Assyrian Parallels to the Nart Epos of the Ossetians

Assyrian Parallels to the Nart Epos of the OssetiansKavkaz-ForumSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/8PHUSSF4/tei

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2024-08-15-04:00

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Konstantin YurjevichRakhnoAssyrian Parallels to the Nart Epos of the Ossetianshttp://syriaca.org/cbss/8PHUSSF4https://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/8PHUSSF4https://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/8PHUSSF4Kavkaz-Forum6 [13]202187-105The article examines the parallels to the Nart epos of the Ossetians in the folklore of modern Assyrians, an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia. If the modern Assyrians are the descendants of the ancient population of Assyria, then the Ossetians are the descendants of the Scythians who attacked the Assyrian Empire in the past. The folklore of the Assyrians underwent strong Iranian influence. Their tales contain many Iranian motives, some of which have something in common with the Nart epos. In particular, in Assyrian tales there is a magic apple tree, the fruits of which are stolen by supernatural forces. Going to bed with the wife of his twin brother, the hero of the fairy tale puts his sword between them. With the help of the eagle, whose nestlings he saved, the hero of Assyrian tales is usually got out of the underworld. In some tales, he enters in a hostile house dressed in a woman's dress, disguised as a bride, and seduces a woman there. He hunts gazelle, chamois or gazelle, which turn out to be witch girls. The motive of a huge anthropomorphic frog finds a correspondence in the Nart epos as well. In Assyrian tales, there is also a magic mirror and a wonderful cauldron in which snakes, frogs and turtles are boiled. The hero kidnaps this cauldron. There are also sea horses. The horse's advice helps the hero to bring a wonderful tree from the protected garden. Three heroes compete for a find, telling stories from their life. The story of one of them is that he was turned into a bull by a witch, but a girl sorceress helps him to disenchant and punish the witch. There are also Amazon motives. Like among the Ossetians, in the Assyrian fairy tale there is a motive of a hand sticking out from the depths of the sea. The story of three purchased councils comes close to the Ossetian legends. The motive of the birth of a child, a foal, and a puppy, combined with the motive of a woman who, being unrecognized, seduces her husband in order to teach him a lesson, are especially close to the Nart saga. Rakhno, Konstantin Yurjevich. “Assyrian Parallels to the Nart Epos of the Ossetians.” Kavkaz-Forum 6 [13] (2021): 87–105. Konstantin Yurjevich Rakhno, Assyrian Parallels to the Nart Epos of the Ossetians, Kavkaz-Forum 6 [13] (2021): 87–105.AssyriansSyriac influence [Georgia]XIX-XXI CEXXI CEfolklore