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Narts
The Nart sagas (; ; ) are a series of tales originating from the North Caucasus. They form much of the basic mythology of the ethnic groups in the area, including Abazin, Abkhaz, Circassian, Ossetian, Karachay-Balkar, and to some extent Chechen-Ingush folklore. Etymology The term ''nart'' comes from the Ossetian , which is ''plurale tantum'' of . The derivation of the root ''nar'' is of Iranian origin, from Proto-Iranian ''*nar'' for 'hero, man', descended from Proto-Indo-European '' *h₂nḗr'' (the name of the Roman emperor Nero also derives from this same root). In Ingush and Chechen, the word ''nart'' means 'giant'. Characters Some of the characters who feature prominently in the sagas are: * Sosruko or Soslan ( Ubykh, Abkhaz and Adyghe: ''sawsərəqʷa'' (Саусырыкъо); ) – a hero who sometimes also appears as a trickster * Batraz () – the leader and greatest warrior of the Narts * Satanaya (; ; ) – the mother of the Narts, a fertility figure and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Batraz
Batraz, Batradz, Batyradz, or Pataraz ( Ossetian: ) is a central character in the North Caucasian myths known as the Nart sagas. The Narts were the central figures of the folklore of peoples of the North Caucasus. Myth Batraz in the Ossetian Nart sagas is son of Khami(t)s (''Хæмыц'', ''Xæmyc''). Khamis was married to a sea-nymph or water-sprite, in Ossetian variants a daughter (named sometimes as Bisenon of the Bisenta clan) of the Ossetian sea-god Donbettyr and in Circassian versions the frog-like Lady Isp. Whilst at a meeting of the Narts (see :ru:Ныхас) the Nart Syrdon (see :ru:Сырдон) ridiculed Khamis's wife, who had taken the form of a frog which he put in his pocket. As a result, Khamis's wife left, but before going she breathed (spat?) the embryo of her son upon her husband's back, creating a type of womb-like cyst from which Batraz is later delivered, glowing hot. After being born from his father's back, still on fire, Syrdon throws Batraz into the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Russian-Georgian border in the Greater Caucasus region. It is the native language of the Ossetian people, and a relative and possibly a descendant of the extinct Scythian, Sarmatian, and Alanic languages. The northern half of the Ossetian region is part of Russia and is known as North Ossetia–Alania, while the southern half is part of the '' de facto'' country of South Ossetia (recognized by the United Nations as Russian-occupied territory that is ''de jure'' part of Georgia). Ossetian-speakers number about 614,350, with 451,000 recorded in Russia per the 2010 Russian census. Despite Ossetian being the official languages of both North and South Ossetia, since 2009 UNESCO has listed Ossetian as "vulnerable". In the 2010 Russian census only 36% of North Ossetians claimed to be fluent i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tlepsh
Tlepsh ( Adyghe Лъэпш ) is a mythological figure who appears (as a blacksmith and also a powerful leader) in some cycles of the Nart sagas of the Caucasus, in which his Ossetian counterpart is the smith Kurdalægon. Tlepsh's name is a borrowing from Indo-European languages into Circassian, cognate with Ancient Greek χάλυψ (khálups) borrowed into Latin as ''chalybs'' - 'iron' - Tlepsh is thus the embodiment of the metal with which he works. Description Tlepsh, as the smith of the semi-divine Narts, is a figure comparable to (among others) Hephaestos in Greek mythology, Vulcan in Roman mythology and Wayland and the Sons of Ivaldi in Germanic mythology. In many cycles he is portrayed as being close with Satanaya. finds remarkable similarities between Tlepsh and the Scandinavian deity Odin to be revealed in the tale "Tlepsh and Lady Tree" (number 17 in his anthology of Nart sagas), which tells how Tlepsh, goaded by Satanaya, sets off in quest of knowledge and not onl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ossetians
The Ossetians ( or ; ),Merriam-Webster (2021), s.v"Ossete" also known as Ossetes ( ), Ossets ( ), and Alans ( ), are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group who are indigenous to Ossetia, a region situated across the northern and southern sides of the Caucasus Mountains. They natively speak Ossetian language, Ossetic, an Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family, with most also being fluent in Russian language, Russian as a second language. Currently, the Ossetian homeland of Ossetia is politically divided between North Ossetia–Alania in Russia, and the ''de facto'' country of South Ossetia (recognized by the United Nations as Occupied territories of Georgia, Russian-occupied territory that is ''de jure'' part of Georgia (country), Georgia). Their closest historical and linguistic relatives, the Jasz people, Jász people, live in the Jászság, Jászság region within the northwestern part of the Jász-Na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satanaya
Satanaya ( ; ; Ubykh ; ''Satana'') is a mythological figure who appears in many cycles of the Nart sagas of the North Caucasus. Satanaya is the mother of the Narts, a fertility figure who is also an authority over her children. Satanaya is often cast in the light of a "wise woman" or matriarch, which mirrors the relative freedom of women in North Caucasian societies generally. Satanaya can be compared to the Greek Demeter, with whom she shares many traits. In Ossetian tradition, she is the daughter of Uastyrdzhi (St. George). The Chechen-Ingush version is somewhat different in that the counterpart of Satanaya, Sela-Sata, is primarily a goddess of crafts and women's work rather than a Nartic matriarch. However, many of her characteristics, including the story of her miraculous birth of a dead Nart mother and her involvement in the birth of chief hero Seska-Solsa ( Sosruko), correspond closely to those of Satanaya in the other versions. Etymology A nickname derived from Al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sosruko
Sosruko, Sosruquo, or Sosriqwa, Soslan (; , ''Soslan''; , ''Sosryqwa''; ''Sosuruq/Sosurqa'') is a central character in many cycles of the Nart sagas of the North Caucasus. Sosruko is a powerful but devious man who is the smallest of the Narts; as a character, he is sometimes cast in the light of the trickster god, comparable to the Scandinavian Loki (who finds a closer parallel in the Nart Syrdon, however), Georgian Amirani, or the Ancient Greek Prometheus. It is possible that at least in the latter case, Sosruku served as a direct inspiration. In Circassian mythology, it was the Nart Sosriqwe, minion of the gods and his doting mother, Lady Satanaya, who stole fire from the giant. Etymology One folk etymology states that Sosruko [] is from Circassian language, Circassian "sword" + "hit" + "heat" + "son"; hence literally “the son of the fiery sword hit”. Other variants are: * , * , * [], * Ubykh language, Ubykh: [], * Digor dialect, Digor and Sozyruko. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea to the west, the Caspian Sea to the east, and the Caucasus Mountains to the south. The region shares land borders with the countries of Georgia (country), Georgia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus. Located in the southern part of the region, Mount Elbrus is the List of European ultra-prominent peaks, tallest peak in Europe. Krasnodar is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, most populous among the urban area, urban centres in the region. The North Caucasus came under Russian control in the 19th century, following the Caucasian War between the Russian Empire and the various regional powers. The territory is the Southern Russia, southernmost portion of Russia and is divided between a number of Republics of Russia, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ingush Language
Ingush (; , , pronounced ) is a Northeast Caucasian languages, Northeast Caucasian language spoken by about 350,000 people, known as the Ingush people, Ingush, across a region covering the Russian republics of Ingushetia, Chechnya, North Ossetia, as well as the countries Turkey, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, et al. Classification Ingush and Chechen language, Chechen, together with Bats language, Bats, constitute the Nakh languages, Nakh branch of the Northeast Caucasian languages, Northeast Caucasian language family. There is pervasive passive bilingualism between Ingush and Chechen. Dialects Ingush is not divided into dialects with the exception of (native name: Галай-Чӏож/Галайн-Чӏаж), which is considered to be transitional between Chechen language, Chechen and Ingush. Geographic distribution Ingush is spoken by about 350,000-400,000 people (2020) in Russia, primarily in the North Caucasus, North Caucasian republics of Ingushetia, North Ossetia and Che ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Georges Dumezil
Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 1977 song originally recorded by Pat Simon and covered by Sylvie Vartan * Georges (store), a department store in Melbourne, Australia from 1880 to 1995 * Georges (''Green Card'' character) People with the surname * Eugenia Georges, American anthropologist *Karl Ernst Georges (1806–1895), German classical philologist and lexicographer, known for his edition of Latin-German dictionaries. * Mary Ngwanda Georges, Congo-born American politician See also * École secondaire Georges-P.-Vanier, a high school in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada *École secondaire Georges-Vanier in Laval, Quebec, Canada * French cruiser ''Georges Leygues'', commissioned in 1937 * French frigate ''Georges Leygues'' (D640), commissioned in 1979 * Georges Krayem, Brazilian l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abaza Language
Abaza is the name of an ethnic group closely related to the Circassians, the Abazins, their language, the Abaza language, an Egyptian noble family of the same origin, the Abaza family, Abaza Family, and a surname. The Abazin people's "self-designation" is ''Abaza'' (Abaza language: ). The word is also where the historic country of Abazinia gets its name. Abaza may also refer to: Places *Abazinia, a region in the Caucasus *Abaza (town), a town in the Republic of Khakassia, Russia Other uses *Abaza people, an ethnic group of the Caucasus *Abaza language, a Northwest Caucasian language *Abaza family, an Egyptian noble house of maternal Abazins, Abazin Circassians, Circassian ancestry *Abaza (surname) *Abaza goat, a Turkish breed of domesticated goat *Abaza TV, a television station in the Republic of Abkhazia People * Alexander Abaza (1821–1895), Russian finance minister * Alexander Nikolayevich Abaza (1872–1925), Russian diplomat * Alexey Abaza (1853–1915), Russian admiral * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fertility
Fertility in colloquial terms refers the ability to have offspring. In demographic contexts, fertility refers to the actual production of offspring, rather than the physical capability to reproduce, which is termed fecundity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born during an individual's lifetime. In medicine, fertility refers to the ability to have children, and infertility refers to difficulty in reproducing naturally. In general, infertility or subfertility in humans is defined as not being able to conceive a child after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex. The antithesis of ''fertility'' is infertility, while the antithesis of ''fecundity'' is sterility. Demography In demographic contexts, fertility refers to the actual production of offspring, rather than the physical capability to produce which is termed fecundity. While fertility can be measured, fecundity cannot be. Demographers measure the fertility rate in a variety of ways, which can be broa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trickster
In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and defy conventional behavior. Mythology Tricksters, as archetypal characters, appear in the myths of many different cultures. Lewis Hyde describes the trickster as a "boundary-crosser".Hyde, Lewis. ''Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art''. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. The trickster crosses and often breaks both physical and societal rules: Tricksters "violate principles of social and natural order, playfully disrupting normal life and then re-establishing it on a new basis." Often, this bending and breaking of rules takes the form of tricks and thievery. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both. The trickster openly questions, disrupts and mocks authority. Many cultures have ta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
