Ossetian (or Ossetic) literature is expressed in the
Ossetian language
Ossetian (, , ), commonly referred to as Ossetic and rarely as Ossete (), is an Eastern Iranian language that is spoken predominantly in Ossetia, a region situated on both sides of the Greater Caucasus. It is the native language of the Oss ...
, an
Iranian language
The Iranian languages or Iranic languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau.
The Iranian languages are grouped ...
of the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
.
The Ossetian literature is comparatively young, with its first specimen published in the 1890s. Its
golden age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...
was in the years after the October Revolution in Russia, when local languages received a significant impact.
The most popular motives of the Ossetic literature are:
* the life of highlanders, especially the poor ones, in 19th century or in earlier times;
* the role of traditional right in the life of Ossetians (including criticism of ''vendetta''-like revenge tradition of "taking blood back" and other "harmful traditions");
* the construction of socialism (often in contrast to the previous state of things): Ossetians really received better life compared to the tsarist regime time, when they felt severe lack of agricultural lands, poverty and illiteracy;
* the Great Patriotic War (the name of the World War II in Soviet Union): every tenth Ossetian man died during the war, many were honored as "
Heroes of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
" for their courage;
and others.
The Ossetian writers and poets use the rich fund of traditional lyrics and the
Nart epic, which is considered the
national epic of the Ossetians (as well as of several other peoples of the North Caucasus, each having their own version). A written composite version of the epic itself has also been published in both major dialects, Iron and Digor; more details about the epic are given in the
relevant article.
Writers
Ossetian poets include
Kosta Khetagurov
Konstantin (Kosta) Khetagkaty ( Ossetian: Хетӕгкаты Леуаны фырт Къоста, – ) was a national poet of the Ossetian people who is generally regarded as the founder of Ossetian literature. He was also a talented paint ...
,
Yakov Khozijev,
Grish Pliev, and
Shamil Jigkayev. Ossetian prose writers include
Arsen Kotsoyev,
Seka Gadiyev,
Elbazduko Britayev, and
Nafi Jusoyty.
;Gallery
File:Kosta XETAGUROV.jpg, Kosta Khetagurov
File:Mality Geuærgi (Georgi Maliev).jpg, Geuærgi Mality
File:Temyrxanty Soslan.png, (Temirkhanov)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ossetian Literature
Iranic literature
Literature by ethnicity
Literature by language
Literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...