Academic literature on the topic 'Abkhaz Mythology'

This article examines the peculiarities of the functioning of symbolic images of stone and mountains in the folklore and literatures of the peoples of the North Caucasus and Abkhazia. The objects of analysis are myths, a heroic epic about the sledges shared by a number of Caucasian peoples, poetry by K. Mechiev, K. Kuliev, A. Keshokov, and R. Gamzatov, novels by B. Shinkuba (Dissected Stone) and A. Gogua (Nimbus). As shown in the article, the images of stone and mountains in each literature function differently within the structure of a literary text, depending on the author’s intention. At the same time, these images are initially closely connected with history, life, mythology, folklore of the people, and with thousand-year historical and spiritual experience of mountaineers. The process of creating a literary image, whose roots go deep into national history and culture, reflects the interaction of different types of thinking — historical, mythological, anthropological, and literary; the nature of the relationship and the dialogue of literature with folklore, historiography, and ethnography speak about the role of this interdisciplinary dialogue in the development of literature; this way, we can also speak of literary or artistic historicism which differs from historicism in historiography or philosophy of history.

В статье рассмотрен один из мотивов осетинского Даредзановского эпоса – мотив прикованного героя, еще в древности вошедший в мифологию, фольклор, литературу многих народов и получивший название «мотив Прометея». Образ Прометея относится к «вечным образам» мировой художественной культуры. История прикования и освобождения Прометея и в древнегреческой мифологии, и в трагедии Эсхила позиционируется как топонимически привязанная к Кавказу. Именно здесь сюжет о наказанном Богом и прикованном богатыре получил распространение в национальных мифах и эпических преданиях – грузинских, осетинских, кабардинских, абхазских, вайнахских, армянских и др. Эти лаконичные предания об Амиране-Амране, по мнению Вс.Ф. Миллера, – кульминационные во всех источниках, рассказывающих об этом герое. Рассмотрены как древнегреческий Прометей, так и кавказские, в первую очередь осетинские, прикованные герои, представленные в работах Вс.Ф. Миллера, Г.Н. Потанина, Дз. Гатуева, Д.А. Калоевой, З.Г. Тменовой, Ю.А. Дзиццоты, Х.Ф. Цгоева и др. Образ Амирана сравнивается с соответствующими ему героями кавказских эпосов. При всей схожести мотивов богоборчества и наказания героя прикованием к скале или столбу нельзя не отметить отличия осетинского Амирана от остальных. В Даредзановских сказаниях он героическая личность, истинный богатырь, совершающий множество подвигов, побеждающий великанов, помогающий всем нуждающимся. Сын племянницы Бога, герой близок к народу, он побеждает врагов не только ради демонстрации силы, ловкости, хитрости, но и для спасения родных и друзей. В отличие от большинства кавказских прикованных героев, освобождение Амирана не предвещает гибель мира, напротив, осетинский Амиран, в случае освобождения, даст людям свободу и счастье. Многие мотивы в преданиях об Амране соотносятся с мотивами Нартовского эпоса. Амиран-Амран приравнивается к любимым героям осетинской Нартиады – Сослану, Батразу, Урузмагу, Шатане. В работе его образ рассмотрен для подтверждения объективной закономерности подобной репрезентации осетинского героя. The article deals with one of the motives of the Ossetian Daredzanian epic − the motive of the chained hero, which in ancient times entered the mythology, folklore, literature of many peoples and was called the "Prometheus motive". The image of Prometheus belongs to the "eternal images" of world art culture. The history of the chaining and liberation of Prometheus, both in ancient Greek mythology and in the tragedy of Aeschylus, is positioned as toponymically tied to the Caucasus. It was here that the plot about the God-punished and chained hero became widespread in national myths and epic legends − Georgian, Ossetian, Kabardian, Abkhaz, Vainakh, Armenian, etc. These laconic legends about Amiran-Amran, according to Vs.F. Miller, are culminating in all the sources telling about this hero. Both the ancient Greek Prometheus and the Caucasian, primarily Ossetian, chained heroes presented in the works of Vs.F. Miller, G.N. Potanin, Dz. Gatuev, D.A. Kaloeva, Z.G. Tmenova, Yu.A. Dzizzoity, Kh.F. Tsgoev and others. The image of Amiran is compared with the corresponding heroes of the Caucasian epics. With all the similarity of the motives of fighting against God and the punishment of the hero by being chained to a rock or a pillar, one cannot fail to note the difference between the Ossetian Amiran and the others. In Daredzan's legends, he is a heroic person, a true hero who performs many feats, conquers giants, and helps all those in need. The son of the niece of God, the hero is close to the people, he defeats enemies not only for the sake of demonstrating strength, dexterity, cunning, but also to save family and friends. Unlike most of the Caucasian chained heroes, the release of Amiran does not portend the death of the world, on the contrary, the Ossetian Amiran, if liberated, will give people freedom and happiness. Many motives in the legends about Amran correlate with the motives of the Nartov epic. Amiran-Amran is equated with the favorite heroes of the Ossetian Nartiada - Soslan, Batraz, Uruzmag, Shatana. In the work, his image is considered to confirm the objective regularity of such a representation of the Ossetian hero.

The author’s reflections on the role of the Caucasus in the life and work of L.N. Tolstoy are intertwined with an analytical review of contemporary research on this topic. The unrelenting interest of Tolstoy scholars in the difficult Caucasian period of the life and work of the classic, which is largely associated with the formation of a historical and philosophical concept and with moral quests, is noted. The diverse points of view of scientists with their polyphony actualize the value-ethical problems of a universal scale, indicated by the writer in the stories and novels “Raid,” “Cutting the Forest,” “Notes of the Marker,” “Degraded,” “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” “Cossacks,” “Hadji Murat” and others, give an additional impetus to research attention to the Caucasian artistic model of Tolstoy’s worldview. It is emphasized that the deep originality of the culture of the highlanders, the life-giving spirit and energy of Caucasian mythology, oral folk art in general, were a unique breeding ground for Tolstoy, which gave an extraordinary clarity of thoughts and feelings, the opportunity to take a different look at the surrounding reality. The assumption is supported that Tolstoy was directly or indirectly associated with prominent representatives of the Abkhaz intelligentsia.