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DOI: 10.46698/VNC.2021.13.6.007
ASSYRIAN PARALLELS TO THE NART EPOS OF THE OSSETIANS
Rakhno, Konstantin Yu.
Kavkaz Forum. 2021. Issue 6.
Abstract:
The 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.
Keywords: Assyrians, Ossetians, Persians, Kurds, Nart epos, folklore
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