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	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.		The '''Nart sagas''' ({{lang-ady\|Нартхымэ акъыбарыхэ}}; {{lang-krc\|Нарт таурухла}}; {{lang-ce\|Нарт Аьрштхой}}) are a series of hero-versus-villain (or trickster) tales from the ]. They form the basic ] of the tribes in the area, including ], ], ], ], ]-] and ]-] folklore. Although the regional stories differ in describing the adventures of one family or 3 Ossetian clans, the collected tales are known as Nart sagas (also in {{lang-os\|Нарты кадджытæ}}; ''Narty kaddžytæ''). Various aspects of the tales have been compared to Norse ], the Greek ] or ] chained to a rock, or basis for some ].

	== 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 ] name of Narts, ''Nartæ'', which is '']'' of "''nar"''.<ref name="Abaev">] "Nart". ''''.</ref>

	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"/>		The origin of the ] ''nar'' is probably of ] origin, from ] ''nar'' for "hero", "man", descended from ] '']''.<ref name=colarusso>John Colarusso. . ''Univ. of Toronto Quarterly''. Princeton University Press. pp. xxiv, 552.</ref> However, ] declined this etymology relying on two arguments. The first argument is that the descendant of Indo-European root ''*h₂nḗr'' in Ossetic is ''næl'' ("male"), and the second point is that the central hero of the saga is the woman ]. Instead, Abaev suggested a ] origin of ''nar'', from Mongolian word ''nara'' for "]".<ref name="Abaev"/>

	==Characters==		==Characters==
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	* ] (], ] and ] '''{{unicode\|sawsərəqʷa}}''' (Саусырыкъо), ] '''soslan''' (Сослан)), a hero who sometimes also appears as a ];		* ] (], ] and ] '''{{unicode\|sawsərəqʷa}}''' (Саусырыкъо), ] '''soslan''' (Сослан)), a hero who sometimes also appears as a ];
	* ] (Ubykh '''{{unicode\|satanaja\|}}''', ] '''{{unicode\|setenej\|}}''' (Сэтэнай), ] '''satana''' (Сатана)), the mother of the Narts, a ] figure and matriarch;		* ] (Ubykh '''{{unicode\|satanaja\|}}''', ] '''{{unicode\|setenej\|}}''' (Сэтэнай), ] '''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>		* ] (] and ] '''{{IPA-cau\|ɬapʃʷ\|}}''', Ossetian '''K<sup>w</sup>yrdaləgon''' (Куырдалæгон)), a blacksmith deity;<ref>, Youtube.</ref>
	* ] (] '''{{unicode\|Syrdon}}''' (Сырдон)) a trickster figure compared by ] to the ] ].		* ] (] '''{{unicode\|Syrdon}}''' (Сырдон)) a trickster figure compared by ] to the ] ].
	* ] ({{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>		* ] ({{lang-ce\|'''Pẋarmat''' Пхьармат}}), in ] epos, a blacksmith figure who 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>

	==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 written account of the material is due to the ]ian author Shora Begmurzin Nogma (who wrote 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.

	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/> 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 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/> However, they also contain abundant local North Caucasian accretions of great antiquity, which sometimes reflect an even more archaic past.<ref name=colarusso/>

	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. Additionally John Colarusso appends that Caucasian myths have common parallels within Indo-European, ] and ] traditions.<ref name=colarusso2>John Colarusso, '''' Introduction.</ref>		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. Additionally John Colarusso appends that Caucasian myths have common parallels within Indo-European, ] and ] traditions.<ref name=colarusso2>John Colarusso, '''' Introduction.</ref>

	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 ] (], ]-] 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/>

			==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 ] 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.

	==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 who 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 do not 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).

	==See also==		==See also==
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	==Sources==		==Sources==
	<references/>		<references/>

Revision as of 12:37, 25 January 2014

"Nart" redirects here. For other uses, see Nart (disambiguation).

The Nart sagas (Template:Lang-ady; Template:Lang-krc; Template:Lang-ce) are a series of hero-versus-villain (or trickster) tales from the North Caucasus. They form the basic mythology of the tribes in the area, including Abazin, Abkhaz, Circassian, Ossetian, Karachay-Balkar and Chechen-Ingush folklore. Although the regional stories differ in describing the adventures of one family or 3 Ossetian clans, the collected tales are known as Nart sagas (also in Template:Lang-os; Narty kaddžytæ). Various aspects of the tales have been compared to Norse Loki, the Greek Golden Fleece or Prometheus chained to a rock, or basis for some Arthurian legends.

Etymology

The term nart comes from the Ossetian name of Narts, Nartæ, which is plurale tantum of "nar".

The origin of the root nar is probably of Iranian origin, from Proto-Iranian nar for "hero", "man", descended from Proto-Indo-European *h₂nḗr. However, Vasily Abaev declined this etymology relying on two arguments. The first argument is that the descendant of Indo-European root *h₂nḗr in Ossetic is næl ("male"), and the second point is that the central hero of the saga is the woman Satana. Instead, Abaev suggested a Mongolian origin of nar, from Mongolian word nara for "sun".

Characters

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

Sosruko (Ubykh, Abkhaz and Adyghe sawsərəqʷa (Саусырыкъо), Ossetian soslan (Сослан)), a hero who sometimes also appears as a trickster;
Satanaya (Ubykh satanaja, Adyghe setenej (Сэтэнай), Ossetian: satana (Сатана)), the mother of the Narts, a fertility figure and matriarch;
Tlepsh (Adyghe and Abaza Template:IPA-cau, Ossetian Kyrdaləgon (Куырдалæгон)), a blacksmith deity;
Syrdon (Ossetian: Syrdon (Сырдон)) a trickster figure compared by Georges Dumezil to the Norse Loki.
Pkharmat (Template:Lang-ce), in Vainakh epos, a blacksmith figure who steals fire from the gods for the mortals .

Study and significance

The first written account of the material is due to the Kabardian author Shora Begmurzin Nogma (who wrote in Russian 1835-1843, published posthumously in 1861, German translation by Adolf Berge in 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 Scythians, Sarmatians, and Alans (the Alans 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.

Based especially on the Ossetian versions, the sagas have long been valued as a window towards the world of the Iranian-speaking cultures of antiquity. 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. Additionally John Colarusso appends that Caucasian myths have common parallels within Indo-European, Turkic and Mongolic traditions.

The Northwest Caucasian (Circassian, Abkhaz-Abasin and Ubykh) versions are also highly valuable, because they are more archaic 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. See Historical basis for King Arthur - Sarmatian hypothesis for more details.

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 who 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 do not depict such a division, and the Abkhaz ones are unique in describing the Narts as a single nuclear family composed of Satanaya's one hundred sons. Yet all of these versions describe the Narts as a single coherent group of mostly "good" heroes. In contrast, the Nakh (Chechen-Ingush) 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 (the latter corresponding to Sawway/Shawey).