Tales of the Narts: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Ossetians

by Walter May (Translator), John Colarusso (Editor), Tamirlan Salbiev (Editor)

The Nart sagas are to the Caucasus what Greek mythology is to Western civilization. Tales of the Narts presents a wide selection of fascinating tales preserved as a living tradition among the peoples of Ossetia in southern Russia, a region where ethnic identities have been maintained for thousands of years in the face of major cultural upheavals.

A mythical tribe of tall, nomad warriors, the Narts were courageous, bold, and good-hearted. But they were also capable of cruelty, envy, and forceful measures to settle disputes. In this wonderfully vivid and accessible compilation of stories, colorful and exciting heroes, heroines, villains, and monsters pursue their destinies though a series of peculiar exploits, often with the intervention of ancient gods.

The world of the Narts can be as familiar as it is alien, and the tales contain local themes as well as echoes of influence from diverse lands. The ancestors of the Ossetians once roamed freely from eastern Europe to western China, and their myths exhibit striking parallels with ancient Indian, Norse, and Greek myth. The Nart sagas may also have formed a crucial component of the Arthurian cycle.

Tales of the Narts further expands the canon of this precious body of lore and demonstrates the passion and values that shaped the lives of the ancient Ossetians.

Genres: Mythology, Folklore, History

512 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2016

Reviews

[NormaCenva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating 10 Stars (If I could!)

This is a very fitting last book of the year for me. I can not express in mere words what this book means to me... As a North-Ossetian on my mothers side i have always identified strongly with my Ossetian heritage. And seeing the Nart Saga translated into English now mean that I can finally share these glorious stories with my friends!
But on the bigger scale, in the present day when so many Ossetians are scattered all around the world it is truly heart-worming to see that our stories, Gods and Goddesses are not forgotten. After all of the suppression, forced assimilation and suffering; we have survived and if not thrived, but were able to give all of the Love to the new generations.
The new generations that despite the fact that they might be far away from the land of our origin, will Goddess-willing carry it with them to pass it on, - and so till the end of time (if there even is an end that is).

[Sayantoni Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this beautiful tome of a book was so fulfilling and exciting. I was completely unaware of the Osstesian culture, myths and legends. These are some of the old, forgotten tales that are not hugely known or celebrated, so it almost felt like excavating an old site of historical relevance. Ossetian people, in southern Russia along with other Northern Caucasian people share some epic tales heroes from the bygone eras, ones that had been passed on through generations by word of mouth. These were first set down in writing toward the end of the nineteenth century.

In the Tales of the Narts (north Caucasus), there are mainly four cycles that take shape. However, there are also other independent tales of independent heroes.

You doesn't have to be a history nerd to love this book. Anybody who loves to discover and learn more of the unknown would find sheer pleasure from these tales. You won't find many books on this, and that's why this one is so very special.

[Anna C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing! What a fantastic, lush mythos. There are so many interesting echoes of other folklore here, naturally, since the Caucasus was always a crossroads and borderland of different cultures. Yet at the same time, the myths feel like a fresh discovery, since as far as I can tell, these stories have barely appeared in English outside of specialist scholarly literature (?).

It would have been a 5 star book, but for the high number of silly typos.

[ⵀⴰⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⵀⴰⵢⴰⵙⵜⴰⵏⵉ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent

[Linda Malcor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection! The alternate story of the death of Batraz is the next to the last story in the book, and I would have preferred it to follow the first variant. Otherwise the organization is great.

The Introduction is marvellous and very informative, as are the various footnotes.

Well worth reading! Many parallels to Arthurian tradition, including, Arthur, Lancelot, and (a surprise for me) Sir Gawain.