|Colarusso|2002|pp= xxiv, 552}} In ] and ], the word ''nart'' means 'giant'.


== Characters ==
The origin of the ] ''nar'' is probably of ] origin, from ] ''nar'' "hero", "man", descended from ] '']''.<ref name=colarusso>John Colarusso. . Princeton University Press. xxiv, 552..</ref> But ] declined this etymology relying on two arguments. First argument is that the descendant of Indo-European root ''*h₂nḗr'' in Ossetic is ''næl'' "]", and the second one is that the central hero of the saga is woman ]. Instead, Abaev suggested ] origin of ''nar'', from Mongolian ''nara'' "]".<ref name="Abaev"/>

==Characters==
Some of the characters who feature prominently in the sagas are: Some of the characters who feature prominently in the sagas are:


* ] (], ] and ] '''{{unicode|sawsərəqʷa}}''' (Саусырыкъо), ] '''soslan''' (Сослан)), a hero who sometimes also appears as a ]; * ] (], ] and ]: ''sawsərəqʷa'' (Саусырыкъо); ]: ''Soslan'' (Сослан)) – a hero who sometimes also appears as a ]
* ''']''' (Ossetian: Батырадз) – the leader and greatest warrior of the Narts
* ] (Ubykh '''{{unicode|satanaja|}}''', ] '''{{unicode|setenej|}}''' (Сэтэнай), ] '''satana''' (Сатана)), the mother of the Narts, a ] figure and matriarch;
* ''']''' (Ubykh: ''satanaja''; Adyghe: ''Setenej'' (Сэтэнай); Ossetian: ''Satana'' (Сатана)) – the mother of the Narts, a ] figure and matriarch
* ] (] and ] '''{{IPA-cau|ɬapʃʷ|}}''', Ossetian '''K<sup>w</sup>yrdaləgon''' (Куырдалæгон)), a blacksmith deity;<ref>, Youtube</ref>
* ''']''' (Adyghe and ]: ''{{IPA|cau|ɬapʃ|}}''; Ossetian: ''K<sup>w</sup>yrdalægon'' (Куырдалæгон)) – a blacksmith deity
* ] (] '''{{unicode|Syrdon}}''' (Сырдон)) a trickster figure compared by ] to the ] ].
* ''']''' (Ossetian: Сырдон) – a trickster figure compared by ] to the Norse god ] (see ])
* ] ({{lang-ce|'''Pẋarmat''' Пхьармат}}), in ] epos, a blacksmith figure that steals fire from the gods for the mortals .<ref>Tsaroïeva, Mariel. Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes. P. 199. ISBN 2-7068-1792-5</ref>
* ''']''' (]: ''Pẋarmat'' (Пхьармат)) – in the ]' ], a ] figure who steals fire from the gods for the mortals{{sfn|Tsaroieva|2005|p= 199}}
* ] (] ''Æхсæр'', ''Æхсæртæг'') are ] who are heroes in ] and sons of Warhag. Akhsartag is also the father of the narts ] and ].
* ''']''' (Ossetian: Дзерассæ) – daughter of the sea-god ], and mother of many Nart heroes.
* ''']''' (] ''Уырызмæг,'' ''Орæзмæг, Урузмæг,'' ] ''Орзэмэдж/Озырмэс,'' ] ''Уэзырмэс,'' ] Орзми, ] ''Урузман,'' ]/]'': Уазырмас,'' ]: ''Ёрюзмек'') is the hero of the Nart saga, son of ] and ].
* ''']''' (] ''Хæмыц,'' ] ''Хъымыщ,'' ] ''Хъымыщ,'' ] ''Хамчи,'' ] ''Хамча,'' ]: ''Хмышь,'' ]'': Хъмыщ,'' ]: ''Хымыч'') is the hero of the, son of ] and ], the father of the hero ] and the twin brother of ], with whom they often went on conquest campaigns together.


==Study and significance== == Study and significance ==
The first written account of the material is due to the ]ian author Shora Begmurzin Nogma (written in Russian 1835-1843, published posthumously in 1861, German translation by ] in 1866). The stories exist in the form of prose tales as well as epic songs. The first Westerner to take note of the Nart stories was the German scholar ], who traveled to the Caucasus during the first decade of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Foltz|first=Richard|title=The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZswEAAAQBAJ |year=2022 |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9780755618453|author-link=Richard Foltz |page = 62}}</ref> The earliest written account of the material is attributed to the ] author ], who wrote in Russian in 1835–1843, published posthumously in 1861. A German translation by ] was published in 1866 {{harv|Berge|1866}}. The stories exist in the form of prose tales as well as epic songs.


It is generally known that all the Nart corpora have an ancient Iranian core, inherited from the ], ], and ] (the Alans being the ancestors of the ]).<ref name=colarusso/><ref name=colarusso2>, John Colarusso, Circassian World</ref> However, they also contain abundant local North Caucasian accretions of great antiquity, which sometimes reflect an even more archaic past.<ref name=colarusso/> It is generally known that some of the Nart corpora have an ancient Iranian core, inherited from the ], ], and ] (the latter being the ancestors of the ]).{{sfn|Colarusso|2002}} However, they also contain abundant local ] accretions of great antiquity, which sometimes reflect an even more archaic past.{{sfn|Colarusso|2002|pp= xxiv, 552}}


Based especially on the Ossetian versions, the sagas have long been valued as a window towards the world of the ]-speaking cultures of Antiquity. For example, the philologist ] used the Ossetian division of the Narts into three ]s to support his ''Trifunctional Hypothesis'' that the ] were similarly divided into three castes—warriors, priests, and commoners. The Ossetes consider the Nart epic to be a central feature of their national identity.<ref>{{cite book |last=Foltz|first=Richard|title=The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZswEAAAQBAJ |year=2022 |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9780755618453|author-link=Richard Foltz |page = 59}}</ref> Based especially on the Ossetian versions, the Nart stories have been valued by scholars as a window towards the world of the ]-speaking cultures of antiquity, and as an important source for comparative Indo-European mythology. For example, the philologist ] used the Ossetian division of the Narts into three ]s to support his '']'' that the ] were similarly divided into three castes—warriors, priests, and commoners.


The ] (], ]-] and ]) versions are also highly valuable, because they are more archaic<ref name=colarusso/> and preserve "all the odd details constituting the detritus of earlier traditions and beliefs", as opposed to the Ossetian ones, which have been "reworked to form a smooth narrative".<ref name=colarusso2/> The ] (], Abkhaz-Abasin and Ubykh) versions are also highly valuable because they contain more archaic accretions and preserve "all the odd details constituting the detritus of earlier traditions and beliefs", as opposed to the Ossetian ones, which have been "reworked to form a smooth narrative".{{sfn|Colarusso|2002|pp= xxiv, 552}}{{sfn|Colarusso|2002}}


==Connections to other mythology==
Some motifs in the Nart sagas are shared by Greek mythology. The story of ] chained to ] or to ] in particular is similar to an element in the Nart sagas. These shared motifs are seen by some as indicative of an earlier proximity of the ] peoples to the ancient Greeks, also shown in the myth of the ], in which ] is generally accepted to have been part of modern-day ]. Some motifs in the Nart sagas are shared by Greek mythology. The story of ] chained to ] or to ] in particular is similar to an element in the Nart sagas. These shared motifs are seen by some as indicative of an earlier proximity of the ] peoples to the ancient Greeks, also shown in the myth of the ], in which ] is generally accepted to have been part of modern-day ].


In the book ''From Scythia to Camelot'', authors ] and ] speculate that many aspects of the ] are derived from the Nart sagas. The proposed vector of transmission is the ], some of whom migrated into northern ] at around the time the Arthurian legends were forming. As expected, these parallels are most evident in the Ossetian versions, according to researcher John Colarusso.<ref name=colarusso2/> See '']'' for more details. In the book ''From Scythia to Camelot'', authors ] and Linda A. Malcor speculate that many aspects of the ] are derived from the Nart sagas. The proposed vector of transmission is the Alans, some of whom migrated into northern France at around the time the Arthurian legends were forming. As expected, these parallels are most evident in the Ossetian versions, according to researcher ].{{sfn|Colarusso|2002}} For more details, see "]."


==Differences between Nart Legends== == Differences between Nart legends ==
There are various differences between the various versions of the Nart legends. For example, the Ossetian versions depict the Nartic tribe as composed of three distinct clans that sometimes rival with each other (the brave Æxsærtægkatæ, to whom the most prominent Narts belong, the rich Borætæ and the wise Alægatæ), while the Circassian ones don't depict such a division, and the Abkhaz ones are unique in describing the Narts as a single ] composed of Satanaya's one hundred sons.<ref>Mify narodov mira. 1980. V.2. Narty</ref> Yet all of these versions describe the Narts as a single coherent group of mostly "good" heroes. In contrast, the ] (]-]) legends sometimes depict the Nart-Orxustxoi, a group including the most prominent Narts known from the other versions (e.g. Seska-Solsa corresponding to Sosruko/Soslan, Khamtsha-Patarish corresponding to Batraz/Batradz etc.) as warlike bandits, who fight against local good heroes such as Koloi-Kant and Qinda-Shoa<ref>Tsaroïeva, Mariel. Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes. P. 215. ISBN 2-7068-1792-5</ref> (the latter corresponding to Sawway/Shawey). There are some differences between the various versions of the Nart legends. For example, the Ossetian versions depict the Nartic tribe as composed of three distinct clans that sometimes rival one another: the brave Æxsærtægkatæ (to whom the most prominent Narts belong), the rich Borætæ, and the wise Alægatæ; the Circassian versions do not depict such a division. The Abkhaz versions are unique in describing the Narts as a single ] composed of Satanaya's one hundred sons.<ref>{{citation| title = Mify narodov mira | trans-title = Myths of the World | year = 1980 | volume =2 (K-Ya)| at = Narty |editor-first = S.A.| editor-last = Tokarev | type = encyclopedia | language = Russian }}</ref> All of these versions describe the Narts as a single coherent group of (mostly) "good" heroes.


Some Nakh (]-]) legends include a group called the ''Nart-Orxustxoi'', which includes the most prominent Narts known from the other versions (e.g. Seska-Solsa corresponding to Sosruko/Soslan, Khamtsha-Patarish corresponding to Batraz/Batradz, etc.) In contrast to the Ossetian and Abkhaz versions, the Nakh legends depict the Narts as warlike bandits who fight against local good heroes such as Koloi-Kant and Qinda-Shoa (with Qinda-Shoa corresponding to Sawway/Shawey). {{sfn|Tsaroieva|2005|p=215}}
==See also==

{{div col|cols=3}}
], the Persian translator of "Nart" by matching the Ossetian, Abkhaz, Abaza, Circassian, and Ubykh versions, has been able to identify the lineage of some characters who have only been named. For instance, by recreating a character named "Qânzezâd (Abaza: Qanzhoquo)," he believes that he is the son of Azaukhan in the Ossetian version.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://iryston.tv/ir/irajnag-goraet-avhazy-tsaeraeg-shayan-dzhavadi-persajnag-aevzagmae-taelmats-kaeny-iron-fysdzhyty-uatsmystae/|title= Ирайнаг горæт Ахвазы цæрæг Шаян Джавади персайнаг æвзагмæ тæлмац кæны ирон фысджыты уацмыстæ|author = Iryston.tv|date= 6 April 2022}}</ref>

== See also ==
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==Sources== ==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
<references/>

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation|title = Die Sagen und Lieder des Tscherkessen-Volks| trans-title = The legends and songs of the Circassian peoples | year = 1866| url = https://archive.org/details/diesagenundlied00nogmgoog| first = Schora Bekmursin | last = Nogmov| publisher = Leipzig, P. Wigan | editor-first = Adolf | editor-last = Bergé | editor-link = Adolf Berge | language = german |ref = {{harvid|Berge|1866}} }}
*{{citation| title = Nart Sagas from the Caucasus: Myths and Legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs| editor-first= John| editor-last = Colarusso| year = 2002 | publisher= Princeton University Press| isbn =9781400865284 }}
**Also published as {{citation| title = Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Circassians and Abkhazians | isbn = 978-0-691-16914-9 | year = 2002| publisher = Princeton University Press }}, with an introduction by ]
*{{cite book |last=Foltz|first=Richard|title=The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZswEAAAQBAJ |year=2022 |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9780755618453|author-link=Richard Foltz }}
*{{citation| last = Tsaroïeva | first = Mariel | title = Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes | language= French | trans-title = Old beliefs of the Ingush and Chechens | year =2005 | publisher = Maisonneuve et Larose | isbn = 2-7068-1792-5 | ref={{harvid|Tsaroieva|2005}} }}
{{refend}}

=== Further reading ===
{{refbegin}}

==== Circassian Nart sagas ====
*{{citation| url = http://www.reocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/2493/nartsaga3.htm | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20170113170919/http://www.reocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/2493/nartsaga3.htm | title = More Nart Tales | archive-date = 13 January 2017 }} , English translations
*{{citation| url = http://www.circassianlibrary.org/lib/html/Nart_epos_1/contents.html |script-title=ru:Нарты. Адыгский эпос | trans-title = Narta. The Adyghe epic | language =Russian }} , Russian translations
*Articles:
**{{citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070211132440/http://circassianworld.com/colarusso_3.html | url =http://circassianworld.com/colarusso_3.html | archive-date = 11 February 2007 | title = Myths from the Forests of Circassia | first = John | last = Colarusso | work = The World & I | date = Dec 1989 }}
**{{citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524131405/http://www.circassianworld.com/colarusso_4.html | url
=http://www.circassianworld.com/colarusso_4.html | archive-date =24 May 2011 | title = Prometheus among the Circassians | first = John | last = Colarusso | work = The World & I | date = Dec 1989 }}
**{{citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003600/http://www.circassianworld.com/Satanaya_Cycle.pdf| url =http://www.circassianworld.com/Satanaya_Cycle.pdf | archive-date = 27 September 2007 | title = The Woman of the Myths: the Satanaya Cycle| first = John | last = Colarusso | journal = The Annual of the Society for the Study of Caucasia | volume =2 | pages = 3–11| year = 1989 }}

==== Ossetian Nart sagas ====
*{{citation| title = Tales of the Narts: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Ossetians| editor-first= John| editor-last = Colarusso| translator-first= Walter| translator-last = May| year = 2016 | publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9780691211527}}
*{{citation | url = http://biblio.darial-online.ru/catalog_os.html | language = os| title = КАТАЛОГ | trans-title=Catalog}}, three collections of legends (Dzhanayev, Gutiev and Skodtayev/Kibirov, the latter from the Digor dialect area). The first collection (the 1946 Dzhanayev edition) is also available in the form of and audio recordings
*{{citation| url = http://biblio.darial-online.ru/text/narts/index_rus.shtml | language = Russian | editor-first = Б.А. | editor-last = Калоев | editor-first2 = Ю. | editor-last2 = Либединский | title =СКАЗАНИЯ О НАРТАХ | trans-title = Tales of the Narts}}: a translation, with slight modifications, of the Dzhanayev edition at the previous link
*{{citation| url = http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etcs/iran/niran/oss/nart/nart.htm | title = Ossetic Nartic Tales |work = TITUS (Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien)}} (legends collected from the Digor dialect area, edited by M. Gardanti)

==== Abkhaz Nart sagas ====
*{{citation | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014519/http://kolhida.ru/index.php3?path=_etnography%2Fbook%2Fnart&source=index | url =http://kolhida.ru/index.php3?path=_etnography%2Fbook%2Fnart&source=index | archive-date = 28 September 2007 |editor-first = Ш.Д. | editor-last = Инал-ипа |editor-first2 = К.С.| editor-last2 = Шакрыл |editor-first3 = Б.В. | editor-last3 = Шинкуба |editor-first4 =Ш.Д. | editor-last4 = Инал-ипа |editor-first5 = Г. | editor-last5 = Гулия |editor-first6 = В. | editor-last6 = Солоухина |script-title=ru:Приключения нарта Сасрыквы и его девяноста девяти братьев | trans-title = The Adventures of the Sasrykva Nart and His Ninety-nine Brothers | language = Russian }}

==== Karachay-Balkar Nart sagas ====
*{{citation| url = http://www.adigha.com/Culture/Custom_Traditions/NARTS_01.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120301194108/http://www.adigha.com/Culture/Custom_Traditions/NARTS_01.htm | archive-date = 1 March 2012 |title = A Good Sample For Cultural Diffusion - A Hero Who Carries The Characteristics Of Prophet David In The Nart Epos Of Karachay-Balkar People - Nart Debet, The Smith | first = Ufuk | last = Tavkul | work = The International Symposium of "NART EPOS" | year = 2000 }}
*{{citation| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070930111524/https://balkaria.info/library/d/dzhurtubaev/epos/0_narti.htm | archive-date = 30 September 2007 |script-title=ru:Героический эпос о нартах | language = Russian | editor-first =Джуртубаев Махти | editor-last = Чиппаевич | trans-title = The heroic epic of Narta | url =https://balkaria.info/library/d/dzhurtubaev/epos/0_narti.htm | title = Balkaria.info }} , detailed set of tales
*Russian translations from {{citation|script-title=ru:Дебет златоликий и его друзья| language =Russian | year =1987| editor-first= С.| editor-last= Липкина | trans-title = Debet the golden haired and his friends }}
**{{citation| url = http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171557.shtml | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060228163522/http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171557.shtml |archive-date = 28 February 2006 |script-title=ru:Нарты РАЧИКАУ, СЫН ЧУЖЕЗЕМЦА | language = Russian}} , (part 1)
**{{citation| url = http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171548.shtml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110726211752/http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171548.shtml | archive-date = 26 July 2011 | title = Наш героический эпос о нартах - КАК ЁРЮЗМЕК УБИЛ КРАСНОЛИКОГО РЫЖЕБОРОДОГО ФУКА }} , (part 2)

==== Chechen-Ingush Nart sagas ====
*{{citation | chapter-url = http://chechnya.unesco.ru/books/culofchechnyaeng.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091015030706/http://chechnya.unesco.ru/books/culofchechnyaeng.pdf | archive-date = 15 October 2009 | chapter = 18. The Inception of Chechen artistic writing: ethni-historical and aesthetic prerequisites | first = Kh.R. | last = Abdulayeva | title = The Culture of Chechnya: History and Modern Problems | year = 2002 | pages = 129–147 | access-date = 9 August 2007 | url-status = dead }}
*Accounts of Chechen and Ingush beliefs by Ch.E.Akhriev
**{{citation | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080401040418/http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/87.html | url =http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/87.html | archive-date = 1 April 2008 | title = | first = Ch.E. | last = Akhriev| language = Russian }}
**{{ citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080402101529/http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/89.html | url = http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/89.html | archive-date = 2 April 2008 | title = | first = Ch.E. | last = Akhriev | language = Russian }}
*{{citation| url = http://constitutions.ru/archives/1738 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120301194323/https://constitutions.ru/archives/1738| archive-date = 1 March 2012 | language = Russian | title = ЧЕЧЕНСКИЕ СКАЗАНИЯ | trans-title = Chechen Tales }}

==== Miscellaneous ====
*{{citation| url = http://vroegemiddeleeuwen.weblog.leidenuniv.nl/category/caucasus/ | language = English | title = | work = Wanana sculun Frankon - Linguistics, History, Mythology and More}} , Causcasian folklore articles
*{{cite journal|first1=Arkadiusz |last1=Dudziak |first2=Marina |last2=Payunena |date=June 2019 |title=Индоевропейские антропологические и культурные источники осетинского героического эпоса как пример номадизма идей и ценностей (к постановке проблемы) |trans-title=Indo-European anthropological and cultural sources of the Ossetian heroic epic as an example of nomadism of ideas and values (problem statement) |language=ru |journal=Przegląd Wschodnioeuropejski (East European Review) |publisher=] |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=289–304 |doi=10.31648/pw.4525|doi-access=free }}
* Дувакин Евгений Николаевич. "Кельто-кавказские фольклорные параллели и возможные сценарии их происхождения" . Индоевропейское языкознание и классическая филология, no. 23–1, 2019, pp.&nbsp;295–307. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/kelto-kavkazskie-folklornye-paralleli-i-vozmozhnye-stsenarii-ih-proishozhdeniya (дата обращения: 29.09.2021). (In Russian)
{{refend}}


== External links == == External links ==
{{commons category-inline|Nart Sagas}}
'''Circassian Nart sagas''':

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{{Authority control}}
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*Articles including some texts of Nartic legends:
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'''Ossetian Nart sagas''':
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'''Abkhaz Nart sagas'''
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'''Karachay-Balkar Nart sagas''':
* Contains a brief outline of Karachay-Balkar Nartic legends (in English).
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'''Chechen-Ingush Nart sagas''':
* Contains discussion of Chechen and Ingush Nartic legends (in English).
* at the ]. Contains Nartic legends.
* at the ]. Contains Nartic legends.
*, many of which are about the Narts.


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Latest revision as of 03:12, 1 November 2024

Folklore of the North Caucasus "Nart" redirects here. For other uses, see Nart (disambiguation).

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The Nart sagas (Abkhaz: Нарҭаа ражәабжьқәа; Nartaa raƶuabƶkua; Adyghe: Нарт тхыдэжъхэр, romanized: Nart txıdəĵxər; Ossetian: Нарты кадджытæ, Нарти кадæнгитæ, romanized: Narty kaddžytæ, Narti kadængitæ) are a series of tales originating from the North Caucasus. They form much of the basic mythology of the ethnic groups in the area, including Abazin, Abkhaz, Circassian, Ossetian, Karachay-Balkar, and to some extent Chechen-Ingush folklore.

Etymology

The term nart comes from the Ossetian Nartæ, which is plurale tantum of nar. The derivation of the root nar is of Iranian origin, from Proto-Iranian *nar for 'hero, man', descended from Proto-Indo-European *h₂nḗr. In Ingush and Chechen, the word nart means 'giant'.

Characters

Some of the characters who feature prominently in the sagas are:

Study and significance

The first Westerner to take note of the Nart stories was the German scholar Julius von Klaproth, who traveled to the Caucasus during the first decade of the 19th century. The earliest written account of the material is attributed to the Kabardian author Shora Begmurzin Nogma, who wrote in Russian in 1835–1843, published posthumously in 1861. A German translation by Adolf Berge was published in 1866 (Berge 1866). The stories exist in the form of prose tales as well as epic songs.

It is generally known that some of the Nart corpora have an ancient Iranian core, inherited from the Scythians, Sarmatians, and Alans (the latter being the ancestors of the Ossetians). However, they also contain abundant local North Caucasian accretions of great antiquity, which sometimes reflect an even more archaic past.

The Ossetes consider the Nart epic to be a central feature of their national identity. Based especially on the Ossetian versions, the Nart stories have been valued by scholars as a window towards the world of the Iranian-speaking cultures of antiquity, and as an important source for comparative Indo-European mythology. For example, the philologist Georges Dumézil used the Ossetian division of the Narts into three clans to support his Trifunctional Hypothesis that the Proto-Indo-Europeans were similarly divided into three castes—warriors, priests, and commoners.

The Northwest Caucasian (Circassian, Abkhaz-Abasin and Ubykh) versions are also highly valuable because they contain more archaic accretions and preserve "all the odd details constituting the detritus of earlier traditions and beliefs", as opposed to the Ossetian ones, which have been "reworked to form a smooth narrative".

Connections to other mythology

Some motifs in the Nart sagas are shared by Greek mythology. The story of Prometheus chained to Mount Kazbek or to Mount Elbrus in particular is similar to an element in the Nart sagas. These shared motifs are seen by some as indicative of an earlier proximity of the Caucasian peoples to the ancient Greeks, also shown in the myth of the Golden Fleece, in which Colchis is generally accepted to have been part of modern-day Georgia.

In the book From Scythia to Camelot, authors C. Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor speculate that many aspects of the Arthurian legends are derived from the Nart sagas. The proposed vector of transmission is the Alans, some of whom migrated into northern France at around the time the Arthurian legends were forming. As expected, these parallels are most evident in the Ossetian versions, according to researcher John Colarusso. For more details, see "Historicity of King Arthur – Lucius Artorius Castus and the Sarmatian connection."

Differences between Nart legends

There are some differences between the various versions of the Nart legends. For example, the Ossetian versions depict the Nartic tribe as composed of three distinct clans that sometimes rival one another: the brave Æxsærtægkatæ (to whom the most prominent Narts belong), the rich Borætæ, and the wise Alægatæ; the Circassian versions do not depict such a division. The Abkhaz versions are unique in describing the Narts as a single nuclear family composed of Satanaya's one hundred sons. All of these versions describe the Narts as a single coherent group of (mostly) "good" heroes.

Some Nakh (Chechen-Ingush) legends include a group called the Nart-Orxustxoi, which includes the most prominent Narts known from the other versions (e.g. Seska-Solsa corresponding to Sosruko/Soslan, Khamtsha-Patarish corresponding to Batraz/Batradz, etc.) In contrast to the Ossetian and Abkhaz versions, the Nakh legends depict the Narts as warlike bandits who fight against local good heroes such as Koloi-Kant and Qinda-Shoa (with Qinda-Shoa corresponding to Sawway/Shawey).

Shayan Javadi, the Persian translator of "Nart" by matching the Ossetian, Abkhaz, Abaza, Circassian, and Ubykh versions, has been able to identify the lineage of some characters who have only been named. For instance, by recreating a character named "Qânzezâd (Abaza: Qanzhoquo)," he believes that he is the son of Azaukhan in the Ossetian version.

See also

References

  1. Abaev, V.I., ed. (1973), ИСТОРИКО-ЭТИМОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ СЛОВАРЬ ОСЕТИНСКОГО ЯЗЫКА [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of Ossetian language] (in Russian), vol. II (L-R), p.158-9 "Nartae, Nart"
  2. ^ Colarusso 2002, pp. xxiv, 552.
  3. Tsaroieva 2005, p. 199.
  4. Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. p. 62. ISBN 9780755618453.
  5. ^ Colarusso 2002.
  6. Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. p. 59. ISBN 9780755618453.
  7. Tokarev, S.A., ed. (1980), Mify narodov mira [Myths of the World] (encyclopedia) (in Russian), vol. 2 (K-Ya), Narty
  8. Tsaroieva 2005, p. 215.
  9. Iryston.tv (6 April 2022). "Ирайнаг горæт Ахвазы цæрæг Шаян Джавади персайнаг æвзагмæ тæлмац кæны ирон фысджыты уацмыстæ".

Sources

Further reading

Circassian Nart sagas

Ossetian Nart sagas

  • Colarusso, John, ed. (2016), Tales of the Narts: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Ossetians, translated by May, Walter, Princeton University Press, ISBN 9780691211527
  • КАТАЛОГ [Catalog] (in Ossetic), three collections of legends (Dzhanayev, Gutiev and Skodtayev/Kibirov, the latter from the Digor dialect area). The first collection (the 1946 Dzhanayev edition) is also available in the form of older and newer audio recordings
  • Калоев, Б.А.; Либединский, Ю. (eds.), СКАЗАНИЯ О НАРТАХ [Tales of the Narts] (in Russian): a translation, with slight modifications, of the Dzhanayev edition at the previous link
  • "Ossetic Nartic Tales", TITUS (Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien) (legends collected from the Digor dialect area, edited by M. Gardanti)

Abkhaz Nart sagas

Karachay-Balkar Nart sagas

Chechen-Ingush Nart sagas

Miscellaneous

External links

Media related to Nart Sagas at Wikimedia Commons

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