Safa ( Ossetian: ''Сафа,'' from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: ''Σάββας - "

Sabbas the Sanctified SabasPatrich (1995). (439–532), in Church parlance Saint Sabas or Sabbas the Sanctified (), was a Cappadocian Greek monk, priest, grazer and saint, who was born in Cappadocia and lived mainly in Palaestina Prima. He was the founder of several ...

"'') in Ossetian mythology God of the hearth chain. Identified with the

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

blacksmiths A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gril ...

Kurdalægon Kurdalægon (), also spelled and known as Kuịrdalägon, Kurd-Alägon, Aläugon, Kurd-Alä-Uärgon, is the heavenly deity of blacksmiths in Ossetian mythology. His epithet is "the heavenly one"; he shoes the dead man's horse, thus helping him on ...

. According to legend, Safa gave people a hearth chain ( Ossetian: ''рæхыс''), which played a significant role in social and family life. People pronouncing solemn oaths and bloodlines as a sign of reconciliation, forgiving each other and held on to this chain. It is known from Ossetian traditions that the mother laying the child down for the night and entrusting him to the protection of Safa, kept one hand on a chain. During the farewell to the parents home the bride went around the hearth chain three times and as a sign of farewell to her native home, she touched the chain and in the same way entering the new family for the first time, she acted in her husband's house too.

In the Nart saga

In the

Nart saga 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 C ...

Safa is called "heavenly", being a friend of the Narts and a teacher of the son of Uryzmag, the Crimean Sultan. The clan of Æhsærtæggatæ wishing to carry out a blood feud, tries to bribe Safa to give them the Crimean Sultan.{{Cite book , last=Dumézil , first=Georges , title=Ossetian saga and mythology , publisher=Science , year=2001 , location=Vladikavkaz , pages=176, 210 , language=ru Also in the Nart saga there is a story about how Safa, wishing to do good to the young Sosruko invited the dauags (spirits) to the feast, whom Sosruko served during their feast, at the same time asking each of them for gifts corresponding to their specialization.

References

Sources

* Dumézil, Georges (2001). ''Ossetian saga and mythology''.

Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz, formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () or Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the republic at the foothills of the Caucasus, situated on the Terek (river), Terek River. ...

: Science. pp. 176, 210. * Meletinsky, Yeleazar (1990). ''Mythological Dictionary''. Soviet Encyclopedia. p. 672. *
Семь богов и семь миров в осетинской мифологии — Seven gods and seven worlds in Ossetian mythology
. ''south-ossetia.info'' Ossetian mythology Mythological characters Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints European gods Domestic and hearth deities Domestic and hearth gods

In the Nart saga

See also

References

Sources