Tales of the Narts: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Ossetians

by John Colarusso (Editor), Tamirlan Salbiev (Editor), Walter May (Translator)

Overview

An exciting collection of mythology about heroes, heroines, villains, and monsters in the intriguing world of the nomad warriors of the Caucasus

The Nart sagas are to the Caucasus what Greek mythology is to Western civilization. Tales of the Narts expands the canon of this precious body of lore by presenting a wide selection of fascinating tales that are part of a living tradition among the peoples of Ossetia in southern Russia. A mythical tribe of nomad warriors, the Narts are courageous, bold, and good-hearted, but also capable of envy, cruelty, and violence. In this wonderfully vivid and accessible collection, colorful and exciting heroes, heroines, villains, and monsters pursue their destinies though a series of exploits, often with the intervention of ancient gods.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691211527
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	11/03/2020
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

John Colarusso is professor in the departments of anthropology and linguistics and languages at McMaster University and the editor of Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends from the Circassians and Abkhazians (Princeton). Tamirlan Salbiev is professor of English at North Ossetian State University.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

John Colarusso, English-language Editor

Commentary xv

Tamirlan Salbiev, Ossetian-language Editor

A Short Biography of the Translator xix

Guide to the Names and Terms, translated from Skazanija iz Nartov xxi

Walter May

Introduction: The Ossetian Epic xxix

Vasily Ivanovich Abaev

Part 1 Warkhag and His Sons 1

1 The Birth of Akhshar and Akhshartag 3

2 Akhshar’s Sword 4

3 The Apple of the Narts 7

4 The Beauty Zerashsha 9

5 The Death of Akhshar and Akhshartag 11

6 The Birth of Urizhmag and Khamis 14

7 How Urizhmag and Khamis Found Their Grandfather, Warkhag 16

Part 2 Urizhmag and Shatana 19

8 The Birth of Shatana 21

9 How Shatana Became Urizhmag’s Wife 22

10 Urizhmag and Kharan-Khuag 25

11 Urizhmag and the One-Eyed Giant 27

12 How Urizhmag Parted from Shatana 33

13 The Nameless Son of Urizhmag 34

14 Shatana’s Son 46

15 Who Won the Black Vixen? 53

16 Urizhmag and Three Inquisitive Guests 61

17 How Black Beer Was Brewed 63

18 Urizhmag’s Last Campaign 64

Part 3 Shoshlan 71

19 How Shoshlan Was Born and How They Tempered Him 73

20 What Gifts the Heavenly Gods Bestowed upon Shoshlan 75

21 Shoshlan Seeks Someone Stronger than He 78

22 Shoshlan and the Goomag Man 82

23 Shoshlan in the Land of Goom 86

24 Shoshlan and Warkhag’s Unknown Son 92

25 Shoshlan and the Sons of Tar 97

26 How Shoshlan Wed Kosher 110

27 How Shoshlan Slew Telberd’s Three Sons 113

28 Shoshlan’s Campaign 116

29 Nart Shoshlan and the Giant, Bizhgwana 118

30 Why Shirdon Became Shoshlan’s Enemy 121

31 Little Arakhzau, Son of Bezenag 122

32 The Death of Arakhzau 134

33 How Shoshlan Wed Vedukha 140

34 How Shoshlan Saved Shatana from the Lake of Hell 148

35 Shoshlan and Totraz 151

36 Shoshlan in the Land of the Dead 160

37 The Death of Shoshlan 181

38 Aishana 192

39 Aishana and Shainag-Aldar 197

Part 4 Shirdon 201

40 The Birth and Marriage of Shirdon 203

41 A Nart Expedition 205

42 How the Twelve-Stringed Harp Appeared 215

43 Shirdon Again Deceives the Narts 219

44 How Shirdon Tricked the Giants 221

45 How Shirdon Held a Memorial Feast for His Ancestors 222

46 Why Shirdon Was Called a Liar 223

47 Your Cloth Is in Your Hands 225

48 Who Deceived Whom? 226

Part 5 Khamis and Batraz 229

49 Khamis and Batraz: Arkizh’s Tooth 231

50 How Khamis Was Wed 234

51 The Birth of Batraz 240

52 How Batraz Was Lured Out of the Sea 241

53 The Games of Young Batraz 243

54 Batraz, Son of Khamis, and Arakhzau, Son of Bezenag 247

55 Batraz and the Giant with the Mottled Beard 249

56 How Batraz Hardened Himself 251

57 How Batraz Saved Urizhmag 253

58 How Nart Batraz Found Burazag 257

59 Batraz and Tykhyfyrt Mukara 260

60 Batraz and the Arrogant Son of the Giant Afsharon 264

61 How the One-Eyed Giant Afsharon Took Revenge upon the Narts 268

62 How Batraz Saved the Eminent Narts 269

63 Nart Uraz and the Giant Akhshualy 271

64 Batraz and the Aldar 275

65 How Batraz Stormed the Khizh Fortress 276

66 Batraz and the Narts’ Bowl, Wasamonga 278

67 The Narts’ Round-Dance, the Shimd 279

68 How Batraz Beat the Spirit of Fertility 289

69 Who Is Best among the Narts 290

70 The Death of Khamis 297

71 How Batraz Avenged His Father’s Death 299

72 The Death of Batraz 307

Part 6 Asamazh 311

73 Asamazh and the Beauty Agunda 313

74 Nart Shidamon and the Giant Shkhuali 323

Part 7 Shauwai 329

75 The Birth of Shauwai 331

Part 8 Various Stories about the Narts 347

76 The Narts and Wadmer’s Bones 349

77 Nart Shibals, the Son of Warkhtanag 352

78 Washtirji and Nart Marguz the Noseless 356

79 Nart Zili and His Sons 365

80 Alimbeg’s Daughter and the Alita Family 373

81 The Beauty Wazaftau, Daughter of Adakizh 380

82 The Nart Named Solitary 386

83 Nart Zhivag, the Lazy Lout, and Agunda, Daughter of Burafarnig Borata 392

84 The Elder and the Younger Share 398

85 Nart Bzhar and His Son 403

86 How Nart Eltagan Was Wed 410

87 The Narts and the Black-Headed Giants 413

88 The Sword in the Lake 418

89 The Downfall of the Narts 421

Epitaph 425

Appendix of Names 427

Bibliography 437

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Though extraordinarily rich and deeply memorable, Ossetian folklore is barely known to the Western world outside a few specialist circles. This book offers a beautiful, compelling introduction to the Narts—dynamic tales of bygone heroes and demigods that Ossetians share with other northern Caucasian peoples. May's masterful translation into English makes for gripping reading throughout. Colarusso and Salbiev perform a service to world literature by making these traditions widely accessible.”—Choice

"These are simply great, entertaining, multitextured stories, and exotic without being too obscure or arcane. Colarusso is an indisputably major voice in this field."—Dean A. Miller, University of Rochester

Editorial Reviews

"For English-readers, [Tales of the Narts] is indispensable for its subject"—-Ephraim Nissan, Fabula

From the Publisher

"Though extraordinarily rich and deeply memorable, Ossetian folklore is barely known to the Western world outside a few specialist circles. This book offers a beautiful, compelling introduction to the Narts—dynamic tales of bygone heroes and demigods that Ossetians share with other northern Caucasian peoples. May's masterful translation into English makes for gripping reading throughout. Colarusso and Salbiev perform a service to world literature by making these traditions widely accessible."

Choice