Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Circassians and Abkhazians

[RandallS]

Title: Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Circassians and Abkhazians (Fiction: Adult) Author(s): John Colarusso Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication Date: June 2016 ISBN: 0691169144 ISBN-13: 978-0691169149 Current Price and More Info from Amazon

Description:
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.

Special Notes:
none

Legal Notes: Some description text and item pictures in this post may come from Amazon.com and/or the book itself.



Discussion and reviews of this book are welcome in this thread. If you've read the book, please tell us what you think of it and why.

[Zlote Jablko]

Title: Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Circassians and Abkhazians (Fiction: Adult) Author(s): John Colarusso Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication Date: June 2016 ISBN: 0691169144 ISBN-13: 978-0691169149 Current Price and More Info from Amazon

Description:
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.

Special Notes:
none

Legal Notes: Some description text and item pictures in this post may come from Amazon.com and/or the book itself.


Discussion and reviews of this book are welcome in this thread. If you've read the book, please tell us what you think of it and why.

Thank you. I'll give a brief explanation. As I posted earlier:


I have just received a translation of the Nart Sagas by John Colarusso. These are tales from the northern Caucasus region. The title says Circassians and Abkhazians, but the stories within are shared by other groups like the Ossetians and Nakhs. The term “Nart” actually comes from the Iranic term for “Hero.”

It’s thought that much of the lore within can be traced back to the Ossetians, who are the last remaining Iranic language speakers in the north Caucasus region. Their ancestors founded a kingdom known as “Alania” that once covered much of the region where the sagas are found today. The Ossetians are a remnant of a vast Iranic language speaking continuum that once stretched throughout modern day Russia, one that we know influenced the Proto-Slavic culture. It will be interesting to see if there are any major parallels hinting at this.

Most academic interest in them currently seems to be based on comparison with Greek mythology and, bizarrely, the Arthurian romances. That last idea seems a bit shaky to me. Allegedly, the Alanic auxiliaries brought in by the Roman Empire could have spread their legends. But considering that our record of the native traditions from Western Europe are scant, it seems unlikely that the legends of a small group of foreigners would be well-preserved there. The Greek connection makes a lot more sense to me. Anyway, I haven’t started it yet, so we’ll see what I find.