The Nart sagas are to the Caucasus what Greek mythology is to Western civilization.Tales of the Nartspresents a wide selection of fascinating tales preserved as a living tradition among the peoples of Ossetia in southern Russia, a region where ethnic identities have been maintained for thousands of years in the face of major cultural upheavals.
A mythical tribe of tall, nomad warriors, the Narts were courageous, bold, and good-hearted. But they were also capable of cruelty, envy, and forceful measures to settle disputes. In this wonderfully vivid and accessible compilation of stories, colorful and exciting heroes, heroines, villains, and monsters pursue their destinies though a series of peculiar exploits, often with the intervention of ancient gods.
The world of the Narts can be as familiar as it is alien, and the tales contain local themes as well as echoes of influence from diverse lands. The ancestors of the Ossetians once roamed freely from eastern Europe to western China, and their myths exhibit striking parallels with ancient Indian, Norse, and Greek myth. The Nart sagas may also have formed a crucial component of the Arthurian cycle.
Tales of the Nartsfurther expands the canon of this precious body of lore and demonstrates the passion and values that shaped the lives of the ancient Ossetians.
Author(s): John Colarusso; Tamirlan Salbiev; Walter May
Edition: Hardcover
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Year: 2016
Language: English
Pages: 512
Title Page......Page 3
Copyright Page......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Preface - John Colarusso......Page 11
Commentary - Tamirlan Salbiev......Page 17
A Short Biography of the Translator......Page 21
Guide to the Names and Terms - translated from Skazanija iz Nartov Walter May......Page 22
1 Cycles, Subjects, Heroes......Page 31
2 Genetic and Surrounding Ties......Page 56
3 Myths and History in the Sagas of the Narts......Page 62
Part 1 - Warkhag and his sons......Page 78
1 The Birth of Akhshar and Akhshartag......Page 79
2 Akhshar’s Sword......Page 80
3 The Apple of the Narts......Page 84
4 The Beauty Zerashsha......Page 86
5 The Death of Akhshar and Akhshartag......Page 89
6 The Birth of Urizhmag and Khamis......Page 92
7 How Urizhmag and Khamis Found Their Grandfather, Warkhag......Page 94
Part 2 - Urizhmag and Shatana......Page 98
8 The Birth of Shatana......Page 99
9 How Shatana Became Urizhmag’s Wife......Page 100
10 Urizhmag and Kharan-Khuag......Page 104
11 Urizhmag and the One-Eyed Giant......Page 107
12 How Urizhmag Parted from Shatana......Page 113
13 The Nameless Son of Urizhmag......Page 114
14 Shatana’s Son......Page 129
15 Who Won the Black Vixen?......Page 136
16 Urizhmag and Three Inquisitive Guests......Page 146
17 How Black Beer Was Brewed......Page 148
18 Urizhmag’s Last Campaign......Page 149
Part 3 - Shoshlan......Page 157
19 How Shoshlan Was Born, and How They Tempered Him......Page 158
20 What Gifts the Heavenly Gods Bestowed upon Shoshlan......Page 161
21 Shoshlan Seeks Someone Stronger than He......Page 164
22 Shoshlan and the Goomag Man......Page 169
23 Shoshlan in the Land of Goom......Page 173
24 Shoshlan and Warkhag’s Unknown Son......Page 181
25 Shoshlan and the Sons of Tar......Page 186
26 How Shoshlan Wed Kosher......Page 202
27 How Shoshlan Slew Telberd’s Three Sons......Page 207
28 Shoshlan’s Campaign......Page 209
29 Nart Shoshlan and the Giant Bizhgwana......Page 213
30 Why Shirdon Became Shoshlan’s Enemy......Page 216
31 Little Arakhzau, Son of Bezenag......Page 218
32 The Death of Arakhzau......Page 232
33 How Shoshlan Wed Vedukha......Page 240
34 How Shoshlan Saved Shatana from the Lake of Hell......Page 249
35 Shoshlan and Totraz......Page 253
36 Shoshlan in the Land of the Dead......Page 265
37 The Death of Shoshlan......Page 289
38 Aishana......Page 302
39 Aishana and Shainag-Aldar......Page 308
Part 4 - Shirdon......Page 315
40 The Birth and Marriage of Shirdon......Page 316
41 A Nart Expedition......Page 318
42 How the Twelve-Stringed Harp Appeared......Page 330
43 Shirdon Again Deceives the Narts......Page 336
44 How Shirdon Tricked the Giants......Page 337
45 How Shirdon Held a Memorial Feast for His Ancestors......Page 339
46 Why Shirdon Was Called a Liar......Page 341
47 Your Cloth Is in Your Hands......Page 343
48 Who Deceived Whom?......Page 344
Part 5 - Khamis and Batraz......Page 347
49 Khamis and Batraz: Arkizh’s Tooth......Page 348
50 How Khamis Was Wed......Page 351
51 The Birth of Batraz......Page 359
52 How Batraz Was Lured Out of the Sea......Page 360
53 The Games of Young Batraz......Page 362
54 Batraz, Son of Khamis, and Arakhzau, Son of Bezenag......Page 367
55 Batraz and the Giant with the Mottled Beard......Page 369
56 How Batraz Hardened Himself......Page 372
57 How Batraz Saved Urizhmag......Page 374
58 How Nart Batraz Found Burazag......Page 378
59 Batraz and Tykhyfyrt Mukara......Page 382
60 Batraz and the Arrogant Son of the Giant Afsharon......Page 386
61 How the One-Eyed Giant Afsharon Took Revenge upon the Narts......Page 391
62 How Batraz Saved the Eminent Narts......Page 393
63 Nart Uraz and the Giant Akhshualy......Page 395
64 Batraz and the Aldar......Page 400
65 How Batraz Stormed the Khizh Fortress......Page 401
66 Batraz and the Narts’ Bowl, Wasamonga......Page 403
67 The Narts’ Round-Dance, the Shimd......Page 406
68 How Batraz Beat the Spirit of Fertility......Page 417
69 Who Is Best among the Narts?......Page 419
70 The Death of Khamis......Page 427
71 How Batraz Avenged His Father’s Death......Page 429
72 The Death of Batraz......Page 439
Part 6 - Asamazh......Page 443
73 Asamazh and the Beauty Agunda......Page 444
74 Nart Shidamon and the Giant Shkhuali......Page 456
Part 7 - Shauwai......Page 462
75 The Birth oF Shauwai......Page 463
Part 8 - Various Stories about the Narts......Page 481
76 The Narts and Wadmer’s Bones......Page 482
77 Nart Shibals, the Son of Warkhtanag......Page 486
78 Washtirji and Nart Marguz the Noseless......Page 491
79 Nart Zili and His Son......Page 502
80 Alimbeg’s Daughter and the Alita Family......Page 511
81 The Beauty Wazaftau, Daughter of Adakizh......Page 520
82 The Nart Named Solitary......Page 527
83 Nart Zhivag, the Lazy Lout, and Agunda, Daughter of Burafarnig Borata......Page 535
84 The Elder and the Younger Share......Page 542
85 Nart Bzhar and His Son......Page 547
86 How Nart Eltagan Was Wed......Page 556
87 The Narts and the Black-Headed Giants......Page 560
88 The Sword in the Lake A Variant of “The Death of Batraz” (Tale 72)......Page 565
89 The Downfall of the Narts......Page 569
Translator’s Epitaph......Page 574
Appendix of Names - Phonemicization by Tamirlan Salbiev Etymologies by John Colarusso......Page 575
Names......Page 577
Bibliography......Page 588
