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The Nart sagas (Abkhaz: Нарҭаа ражәабжьқәа; Nartaa raƶuabƶkua; Adyghe: Нарт тхыдэжъхэр, romanized: Nart txıdəĵxər; Ossetian: Нарты кадджытæ, Нарти кадæнгитæ, romanized: Narty kaddžytæ, Narti kadængitæ) 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 Nartæ, which is plurale tantum of nar.^[1] The derivation of the root nar is of Iranian origin, from Proto-Iranian *nar for 'hero, man', descended from Proto-Indo-European *h₂nḗr.^[2] 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); Ossetian: Soslan (Сослан)) – a hero who sometimes also appears as a trickster
Batraz (Ossetian: Батырадз) – the leader and greatest warrior of the Narts
Satanaya (Ubykh: satanaja; Adyghe: Setenej (Сэтэнай); Ossetian: Satana (Сатана)) – the mother of the Narts, a fertility figure and matriarch
Tlepsh (Adyghe and Abaza: [ɬapʃ]; Ossetian: K^wyrdalægon (Куырдалæгон)) – a blacksmith deity
Syrdon (Ossetian: Сырдон) – a trickster figure compared by Georges Dumezil to the Norse god Loki (see ru:Сырдон)
Pkharmat (Chechen: Pẋarmat (Пхьармат)) – in the Nakh peoples' Vainakh epos, a blacksmith figure who steals fire from the gods for the mortals^[3]
Akhsar and Akhsartag (Ossetian: Æхсæр, Æхсæртæг) are twin brothers who are heroes in Ossetian mythology and sons of Warhag. Akhsartag is also the father of the narts Uryzmaeg and Haemyts.
Dzerassae (Ossetian: Дзерассæ) – daughter of the sea-god Donbettyr, and mother of many Nart heroes.
Uryzmaeg (Ossetian: Уырызмæг, Орæзмæг, Урузмæг, Adyghe: Орзэмэдж/Озырмэс, Kabardian: Уэзырмэс, Chechen: Орзми, Ingush: Урузман, Abkhazian/Abaza: Уазырмас, Karachay-Balkar: Ёрюзмек) is the hero of the Nart saga, son of Akhsartag and Dzerassae.
Haemyts (Ossetian: Хæмыц, Adyghe: Хъымыщ, Kabardian: Хъымыщ, Chechen: Хамчи, Ingush: Хамча, Abkhazian: Хмышь, Abaza: Хъмыщ, Karachay-Balkar: Хымыч) is the hero of the, son of Akhsartag and Dzerassae, the father of the hero Batraz and the twin brother of Uruzmaeg, with whom they often went on conquest campaigns together.

Study and significance

The first Westerner to take note of the Nart stories was the German scholar Julius von Klaproth, who traveled to the Caucasus during the first decade of the 19th century.^[4] The earliest written account of the material is attributed to the Kabardian author Shora Begmurzin Nogma, who wrote in Russian in 1835–1843, published posthumously in 1861. A German translation by Adolf Berge was published in 1866 (Berge 1866). The stories exist in the form of prose tales as well as epic songs.

It is generally known that some of the Nart corpora have an ancient Iranian core, inherited from the Scythians, Sarmatians, and Alans (the latter being the ancestors of the Ossetians).^[5] However, they also contain abundant local North Caucasian accretions of great antiquity, which sometimes reflect an even more archaic past.^[2]

The Ossetes consider the Nart epic to be a central feature of their national identity.^[6] Based especially on the Ossetian versions, the Nart stories have been valued by scholars as a window towards the world of the Iranian-speaking cultures of antiquity, and as an important source for comparative Indo-European mythology. 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.

The Northwest Caucasian (Circassian, Abkhaz-Abasin and Ubykh) versions are also highly valuable because they contain more archaic accretions 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".^[2]^[5]

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.^[5] For more details, see "Historicity of King Arthur – Lucius Artorius Castus and the Sarmatian connection."

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 that sometimes rival one another: the brave Æxsærtægkatæ (to whom the most prominent Narts belong), the rich Borætæ, and the wise Alægatæ; the Circassian versions do not depict such a division. The Abkhaz versions are unique in describing the Narts as a single nuclear family composed of Satanaya's one hundred sons.^[7] All of these versions describe the Narts as a single coherent group of (mostly) "good" heroes.

Some Nakh (Chechen-Ingush) legends include a group called the Nart-Orxustxoi, which includes the most prominent Narts known from the other versions (e.g. Seska-Solsa corresponding to Sosruko/Soslan, Khamtsha-Patarish corresponding to Batraz/Batradz, etc.) In contrast to the Ossetian and Abkhaz versions, the Nakh legends depict the Narts as warlike bandits who fight against local good heroes such as Koloi-Kant and Qinda-Shoa (with Qinda-Shoa corresponding to Sawway/Shawey). ^[8]

Shayan Javadi, the Persian translator of "Nart" by matching the Ossetian, Abkhaz, Abaza, Circassian, and Ubykh versions, has been able to identify the lineage of some characters who have only been named. For instance, by recreating a character named "Qânzezâd (Abaza: Qanzhoquo)," he believes that he is the son of Azaukhan in the Ossetian version.^[9]

References

^ Abaev, V.I., ed. (1973), ИСТОРИКО-ЭТИМОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ СЛОВАРЬ ОСЕТИНСКОГО ЯЗЫКА [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of Ossetian language] (in Russian), vol. II (L-R), p.158-9 "Nartae, Nart"
^ ^a ^b ^c Colarusso 2002, pp. xxiv, 552.
^ Tsaroieva 2005, p. 199.
^ Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. p. 62. ISBN 9780755618453.
^ ^a ^b ^c Colarusso 2002.
^ Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. p. 59. ISBN 9780755618453.
^ Tokarev, S.A., ed. (1980), Mify narodov mira [Myths of the World] (encyclopedia) (in Russian), vol. 2 (K-Ya), Narty
^ Tsaroieva 2005, p. 215.
^ Iryston.tv (6 April 2022). "Ирайнаг горæт Ахвазы цæрæг Шаян Джавади персайнаг æвзагмæ тæлмац кæны ирон фысджыты уацмыстæ".

Sources

Nogmov, Schora Bekmursin (1866), Bergé, Adolf (ed.), Die Sagen und Lieder des Tscherkessen-Volks [The legends and songs of the Circassian peoples] (in German), Leipzig, P. Wigan
Colarusso, John, ed. (2002), Nart Sagas from the Caucasus: Myths and Legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs, Princeton University Press, ISBN 9781400865284
- Also published as Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Circassians and Abkhazians, Princeton University Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0-691-16914-9, with an introduction by Adrienne Mayor
Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9780755618453.
Tsaroïeva, Mariel (2005), Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes [Old beliefs of the Ingush and Chechens] (in French), Maisonneuve et Larose, ISBN 2-7068-1792-5

External links

Media related to Nart Sagas at Wikimedia Commons

[Abaev-1] Abaev, V.I., ed. (1973), ИСТОРИКО-ЭТИМОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ СЛОВАРЬ ОСЕТИНСКОГО ЯЗЫКА [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of Ossetian language] (in Russian), vol. II (L-R), p.158-9 "Nartae, Nart"

[FOOTNOTEColarusso2002xxiv,_552-2] Colarusso 2002, pp. xxiv, 552.

[FOOTNOTETsaroieva2005199-3] Tsaroieva 2005, p. 199.

[4] Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. p. 62. ISBN 9780755618453.

[FOOTNOTEColarusso2002-5] Colarusso 2002.

[6] Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. p. 59. ISBN 9780755618453.

[7] Tokarev, S.A., ed. (1980), Mify narodov mira [Myths of the World] (encyclopedia) (in Russian), vol. 2 (K-Ya), Narty

[FOOTNOTETsaroieva2005215-8] Tsaroieva 2005, p. 215.

[9] Iryston.tv (6 April 2022). "Ирайнаг горæт Ахвазы цæрæг Шаян Джавади персайнаг æвзагмæ тæлмац кæны ирон фысджыты уацмыстæ".

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+{{Short description|Folklore of the North Caucasus}}
 {{redirect|Nart}}
-{{pp-pc1}}
+{{pp-pc}}
+{{Circassians}}
-The '''Nart sagas''' ({{lang-ady|Нартхымэ акъыбарыхэ}}; [[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]]: Нарҭаа ражәабжьқәа; {{lang-krc|Нарт таурухла}}; {{lang-os|Нарты кадджытæ}}; ''Narty kaddžytæ''; {{lang-ce|Нарт Аьрштхой}}) are a series of tales originating from the [[North Caucasus]]. They form the basic [[mythology]] of the tribes in the area, including [[Abazin]], [[Circassians|Abkhaz]], [[Adyghe people|Circassian]], [[Ossetians|Ossetian]], [[Karachay]]-[[Balkar]], and [[Chechen people|Chechen]]-[[Ingush people|Ingush]] folklore.
+The '''Nart sagas''' ([[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]]: Нарҭаа ражәабжьқәа; ''Nartaa raƶuabƶkua''; {{langx|ady|Нарт тхыдэжъхэр|translit=Nart txıdəĵxər}}; {{langx|os|Нарты кадджытæ, Нарти кадæнгитæ|translit=Narty kaddžytæ, Narti kadængitæ}}) 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]], [[Abkhazians|Abkhaz]], [[Adyghe people|Circassian]], [[Ossetians|Ossetian]], [[Karachays|Karachay]]-[[Balkars|Balkar]], and to some extent [[Chechen people|Chechen]]-[[Ingush people|Ingush]] folklore.
+{{TOC limit}}
 ==Etymology==
-The term ''nart'' comes from the [[Ossetian language|Ossetian]] name of Narts, ''Nartæ'', which is ''[[plurale tantum]]'' of "''nar"''.<ref name="Abaev">[[Abaev|Abaev, V.I.]] "Nart". ''[http://allingvo.ru/LANGUAGE/etimolog_slovar.htm Historical-Etymological Dictionary of Ossetian language]''.</ref> The origin of the [[Root (linguistics)|root]] ''nar'' is of [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] origin, from [[Proto-Iranian]] ''nar'' for "hero", "man", descended from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] ''[[wikt:Appendix:Proto-Indo-European/h₂nḗr|*h₂nḗr]]''.<ref name=colarusso>[[John Colarusso]]. [http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/university_of_toronto_quarterly/v074/74.1friedman.html "Nart Sagas from the Caucasus: Myths and Legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs"]. ''Univ. of Toronto Quarterly''. Princeton University Press. pp. xxiv, 552.</ref> In Chechen the word ''nart'' means "giant".
+The term ''nart'' comes from the [[Ossetian language|Ossetian]] ''Nartæ'', which is ''[[plurale tantum]]'' of ''nar''.<ref name="Abaev">{{citation| editor-first = V.I.| editor-last = Abaev |editor-link=Vasily Abaev|at = p.158-9 "Nartae, Nart" | url = http://allingvo.ru/LANGUAGE/etimolog_slovar.htm |script-title=ru:ИСТОРИКО-ЭТИМОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ СЛОВАРЬ ОСЕТИНСКОГО ЯЗЫКА | trans-title = Historical-Etymological Dictionary of Ossetian language | volume = II (L-R) | year =1973 | language = russian }}</ref> The derivation of the [[Root (linguistics)|root]] ''nar'' is of [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] origin, from [[Proto-Iranian]] ''*nar'' for 'hero, man', descended from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] ''[[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂nḗr|*h₂nḗr]]''.{{sfn|Colarusso|2002|pp= xxiv, 552}} In [[Ingush language|Ingush]] and [[Chechen language|Chechen]], the word ''nart'' means 'giant'.
-==Characters==
+== Characters ==
 Some of the characters who feature prominently in the sagas are:
-* [[Sosruko]] ([[Ubykh language|Ubykh]], [[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]] and [[Adyghe language|Adyghe]] '''sawsərəqʷa''' (Саусырыкъо), [[Ossetian language|Ossetian]] '''Soslan''' (Сослан)), a hero who sometimes also appears as a [[trickster]];
+* [[Sosruko|'''Sosruko''' or '''Soslan''']] ([[Ubykh language|Ubykh]], [[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]] and [[Adyghe language|Adyghe]]: ''sawsərəqʷa'' (Саусырыкъо); [[Ossetian language|Ossetian]]: ''Soslan'' (Сослан)) – a hero who sometimes also appears as a [[trickster]]
-* [[Batraz]] (Ossetian: Батырадз) was the leader and greatest warrior of the Narts;
+* '''[[Batraz]]''' (Ossetian: Батырадз) – the leader and greatest warrior of the Narts
-* [[Satanaya]] (Ubykh '''satanaja''', [[Adyghe language|Adyghe]] '''setenej''' (Сэтэнай), [[Ossetian language|Ossetian:]] '''Satana''' (Сатана)), the mother of the Narts, a [[fertility]] figure and matriarch;
+* '''[[Satanaya]]''' (Ubykh: ''satanaja''; Adyghe: ''Setenej'' (Сэтэнай); Ossetian: ''Satana'' (Сатана)) – the mother of the Narts, a [[fertility]] figure and matriarch
-* [[Tlepsh]] ([[Adyghe language|Adyghe]] and [[Abaza language|Abaza]] '''{{IPA-cau|ɬapʃʷ|}}''', Ossetian '''K<sup>w</sup>yrdalægon''' (Куырдалæгон)), a blacksmith deity;<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgNdZ0lwHIM&feature=feedf "Nalmes ensemble clip"], Youtube.</ref>
+* '''[[Tlepsh]]''' (Adyghe and [[Abaza language|Abaza]]: ''{{IPA|cau|ɬapʃ|}}''; Ossetian: ''K<sup>w</sup>yrdalægon'' (Куырдалæгон)) – a blacksmith deity
-* [[Syrdon]] ([[Ossetian language|Ossetian:]] '''Syrdon''' (Сырдон)) a trickster figure compared by [[Georges Dumezil]] to the [[Norse mythology|Norse]] [[Loki]].
+* '''[[Syrdon]]''' (Ossetian: Сырдон) – a trickster figure compared by [[Georges Dumezil]] to the Norse god [[Loki]] (see [[:ru:Сырдон]])
-* [[Pkharmat]] ({{lang-ce|'''Pẋarmat''' Пхьармат}}), in [[Nakh peoples|Vainakh]] epos, a blacksmith figure who steals fire from the gods for the mortals.<ref>Tsaroïeva, Mariel. ''Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes''. p.&nbsp;199. {{ISBN|2-7068-1792-5}}.</ref>
+* '''[[Pkharmat]]''' ([[Chechen language|Chechen]]: ''Pẋarmat'' (Пхьармат)) – in the [[Nakh peoples]]' [[Vainakh religion|Vainakh epos]], a [[blacksmith]] figure who steals fire from the gods for the mortals{{sfn|Tsaroieva|2005|p= 199}}
+* [[Akhshar and Akhsartag|'''Akhsar''' and '''Akhsartag''']] ([[Ossetian language|Ossetian:]] ''Æхсæр'', ''Æхсæртæг'') are [[Twins in mythology|twin brothers]] who are heroes in [[Ossetian mythology]] and sons of Warhag. Akhsartag is also the father of the narts [[Uryzmaeg]] and [[Haemyts]].
+* '''[[Dzerassae]]''' (Ossetian: Дзерассæ) – daughter of the sea-god [[Donbettyr]], and mother of many Nart heroes.
+* '''[[Uryzmaeg]]''' ([[Ossetian language|Ossetian:]] ''Уырызмæг,'' ''Орæзмæг, Урузмæг,'' [[Adyghe language|Adyghe:]] ''Орзэмэдж/Озырмэс,'' [[Kabardian language|Kabardian:]] ''Уэзырмэс,'' [[Chechen language|Chechen:]] Орзми, [[Ingush language|Ingush:]] ''Урузман,'' [[Abkhaz language|Abkhazian]]/[[Abaza language|Abaza]]'': Уазырмас,'' [[Karachay-Balkar]]: ''Ёрюзмек'') is the hero of the Nart saga, son of [[Akhshar and Akhsartag|Akhsartag]] and [[Dzerassae]].
+* '''[[Haemyts]]''' ([[Ossetian language|Ossetian:]] ''Хæмыц,'' [[Adyghe language|Adyghe:]] ''Хъымыщ,'' [[Kabardian language|Kabardian:]] ''Хъымыщ,'' [[Chechen language|Chechen:]] ''Хамчи,'' [[Ingush language|Ingush:]] ''Хамча,'' [[Abkhaz language|Abkhazian]]: ''Хмышь,'' [[Abaza language|Abaza]]'': Хъмыщ,'' [[Karachay-Balkar]]: ''Хымыч'') is the hero of the, son of [[Akhshar and Akhsartag|Akhsartag]] and [[Dzerassae]], the father of the hero [[Batraz]] and the twin brother of [[Uryzmaeg|Uruzmaeg]], with whom they often went on conquest campaigns together.
-==Study and significance==
+== Study and significance ==
-The first written account of the material is due to the [[Kabard]]ian 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.
+The first Westerner to take note of the Nart stories was the German scholar [[Julius von Klaproth]], who traveled to the Caucasus during the first decade of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Foltz|first=Richard|title=The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZswEAAAQBAJ |year=2022 |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9780755618453|author-link=Richard Foltz |page = 62}}</ref> The earliest written account of the material is attributed to the [[Kabardians|Kabardian]] author [[Shora Begmurzin Nogma]], who wrote in Russian in 1835–1843, published posthumously in 1861. A German translation by [[Adolf Berge]] was published in 1866 {{harv|Berge|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]]).<ref name=colarusso/><ref name=colarusso2>[http://www.circassianworld.com/nartsagas.html   Nart Sagas from the Caucasus – Myths and Legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827153313/http://www.circassianworld.com/nartsagas.html |date=2007-08-27 }}, John Colarusso, Circassian World</ref> 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 some of the Nart corpora have an ancient Iranian core, inherited from the [[Scythians]], [[Sarmatians]], and [[Alans]] (the latter being the ancestors of the [[Ossetians]]).{{sfn|Colarusso|2002}} However, they also contain abundant local [[North Caucasian languages|North Caucasian]] accretions of great antiquity, which sometimes reflect an even more archaic past.{{sfn|Colarusso|2002|pp= xxiv, 552}}
-Based especially on the Ossetian versions, the sagas have long been valued as a window towards the world of the [[Iranian languages|Iranian]]-speaking cultures of antiquity. For example, the philologist [[Georges Dumézil]] used the Ossetian division of the Narts into three [[clan]]s to support his ''[[Trifunctional Hypothesis]]'' that the [[Proto-Indo-Europeans]] were similarly divided into three castes—warriors, priests, and commoners.
+The Ossetes consider the Nart epic to be a central feature of their national identity.<ref>{{cite book |last=Foltz|first=Richard|title=The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZswEAAAQBAJ |year=2022 |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9780755618453|author-link=Richard Foltz |page = 59}}</ref>  Based especially on the Ossetian versions, the Nart stories have been valued by scholars as a window towards the world of the [[Iranian languages|Iranian]]-speaking cultures of antiquity, and as an important source for comparative Indo-European mythology. For example, the philologist [[Georges Dumézil]] used the Ossetian division of the Narts into three [[clan]]s to support his ''[[Trifunctional Hypothesis]]'' that the [[Proto-Indo-Europeans]] were similarly divided into three castes—warriors, priests, and commoners.
-The [[Northwest Caucasian languages|Northwest Caucasian]] ([[Adyghe language|Circassian]], [[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]]-[[Abaza language|Abasin]] and [[Ubykh language|Ubykh]]) versions are also highly valuable because they contain more archaic accretions 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=colarusso/><ref name=colarusso2/>
+The [[Northwest Caucasian languages|Northwest Caucasian]] ([[Adyghe language|Circassian]], Abkhaz-Abasin and Ubykh) versions are also highly valuable because they contain more archaic accretions 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".{{sfn|Colarusso|2002|pp= xxiv, 552}}{{sfn|Colarusso|2002}}
 ==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 languages|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 (country)|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]].<ref name=colarusso2/> See ''[[Historical basis for King Arthur#Sarmatian hypothesis|Historical basis for King Arthur&nbsp;– Sarmatian hypothesis]]'' ( in subsection ''Lucius Artorius Castus'' ) for more details.
+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]].{{sfn|Colarusso|2002}} For more details, see "[[Historicity of King Arthur#Lucius Artorius Castus and the Sarmatian connection|Historicity of King Arthur&nbsp;– Lucius Artorius Castus and the Sarmatian connection]]."
-==Differences between Nart legends==
+== 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 one another: the brave Æxsærtægkatæ (to whom the most prominent Narts belong), the rich Borætæ, and the wise Alægatæ; The Circassian versions do not depict such a division. The Abkhaz versions are unique in describing the Narts as a single [[nuclear family]] composed of Satanaya's one hundred sons.<ref>''Mify narodov mira''. 1980. v.&nbsp;2. Narty</ref> Yet all of these versions describe the Narts as a single coherent group of (mostly) ‘good’ heroes.
+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 that sometimes rival one another: the brave Æxsærtægkatæ (to whom the most prominent Narts belong), the rich Borætæ, and the wise Alægatæ; the Circassian versions do not depict such a division. The Abkhaz versions are unique in describing the Narts as a single [[nuclear family]] composed of Satanaya's one hundred sons.<ref>{{citation| title = Mify narodov mira | trans-title = Myths of the World | year = 1980 | volume =2 (K-Ya)| at = Narty |editor-first = S.A.| editor-last = Tokarev | type = encyclopedia | language = Russian }}</ref> All of these versions describe the Narts as a single coherent group of (mostly) "good" heroes.
-Some [[Nakh peoples|Nakh]] ([[Chechen people|Chechen]]-[[Ingush people|Ingush]]) legends include a group called the ''Nart-Orxustxoi'', which includes the most prominent Narts known from the other versions (e.g. Seska-Solsa corresponding to Sosruko/Soslan, Khamtsha-Patarish corresponding to Batraz/Batradz etc.). In contrast to the Ossetian and Abkhaz versions, the Nakh legends depict the Narts as warlike bandits, who fight against local good heroes such as Koloi-Kant and Qinda-Shoa<ref>{{cite book |author=Tsaroïeva, Mariel |year=2005 |title=Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes |page=215 |ISBN=2-7068-1792-5}}</ref> (with Qinda-Shoa corresponding to Sawway/Shawey).
+Some Nakh ([[Chechen people|Chechen]]-[[Ingush people|Ingush]]) legends include a group called the ''Nart-Orxustxoi'', which includes the most prominent Narts known from the other versions (e.g. Seska-Solsa corresponding to Sosruko/Soslan, Khamtsha-Patarish corresponding to Batraz/Batradz, etc.) In contrast to the Ossetian and Abkhaz versions, the Nakh legends depict the Narts as warlike bandits who fight against local good heroes such as Koloi-Kant and Qinda-Shoa (with Qinda-Shoa corresponding to Sawway/Shawey). {{sfn|Tsaroieva|2005|p=215}}
+[[:sco:Shayan Javadi|Shayan Javadi]], the Persian translator of "Nart" by matching the Ossetian, Abkhaz, Abaza, Circassian, and Ubykh versions, has been able to identify the lineage of some characters who have only been named. For instance, by recreating a character named "Qânzezâd (Abaza: Qanzhoquo)," he believes that he is the son of Azaukhan in the Ossetian version.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://iryston.tv/ir/irajnag-goraet-avhazy-tsaeraeg-shayan-dzhavadi-persajnag-aevzagmae-taelmats-kaeny-iron-fysdzhyty-uatsmystae/|title= Ирайнаг горæт Ахвазы цæрæг Шаян Джавади персайнаг æвзагмæ тæлмац кæны ирон фысджыты уацмыстæ|author = Iryston.tv|date= 6 April 2022}}</ref>
-==See also==
-{|
+== See also ==
-| valign=top |
+{{div col}}
 * [[Vainakh mythology|Chechen-Ingush mythology]]
 * [[Epic poetry]]
-* [[Norse Saga]] {{ns|30}}<!--auto-narrow spacer-->
+* [[Norse Saga]]
-| valign=top |
 * [[Ossetian mythology]]
 * [[Scythian mythology]]
-* [[The Magic Pipe|''The Magic Pipe'' (film)]] {{ns|15}}
+* [[The Magic Pipe|''The Magic Pipe'' (film)]]
-| valign=top |
 * [[Uastyrdzhi]]
 * [[Kurdalægon]]
+* [[Bogatyr]]
-|}
+* [[Shahnameh]]
+{{div col end}}
-==Sources==
+==References==
+{{reflist|30em}}
-<references />
-==External links==
+===Sources===
+{{refbegin}}
-'''Circassian Nart sagas''':
+*{{citation|title = Die Sagen und Lieder des Tscherkessen-Volks| trans-title = The legends and songs of the Circassian peoples | year = 1866| url = https://archive.org/details/diesagenundlied00nogmgoog| first = Schora Bekmursin | last = Nogmov| publisher = Leipzig, P. Wigan | editor-first = Adolf | editor-last = Bergé | editor-link = Adolf Berge | language = german |ref = {{harvid|Berge|1866}} }}
-*[https://books.google.com/books?id=LH5HmU7XWcUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22John+Colarusso%22&hl=en&ei=ne4qTLe6K8bdsgan-PDEBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false  Nart Sagas from the Caucasus: Myths and Legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs. Assembled, translated, and annotated by John Colarusso.]
+*{{citation| title = Nart Sagas from the Caucasus: Myths and Legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs| editor-first=  John| editor-last = Colarusso| year = 2002 | publisher= Princeton University Press| isbn =9781400865284 }}
-*[http://www.reocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/2493/nartsaga3.htm English translations of some Circassian Nartic legends]
+**Also published as {{citation| title = Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Circassians and Abkhazians | isbn = 978-0-691-16914-9 | year = 2002| publisher = Princeton University Press }}, with an introduction by [[Adrienne Mayor]]
-*[http://www.circassianlibrary.org/lib/html/Nart_epos_1/contents.html Russian translations of Circassian Nartic legends]
+*{{cite book |last=Foltz|first=Richard|title=The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZswEAAAQBAJ |year=2022 |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9780755618453|author-link=Richard Foltz }}
-*[http://www.circassianlibrary.org/library.php?lang=en&mn=3&sbmn=1  Circassian Nartic legends in Circassian (only Sosruko cycle available)]
+*{{citation| last = Tsaroïeva | first =  Mariel | title = Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes | language= French | trans-title = Old beliefs of the Ingush and Chechens | year =2005 | publisher = Maisonneuve et Larose | isbn = 2-7068-1792-5 | ref={{harvid|Tsaroieva|2005}} }}
-*Articles including some texts of Nartic legends:
+{{refend}}
-#[https://web.archive.org/web/20070211132440/http://circassianworld.com/colarusso_3.html Myths from the Forests of Circassia, by John Colarusso]
-#[https://web.archive.org/web/20110524131405/http://www.circassianworld.com/colarusso_4.html Prometheus among the Circassians, by John Colarusso]
+=== Further reading ===
-#[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003600/http://www.circassianworld.com/Satanaya_Cycle.pdf The Woman of the Myths: the Satanaya Cycle by John Colarusso]
+{{refbegin}}
-*[http://www.nartimus.com/nusite.html A Circassian site explaining some of the basics behind each of the most prominent of the Narts]
-'''Ossetian Nart sagas''':
+==== Circassian Nart sagas ====
-*[http://vroegemiddeleeuwen.weblog.leidenuniv.nl English translations of some Ossetian Nartic legends]
+*{{citation| url = http://www.reocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/2493/nartsaga3.htm | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20170113170919/http://www.reocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/2493/nartsaga3.htm | title = More Nart Tales | archive-date = 13 January 2017 }} , English translations
-*[http://biblio.darial-online.ru/text/narts/index_rus.shtml Russian translations of Ossetian Nartic legends]
+*{{citation| url = http://www.circassianlibrary.org/lib/html/Nart_epos_1/contents.html |script-title=ru:Нарты. Адыгский эпос | trans-title = Narta. The Adyghe epic | language =Russian }} , Russian translations
-*[http://biblio.darial-online.ru/catalog_os.html Ossetian Nartic legends in Ossetic]
+*Articles:
-*[http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etcs/iran/niran/oss/nart/nart.htm Ossetic texts of Nartic legends on Titus]
+**{{citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070211132440/http://circassianworld.com/colarusso_3.html | url  =http://circassianworld.com/colarusso_3.html | archive-date = 11 February 2007 | title =  Myths from the Forests of Circassia | first =  John | last =  Colarusso | work = The World & I | date = Dec 1989 }}
-'''Abkhaz Nart sagas'''
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014519/http://kolhida.ru/index.php3?path=_etnography%2Fbook%2Fnart&source=index Russian translations of Abkhaz Nartic legends]
+**{{citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524131405/http://www.circassianworld.com/colarusso_4.html | url
+ =http://www.circassianworld.com/colarusso_4.html  | archive-date =24 May 2011 | title = Prometheus among the Circassians | first =  John | last =  Colarusso | work = The World & I  | date = Dec 1989 }}
-'''Karachay-Balkar Nart sagas''':
+**{{citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003600/http://www.circassianworld.com/Satanaya_Cycle.pdf| url  =http://www.circassianworld.com/Satanaya_Cycle.pdf | archive-date = 27 September 2007 | title =  The Woman of the Myths: the Satanaya Cycle| first =  John | last =  Colarusso | journal = The Annual of the Society for the Study of Caucasia | volume =2 | pages = 3–11| year = 1989 }}
-*[http://www.adigha.com/Culture/Custom_Traditions/NARTS_01.htm An English-language paper on Karachay-Balkar folk belief by Dr. Ufuk TAVKUL] Contains a brief outline of Karachay-Balkar Nartic legends (in English).
-*[http://www.balkaria.info/library/d/dzhurtubaev/epos/0_narti.htm A detailed Russian language retelling and discussion of Karachay-Balkar Nartic legends]
+==== Ossetian Nart sagas ====
-*[http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171557.shtml  Russian translations of Karachay-Balkar Nartic legends (part 1)]
+*{{citation| title = Tales of the Narts: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Ossetians| editor-first=  John| editor-last = Colarusso| translator-first=  Walter| translator-last = May| year = 2016 | publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9780691211527}}
-*[http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171548.shtml Russian translations of Karachay-Balkar Nartic legends (part 2)]
+*{{citation | url = http://biblio.darial-online.ru/catalog_os.html | language = os| title = КАТАЛОГ | trans-title=Catalog}}, three collections of legends (Dzhanayev, Gutiev and Skodtayev/Kibirov, the latter from the Digor dialect area). The first collection (the 1946 Dzhanayev edition) is also available in the form of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8eNc7YBhuk&list=PLqphvH-HAIucm7Mi5vesyxWvmwNCI6LJY older] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqIAY8JcDXo&list=PLjWmjSwBQ5ckBVskU4-2oasQXYZz3j-og newer] audio recordings
-'''Chechen-Ingush Nart sagas''':
+*{{citation| url = http://biblio.darial-online.ru/text/narts/index_rus.shtml | language = Russian | editor-first = Б.А. | editor-last = Калоев  | editor-first2 =  Ю. | editor-last2 = Либединский | title  =СКАЗАНИЯ О НАРТАХ | trans-title = Tales of the Narts}}: a translation, with slight modifications, of the Dzhanayev edition at the previous link
-*[http://chechnya.unesco.ru/books/culofchechnyaeng.pdf ''The Inception of Chechen artistic writing: ethni-historical and aesthetic prerequisites'' by Kh.R.Abdulayeva; In: ''The Culture of Chechnya: History and Modern Problems''] Contains discussion of Chechen and Ingush Nartic legends (in English).
+*{{citation| url = http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etcs/iran/niran/oss/nart/nart.htm | title = Ossetic Nartic Tales  |work = TITUS (Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien)}} (legends collected from the Digor dialect area, edited by M. Gardanti)
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080401040418/http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/87.html Russian language accounts of Chechen and Ingush beliefs by Ch.E.Akhriev (part 1)] at the [[Internet Archive]]. Contains Nartic legends.
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080402101529/http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/89.html Russian language accounts of Chechen and Ingush beliefs by Ch.E.Akhriev (part 2)] at the [[Internet Archive]]. Contains Nartic legends.
+==== Abkhaz Nart sagas ====
-*[http://constitutions.ru/archives/1738 A large collection of Russian translations of Chechen tales], many of which are about the Narts.
+*{{citation | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014519/http://kolhida.ru/index.php3?path=_etnography%2Fbook%2Fnart&source=index | url =http://kolhida.ru/index.php3?path=_etnography%2Fbook%2Fnart&source=index | archive-date = 28 September 2007 |editor-first = Ш.Д. | editor-last =  Инал-ипа |editor-first2 = К.С.| editor-last2 =  Шакрыл |editor-first3 = Б.В. | editor-last3 = Шинкуба |editor-first4 =Ш.Д. | editor-last4 = Инал-ипа |editor-first5 = Г. | editor-last5 = Гулия  |editor-first6 = В. | editor-last6 = Солоухина |script-title=ru:Приключения нарта Сасрыквы и его девяноста девяти братьев | trans-title = The Adventures of the Sasrykva Nart and His Ninety-nine Brothers | language = Russian }}
+==== Karachay-Balkar Nart sagas ====
+*{{citation| url = http://www.adigha.com/Culture/Custom_Traditions/NARTS_01.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120301194108/http://www.adigha.com/Culture/Custom_Traditions/NARTS_01.htm | archive-date = 1 March 2012  |title = A Good Sample For Cultural Diffusion - A Hero Who Carries The Characteristics Of Prophet David In The Nart Epos Of Karachay-Balkar People - Nart Debet, The Smith | first =  Ufuk | last = Tavkul | work = The International Symposium of "NART EPOS" | year = 2000 }}
+*{{citation| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070930111524/https://balkaria.info/library/d/dzhurtubaev/epos/0_narti.htm | archive-date = 30 September 2007 |script-title=ru:Героический эпос о нартах | language = Russian | editor-first  =Джуртубаев Махти | editor-last = Чиппаевич | trans-title = The heroic epic of Narta | url =https://balkaria.info/library/d/dzhurtubaev/epos/0_narti.htm | title = Balkaria.info }} , detailed set of tales
+*Russian translations from {{citation|script-title=ru:Дебет златоликий и его друзья| language =Russian | year  =1987| editor-first=  С.| editor-last= Липкина | trans-title = Debet the golden haired and his friends }}
+**{{citation| url = http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171557.shtml | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060228163522/http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171557.shtml |archive-date = 28 February 2006 |script-title=ru:Нарты РАЧИКАУ, СЫН ЧУЖЕЗЕМЦА | language = Russian}} , (part 1)
+**{{citation| url = http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171548.shtml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110726211752/http://www.elbrusoid.org/content/liter_theatre/p171548.shtml | archive-date = 26 July 2011 | title = Наш героический эпос о нартах - КАК ЁРЮЗМЕК УБИЛ КРАСНОЛИКОГО РЫЖЕБОРОДОГО ФУКА }} , (part 2)
+==== Chechen-Ingush Nart sagas ====
+*{{citation | chapter-url = http://chechnya.unesco.ru/books/culofchechnyaeng.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091015030706/http://chechnya.unesco.ru/books/culofchechnyaeng.pdf | archive-date = 15 October 2009 | chapter = 18. The Inception of Chechen artistic writing: ethni-historical and aesthetic prerequisites | first = Kh.R. | last = Abdulayeva | title = The Culture of Chechnya: History and Modern Problems | year = 2002 | pages = 129–147 | access-date = 9 August 2007 | url-status = dead }}
+*Accounts of Chechen and Ingush beliefs by Ch.E.Akhriev
+**{{citation | archive-url =   https://web.archive.org/web/20080401040418/http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/87.html | url =http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/87.html | archive-date = 1 April 2008 | title  =[various] | first =  Ch.E. | last = Akhriev|  language = Russian }}
+**{{ citation| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080402101529/http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/89.html | url = http://www.ingushetiya.ru/culture/ce_akhriev/89.html | archive-date = 2 April 2008 | title  =[various] | first =  Ch.E. | last = Akhriev | language = Russian }}
+*{{citation| url = http://constitutions.ru/archives/1738 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120301194323/https://constitutions.ru/archives/1738| archive-date = 1 March 2012 | language = Russian | title = ЧЕЧЕНСКИЕ СКАЗАНИЯ | trans-title = Chechen Tales }}
+==== Miscellaneous ====
+*{{citation| url = http://vroegemiddeleeuwen.weblog.leidenuniv.nl/category/caucasus/ | language = English | title = [Category: Causcasus] | work = Wanana sculun Frankon - Linguistics, History, Mythology and More}} , Causcasian folklore articles
+*{{cite journal|first1=Arkadiusz |last1=Dudziak |first2=Marina |last2=Payunena |date=June 2019 |title=Индоевропейские антропологические и культурные источники осетинского героического эпоса как пример номадизма идей и ценностей (к постановке проблемы) |trans-title=Indo-European anthropological and cultural sources of the Ossetian heroic epic as an example of nomadism of ideas and values (problem statement) |language=ru |journal=Przegląd Wschodnioeuropejski (East European Review) |publisher=[[University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn|UWM Publishing House]] |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=289–304 |doi=10.31648/pw.4525|doi-access=free }}
+* Дувакин Евгений Николаевич. "Кельто-кавказские фольклорные параллели и возможные сценарии их происхождения" [FOLKLORE PARALLELS BETWEEN CELTIC AND CAUCASIAN TRADITIONS: THE EURASIAN CONTEXT AND POSSIBLE SCENARIOS OF THE ORIGIN]. Индоевропейское языкознание и классическая филология, no. 23–1, 2019, pp.&nbsp;295–307. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/kelto-kavkazskie-folklornye-paralleli-i-vozmozhnye-stsenarii-ih-proishozhdeniya (дата обращения: 29.09.2021). (In Russian)
+{{refend}}
+== External links ==
+{{commons category-inline|Nart Sagas}}
 {{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Nart Saga}}
 [[Category:Epic poems]]
 [[Category:European folklore]]
-[[Category:Caucasus]]
+[[Category:North Caucasus]]
 [[Category:Ossetian mythology]]
 [[Category:Abkhaz literature]]
-[[Category:Circassian folklore]]
+[[Category:Ubykh language]]
+[[Category:Circassian mythology]]
 [[Category:Sagas]]