home Lucky Saints and patrons of Alanya. Saint George in the Ossetian religious tradition of Uastirdzhi Ossetia

Saints and patrons of Alanya. Saint George in the Ossetian religious tradition of Uastirdzhi Ossetia

We rushed to Nalchik (the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic). We wandered around the city for an hour. Yes, before, of course, it was a serious center for sanatorium-resort treatment, but due to well-known sad events, this glory has gone from the city, and a new one has not yet come. Therefore, the city is trying to attract tourists and vacationers almost all over again. Tourist streets are being developed and interesting objects are being created.

Let's literally walk around the city a little and rush further to North Ossetia...

For those interested in a video version of the trip, here it is:

So, this is Nalchik for now.

This is such an original bench - it seems to me that it’s successful. Any city needs places where it’s nice to take pictures, and even more so in a resort city.

At one time, such figures were also popular here in Stary Oskol, but then they were abandoned and they fell apart. For such objects you also need good care so that they don't look tattered.

And here we were reminded and told about the Russian-Caucasian War, which lasted 101 years (1763-1864). In this war, the question of who should belong to the Caucasus was decided. This was of fundamental importance in the geopolitical aspirations of Russia, Turkey, Persia, England and others. The Caucasus, under the conditions of the colonial division of the globe by the leading world powers, could not remain outside the boundaries of their rivalry.

As a result, after the declaration of peace, 3% of the Circassian ethnic group remained in the Caucasus. The remaining 97% of the four million Circassian population (according to N.F. Dubrovin, 1991) died in this hundred-year war or were expelled from native land to a foreign land - to Turkey.

In fact, the memorial sign is dedicated to these events. It symbolizes a family tree with many branches.

At the entrance to the Ardon (Alagir) gorge there is the sanctuary of St. George - Nykhas Uastyrdzhi. The word "nykhas" is literally translated from Ossetian as "conversation", that is, the Ossetian veche, a place for public meetings. Here the glorious hero on horseback hangs over the road, as if frozen in a jump.

The sanctuary appeared in the middle of the 19th century, but the statue was installed only in 1995. The rider was manufactured at the Electrozinc plant in Vladikavkaz, and transported to the Alagir Gorge by helicopter. The weight of the entire structure is 28 tons, and the height of only one horse’s head is 6 meters. This is the largest equestrian monument in the world.

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All this is surrounded by the stunning nature of the Caucasus.

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Let's take a closer look at who UASTYRDZHI is and how he is connected with Saint George.

We know that Saint George - the heavenly warrior, patron and protector of earthly warriors - is revered in all parts of the Christian world, and especially in the ancient Ossetian land. The people's consciousness identified him with Uastirdzhi - a particularly revered holy celestial being of the traditional Ossetian pantheon, the patron saint of men, travelers, and warriors.

According to the etymology of V.I. Abaev, generally recognized in science, Uastirdzhi is nothing more than the ironic form of the name of St. George: uas - “holy”, styr - “great”, ji - “Gio, George”. Literally - “Holy Great George”. The Digor dialect has retained an older form - Uas Gergi. As we can see, the identity of the names is obvious and does not raise any objections. However, regarding the correlation between the images of Saint George and Uastirdzhi, there are two mutually exclusive opinions among the people. Some, based on the synonymy of the names, assert the complete identity of the holy inhabitants of heaven; others, pointing out the inconsistencies of the images themselves, prove their absolute dissimilarity, while forced to change the etymology. So who is Uastirdzhi, and how is he connected with the image of St. George the Victorious?

Photo 4.

St. George is a real historical person. According to hagiographic literature, he was a native of Cappadocia from a rich and noble Christian family. Having matured, Georgy entered the military service. Thanks to his strength and courage, he quickly became famous and became a high-ranking officer in the Roman army. Having learned about a new wave of persecution of Christians organized by Emperor Diocletian, George distributed all his property to the poor, set free the slaves who belonged to him and went to the palace. Here, at the state council that was taking place at that time, in the presence of Diocletian, he publicly declared his confession of Christianity. The saint was captured, tortured for several months and, unable to achieve renunciation, was finally beheaded for his unbending faith in Christ.

The Church glorified the holy great martyr, and in the Middle Ages he became widely revered throughout Europe. Then, in many places, a completely natural process occurred: the image of St. George was superimposed on the images of some mythical-epic characters, including snake-fighting heroes. This is typical for the popular consciousness: it made the image of the beloved saint understandable and allowed, so to speak, to adapt his grace-filled power for one’s needs - to secure heavenly protection in certain areas of public life, to prayerfully turn to the saint to preserve the harvest, give birth to children, preserve the house, deliverance from diseases, etc.

Alan-Ossetians were no exception. In the pre-Christian period, the Alans may have had a certain image of a celestial being, consonant with St. George, especially revered by warriors. The creators of their own brilliant military culture saw in Saint George the image of an ideal warrior. This is where a kind of specialized veneration of Uastirdzhi stems: Alan warriors, whose way of life was baltz (campaign), sought his protection. A similar situation was observed in the knightly environment of medieval Europe.

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In other words, Uastirdzhi (St. George) embodied the cultural and historical features of Alan perception.

According to the authoritative opinion of the prominent Ossetian ethnologist Vilen Uarziati, the veneration of St. George - Uastirdzhi / Wasgergi (Digor dialect) dates back to the times of the preaching of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina (IV century). Preaching the teachings of Christ among the Iberians and Alans, Saint Nina also mentioned her relative, the Great Martyr George, and introduced the custom of celebrating the days of commemoration of the wheeling of the saint on the 20th of November. In Georgia, the holiday of Gorgoba (Georgian) has been celebrated since the 4th century. Later, this holiday became widespread among its closest neighbors - the Iberians, Alans - under the name Georgoba / Georgoba. In this case, there is a purely Caucasian Christian holiday. In the Greek and Russian Churches, they celebrate not the day of the wheeling, but the day of the beheading of the head of St. George - April 23, old style.

National veneration of St. George intensified during the period of mass conversion of Alans to Orthodoxy at the beginning of the 10th century, when the Alan kings proclaimed Christianity as the state religion. At this time, the Alan Metropolis was created as part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and large religious centers, the significance of which is evidenced by the ancient Alan churches in Nizhny Arkhyz (the current territory of Karachay-Cherkessia).

Photo 9.

The death of the Alan state under the onslaught of the Tatar-Mongols in the 13th century, the extermination of most of the population, and the devastation of urban centers forced the Alans to retreat into the mountain gorges. Over the next four centuries, the remnants of the Alans were forced to survive in difficult conditions of isolation, preserving the heritage of their ancestors to the best of their ability. At that time, among the people, deprived of the national priesthood and church support, religious beliefs took root, representing a fusion of Christian dogmas and traditions and ancient and new folk rituals. Naturally, during this process, the images of many Christian saints and the traditions and ideas that took root during the Christianization of Alanya changed. The image of St. George also began to become distorted. It was then that Uastirdzhi - Saint George began to be revered in the image of a gray-bearded old man (the personification of wisdom and experience, without which it is difficult to survive in mountain gorges).

But thanks to the deep perception of the image of the Holy Victorious in the era of Alan statehood, it was preserved in the popular consciousness to such an extent that with the return of orthodox Christian preaching, it was soon and without much difficulty again recognized as “one of our own” and identified with Uastirdzhi.

Photo 10.

On the site under the monument there is a huge metal bowl, covered with a lid with a slot for collecting donations. Many drivers passing by do this. This is a long-standing tradition: on mountain roads, the patron saint of travelers, Uastirdzhi, was always asked for a safe path, for salvation from rockfalls.

Donations go towards the maintenance of the sanctuary, as well as for large national holidays Traditional Ossetian dishes are prepared on them, which anyone can try.

There is also a huge stone table with chairs, at which the elders eat Ossetian pies, drink Ossetian beer (locally it is called “rong”, but in taste and strength it is more like kvass) and decide important issues.

Photo 6.

Above the stone table on the slope there is a sculpture of an eagle tormenting a snake, symbolizing victory over disease. There is a beautiful legend about this eagle:

Photo 5.

In the mountains, near the snowy passes, where the alpine meadow bloomed lushly,
An eagle built an eagle's nest on the rocks with an eagle.
And high under the clouds, aiming a keen eye from the sky,
He soared with mountain eagles, tracking prey in the early hours.
Among the flowers of the bright valley, where the river swept the path,
Tired of spinning around on a hot afternoon, he sat down on a stone to rest.
But he only closed his eyes in slumber, folded his tired wings,
How, with its scales glistening, between the hummocks, the snake silently crawled up.
She lay invisible, hiding in the shadows, among the stones,
To thrust your viper's sting into the one who was stronger...
And the eagle, stung in the chest by a snake, fell dead
In the hot spring that boiled under the mountain, flowing into the valley.
But suddenly - lo and behold! Washed by that water, the king of the valleys came to life.
And he soared into the sky with youthful strength, like a proud ruler...
And like a stone thrown from a cliff, he fell, spreading his wings,
As if tormenting disease and the forces of evil with a sharp beak in its claws...
So, I owe it to legend, in the sunny foothills,
And the eagle tormenting a snake became the emblem of the Waters of the Caucasus.

The sculpture of an eagle in this place was not installed by chance, because not far from the sanctuary of St. George there is a balneological resort Tamisk, where vacationers are treated with mineral water, just like the eagle from the legend.

Photo 7.

Not far from the road you can see a lake filled with hydrogen sulfide water. According to one version, this lake is man-made: during construction work, a source was accidentally touched, from which water gushed out in a stormy stream and filled the lowland. This kind of water is well known to residents and guests of the city of Pyatigorsk: it is distinguished by its bluish color and the characteristic smell of rotten eggs.

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Let's look around - this is the nature around here.

Photo 12.

Despite the fact that North Ossetia is the only Orthodox republic that is part of the Russian Federation, Christianity and paganism are surprisingly intertwined in it. You can find Orthodox churches (or their ruins) and “Places of Power”, women’s and men’s sanctuaries everywhere.

Photo 13.

Among the majestic mountain peaks of Adaikhoh and Ualpata with their rocky spurs Kalperrag and Tsayrag is the pearl of the Caucasus, sung by poets - the Tsey Gorge. It was here that the legendary ancient Ossetian temple Rekom was created with one of the three tears of God (the famous temples of Mkalgabyrta and Tarangelos were created from the other two tears). Assembled from wood, without a single nail (except for the bound ritual doors and shutters) and having an original architectural form, Recom is of great research interest to science. Despite almost two centuries of study of this ancient monument, many aspects of the research are still not disclosed or are controversial ; in particular: the dating of the structure, the etymology of the name, the philosophical and religious content of the temple. Due to the general scientific educational attention to the temple and due to the fragility of the building material (local pine), the Recom was restored many times, and a large amount of architectural material was collected from it.

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In March 1995, the Rekom temple-sanctuary burned to the ground, leaving behind three symbolic half-burnt pillars.

The subsequent reconstruction of the temple-sanctuary and the accompanying research work provided new scientific research and made it possible to enrich the historical philosophical and religious significance of the temple.

I walked here and couldn’t get enough of looking around. I would like to stay here longer, sit, think, take a leisurely walk.

Photo 17.

The wind howled along the river, and a little deeper in the forest there was a ringing silence overlooking mountains and glaciers.

Photo 16.

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According to one version of the origin of Rekoma, the most important character in the pantheon of Ossetian deities - Uastirdzhi, the patron of men, travelers, protector of the weak, decided to build a sanctuary for the Ossetian people from an eternal tree - larch, which never rots. It grew on the other side of the mountain range, then Uastirdzhi ordered his oxen to cross the glacier and bring trees. According to legend, the trees themselves fell into the carts, and the oxen carried unusual building material along the indicated road. At the construction site, the carts emptied themselves, and miraculously a log house grew in the clearing without the help of human hands.

Photo 24.

Recom was asked to send a rich harvest, successful haymaking and hunting. Recom was a multifunctional deity; in addition to requests related to agriculture, people turned to him for healing from illnesses and protection from evil forces. The cult of veneration of Rekom was widespread in the Alagir Gorge and a holiday dedicated to Rekom was celebrated in July. During this holiday, which lasted a whole week, Rekom sacrificed numerous livestock.

Not far from the log house there is a wooden gazebo with three chairs with faces carved on the backs - “Faceless Deity”, “Falcon” and “Leopard” (or “Bear”), in front of them is a table with offerings (salt, coins).

Photo 23.

Only men could be present at the sacrifice, because the Rekom sanctuary was the center of the cult of Uastirdzhi, who was the patron saint of men. According to the Ossetian Nart epic, at the place where one of the three tears of God fell, shed over the death of the Nart Batradz, the Rekoma sanctuary was formed, called in Ossetian Rekoma dzuar or Rekoma Uastirdzhi.

Despite many years of studying the temple, many issues still remain controversial: the dating of the structure, the etymology of the name, philosophical and religious content. As always, there are many legends and points of view.

Photo 25.

Due to the fragility of the building material, Rekom was repeatedly rebuilt, reconstructed and even burned!

Photo 26.

According to one opinion, the Rekom sanctuary existed since the time of the Koban culture - 1 thousand years BC. Others argue that Rekom “could not have been built earlier than the 12th century, since on the site of Rekom at that time there was still a single Tsey-Skaz glacier, and the archaeological material of the Koban culture is a “recycled item” (i.e. transferred from one sanctuary to another)".

Photo 15.

But this is the work of a woodpecker. Somewhat low, of course.

Photo 27.

Wandering along the mountain paths, fabulous views appeared here and there.

Photo 28.

Today, there is no substantiated etymology of the name “Rekom” and “folk etymology” prevails, explaining “Rekom” as a derivative of “Khurykom” (Sunny Gorge) or “Irykom” (Ossetian Gorge). In addition to this version, we note the assumption of V.I. Abaev, who brings “Rekom” closer to the Georgian “rkoni” (oak grove), as well as the conviction of A.Kh. Magometov is that “the name “Rekom” is closely connected with the construction of a Christian church here” and means in Georgian “to ring the bell - Rekva”.

The main reason for such a controversial etymology of the name “Rekom”, as well as many other names, is the insufficient understanding of the religious and philosophical views of the Ossetians, and, accordingly, due to little knowledge of the Ossetian religious architecture seems primitive, at best, like a pile of stones, a holy bush etc. As a result, even the most common attributes of Ossetian sanctuaries, such as all kinds of crosses and bells, known as the most common item in the inventory of the Koban culture, (collection of Tekhov B.) are considered to have come along with Christianity and, accordingly, with their name (in this case, from Georgia). It is generally accepted that the Ossetian “dzuar” - cross, sanctuary, saint comes from the Georgian “jvari” - cross (the etymology of jvari-cross among the Georgians themselves is not entirely clear and is considered borrowed). In this case, the religious and philosophical understanding of the symbol of the cross among Ossetians is ignored, as the most important thing, symbolizing the unity of spirit and flesh, the origin of light and life.

The cross was depicted on temples, towers and crypts, and was indicated in all holy ritual actions: the consecration of a sacrificial animal, the cutting of pies, in dance lines, etc. And therefore, the concept of the cross among Ossetians should be a collective one from the well-known Indo-Aryan “jiv” - soul and “ar” - light - jivar-zuar.

Photo 29.

The reason that scientists are looking for the concept of the name Rekom on the side is also that its two brothers - the sanctuary of Mkalgabyrta and Tarangelos have Christianized names. The first is collective from Michael and Gabriel, and the second is supposedly from the Georgian “Mtavar” - the main plus angel - the main angel.

But in Ossetia, the more ancient, pre-Christian, archaic name of Mkalgabyrta is known - Sidan, and the collective name Sidan-Mkalgabyrta is often used, and Tarangelos also sounds like Tarangjeri or Taryzed, where zed is an angel, and Tar can be dark, and swift, and bull, etc. (Tarangelos is the patron of cattle and farmers. Compare in the epic “Taryfyrt Mukara”).

Considering the above, we come to the firm conviction that the name Rekom is originally Ossetian and carries its concept from ancient times, which is confirmed by the lines written by B.V. Gnedovsky. from the words of Pchelina E.G. “Due to a special system of prohibitions, which has lost most of the original original parts, the building (Rekom) has retained to this day the unique appearance of buildings, individual features of which reproduce in whole or in part the character of the Scythian-Sarmatian era” and further writes “The most ancient analogues of Rekom should include “Boyar writing” and the Minusite region (Scythian era) and materials from excavations by P.N. Schultz in Scythian Naples, etc.”

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Today the Tseyskoye Gorge is a far-famous tourist area, but we must not forget that in the recent past it was also a forbidden sacred place “Ivard Rekom”. Therefore, for the revival of spirituality and for the development of tourism, it is necessary to adopt a new “postulate”, namely, not the “Rekom” sanctuary in the tourist area, but “tourist sites in the protected area of the “Rekom” temple.” For this purpose, it would be great to mark the beginning of the protected area “Ivard Rekom” by restoring another temple of Ossetian wooden architecture “Rag Uastyrdzhi”, which is located near the village of Verkhniy Tsei.

It is worth adding that the restoration of festive rituals (dances, stories, songs, all kinds of competitions), worthy of the Rekom sanctuary, precisely in the conditions of the synthesis of educational tourism and spiritual traditions, will raise this culture in the eyes of the entire world community.

Great Martyr George - the heavenly warrior, patron and protector of earthly warriors - is revered in all parts of the Christian world, and especially in the ancient Ossetian land. That is why the gift of a particle of the relics of St. George, performed by the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II on November 24 of this year, became such a significant event for the Ossetian people. The first place on Ossetian soil where a prayer service was served before the relics of the Holy Great Martyr George was the memorial cemetery for the victims of the tragedy in Beslan, and on November 28, on the last day of the special celebration in honor of St. George the Victorious - Dzheorguyb, celebrated in Ossetia for 15 centuries, a helicopter with the relics of the Great Martyr George flew around the entire territory of North Ossetia. The relics of the saint will be kept in the Vladikavkaz Cathedral, which, of course, was consecrated in the name of the Great Martyr George. The Ossetian people erected many other temples both in ancient times and close to our days in the glory and honor of the beloved saint Victorious.

In 1902, on September 15 (September 28, new style), in the village of Beslan, His Eminence Vladimir, Bishop of Vladikavkaz and Mozdok, consecrated a new Orthodox church. Priest A. Tsagolov, who described the solemn ceremony in detail in the Vladikavkaz Diocesan Gazette, noted, among other things, the following: “After the Lord’s Prayer, the Bishop blessed the common meal and wished peace and silence to the Beslan residents.” 15 years later Bolshevik power came. The temple was destroyed, and then school No. 1 was built on the site of the church cemetery.

During the reign of Bishop Vladimir, the bulk of the population of Beslan (Tulatovo) were Ossetian-Mohammedans. Some of them were present at the consecration of the temple, and by no means as passive spectators. The senior representative of the assembled Muslims addressed the bishop with a speech of gratitude. None of this should come as a surprise. It's not just about the traditional religious tolerance of the Ossetian people. There was another important reason: the church was consecrated in the name of the Great Martyr and Victorious George.

It is obvious that this dedication was not chosen by chance in a village founded by Ossetian Muslims. Great Saint Orthodox Church was revered among the entire Ossetian society, regardless of the religious affiliation of its representatives. The people's consciousness identified him with Uastirdzhi - a particularly revered holy celestial inhabitant of the traditional Ossetian pantheon, the patron saint of men, travelers, and warriors.

According to the etymology of V.I. Abaev, generally recognized in science, Uastirdzhi is nothing more than the ironic form of the name of St. George: you- "saint", shit– “great”, ji- “Gio, Georgy.” Literally – “Holy Great George”. The Digor dialect has retained an older form - Was Gergi. As we can see, the identity of the names is obvious and does not raise any objections. However, regarding the correlation between the images of Saint George and Uastirdzhi, there are two mutually exclusive opinions among the people. Some, based on the synonymy of the names, assert the complete identity of the holy inhabitants of heaven; others, pointing out the inconsistencies of the images themselves, prove their absolute dissimilarity, while forced to change the etymology. So who is Uastirdzhi, and how is he connected with the image of St. George the Victorious?

Saint George is a real historical person. According to hagiographic literature, he was a native of Cappadocia from a rich and noble Christian family. Having matured, Georgy entered military service. Thanks to his strength and courage, he quickly became famous and became a high-ranking officer in the Roman army. Having learned about a new wave of persecution of Christians organized by Emperor Diocletian, George distributed all his property to the poor, set free the slaves who belonged to him and went to the palace. Here, at the state council that was taking place at that time, in the presence of Diocletian, he publicly declared his confession of Christianity. The saint was captured, tortured for several months and, unable to achieve renunciation, was finally beheaded for his unbending faith in Christ.

The Church glorified the holy great martyr, and in the Middle Ages he became widely revered throughout Europe. Moreover, a completely natural process took place: the image of St. George was superimposed on the images of some mythical and epic characters, including snake-fighting heroes. This is typical for the people’s consciousness: it made the image of the beloved saint understandable and allowed, so to speak, to adapt his grace-filled power for one’s needs - to secure heavenly protection in certain areas of public life, to prayerfully turn to the saint for the preservation of the harvest, the birth of children, the safety of the house, deliverance from diseases, etc.

In other words, Uastirdzhi (St. George) embodied the cultural and historical features of Alan perception.

According to the authoritative opinion of the prominent Ossetian ethnologist Vilen Uarziati, the veneration of St. George - Uastyrdzhi / Wasgergi (Digor dialect) dates back to the times of the preaching of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina (IV century). Preaching the teachings of Christ among the Iberians and Alans, Saint Nina also mentioned her relative, the Great Martyr George, and introduced the custom of celebrating the days of remembrance of the wheeling of the saint on the 20th of November. In Georgia, the holiday of Gorgoba (Georgian) has been celebrated since the 4th century. Later, this holiday became widespread among the closest neighbors - the Iberians, Alans - under the name Georgoba / Georgoba. In this case, there is a purely Caucasian Christian holiday. In the Greek and Russian Churches, they celebrate not the day of the wheeling, but the day of the beheading of St. George - April 23, old style.

However, with the victory of the Bolsheviks, the cultural, historical and religious spheres of life of the peoples of the USSR came under strict state control. The aggressive and fairly stable atheistic policy of the Soviet government used well-thought-out tactics of anti-religious struggle in Ossetia. Communist ideologists took advantage of the religious state of the people. The fact is that the process of returning Ossetians to Orthodoxy, which began in the mid-18th century by the Russian government, which also meant a return to Christian civilization, turned out to be incomplete by 1917. One of the main reasons is the ineptitude and ineffectiveness of the structure of the sermon, as well as the entire religious policy. But significant results were still achieved. One of the indicators is the formation of the national clergy and the translation of religious services. On the other hand, traditional religious views, which essentially represented the transformed Alan Orthodoxy, remained deeply rooted in the people. Therefore, having liquidated the clergy and existing Orthodox churches, as well as mosques (according to G. Baev, the mayor of Vladikavkaz, at the end of the 19th century, about 12% of Ossetians professed Islam), the ideological machine of the party began to systematically and persistently instill in the population its pagan affiliation. Several decades of such treatment against the general background of propagated atheism, the actual ban on studying one’s own history and culture, and the eradication of the native language had a significant effect. By the time of the collapse of the communist state, the majority of Ossetians considered their traditional faith to be pagan (!).

It should be admitted that the image of Uastirdzhi - St. George - was forgotten and is now being recreated anew. This process is quite natural, but it should be remembered that for our Orthodox ancestors, Uastirdzhi and Saint George were one person. It is not difficult to verify this by turning to the ancient Ossetian dzuars ( dzuar- from the load. jvari– cross, holy place).

In Ossetia there are a huge number of places dedicated to Uastirdzhi. Their simplified classification includes dzuars, in this case – places of the invisible presence of the patron saint, and kuvandons – places of prayer to him (usually located near roads and on passes). It is clear that in this system the dominant position is occupied by the dzuars. Most of the most revered ones are hall buildings. Let's briefly look at some of them.

Dzhery dzuar (village of Jer, Chysyl Leuakhi gorge) - a medieval Orthodox Alan temple of the hall type with an inscribed apse and a subsequently added two-story bell tower (photo 1).

We especially honor it in South Ossetia. The celebration in honor of Uastyrdzhi begins at the end of August and reaches its climax on Dzheorguyba - a multi-day holiday dedicated to the day of the wheeling of St. George (November 10/23) and is a fasting ritual for the Nativity Fast.

These days there is a mass pilgrimage to the shrine, not only of Ossetians, but also of representatives of other nationalities. Jery dzuar has a special grace, and therefore has long been brought here to cure the possessed. It is interesting that, according to the legend cited by Z. Chichinadze, the head of St. George was preserved in the Dzher church.

Dzyvgyisy Uastirdzhi (village Dzivgis, Kurtatinskoye Gorge) – Church of St. George. In northern Ossetia, this is the only temple with a protruding semicircular apse (photo 2). It dates back no later than the 14th century. Dzyvgyisy Uastirdzhi had a very high status as a communal shrine. Its holiday also falls on Dzheorguyba. Until relatively recently, a huge number of pilgrims gathered here. According to the testimony of B. Kargiev, dating back to the 20s of the 20th century, that is, at a time when the former scope of the celebration had significantly weakened, 300–400 young people simultaneously participated in the dances alone.

Dzuar is connected with the nearby rock fortress. According to legends recorded at the end of the 18th century, there was a cave monastery here, and also for a long time Church vestments, books and utensils were preserved.

At the temple there is a medieval church cemetery. Archaeologists excavated two burials, one of which dates back to the 14th century.

In 1613, the Georgian King George donated a bell with the following inscription to the Dzivgis Church:

“We, the sovereign of Kartli, the king of kings, patron George, donated this bell to you, Saint George of Ziblis (Dzivgis. - MM.) for the sake of our victories. Chronicon 301.”

70 years later, in 1683, a similar gift was made by another Georgian king, Archil. The inscription on the bell reads:

“I, King Archil, presented this bell to Dzhibgissky (Dzivgissky. - MM.) to the crucifixion (cross): God grant that Ossetians come to his voice to glorify the Trinity.”

In 1680, the bell was presented to the Tseysk Recom. Although during this period the Georgian monarchs, being under the rule of Iran, were forced to accept Islam as necessary condition for their reign, they secretly continued to profess the Christian faith. Therefore, when donating bells, the kings were guided not only by political considerations. They resorted to the gracious help of the great Orthodox shrines of Ossetia.

Dagomy Zarond Uastirdzhi (village of Dagom, Alagir Gorge) - a medieval Christian temple, made in a characteristic architectural style that unites a large number of church monuments of Ossetia. Located on the outskirts of the village. Dag, directly above the holy place of Madizan, which was also the all-Ossetian Supreme Court, where the most complex cases were dealt with, including the reconciliation of bloodlines. Decisions made on Madizan by the Uastirdzhi dzuar were considered final and binding. The authority of the Dagomian court was so high that in search of truth, people came here not only from all over Ossetia, but also from beyond its borders.

In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, it was at the walls of the Dagom temple that the militia of the Kusagont tribe (the villages of Dagom, Ursdon and Donysar) gathered and from here went on a campaign (balts) or to defend their territory.

Like Dzhery dzuar, the Dagom temple had special grace, and the mentally ill and possessed were brought here to be cured.

Kooby Uastirdzhi (Kob village, Daryal Gorge) – a medieval church dedicated to St. George. Located in the upper reaches of the river. Terek, on the territory of the Tyrsygom society, directly above the once most important strategic road of Alania, now known as the Georgian Military. Koba Uastirdzhi’s patronage was called upon not only by travelers traveling through the Cross Pass, but also by men throughout Ossetia.

Terbati Uastyrdzhiyi dzuar (Tapankau village, Tualgom) (photo 3). In the upper reaches of the Lyadon Gorge, above the village of Tapankau, there is the famous Terbaty Uastyrdzhiy dzuar, or Khokhi dzuar. Its masonry contains travertine (lime tuff) blocks, which were used in the construction of the early medieval temples of Tualgom. The Khokha dzuara blocks are reused and taken from the masonry of an ancient Orthodox church located high above the gorge (more than 3000 m), on the spur of Mount Teplikhokh. This practice of moving stones during the construction of a new religious building symbolized the continuity of the connection with the old shrine and at the same time the consecration of the new one.

It is necessary to say about the main All-Ossetian shrine - Tseysky Recommended (photo 4). His veneration was so great that it was noted by the majority of outside observers (who usually did not notice the most important traditional aspects of the spiritual culture of the mountaineers from the height of the European mentality). So, for example, the author of the mid-19th century A. Golovin testifies that Rekom “is revered as one of the ancient celebrities of Ossetia, and there are not enough words to express her honor in the Ossetian language.”

The weapons of the last known Ossetian king Osbagatar were kept here, whose role in the history and spiritual culture of the people turned out to be so great that in the late medieval ethnogony he received the outstanding status of ethnarch of the Ossetians. Osbagatar himself is buried in the Nuzal Church (early 14th century), the walls of which are covered with magnificent fresco paintings made by the Ossetian icon painter Vola Tliag. On the southern wall of the temple there is an image of St. George (photo 5).

Initially, the Tsey Recom was a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. With the loss of liturgical significance, the temple gradually becomes a place of veneration for Uastirdzhi. Here was a bell donated in 1680 by the Georgian monarch. The inscription reads as follows:

“We, Bagration, the sovereign of the great King Shakhnavaz, the son of King George, donated the bell to the holy father of the Ossetian land, the prayer book of Digoria and Dvaletia, (for) our health, our victory and luck and the prosperity of our kingdom. Chronicon 368.”

In Ossetia, a significant number of other medieval Orthodox churches dedicated to Uastirdzhi - St. George have been preserved. They are located in the villages of Isakykau, Sunis, Shindara, Ziulet, Gufta, Ruk, Gezuert, Dzartsem, Lats, Sadon and others. Those of them that, due to objective reasons, lost their liturgical significance continued to be revered as dzuars - places of the special presence of the saint.

Not only temples, but also miraculous places of worship are dedicated to Uastirdzhi. For example, the holy place of Khetadzhi dzuar, the temple of Khetag, or Khetadzhi Uastyrdzhi - Uastyrdzhi Khetag, is especially revered by all residents of Ossetia. This island relict forest is almost perfect round shape, with an area of about 13 hectares in the Alagirsky district. The appearance of a grove in the middle of the Alagir plain is a classic example of a miracle of St. George, performed in response to the prayer appeal of a person in trouble, in this case Khetag.

The revival of Christianity in Ossetia, which began with the entry into Russian Empire and, accordingly, the Russian Church, marks the beginning of a new stage of temple construction. True, it should be noted that during the hundred-year period (from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century) the quality of construction of new churches was at an extremely low level, the buildings immediately fell into disrepair and began to collapse. For example, in North Ossetia, the first durable church buildings erected by missionaries date back to the 50s of the 19th century.

In 1860, the Society for the Restoration of Orthodox Christianity in the Caucasus began to operate, replacing another, “ineffective” missionary organization - the Ossetian Spiritual Commission. One of the important tasks of the society was the organization of the construction of new churches. A significant part of the churches erected in Ossetian villages were dedicated to St. George. Here is a list of them.

- With. Kornis (Znaursky district, South Ossetia), church of the 19th century. Destroyed during Soviet times;

- With. Bekmar (Znaursky district, South Ossetia);

- With. Tsru (Chimasgom, South Ossetia), church built between 1860 and 1870. Restored in 2007 with the support of the President of South Ossetia;

- With. Ruk (Tsalagom, South Ossetia), during the Soviet period the church was used as a bakery. Currently being restored through the efforts of the Pliev family;

- With. Tli (Tligom, South Ossetia), the church was built in the first quarter of the 19th century. According to surviving information, the famous writer and educator Ivan Yalguzidze (Gabaraev) took part in the creation of the temple;

- With. Zaramag (Tualgom, North Ossetia), the church was built in 1849 on the site of a medieval Alan temple. The new building was dedicated in 1888;

- With. Galiat (Uallagkom, North Ossetia), the church was consecrated in 1855. According to the stories of local residents, it was destroyed by Komsomol members in the 1930s. All those involved in the destruction died at the front;

- With. Kesatykau (Tualgom, North Ossetia), consecrated in 1857. Built on the site of a medieval Alan temple;

- With. Ardon. Previously, on the territory of the city there was the village of Ardon, inhabited by Ossetians, and the Cossack village of Ardonskaya. A wooden church was built in the village in 1848, and a new one, now operational, was consecrated in 1901. The temple in the village was consecrated in 1857. Destroyed;

- With. Batako, the church was consecrated in 1864. In 1918 it was blown up and burned. They tried to dismantle the ruins of the temple in Soviet times, but the villagers did not allow this;

- With. Nar, the church was consecrated in 1879. After closing it was used for various needs. Now being restored;

- With. Stur Digora (Digora Gorge), consecrated in the same 1879. Used as a gym;

- With. Olginskoe, the church was consecrated in 1884. Destroyed;

- With. New Urukh, the church was consecrated in 1889. Destroyed;

- With. Hod, a church-school, was consecrated in 1900. The St. George prayer house in the village was assigned to it. Zgid;

- Beslan, consecrated in 1902. Destroyed by the Bolsheviks.

The Beslan Church of St. George, consecrated in September 1902, became the last Orthodox church built in North Ossetia before the Soviet period. She was considered the decoration of the village. Near the church, on the square, there were two schools: one for boys, the other for girls.

Tales of the Narts. Ossetian epic. The edition has been revised and expanded. Translation from Ossetian by Yu. Libedinsky. With an introductory article by V. I. Abaev. M, “Soviet Russia”, 1978. Table of contents and scan in djvu format »»

Nart epic of Ossetians

Uastirdzhi and Nart Margudz noseless

Uastirdzhi had two wives. One day, getting ready for a long hike, he said to his wives:

“Prepare my clothes for the journey as soon as possible and pack some food, something tastier, but such that it’s easy to carry.”

Both women began to equip their husband for the campaign, and the older one said to the younger:

- Hurry up. Our husband is in a hurry.

The younger wife answered her:

- Why are you so afraid of your husband? After all, he’s not a Nart Margudz!

The elder then said to the younger:

- In the name of our husband Uastirdzhi, a comrade swears to a comrade. All honest people swear to each other in the name of our husband. Who is Margudz? We haven't heard anything about him.

And from morning to evening, the eldest wife did not say another word to the younger one.

In the evening, when Uastirdzhi came, she did not speak to him.

- What happened to you? - asked Uastirdzhi. - Why are you silent?

“What should I talk to you about after what I heard from this beloved wife of yours!” “Move, move,” I told her, “be quicker, because our husband is leaving on a hike.” And she responded to me: “Why are you afraid of our husband! After all, he’s not Nart Margudz!”

They went to bed... The next morning Uastirdzhi, meeting his younger wife, said to her:

- You, impudent one, what did you blab yesterday?

Answered him younger wife:

- Of course, I chatted. Wait, I'll tell you everything now.

And Uastirdzhi told her:

“If the sled Margudz does not turn out to be as you said, perfect in everything, then woe to your head: I will tie you to the tail of an unbroken horse and drive it across the fields and plains.” And if your word turns out to be true, then there will be no one dearer to me in this world than you.

Uastirdzhi mounted his storm-like horse and went to look for the Nart Margudz. He lashed his horse several times with a silver whip and rode off.

How long or short did Uastirdzhi travel, but then he found himself in the endless, wide green steppes. Many identical gray horses grazed in this steppe. Even their legs, even their ears were the same.

Wastyrdzhi was surprised: “Do all these horses really belong to one person? No, one person cannot have so many horses.” And he asked the herdsmen:

- Whose horses are these? They are so similar to each other, as if the same mother gave birth to them all.

“These are the horses of Margudz’s sledge,” answered the herders.

Uastirdzhi was even more surprised here:

- Let the best of his house die - what kind of person is this? I never met him with the celestials either.

At night, in order to prepare breakfast for the guest, the herdsmen slaughtered a foal that had never been saddled. Early in the morning, Uastirdzhi had breakfast, mounted his horse and rode off. And then he saw many bulls - all gray, and their muzzles were white. He asked the shepherds Uastirdzhi:

- May your cattle be numerous! Whose bulls are these?

“These are the bulls of the Narta Margudza,” answered the shepherds.

-What kind of person is this? I have never met him anywhere on earth and have not seen him among the celestials! - Uastirdzhi cannot be surprised.

The shepherds slaughtered a fat bull for Uastirdzhi and treated him well. And in the morning Uastirdzhi mounted his horse and rode on. He rode for another day, and he met a flock of sheep. They walked tightly packed together, like coastal pebbles. Everywhere you look there are sheep, and they are all the same, black-footed, black-headed. He asked the shepherds Uastirdzhi:

- Whose sheep are these?

“Narta Margudza,” answered the shepherds.

- What a miracle? Where does one person get such wealth? I don’t know a single inhabitant of heaven who would have so many livestock!

- Whose cows are these?

- Narta Margudza.

At night, the shepherds slaughtered a fat heifer for him. Early in the morning, after breakfast, Uastirdzhi mounted his horse and rode on. Another day passed, and he approached some village. He sees two old men sitting on the outskirts of the village. One of them herds the calves, the other the lambs, and they talk to each other.

“Good evening to you,” Uastirdzhi greeted them.

- May God be merciful to you, guest! Come to us in good health.

- Forgive me for my question, but can you tell me where the Nart Margudz lives?

The old people were surprised at this question: what kind of person is he who doesn’t know where the Nart Margudz lives? Uastirdzhi told them:

“Don’t judge me harshly, I came from afar.”

The old men looked at each other and said:

- So, there is still a country that Margudz has not visited.

And they said to Uastirdzhi:

“You are handsome, handsome, and your horse is richly equipped.” Drive along the main street of the village and you will soon see three guest houses. The highest is for the celestials, below it is for the Aldars, and even lower is for the freeborn. The hitching post in the guest room for the celestials is golden, the path from the hitching post to the house is lined with glass. The hitching post near the guest room for the Aldars is silver, and the path is also made of glass. The hitching post near the guest room for free people is made of copper, and the path is covered with boards.

Uastirdzhi went. Here are the houses reserved for guests. Looking at them, he thought: “No, I will not elevate myself above others. I’ll stop where simpler people stop.”

He got off his horse near the guest room for free people, tied his horse to a hitching post, and he himself went into the house. Margudz's servants ran out and saw the horse of the new guest. His horseshoes are made of gold, his saddle and harness are strewn with jewels. And, seeing such a wonderful horse, the servants did not dare to enter the guest, but went up to Margudz’s chambers and said to him:

- Forgive us, but a guest has arrived in our guest room for free people. We, having walked around his horse, see that it is such a horse that the celestials who visited us had never seen it before.

Margudz told them:

- Go and find out from him who he is and where he comes from.

The servants looked into the guest room window, but did not dare to enter there. The light was on in the guest room, but the guest’s armor shone stronger than the light. The servants again went up to Margudz’s chambers and said to him:

“We didn’t dare go in to see him, we just looked at him, it’s obvious that he’s bored.” His appearance is amazing.

Margudz became curious:

“After all, there are some of my servants who accompanied the celestials. So who is this person they are shy in front of? I heard a lot about Uastirdzhi, but I didn’t get to see him. Let me sound the alarm - they say Uastirdzhi is very sensitive to alarm. If it’s him, I’ll know right away.”

And then Marguda released a black fox, such that each of her hairs, like the sun, laughed and, like the Bonvarnon star, shone.

The youth chased the fox across the plain, but the fox ran back to the outskirts of the village. She ran through the middle of the village, along the main street.

- Trouble! - the women who had a more lively disposition shouted here. “And why are our crazy young people rushing around the steppe?” This is the beast!

Where will a woman's scream not be heard? In the guest room for free people, Uastirdzhi also heard him. He ran out of the house and jumped on his horse.

Then one of the women said to him:

- Shame on you, young man! The beast had already run by, people galloped after it - why did you fall behind the others? If you're scared, let me throw my scarf over you.

- Wait, the fire of my hearth. I will also try to do my best.

Uastirdzhi galloped, instantly caught up with the fox and lifted her on a spear. He walks down the street, carries a fox high on a spear, and people follow him, amazed at his agility, posture and beauty.

Margudz was also surprised by the guest’s agility, and he rode out to meet him on horseback.

“Come to us in good health,” he greeted the guest.

The guest and the owner, chatting pleasantly, reached the Margudza courtyard. Margudz occupied himself with the guest's conversations and brought him to the guest room for the celestials.

This guest room was wonderfully built: the wall was made of copper, the morning star sparkled on the ceiling instead of a lamp, the hanger was made of deer antlers, and the chairs were made of ivory with fine carvings.

Uastirdzhi came to his senses:

- This is not where I stopped. And he wanted to take his horse to the copper hitching post. But the servants did not let him there, and he had to enter the guest room for the celestials.

They brought him a fing laden with food, and he said:

“You will forgive me, but although I am still young, I will not touch food until Margudz comes.”

They told Margudz that the guest did not touch the food. Margudz put on his shoes, threw a sable fur coat over his shoulders and entered the guest room.

“Good evening to you,” he said to the guest.

According to custom, they honored each other, sat down at the table, and began to eat and drink.

Uastirdzhi, looking at Margudz, thought:

"God! There is no person in the world to whom you would not send happiness. But who did you shower with happiness this time? He has no height, no posture, and he doesn’t even have a nose on his face. Can you call him happy?

We ate and drank.

- Maybe we can go on a hike together? - Margudz suggested to the guest.

The guest agreed. And then Margudz ordered his juniors:

“Bring me two horses from the herd before dawn.” And before dawn the youngest of the herd brought two horses.

Margudz told Uastirdzhi:

“Your horse is tired, go on a hike on any of my horses.”

“I can’t go on a hike on anyone except my horse,” answered the guest.

- Listen to me, guest, your horse is tired. Better take my horse, and let yours rest for now.

Uastirdzhi looked at the street. I saw that a saddled horse was tied to the hitching post - thin, with a shabby mane and a shabby tail. Then Uastirdzhi thought: “What kind of horse can someone give me who, even for himself, spares the best horses from his herds?”

And he asked Margudz:

- Will you ride on this horse?

Margudz replied:

- Yes, I will ride this horse.

- But how can that be? - asked Uastirdzhi. - After all, it wasn’t your mother who gave birth to those horses that I saw in your herds? Otherwise, why do you feel sorry for them so much? Why don't you ride the best one?

And Margudz answered him:

- You are unreasonable, guest. Don't you know that strength is not judged by appearance?

- What kind of person are you? - said Uastirdzhi. - Well, think about it, what will people say when they see you on such a horse next to me?

- Well, guest, can we call you reasonable? After all, I told you: strength is not judged by appearance.

“Isn’t there a better-looking horse in your herd, but one of the same blood and equal in strength?” - asked Uastirdzhi.

Margudz did not like the guest’s words and said:

- It’s a hot time, we should feel sorry for good horses!

They set off and drove for three days without stopping. On the fourth day, early in the morning, Margudz said:

“If we don’t reach our destination by evening, our entire campaign will be in vain.”

And they set off again. Then Uastirdzhi’s horse began to get tired. Uastyrdzhi whips him with a whip, the horse runs a little at a trot and again begins to slow down. And the thin horse Margudza with a shabby mane and a shabby tail rushes forward so much that it is difficult to keep up with him with your eyes. Here Margudz turned to Uastirdzhi:

- Give your horse a good ride. We should be there by evening. It wasn’t your mother who gave birth to him - why do you feel sorry for him?

Uastirdzhi pulls the reins, quickens his horse’s pace, but immediately slows down again, and Uastyrdzhi falls behind again.

- What kind of young people are they? You wish you could outlive all your relatives! - Margudz said. - Why do today’s young people feel so sorry for their horses? Of course, these horses have golden horseshoes, but their hooves are probably weak, like frog legs.

Uastirdzhi just shook his head at these words and thought to himself: “What breed is your horse, what breed are you yourself? I haven’t seen anyone like you even among the celestials!”

We reached some kind of mound. Margudz stopped his horse, dismounted, turned his face to the mound, and began to cry loudly.

Uastirdzhi also dismounted from his horse. I was surprised, of course, - what happened to my companion? - but didn’t say anything.

Margudz cried for a long time, then they mounted their horses and set off.

How long they traveled, who knows! But then they arrived at the bank of a large river.

Uastirdzhi became alarmed when he saw the river: “If we need to get across this river, then my tired horse won’t be able to cope with it and will carry us away.”

Margudz whipped his horse, and his horse, without even getting its hooves wet, carried him across the river. Uastirdzhi galloped after him, but his horse could not jump over the river, ended up in the water, and the river carried him away. Then Margudz returned, put Uastyrdzhi on the croup of his horse, and he led Uastyrdzhi’s horse by the reins, and he, like a log, dragged after him through the water.

- Oh, that you may become the heirs of all your relatives, young men of today! “Like a cat, you snort when you get into the water,” Margudz said.

By evening they reached the border of a foreign country - where they were going. Margudz said here to Uastirdzhi:

“You wait here for me, and I’ll look around.”

He climbed to a high peak. And when he returned back, Uastirdzhi saw that he was crying.

“Margudz, my hospitable host, are you really so tearful?”

- How can you not shed tears! Climb up that rock and look around. But just make sure you don't get noticed.

Uastirdzhi climbed the high peak, took off his hat and looked around carefully.

"Oh my God! What kind of miracle is this? - he thought. “Until today, I only saw the sun in the sky, but now I see it on the earth.” He went downstairs and said to old Margudz:

“Until now, I have only seen the sun in the sky, but on earth I see it for the first time.

“This is not the sun, my guest, it’s a copper cauldron, but such a cauldron that the drink, once brewed in it, lasts for seven years, and then every day, no matter how much you drink, the cauldron becomes fuller and fuller.” This drink has a wonderful property: if you moisten the forehead of a newborn with it, the child does not need the breast for a whole year. This large cauldron was the treasure of our ancestors, but the Donbettirs took it from us by force.

“We’ll do everything we can,” said Uastirdzhi.

And when it was completely dawn, Uastirdzhi turned into a black fox, such that each of her hair, like a bell, laughed and rang like a bell. A fox ran along the edge of the village, and the best of the youth rushed after it. Once again she ran through and even pulled children and old people along with her.

He turned Margudz into the eagle of Uastirdzhi, such an eagle that each of his wings was no smaller than a cloak, each of his legs was as thick as a birch, and his head was like the anvil of a Nart forge.

When the whole village was chasing the fox, old Margudz, describing circles in the air, smoothly descended into the village, grabbed the cauldron by its two ears with his claws and carried the cauldron away.

And at this time the fox, sticking out its tongue and breathing heavily, disappeared from pursuit. Margudz and Uastirdzhi met, turned into people again, quickly jumped on their horses and set off.

When they again approached the river bank, Uastirdzhi’s horse was completely exhausted. Then Margudz put Uastyrdzhi behind him, led his horse on the reins, hitting him with a whip on the lower part of his belly, and Uastyrdzhi’s horse swam after them.

When they crossed to the other side, Margudz said this:

- Oh God, how my heart aches for the guest! Let the heart of the one whom people consider worthy of the name of man always hurt so much for the guest!

Uastirdzhi mounted his horse. Now he was not afraid of anything.

They reached a high mound, dismounted their horses and let them go onto the grass. Uastirdzhi began to guard the horses, and Margudz climbed to the top of the mound and began to pray. And he shed so many tears on the mound during this prayer that the ground on the mound became wet.

After that, they mounted their horses again and parted: Margudz headed in his direction, and Uastirdzhi headed towards himself.

As they parted, they thanked each other.

“There is nothing more valuable than a guest,” said Margudz and presented Uastirdzhi with a wonderful copper cauldron.

So Uastirdzhy is driving home, thinking about everything that happened, and is surprised:

“What a valiant man I met!” After all, even among the celestials I have never seen such a thing. But how could this valiant man lose his nose? Really, it’s better for me to die, but I have to find out about this matter.

He turned his horse and caught up with Margudz.

“Wait for me, my hospitable host,” said Uastirdzhi. — I want to ask you three questions. You are okay in everything, Margudz, but how did it happen that you lost your nose? You are already old, but why don’t you have a wife? And the third question is: what did you cry about when you prayed on the mound?

“Oh, my guest, it would be better if you didn’t ask me about all this!” But since I asked, I’ll tell you about my affairs. In my youth I was such that no matter what animal ran across the black earth, I recognized it by its smell - such was my sense of smell. Three beautiful sisters lived under the sky. One became my wife, Uacilla married the second, and Uastirdzhi married the third. Where have I been at that time! I often went on hikes. I was returning one day from a long hike, and suddenly the smell of an unfamiliar man came from my bedroom. And, sensing this smell, I jumped on that horse that you see - this breed comes from devils - and immediately rushed home. I ran into the house and saw someone sleeping next to my wife. I pulled out my sword, chopped them into pieces, and went to bed in the quiet for the guests.

In the morning I hear the sledges crying in my yard. I went out to them and, as if I knew nothing, asked them: “What are you crying about, Narts?” - “What are we crying about? - they said. “But yesterday you stabbed your son and your wife.”

They buried them, and, returning from the cemetery, I cut off my nose with a razor. Under the mound on which I shed tears is their grave. That's it, my guest.

And then Uastirdzhi said:

“Let’s go back to the mound where they are buried and remember them.”

They approached the mound and dug up the grave. Uastirdzhi took off his cloak and spread it next to the mound.

“Well, now, my master, take out the dead and put them on this cloak.”

And when Margudz had completed all this, Uastirdzhi struck the remains of the woman and boy with a felt whip - and they instantly came to life. He ran a felt whip across Margudz’s nose - and the nose grew again on Margudz’s face.

- Don’t you know me Margudz? - asked Uastirdzhi.

“No,” said Margudz.

“I am the heavenly Uastirdzhi and I came to meet you.”

“But then, you and I are relatives,” said Margudz. - Your youngest wife and my mistress were born from the same father and from the same mother.

Like the sun, Uastirdzhi’s face brightened. How could he not have come to Margudz’s house yet? Margudz arranged a big feast. The entire Nart people were at this feast; there was no end to food, drinks, singing and dancing.

But then Uastirdzhi said goodbye to his masters, mounted his horse, took off to his home, and the inhabitants of heaven rejoiced at him.

“Don’t be angry at the words of my younger wife,” Uastirdzhi said to his older wife. “Although Nart Margudz is an earthly man, he is courageous, just like me.”

And he said to his younger wife:

“I suffered a lot because of you, but I made friends with a valiant man.”

And the younger wife answered him:

“My sister, Margudza’s wife, disappeared without any guilt. You give all your strength to help people. So I mentioned Margudze, hoping that you would not leave him without your help.

“Let your heart calm down: I brought your sister and her son back to life,” said Uastirdzhi!

Tourists go to the monument to St. George, and locals call it Nykhas Uastirdzhi.

The monument to Nykhas Uastirdzhi, the patron saint of travelers and warriors, is located about 8 km from the city of Alagir on the Trans-Caucasian Highway. For many, he is St. George the Victorious jumps out of the rock, which in North Ossetia is considered a dzuar - a holy place.

North Ossetia-Alania is the only republic of the North Caucasus where the majority of the population professes Orthodoxy. And the patron saint of Ossetia is Saint George the Victorious. In the republic there are a huge number of sanctuaries, chapels, churches dedicated to this saint, places where he performed his deeds. As they say, Ossetians do not begin any business without praying to St. George.

In the Nart epic, Uastirdzhi is described as a celestial being, depicted as a formidable warrior on a white horse, wearing a white burka. It is believed that Uastirdzhi constantly carries weapons with him. Descending to earth, he checks people to see if they help each other in need and grief. A deity that was similar in its functions to Saint George, who is also revered in Christianity as the patron saint of warriors, travelers and men.

Despite the identity of the names and some functional parallels, Uastirdzhi has nothing in common with St. George. Nevertheless, the myth that has taken root in the minds of many Ossetians that Wasgergi-Uastyrdzhi and St. George are two names of the same historical or historical-mythological character continues to live and “successfully compete” with real historical facts.

The weight of the moment is 28 tons, located at a height of about 22 meters, right on the rock. And attached to the rock only by the outer part of the rider's cloak. Visually, it creates the feeling that the monument is floating in the air.

It was created by Ossetian sculptor Nikolai Khodov in 1995. Money for its construction was allocated by the Vladikavkaz city authorities, but residents who learned about such a sculpture also began to contribute what they could to its production. The monument to St. George the Victorious was created from metal and assembled in Vladikavkaz at the Elektronshchik plant, and from there it was transported in finished form by helicopter to the installation site.

Under the sculpture there is a sacrificial cauldron. Passing travelers throw their offerings at him in order to appease George and ask for his protection. And a granite block is built into the rock with the image of the Holy Horseman in the vastness of the sky, and the caption under it reads not “St. George the Victorious”, but “Uastirdzhi de´mbal! Fandarst! Translated from Ossetian, this is a wish for a good road.

But the monument is actually St. George. Nykhas Uastirdzhi is called by the locals.

This is a description of the attraction Monument to Uastirdzhi 46.7 km west of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia (Russia). As well as photos, reviews and a map of the surrounding area. Find out the history, coordinates, where it is and how to get there. Check out other places on our interactive map for more detailed information. Get to know the world better.

One of the most revered saints in the traditional religion of Ossetians is Uastirdzhi/Uasgergi. In the collective ideas of modern Ossetians, his image is correlated with a military function. His role as the patron of men and travelers is connected with this. It can be assumed, notes V.I. Abaev, that the most popular Christian “saint” among Ossetians was Wasgergi “Saint George”, a rider on a white horse and in a white cloak, whom women called “lægty dzwar” - “god of men”, inherited the features of the Alan god of war, whom the Alans worshiped in the form of a sword.”

According to V.I. Abaev, Uastirdzhi is formed from Was Gergi “St. George”, where was adjoins the Mingrelian Gerge.

A number of researchers have examined the ritual side of the Uastirdzhi cult in North and South Ossetia.

Ashvins and Uastirdzhi

1. Genealogical plots

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY	GREEK MYTHOLOGY	NART EPOS
1. Twins Yama and Yami.

3. Whip

4. Patrons of travelers

5. Healing, healing

1.157.4. (Rigveda. Translation by T. Elizarenkova)

Sprinkle us with honey whip,

1.157.6.

6. Patrons of the poor

7.Patrons of Agriculture

8.22.6. (V.F. Miller)

8.22.6. (T. Ya. Elizarenkova)

Dæsni aræzt æy skodtontsæ...

Toturi kond se giton,

Toturi kond yse fsondz,

se tsuppar tsebni dæp...

(Izeds, dauags have gathered,

They made it masterfully...

Totur made the top part,

Totur made a yoke

2. Ossetian hymns:

4. Nart epic:

1.112.8.

Minævar in ke skændzynan?

Basinzubandi kodtontsæ;

Hormæ særarwistoncæ...

Who will we send as matchmakers?

Wasgergi and Nikkola were called,

They were sent to the Sun...

Taboo in ærbaua, taboo!

Wasgergi kayesgænæg æy.

Ka bahæstæg æy.

Tabu sin serbaua, taboo!.

A great blessing has come to the house

Uastirdzhi is the one who makes relatives,

Uastirdzhi is the one who brings together,

They will be just as happy

(related) became close

WITH

WITHæ nseuæy dæp

Or:

Zærond Wastirdzhi

Uastirdzhi dæp Khokhy særæy sygyzærin bazartæ

bazmælyn kodta,Y

The ship has capsized!

11. Sacred drink

In the Rig Veda, the Ashvins own madhu

Get out of here - Satan!

Song about beer

Here, they say, is an incredible miracle!

Satanæmæ yæ bahasta;

Uyy dam æy artmæ batauta.

Mæguyr tsiu omyntæ baidydta,

Mænæ, ladies, dissag-æmbisond!

Uælæ, ladies, hokhmæ arvysta

And at the golden Uastirdzhi

I asked for grains of malt,

The beer has fermented.

Oh, beer, they say, beer,

Oh, beer, thick beer,

And even longer - Satan! 12. Musician

He fell into a deep sleep;

They started dancing on the spot,

Uastirdzhi and Indra

Uastirdzhi asked:

Main motives:

1. Killing the dragon.

2.Release the girl.

3.Release of water.

4.Saturation of livestock with water.

Uastirdzhi and Mitra-Varuna

Targitai and Uastirdzhi

But, land

4.8

2. Killing the dragon.

4. Union with a nymph.

7.Connection with Rita/Arta.

In the legend “Uastirdzhi z æ d kuyd f æ

Uastirdzhi z æ d kuyd f æ

4. Uastirdzhi becomes a saint.

« on lasdzæni.”

yæ bækhy sæftseg nygyuylgæ dæp næ akodta, Uastirdzhi dæp

1 . Help the poor.

2. Healing.

4. Patronage of the newlyweds.

p go away æmvyng.

Raja kæddær furdy æmæ dæm

p tyng bacin kodta.

Fysym æm dzury:

—

Uastirdzhi zagta:

—

— p Nyfsæn chazzaæd!

—

Chizg yn zagata:

—

Uastirdzhi yæ færsy:

— Tsæmæn dæ fændy amælyn?

Læppu zagata:

Conclusion

Literature

J. Dumezil developed the theory of the three functions of the gods, according to which in the most ancient mythological systems the following functions of the gods can be distinguished: magical-legal, which is also mystical and administrative; the function of physical strength, that is, military; function of fertility and material abundance.

The definition of the image of Uastyrdzhi as a patron saint of men, warriors and travelers, who brings success in military campaigns, is a functional characteristic, therefore it is advisable to correlate the image of Uastyrdzhi with one of the pan-Aryan three-functional systems. The most detailed descriptions of the functions of the deities of the common Aryan three-functional model are based on the material of the Rigveda. The embodiment of the three functions in the Rig Veda are, according to J. Dumezil, Mitra-Varuna, Indra and Ashvins. Mitra-Varuna in the Rig Veda represents the light and dark, punitive aspects of magico-legal power; Indra represents military power; The Ashvins carry rich gifts on their chariot, heal and save people.

In other cases, such as for the Scythians, researchers reconstruct a three-functional scheme based on folklore and archaeological sources, but do not describe the functions themselves in detail.

Uastirdzhi, as the patron of men, warriors, and travelers, should naturally correlate with the head of the Vedic pantheon, the deity of war, Indra. However, a study of materials from Ossetian folklore shows that while many of the features of Uastyrdzhi and Indra are common, the functions of Uastyrdzhi are incomparably broader. They completely coincide with the functions of the Ashvins, the divine twins, symbolizing the third function in the Rig Veda, and with Mitra-Varun, embodying the first function (magico-legal, priestly).

In our study we will try to determine the place and functions of Uastirdzhi in the religious and mythological system of the Ossetians.

Ashvins and Uastirdzhi

In various genres of Ossetian folklore, Uastirdzhi is a frequent character. He saves shipwrecked sailors, heals, helps the poor, etc., i.e. solves many problems inherent in the Rigveda to representatives of the third function - Ashvins.

The Ashvins (Old Indian asvinau, from asvin - “having horses”, or “born of a horse”) in Vedic and Hindu mythology are divine twin brothers living in the sky. In the Rigveda, 54 entire hymns are dedicated to them (in terms of the number of mentions, the Ashvins come immediately after Indra, Agni, Soma). The functions of the Ashvins were most fully described by V.F. Miller.

1. Genealogical plots

The Aegend about the origin of the Ashvins says that Tvashtar, one of the most ancient gods, had a son Trisiras (Triglav) and a daughter Saranya. He gave his daughter to Vivasvat, to whom she gave birth to two children, Yama and Yami. Saranya, having created a woman similar to herself in the absence of her husband, gave her the twins, and she turned into a mare and ran away. Not noticing the forgery, Vivasvat settled with the fake wife of his son Manu, who was a royal rishi and brilliant like his father. But later Vivasvat learned about Saranyu’s flight and, turning into a horse, approached Tvashtar’s daughter. Recognizing him in the form of a horse, Saranyu ran up to him... The fruit of their union in the form of a horse was two twins, Nasatya and Dasra, who are honored on earth under the name of Ashwins.

Saranyu, an Indian myth, according to V.F. Miller, finds analogies in the myth of the Greek Erinyes-Demeter. When this goddess wandered, looking for her daughter, they say that Poseidon pursued her with his love; then she turned into a mare and began to graze with the horses of Onkey, but Poseidon discovered the deception, turned into a horse himself and fulfilled his desire... From Poseidon Demeter gave birth to a daughter, whose name cannot be revealed to the uninitiated, and the horse Arion.

Similar motifs are contained in the Ossetian Nart epic. The ancestor of the Narts was Uarkhaeg. He had two twin sons Akhsar and Akhsartæg. One day, while chasing a wonderful bird, the brothers found themselves in the underwater kingdom. The bird turned into a beauty, the daughter of the lord of the waters, Donbettyr. Akhsartag married Dzerassa. On the way home, Akhsartæg accidentally (or out of jealousy) kills his brother and then commits suicide. The pregnant Dzerassa returned to the underwater kingdom to her father and at the appointed time gave birth to two twins, Uruzmag and Khamyts... Dzerassa is pursued by Uastirdzhi. During her lifetime, she manages to get rid of his advances. But after death he overtakes her:

“... Uastirdzhi found himself at the door of the crypt. He lashed the dead Dzerassa with a felt whip, and the woman became a hundred times more beautiful than she was. And first he went in to her himself, then he let his horse go to her, then his hound dog. “From this union came the eldest of all horses - Chesana/Arfana, the eldest of all dogs - Silama, the eldest of all women Satan.

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY	GREEK MYTHOLOGY	MARCH EPIC
1. Twins Yama and Yami.		1. The motif of twins is repeated twice: Akhsar and Akhsartag, Uruzmag and Khamyts.
2. Saranyu will turn into a mare. Tvashtar turns into a horse and unites with her.	2. Erinyes-Demeter is pursued by Poseidon. Turns out to be a mare. Poseidon turns into a horse and unites with her.	2. Uastirdzhi revives the deceased Dzerassa and enters her in the guise of a horse, a dog and a man.
3. The birth of two twins - Ashvins, whose name is horsemen.	3. Birth of the horse Arion and daughter.	3. The birth of the horse Arfan, the dog Silam and the daughter of Satan.

According to researchers, the name of the dog Silam goes back to the name of the dog Sarama, the messenger of Pndra in the Rig Veda.

A comparison of genealogical plots indicates that these are three variants of one mythological theme.

2. Name Ashvins - horsemen

Whatever the original meaning of the Ashvins, notes V.F. Miller, their name asvinan comes from asva - horse, and actually means “having horses, riding on horses.” Further, the scientist makes a note that often in scientific studies the Ashvins are given the meaning of horsemen, horsemen, and that such a meaning for the Indian Ashvins is incorrect, since they are never on horseback, but always ride on a chariot.

In the Ossetian language, the name of the horse “bækh” goes back, in the opinion of V.I. Abaev, to the Caucasian heritage. But the root “asva” was preserved in the Ossetian name of the wonderful breed of horses - afsurg/afsorg and in the name of the mare - jafs.

3. Whip

V.F. Miller noted that just as Indra had Perun (vagra-lightning), so they too - the Ashvins - have a weapon - a whip dripping with honey... and its blow brings all sorts of benefits.

Ashvins, bring us reinforcing power, Sprinkle us with a honey whip, Extend our life span, erase our bodily

damage, Avert hostility, be (our) comrades.

The most important accessory of Uastirdzhi in various genres of Ossetian folklore is the whip (jæxs/æxsæ), with the help of which he revives the dead, heals the sick, and carries out miraculous transformations. In the March Epic, Uastirdzhi revives Dzerassa with a blow of his whip and heals bodily injuries. In fairy tales, the blow of a whip turns stones into arable land, vineyards, and herds of cattle.

It is characteristic that the sacred objects given to Yima by Ahura Mazda are a whip and a golden horn. (Iima in Iranian mythology is the first ancestor of humanity, a cultural hero, the organizer of the social organization of society during the era of the thousand-year golden age. The etymology of his name is interpreted as “twin”, “double”).

4. Patrons of travelers

The Ashvins in the Rig Veda are characterized as comforters on the journey.

5.73.9. (Rigveda. Translation by T. Elizarenkova).

But it’s true, oh Ashwins, you are called comforters. On the way you are most called upon, On the way you are most regretted.

8.73.6. (Rigveda. Translation by T. Elizarenkova)

... O Ashwins, best called upon the path, I pray for the closest friendship, May your help be near.

Uastirdzhi, according to various genres of Ossetian folklore, in different forms and images patronizes travelers. His patronage extends not only to the earthly world, but also during the transition to the afterlife. He gives a horse that transports the deceased to another world; he is credited with founding the custom of dedicating a horse to the deceased.

O Tækhgæ nærgæ Uastirdzhi! Bayrag - bæhgænæg, læppu læggænæg dæ! Næ læpputæ - lægtæ, bairægtæ - bækhtæ Kuyd kænoy, aham amond now radtt! Uæddær, Uastyrdzhi fændaggon fars dæ, fældæltæy bazzad!

Næ bælstsættæ khorz fændægtyl fætsæuænt æmæ dzag armæy hædzærtyl sæmbælænt!.. (O flying and thundering Uastirdzhi! You make a horse out of a foal, and out of a boy -

man! Give us such happiness, So that our boys become men, our foals become horses! They say, Uastirdzhi, you take care of travelers, this is left from your ancestors. Both on the road and at home - we are your guests! May our travelers follow good roads and come home with full hands!..)

This prayer is perfectly comparable with the Rigveda hymn to the Ashwins.

1.118.2. (Rigveda. Translation by T. Elizarenkova)

...Make our cows swollen with milk and our horses frisky!

Increase the male population among us!

5. Healing, healing

In the Rig Veda, the Ashwins are called the doctors of the gods, the masters of heavenly medicines. The hymns dedicated to them are full of enumerations of all kinds of services rendered by the Ashvins to people, and enumerations of persons whom they cured of various diseases - blindness, lameness, leprosy...

1.157.4. (Rigveda. Translation by T. Elizarenkova)

O Ashvins, bring us reinforcing strength,

Sprinkle us with honey whip,

Extend life span, erase physical damage...

1.157.6. After all, you are healers with healing remedies...

V.F. Miller noted that one of the most important names attached to the Ashwins is dasra (miraculous) and purudansana (rich in miracles). Among Ossetians, a person engaged in healing is called dæsny. The word has two main meanings in the Ossetian language: healer and skilled craftsman. According to V.I. Abaev, dæsny/dæsni, goes back to the Avestan daesina. It seems possible to us to compare the Ossetian dæsny with the name of the Ashvin healers - dasra, purudansana - miraculous.

The most important function that Uastirdzhi performs in Ossetian folklore is healing, treating the sick, and reviving the dead. To do this, he uses his whip, his breath or miraculous medicines.

“Uastyrdzhi rynchynyl bafu kodta æmæ avd ahamy huyzdær festad” (“Uastyrdzhi blew on the patient and he became seven times better than he was”).

“Uastyrdzhi nomætyn ehsæy ærtsavta us æmæ læppuyi, æmæ raigas sty. Mærggyuytsy fyndzyl dær rahasta nomætyn ekhs, æmæ yæ fyndz yæ bynatyl abadti” (“Uastirdzhi whipped the woman and the boy with a felt whip, and they came to life. He ran the whip across Martuts’ nose, and he sat down again”).

6. Patrons of the poor

V.F. Miller cites a legend in which the Ashwins are blamed for their close relationships with people and their medical practice. The Mahabharata says that the Ashvins are sudras, i.e. the lowest caste among the gods. When asked by the Ashwins why they are considered imperfect, the rishi replies that other gods perform sacrifices at Kurukshetra and exclude you from participating in it: therefore you are imperfect. Then the Ashwins go to the gods and want to be invited, but the gods say: we do not invite you because you stay close to people, wandering and healing. Then the Ashvins promise how doctors will put the head of the victim and the gods will accept them.

What “humiliates” the Ashvins, according to legend, among the gods (closeness to people), makes Uastirdzhi the most revered among the Ossetian dzuars (patron saints). The legend “Who is the most revered of the Ossetian dzuars” tells how several dzuars (Khuytsauy dzuar, Tbau-Uatsilla, Alardy, Khori-Uatsilla and Uastirdzhi) set off on a baltz (journey). In the evening they decide to relax and have dinner. One by one they turn to the shepherd with a request to give them a ram. The latter, recognizing the travelers, expresses his grievances to them and refuses everyone except Uastirdzhi. He blames the huitsauy dzuar for the unjust trial of the poor; Alards - for sending diseases; Tbau-Uacilla for depriving the poor of their harvest. Uastyrdzhi greets the shepherd with the words:

“Az dæ bazadgon, dy dæ sygædæg Uastyrdzhi, mæguyrty \ khaakhæænæg, taboo dækhitsæn! Mæguyr adæm dæ færtsy tsærynts, Huytsauy times dæ næ hærzgænæg; Mæguyr æmæ æfkhærd ldæm dæumæ kuyvynts, y son dæ rastauydæg.”

(“I recognized you, you are pure Uastirdzhi, protector of the poor, glory to you. Before God you are our benefactor. The poor and offended turn to you, you are their benefactor”).

7.Patrons of Agriculture

In the Rig Veda, the Ashwins are glorified as the patrons of agriculture. According to the hymns, they were responsible for the invention of the plow and the plowing of the first arable land. V. F. Miller noted that the name of the plow in the Rig Veda is mysterious. If the plow is called “vrka”, according to the root meaning of this word - “tormenting, tearing”, then the picture would be presented that the plow is tearing up the earth like a wolf animal. Or here, too, is an echo of a forgotten myth, and by “vrka” we really need to mean a wolf. V. F. Miller himself was inclined to translate “vrka” as a plow, in the translations of T. Ya. Elizarenkova “vrka” is a wolf. For example:

1.117.21. (Rigveda. Translation by V.F. Miller)Sowing, O Ashwins! Bread with a plow, Sourcing food for man, O wonderful ones, Stunning Dasya with bakura, You made a spacious light for the Aryan.

1.117.21. (Rigveda. Translation by T. Ya. Elizarenkova)Sowing grain, O Ashvins, plowing on a wolf, Milking a refreshing drink for man, Blowing away the dasya with the help of bakura, You created a wide light for the Aryan.

8.22.6. (V.F. Miller)

Blessing Manu in heaven, you plowed the first arable land with a plow...

8.22.6. (T. Ya. Elizarenkova)

By giving a reward to a person at the very beginning of the day, you are plowing barley on a wolf...

In the Ossetian language, the names “wolf” and “plough” do not coincide. As V.I. Abaev notes, guton/goton - plow - is a common Caucasian word of unknown origin. If the formant an is seen at the end, then kut could be a tribal name indicating the origin of this type of tool. Maybe kut from skut is a Scythian. In this case, the name skutan, kutan - “Scythian” (plow) could be associated with the well-known Scythian legend about them receiving a plow from the sky.

However, the root “vrka/varka” was preserved in the mythological name of the March Epic. Linguistic analysis made it possible to establish that the name of the ancestor of the Narts, Warhag, is nothing more than an old Ossetian word meaning “wolf” (ancient Iranian varka). In Ossetian folklore, the plow is given to people by celestial beings. The hymns dedicated to Uastirdzhi tell how the plow was made. The most active participant in this process is Tutyr, the patron saint of wolves.

Izædtæ, Daugutæ æræmburd æntsæ,

Goton kænun sæ zærdi æræftudtontsæ,

Dæsni aræzt æy skodtontsæ...

Toturi kond se giton,

Toturi kond yse fsondz,

se tsuppar tsebni dæp...

(Izeds, dauags have gathered,

We decided to create a plow for people,

They made it masterfully...

Totur made the top part,

Totur made a yoke

And four splinters...(24, Hymn of Uasgeri, p. 70)

In the Nart epic, the plow is given to people by Kurdalagon, the heavenly blacksmith. The name Kurdalagon, according to V.I. Abaev, contains three parts (Kurd-Alæ-Wæron - Alan (Aryan) blacksmith Wærgon). Wærgon corresponds in form and content to the Latin Vulkanus and represents a natural variant of the Old Ossetian name for the wolf. According to other versions, Kurdalagon gives Soslan a sword (færink card). Uastirdzhi, according to various options of the plot “What the celestials gifted, Soslan,” gives Soslan either a “færink card” or a horse, stipulating that the sword was presented to him at a feast by Kurdalagon.

From the point of view of the structure of texts that speak of the appearance of the plow among people in the Rig Veda, Ossetian folklore, and Scythian genealogical legend, the commonality of motives is noteworthy.

1. Hymns of the Rig Veda about the emergence of the plow:

The plow is given to people by the Ashwins/upper world/.

The plow shares a common name with the wolf (the lower world).

2. Ossetian hymns:

The plow is given to people by the inhabitants of heaven (Uastirdzhi) (upper world).

The patron of wolves, Tutyr, plays an active and major part in the making of the plow. Wolf (underworld).

3. Scythian genealogical legend:

The plow is given to people by “heaven” (the upper world).

4. Nart epic:

The plow is given to people through Soslan by Kurdalagon, a heavenly blacksmith, whose name contains the Old Ossetian name for a wolf.

Apparently, one of the reasons for this combination (top-bottom) is the technology of metal production itself (fire - ore).

In this chapter, we do not set ourselves the task of analyzing the semantics of the symbols of the mythological theme about the appearance of the plow among people, but we only want to trace the commonality of structure and sign language in the texts of the Rig Veda with Ossetian material.

Another image present in the hymns dedicated to the Ashvins and Uastirdzhi is a quail. The Rig Veda repeatedly repeats the motif that the Ashvins saved a quail from the mouth of a wolf.

1.112.8. By what forces did you free the swallowed quail, With these same supports come here, O Ashvins.

The quail called to you. O Ashvins, When did you free her from the mouth of the wolf?

V. F. Miller paid great attention to the motif of the quail and the wolf in his research. Noting that since ancient times the quail has been the personification of light and is associated with the birth of light deities, the scientist considered the question of who the myth depicts as a wolf grabbing a quail to be much more difficult. Ossetian hymns about the appearance of the plow, glorifying Uastirdzhi and Tutyr, say:

Ietsi anz uækhæn khuzratæ ærzadæy, æmæ sæ særbæl uærdun zildæy, Sæ buni ba uærztsæ ghazta... (And that year such a harvest was born, That a cart was rolling along the top there...)

Thus, in the hymns dedicated to the Ashvins and Uastyr-ji, a general composition of symbols can be traced: Ashvins - wolf - quail, Uastyrji - Tutyr - quail.

8. Patrons of the wedding ceremony

Ashwins are the patron deities of weddings. According to some hymns, the Ashwins are the husbands of the daughter of the Sun; according to others, the Ashwins participate in the wedding procession of Surya, the bride of the moon god. They play the role of matchmakers and patronize the wedding ceremony.

Here a young woman has mounted your chariot, Joyfully - the daughter of the Sun, O your two husbands -

magnificent flying horses, reddish birds, may they take you all around

at the decisive moment! The wedding hymn addressed to the Ashwins is recited when seeing off the bride from her parents' house.

Your blessing has descended upon us, O bountiful ones!

Desires have calmed down in our hearts, O Ashvins;

You were guardians, twins, rulers of beauty!

May we reach, as desired, the home of a friend, that is, a groom.

There are numerous versions of songs sung at weddings, which tell how Uastirdzhi and Nikkola or any of the other Nart heroes or celestial beings act as matchmakers to the daughter of the Sun. The development of the mythological motif about the marriage of the daughter of the Sun with one or another mythological hero occurs at different levels of folklore genres, the daughter of the Sun is replaced by the daughter of Aldar, etc. The role of the matchmaker, Uastirdzhi’s best man, paired with the celestial being remains unchanged.

In legends, Uastirdzhi helps the groom overcome many obstacles to consent to marriage.

Minævar in ke skændzynan?

Wasgergi, Nikkolai rarvetan minævar.

Wasgergi, Nikkolamæ fædzurdtontsæ,

Basinzubandi kodtontsæ;

Hormæ særarwistoncæ...

Who will we send as matchmakers?

Wasgergi, we will send Nikkola as matchmakers,

Wasgergi and Nikkola were called,

They were told about their decision,

They were sent to the Sun...

(24, Song about Tatartup’s son Tatarkan, p. 260).

In Ossetian wedding rituals, when the bride leaves home, a prayer is said to Uastirdzhi:

Khadzaræbæl ærtsudæy ustur huarrzdzinææ,

æ khuærzgænæg ustur Wasgergi adtay,

Taboo in ærbaua, taboo!

Wasgergi kayesgænæg æy.

Khuæzær boni ka bakayes kodta,

Ka bahæstæg æy.

Wonæn æmbal fæuæd atsi gudda!

Wasgergi sin kokhbælhuætsæg adtay.

Madæ Mairæn ba - ændziuargin adæy.

Tabu sin serbaua, taboo!.

A great blessing has come to the house

And the benefactor was the great Uastirdzhi,

Uastirdzhi is the one who makes relatives,

Uastirdzhi is the one who brings together,

May those who are born today

They will be just as happy

Like those who became related on a good day,

(related) became close

Uastirdzhi was their friend, Mada Mairam was their

was godmother, Glory to them, glory!

O glorious Wasgergi, patron of travelers, Grant this girl a good road!....

9. Patronage of conception and childbirth

According to the hymns of the Rig Veda, the Ashvins patronize conception and childbirth.

After all, you put embryos into female beings, you - inside all creatures; You, O heroes of the Ashwins, stirred up fire, water and trees.

In the views of traditional Ossetians, conception and childbirth are patronized by Mady Mairam, the patroness of women. The appearance of this image, which took on the features of an ancient Ossetian deity, in the religious pantheon of Ossetians is associated with the adoption of Christianity. However, Mady Mairam often stands next to Uastirdzhi in Ossetian songs and prayers, performing her “twin” function.

Uæd uomæn se kokh6ælhætsæg - Wasgergi,

Ye ndziuargin - Madæ Mairæn...

When she [the bride] was taken away, Wasgergi was her best man

The imprisoned mother - Mada Mairam.

10. Patrons of seafarers

The motif of the Ashwins saving drowning people is repeated several times in the Rig Veda. The name of the rescued is called - Bhujyu, son of Tughra.

You created among the waters for the son of Tughra This animated winged boat, On which you took (him) out with divine intelligence. You flew away, flying easily out of this flow.

The fact that the ancestors of the Ossetians in ancient times were familiar with the sea is evidenced by the fact that in the Ossetian pantheon there are deities who are patrons of seafarers. These are Uastirdzhi and Nikkola. Nikkola, as the savior of shipwrecked seafarers, is found in the hymns and prayers of the East Ossetians - the Digorians. Uastirdzhi - among the Ironians. Characteristic of the Digor texts is the “twinship” of Wasgerga and Nikkola.

Euhatt i mægur adsem baltsi tsudæntsæ i dengizi.

Dengizæn se asatæumæ ku batsudæntsæ,

ud særbæl stur dungse ku "ratsuæy,

WITHæ naui sin dortæbæl ku nimmoræ kodta...

wardæmæ Nikkola mægur lægi kuvd ku fegyusgpa,

Yetsi sahat izætti astuæy fayyauuonæy,

And dengisæy mægur adæmmæ nirrækhsbetuy

WITHæ nseuæy dæp sin fseinægi ærkhez, zægæli sast

Isæfun næ bauagta, tabu in æd!

(Once upon a time a poor people were sailing on the sea,

When they reached the middle of the sea,

Then a big storm overtook them, their ship crashed on the rocks... There, after all, Nikkola heard the prayer of the poor man, at the same time he disappeared from among the angels. He descended to the sea to the poor people, he led the poor people out of the sea onto land, from their ship. He didn’t let a piece of board or a broken nail go to waste, let it be taboo.

Uastirdzhi is glorified in the same way. The prayer upon the bride’s entry into the groom’s house says:

“Khorz Uastirdzhi, dendzhyzy nautæ chi irvæzyn kæny!”

(“Good Uastirdzhi, saving ships at sea!”)Or:

Zærond Wastirdzhi

Zærond Uastirdzhi Sau khohy særsæ tærkhon kuy

codeta, oh. Taboo! Furdy astæuæy, oh, fædis, zægyy, nykhjær lastæuydi:

- Uastirdzhi, dæ sær næ bakhyuydi! Mæguyr kusæg adæm dard baltsy uydysty. Uæzzau steamboat nyddælgom is.

Bæltson nykhjær kodta Sau denjizy astæuæy:

- Sygyzærin Uastirdzhi, dæ sær næ bakhyuydis, parahod afældæhti!

Dard bæstay dyn tymbyl nysaynsegtse kuy hæssæm!

Uastirdzhi dæp Khokhy særæy sygyzærin bazartæ

bazmælyn kodta,Yæ kuylyh tsækh bæhyl kuy nyffænd kæny, Furdy astæ kuy balseuydis Uastirdzhi fædis. Uastirdzhi kuy nykh'yr kodta furdy astæu:

- Tærskæ ma kænut, Huytsaumæ kuvæg adæm! æmbisækhsæv bonds huyzsen sæ ssærmæ bonds huyzæn rukhs radta.

Uastirdzhi uytsy adæmæn tsy arfætæ rakodta, Uytsy arfætæ uyn rakæna iunæg kadjyn Huytsau!.

When Uastirdzhi administered his judgment at the top

Black Mountain. Oh Taboo! A cry for help was heard from the middle of the sea:

- Uastirdzhi, we needed your help! The poor working people were far away

travel. The heavy steamer capsized. One of the travelers prayed for help from the middle of the Black Sea:

- Golden-winged Uastirdzhi, we needed your help,

The ship has capsized!

On his lame (three-legged - V.G.) gray horse

got ready to go. Found himself in the middle of the Black Sea due to an alarm

and shouted: Do not be afraid, people praying to God! At midnight it became as bright as day. What kind of wishes did Uastirdzhi send to those people then?

May God send you such good wishes!

Noteworthy is the Ossetian word nау/nау æ - ship. V.I. Abaev believes that the word “pau” goes back to the Iranian “naw”. And if we take into account that the ancestors of the Ossetians were well acquainted with the sea (furd, denguz - sea), then we can more likely assume the originality of the word “naw” in Ossetian.

The question of what the sea means in the Rig Veda seemed debatable to V. F. Miller. As T. Ya. Elizarenkova notes, regardless of whether the Vedic Aryans knew the sea, in the Rig Veda, the words “pai” and “nava” - “boat”, “rook” are noted.

11. Sacred drink

In the Rig Veda, the Ashvins own madhu (soma, amrita). V.F. Miller noted that dew, honey, milk, rain constantly appear in folk legends in the same role: as a healing drink of living water, or as a drink that produces conception. Uastirdzhi, according to a version of the plot of the Nart epic about the appearance of beer, the drink of the Gods, is its creator.

Uæy, bægæny, dam, bægæny, Uastirdzhiyy fældisgæ bægæny. Uælæ khokhæy tsiu ratakhti, Dælæ ræzbynmæ nyttakhti, Dyrgbyny bælasyl babadti, Khuymællædzhy mætskortæ bakhordta, Uyn yæ særy batsydi; Mæguyr tsiu zækhmæ akhaudta, Mæguyr sugdzau ai ssardta. Mænæ, I'll give dissag-æmbisond! Satanæmæ yæ bahasta; Uyy dam æy artmæ batauta. Mæguyr tsiu omyntæ, baidydta, Khuymællædzhy mætskortæ fæuomdta. Mænæ, ladies, dissag-æmbisond! Uælæ, ladies, hokhmæ arvysta æmæ sygyzærin Uastirdzhiyæ Uælæ hokhæy tsiu ratakhti, Dælæ ræzbynmæ nyttakhti, Dyrgybyny bælasyl babadti, Khuymællædzhi mætskortæ bakhord ta, Uyy yæ ssery batsydi; Mæguyr tsiu zækhmæ akhaudta, Mæguyr sugdzau ai ssardta. Mænæ, I'll give dissag-æmbisond! The backsides of næmguytæ ærkhast, Uydonæy bægseny bantydt,

Oh, bægæny, dam, bægæny, Soy bægæny, amondy bægæny Uædæy, nyrmæ, dæm, bazædtam. Birse fætsæra uytsy tsiu,

Get out of here - Satan!

Song about beer

Oh, beer, they say, beer, Uastirdzhy created beer. Over there a bird fluttered from the mountain, it flew into the valley,

At the fruit grove she sank onto a tree,

A poor woodcutter stumbled upon her.

Here, they say, is an incredible miracle!

They say Satan sent it to the mountain.

Satanæmæ yæ bahasta;

Uyy dam æy artmæ batauta.

Mæguyr tsiu omyntæ baidydta,

Huymællædzhi, mætskortæ fæomdta.

Mænæ, ladies, dissag-æmbisond!

Uælæ, ladies, hokhmæ arvysta

And at the golden Uastirdzhi

I asked for grains of malt,

The beer has fermented.

Oh, beer, they say, beer,

Oh, beer, thick beer,

Thick beer, blessed beer!

From then on, they say, they learned about him.

May this bird live long

And even longer - Satan! 12. Musician

According to a number of versions of the Nart epic, the appearance of the fandyr harp is associated with Syrdon. Many surviving forms of the ancient Ossetian harp are shaped like a horse. However, there is an option where the first harpist and musician in general is Uastirdzhi himself. In a version of the legend about the birth of Satan, it is told how Uastirdzhi bewitched the sounds of his fandyr on- rtov in order to cunningly seize Dzerassa, the mother of Khamyts and Uryzmag.

Tall Uastirdzhi looked from above and descended to the ground,

Kicking his horse, exactly in time with his hands, playing, as if on the strings of a fandyr, on the hairs of the horse’s mane,

Here he (Uastirdzhi) is approaching, here he is flying

He is already above the village of Nartov, above the Narts;

Those who have already fallen asleep from the sledges,

He fell into a deep sleep;

Those who were still awake and awake,

They started dancing on the spot,

So all the people began to clap their hands,

Listening to the sounds (motive) of the fandyr, they began to dance,

They began to have fun without food or drink.

There was so much noise from fun and dancing,

It was as if a real wedding was going on in all the houses.

Uastirdzhi and Indra

Uastirdzhi reveals many similarities with Indra, the head of the Rigveda pantheon, the god of thunder and war. Like Uastyr-ji, Indra belongs to the most anthropomorphic gods of the ancient Indian pantheon. The Rig Veda describes it in detail appearance(body parts, face, beard...).

The main myth of the Rig Veda, repeated from hymn to hymn, tells that Indra killed Vritra the serpent, who was lounging on the mountain and dammed the flow of rivers, thereby allowing the rivers to flow freely, with which he drilled channels.

The second most important myth associated with Indra is the liberation of cows hidden in a rock by the demon Vala. Indra goes in search of the cows, fights the demon, breaks the rock and releases the cows. Indra accomplishes this feat with the help of the divine dog Sarama and the seven Angiras (a class of demigods, the sons of Heaven). Researchers drew attention to the commonality of the names of the mythological dogs of the Rig Veda and the Nart epic. This is Indra’s companion, the dog Sarama, and the dog Silam, associated with Uastirdzhi. In the genealogical plot, we stipulated the motive for the birth of a horse, daughter and dog from Uastirdzhi and the daughter of the lord of the waters Dzerassa. According to a number of options, paternity is attributed to Uastirdzhi himself, his horse and dog. However, as K.K. Kochiev notes, there can be no doubt that this is a distortion of the original version, in which Uastirdzhi himself was the father of all and in three forms: in the form of a wolf-dog, and an anthropomorphic horse.

According to researchers, the Vala myth represents a kind of doublet of the myth of the murder of Vritra. In addition, the names Vala and Vritra come from the same verbal root “var” - “to embrace”, “to hinder”. As T. Ya. Elizarenkova notes, apparently, there was a certain “proto-model”: God breaks the barrier that served for the normal functioning of the elements of the cosmos and the benefits necessary for the Aryan.

In the legend “Tsæmæn u Uastyrdzhi Lægty dzuar” (“Why Uastirdzhi is called Lægty dzuar”), the motive for killing a snake that prevents people from accessing water and saturating cows with water, breaking through river beds, is stated in direct sequence.

“Uastirdzhi went on his white horse and saw: on the bank of the river there was a girl crying and killing herself.

Uastirdzhi asked:

- What's happened, good girl, why are you here?

- What can I do, our large village every year gives a girl to the dragon so that he allows us to use the water. I’m alone with my parents, and it’s our turn. I was betrothed, and my father told me: “Go, maybe the monster will take pity on you.”

My fiance is on a long journey. Now the dragon will swallow me. And my father and mother are sad.

“Well, if so, then don’t be afraid,” said Uastirdzhi, “go home, and I will find a remedy for him.”

By that time, the dragon had risen to the place where the girl was sitting. Uastirdzhi, sitting on his white horse, thrust a spear into his side, pressed him to the ground and killed him. The daughter became good news to her parents...

A large black bull and a large white bull were released to the water, and they drank greedily from the water. On the way back, a large black bull tore off the bank of the river, and a large white bull was a little higher. The rumor went around big village and people flocked for water").

Main motives:

1. Killing the dragon.

2.Release the girl.

3.Release of water.

4.Saturation of livestock with water.

So, the materials of Ossetian folklore indicate that Uastirdzhi/Uastergi combines the functions and features of the Ashvins and Indra.

Uastirdzhi and Mitra-Varuna

There is also no doubt that Uastirdzhi were inherent in the functions of Mitra-Varuna. Oath formulas for addressing Uastirdzhi in the ritual practice of Ossetians in the case of arda (oath, oath) confirm the functional proximity of these deities. For example, in B. T. Gatiev’s work “Superstitions and Prejudices among Ossetians” we find an example of such an oath. In the event that the mediation court could not establish the truth, and the plaintiff did not accept anything other than ard, the namesake of the accused, if he was sure of his innocence, took the courage to accept ard in the sanctuary (the patron saint of his village, for example Uastirdzhi or Rekoma , or Mykalgabyrta, etc.).

Appearing with three or more witnesses at the chapel of his patron, he, taking off his hat and facing east, said:

“Oh, Creator of heaven and earth, Great God! We were all created by You and live under You! ABOUT! Wastyrdzhi! Turn your face towards us, you are a faithful defender of the right and a terrible punisher of the guilty, with these people I came to your prayer room in order to find the truth under you - to reveal the criminal and justify innocence; Human secrets are not hidden from you, you weigh people’s affairs on the scales of your justice, you know whether such and such a relative of mine is guilty of such and such a crime or not, and therefore I appeal to you: oh, powerful, bright saint Uastirdzhi!..” .

Thus, Uastirdzhi is associated with the concept of ard, which etymologically goes back to the most important concept in the worldview of the Vedic Aryans - rita (rta), which meant, along with the universal, cosmic law, to which non-existent things (gods, luminaries, people) were subject, concept of truth, truth. Actually, the oath procedure itself among the Ossetians (ard) meant establishing the truth. According to the Vedic Aryans, the guardian of rita in the Rig Veda was Mitra-Varuna.

The above material indicates that Uastyrji had not only the function of the god of war, corresponding to Indra, but also two other functions: Mitra-Varuna and Ashvin. Thus, Uastirdzhi simultaneously combines three functions: priestly, military and fertility.

Targitai and Uastirdzhi

The most important place in Scythian mythology is occupied by Targi-tai, the deity of the physical world, the first man, the creator of the natural and social cosmos. This image we know from Herodotus’s “History”.

4.5. “The Scythians say that their people are younger than others, and happened as follows: in their land, which was a deserted desert, the first man named Targitai was born; They call the parents of this Targitai, in my opinion, not true.But,Zeus and the daughter of the river Borysthenes. Targitai was of this origin, and he had three sons: Lipoksai, Arpoksai and the youngest, Kolaksai. With them they fell from the sky onto the Scythianlandgolden objects: a plow, a yoke, an ax and a bowl...”

4.8 “... Hercules, driving the bulls of Geryon, arrived in the country that is now occupied by the Scythians and which was not yet inhabited.... From there de Hercules arrived in the country now called Scythia, and then he was overtaken by a blizzard and frost, Then he wrapped himself in a lion’s skin and fell asleep, and at that time his horses miraculously disappeared from under the yoke.”

4.9 “Hercules woke up, began to look for them and, having gone all over the earth, finally came to the so-called Polesie; here he found in a cave a mixed-breed creature, a half-maiden, half-echidna, whose upper body from the buttocks was female, and the lower part snakelike. Seeing her and being amazed, Hercules asked if she had seen any lost mares somewhere; to which she replied that she had the mares, but that she would not give them to him before he communicated with her; and Hercules communicated for this payment, but she kept postponing the return of the horses, wanting to live in connection with Hercules as long as possible, while the latter wanted to receive them and leave. Finally, she returned the horses with the words: “I saved you these horses that wandered here, and you repaid me for this: I have three sons from you...”.

Researchers identify the following motives in the mythological biography of Targitai.

1.Triple nature of Targitai.

2. Killing the dragon.

3. Targitai - the first man, the god-man.

4. Union with a nymph.

5. The birth of three sons, symbolizing the three zones of the natural and social cosmos.

6. Liberation of women/cows/horses.

7.Connection with Rita/Arta.

In this part of the study we will look at folklore motifs common to Tar-gitai and Uastirdzhi.

The divine-human nature of Targitai and Uastirdzhi

The divine-human nature of Targitai is clear. He is the son of Heaven and Earth, the first man, the first ancestor, the deity of the corporeal world. The divine-human nature of Uastyrdzhi was not considered by researchers.

In the legend “Uastirdzhi z æ d kuyd f æ tad" (“How Uastyrdzhi became a saint”) the religious and mythological consciousness of Ossetians is trying to comprehend the divine-human nature of Uastyrdzhi. I The small text is of extraordinary interest because different religious traditions are intertwined in it: Old Ossetian and Christian.

Uastirdzhi z æ d kuyd f æ tadi (How Uastirdzhi became a saint)

Uastirdzhi kadjyn æmæ uæzdan læg uydi. Huytsau æy biræ uarzta. Chyryston næ uydi Uastirdzhi. Khuytsau sæ zæd kodta, æmæ yyn næ kuymdta. Uæd Tutyr zagata Khuytsauæn: æz dyn æy skændzyn zæd.”

Tutyr rarast æmæ Uastyrdzhimæ ærtsid. Zagta yyn: “Tsom kærnykh. Furdy fale birse fælloy rahæszystæm.” Uastirdzhi immediately.

Raisom fændaggag ahastoy æmæ atsydysty. Furdmæ kuy batsydysty, uæd Tutyr yæ bækhy basqærdta. Yæ bækh sura kuyd tsydi, næ dzy nysti. Uastyrdæmæ dzury: “Raskær dæ bækh, kæd me mbal dæ, uæd.”

Uastirdzhi fyzzag næ uændyd, fælæ yyn Tutyr kuy zagata, uæd baskærdta uyy dæp. Yæ astæumæ kuy bahæstsæ denædyzæn, uæd Uastirdzhiyy bækh hauyn raidydta Tutyry zonæy æmæ huyrrytæ kodta. “Gate, me mbal, mænæ dyn kuy sæfyn!”

Tutyr yn zagata: “Dækhiuyl dzuærttæ baftau æmæ Khuytsauyl dækhi bafædzækhs, kænnod ænæmængæy sæfys!”

Uastyrdzhi yækhiuyl dzuærttæ baftydta æmæ zæd fætad. Bækhtæ nytæbært kodtoy æmæ dendzhyzæey aliuyrdtoy. Kærnykhy nal atsydysty: zædttæ tsæy kærnykhy tsæynts.

(Uastyrdzhi was a respected and noble man. The Lord loved him very much. Uastyrdzhi was not a Christian. The Lord wanted to make him a saint, but he did not agree. Then Tutyr said to God: “I will help you make him a saint.”

Tutyr came to Uastirdzhi and told him: “Let's go on a raid. We will bring a lot of good from across the sea.” Uastirdzhi agreed.

In the morning we got ready to set off. When we reached the sea, Tutyr set off his horse. His horse walked on water as well as on land and did not drown. Tutyr turned to Uastirdzhi: “Let your horse into the sea, if you are my friend.” Uastyrdzhi didn’t dare at first, but when Tutyr turned to him, he also drove into the water. When Ua-styrdzhi swam to the middle of the sea, the horse began to choke and, according to Tutyr’s plan, began to drown. Uastirdzhi shouted: “Gate, my friend, I’m lost!” Tutyr answered him: “Cross yourself and entrust yourself to God, otherwise you will actually perish!”

Uastirdzhi crossed himself and turned into a saint. The horses accelerated and got out of the sea. IN they didn’t raid anymore: do saints go on raids?)

The main motives of the legend “How Uastirdzhi became a saint”:

1. Uastirdzhi is an earthly person, not a Christian, not a saint.

God wants to make him a saint, but he refuses.

2. The patron saint of wolves, Tutyr, undertakes to help God and use his chi-cane to force Uastirdzhi to cross himself.

3. Tutyr calls Uastyrdzhi on a hike, lures him into the sea, where he easily crosses it, and Uastyrdzhi begins to drown. Tu-tyr invites Uastirdzhi to cross himself for his salvation. Uastirdzhi carries out the advice.

4. Uastirdzhi becomes a saint.

It is quite obvious that this legend arose on the basis of the Nart legend about Uastirdzhi and the Nart Marguts. The most important technique that is used to describe Uastirdzhi’s transition to a new state is “zuar” (“holy”) - this is the motif of immersion in water. It is known that water is a mythological symbol of chaos, the lower world. In mythological tradition, immersion in water means ritual death, and exit from it means ritual birth. This is precisely the meaning that is invested in the ritual action of immersion in water during baptism. On the other hand, crossing the sea symbolizes in folklore - overcoming an obstacle when performing any significant action. The motif of crossing the sea, as overcoming an obstacle in the legend about Uastyrdzhi and the Nart Marguts, turns in the legend about Uastyrdzhi’s acquisition of the status of a saint into a motive about ritual death and a second birth in a new state.

“Uastyrji æmæ Mærguytsy kadæg” (“The Legend of Uastyrdji and the Nart Marguts”)

…« Kæd næ, atsy don uayyn hæhuy, uæd mæ atsy fællad bæhyl don lasdzæni.”

Kuy bahæststæ sty, uæd Mærgüyts dons bagæpp lasta, æmæ dzy yæ bækhy sæftseg nygyuylgæ dæp næ akodta, Uastirdzhi dæp dzy ærgæpp lasta, æmæ yæ dælæ don falasy. Uæd æm Mærgyuyts fæstæmæ ærbazdækhti æmæ yæ fæsartsmæ ærbaysta, yæ bæhy yyn khæd lasægau alasta...

(Uastyrdzhi and Marguts reached the same river. Uastyrdzhi, seeing the river, became worried: “If I have to cross the river, the water will carry me away on a tired horse!”

When they went down to the river, Marguts jumped into the river, and his horse didn’t even wet his hooves. Uastirdzhi also jumped (on his horse into the river), but the water carried him away. Then Marguts returned, put Uastirdzhi in his saddle, and dragged his horse behind him like a log.)

One of Marguts’ characteristics attracts attention. In addition to the legend, he tells about himself:

“æz læppuyæ aftæ uydtæn fyndzai, æmæ iu sau zækhhyl syrd kæuylty atsyd, uy bazadtain. æmæ besty artæ khorzy go away, æmæ dzy iu mæ hai go away, innæ Uacilla ahasta, ærtykkadzhy ta - Uastirdzhi" (“In my youth I had such a sense of smell that I knew where an animal ran across the black earth. There were three good things on the ground . One was mine, the other was carried away by Uacilla, the third by Uastirdzhi.”)

The key to the “three objects” that Marguts speaks of is contained in the legend itself, according to which Uastirdzhi receives a magic cauldron/bowl. The remaining items from the Scythian legend are easily distributed between Uacilla, the patron saint of farmers (yoke and plow) and Marguts (axe/knife). The canine/wolf nature of Marguts is evidenced by his main property - sniffing and a name containing the Indo-European root “step”. In the article “Ruimon: name and image” we showed that mythological images, the names of which are based on this root and its metathesis, often take the form of a predator or a snake. Thus, Tutyr, the patron saint of wolves in the legend of the transformation into saint Uastirdzhi, and Marguts in the Nart legend are closely connected through the image of a wolf.

The main motives of the fragment of the legend about Uastirdzhi and the Nart Marguts:

1. Marguts invites Uastirdzhi on a trip to get a wonderful cauldron/bowl.

2. Marguts easily swims across the river, and Uastirdzhi begins to drown.

3. Marguts helps Uastirdzhi cross the river.

So, the most important hypostasis of Uastirdzhi is a holy man,

or god-man, which fully corresponds to the nature of Targitai.

The function of organizing the natural and social space. Triple nature. Three sons

The image of Targitai, as D.S. Raevsky rightly noted, should have been presented in the myths of other peoples of the Aryan group. As the starting point for the search for a similar image, the scientist chose one of the central motifs of the mythological complex associated with Targitai - the motif of the birth of three sons, the youngest of whom, having won ritual trials, receives supreme power over the Scythians.

In the genealogical traditions of one of the most archaic societies of North Ossetia - Alagir - the ethnogonic ancestor of all Ossetians is Os-Bagatar, who, according to most versions, had three sons. As V.I. Abaev showed, the names of the sons symbolized the ancestors of three class-caste groups: Tsarazon - from Caesar (military function), Kusagon - from “kus” (Ossetian bowl). The name of the founder of the Sidamonov family, notes V.I. Abaev, goes back to the patronymic name Spitama. According to the Avesta, the great religious figure of ancient Iran, Zoroaster (Zaratushtra), belonged to the genus Spitama.

The name of the ancestor of “all Ossetians” Os-Bagatar - “Ossky hero” - was adopted, according to V.I. Abaev, from the Turkic-Mongolian peoples.

There is another etymology of this name. As noted by Kh. S. Dzhioev, Bagatar consists of two parts - “Baga” - “god” and “tyr”. The first part, in the form of "god", is found in the languages of many Indo-European peoples. The second part “tyr”, according to Kh. S. Dzhioev, is an archaism in the Ossetian language, is found in folklore and means “son”. For example, in new year wishes: “Uæ læg sag amara, Uæ us tyr nyyara” (“Let your husband kill a deer, and let your wife give birth to a son”). “Tyr” in the Ossetian language also occurs in the form “tyryn”.

Thus, according to Kh. S. Dzhioev, “Bægatyr” means nothing more than “Son of Heaven”, “Son of God”, which, according to Herodotus, was one of the characteristics of Targitai. Isn’t the Ossetian word “tyr” - son, somehow connected with Targitai, and Os-Bagatar, structurally identical to Targitai (as the father of three sons, organizers of the social cosmos), etymologically connected with him (“Tar”, “Tyr” ). In this case, you can read the name Uastirdzhi (Uas-Tyr-Ji) differently - Holy Son George.

D. S. Raevsky substantiated the functional proximity of the image of Targitai with the images of Traetaona-Feridun in Iranian and Trita in ancient Indian mythologies.

Like the Scythian Targitai, Traetaona-Feridun is the father of three sons, the youngest of whom, having proven his superiority over his brothers, becomes the supreme ruler of Iran. Researchers have identified in the images of Feridun's three sons representatives of three social functions, ultimately - the ancestors of three class and caste groups.

The name Trita, according to researchers, can mean “triple”, “triple”, which reflects the idea of the connection of this name with the three zones of the universe. This interpretation, as D.S. Raevsky notes, is quite consistent with the image of Targitai as the triune embodiment of the corporeal world.

In a broad sense, the motive of Targitai’s birth of three sons is for mythological consciousness a way of creating a mythopoetic model of the natural and social cosmos. For this, numerical symbolism is used (three sons) and the names of sons, symbolizing the three zones of the universe (Kolaksai - the Sun-king, Ripoksai - the Mountain-king and Arpoksai - the lord of the depths). Similar functions are performed by the myth about the birth of a horse, daughter and dog among Uastirdzhi and the nymph Dzerassa.

The function of organizing the natural and social cosmos in Targitai and Uastirdzhi:

Targitai (Hercules) and the snake-footed goddess - three sons Kolaksai (Sun-King) - upper world Ripoksay (Mountain-King) - middle world Arpoksai (Depth-King) - lower world

The three zones of the universe are encoded using an anthropomorphic (sons of Targitai) code.

Uastirdzhi and the daughter of the river Dzerassa Horse (Sun) upper world Girl (Society) middle world Dog (Chthonics) lower world

The three zones of the universe are encoded using an anthropomorphic (Satan girl) and zoomorphic (horse, dog) code.

Dragon fighting, snake fighting

D. S. Raevsky noted that the mention of Geryon’s bulls in connection with Targitai has a semantic meaning and reflects a certain feature in his mythological biography. Let us recall that the tenth labor of Hercules is the murder of the monster Geryon, who had three heads and three fused torsos. An identical motif can be traced in the biography of Traetaona. He defeated the three-headed dragon Azhi-Dahak, and in the course of his feat freed his wives, who were semantically identical to the mythical cows. The victory over the three-headed monster and the liberation of the bulls is also mentioned in the myth about the Indian analogue - Trita.

Uastirdzhi, according to legend, in the course of his feat - killing a dragon - also frees a girl and water, saturates the white and black bulls with water.

Uastirdzhi - patron of people

The name Uastirdzhi in the religious and mythological consciousness of Ossetians is prohibited for women. They call him “Lægty dzuar”, which is interpreted as “patron of men”, “god of men”. However, folklore sources testify to the ambiguity of the meaning of the name “Lægty dzuar” as “the patron of men.” This name consists of two words: “læg” and “dzuar”. The word “læg” in the Ossetian language means a man, a person; “Dzuar” in Ossetian means, among other things, a saint, a deity. In the legend, which is called “Tsæmæn u Uastyrdzhi lægty dzuar” (“Why Uastyrdzhi is the patron of men”), this name is completely unrelated to the patron of men, but means “patron of people.” Uastirdzhi in the legend performs the following functions:

1 . Help the poor.

2. Healing.

3. Snake fighting and liberation of waters.

4. Patronage of the newlyweds.

Of these four functions, three are the functions of the Ashvins and two are the functions of Indra. But the general meaning of the legend boils down to the fact that Uastirdzhi patronizes and helps people, and the name “Lægty dzuar” in this context means “Patron of people.”

“Tsæmæn u Uastirdzhi Lagty Dzuar” (“Why Uastirdzhi “Lagty Dzuar”)

Uastirdzhi zækhhon dzuaruydis æmæuælarvy daujytimæ dæp go away æmvyng.

Raja kæddær furdy æmæ dæmyou hittsæuttæ don hæssyn nikæmæn uagtoy ænæ hæzzon, fystoy kæfkhyuyndaræn chyzg hæzzon. Iu az iu hædzar, innæ az dykkag hædzar æmæ aftæ radæy.

Uastirdzhi atsy huyddag uydta, æmæ yæm hyg caste.

Iu ahæmy yæhi. zækhhon adæmmæ rauagta uælarvæy yæ urs bækhyl æmæ zildi adæmtyl. Iu ran fændagyl mægur læg sug fætsæylasta, æmæ yæ dzonyg asasti tsyfy. Yæ bon næ uyd yæ sæpparyn æmæ sfænd kodta hæumæ ækhhuys agur atsuyn. Galty ad sug uym nyuuagta æmæ zagta: “Uastirdzhi, dæ fædzækhst fæuænt mæ galtæ!” Læg kuy fæuuon is, uæd Ua-styrdzhi dzonygy dzykhyynnæuæg fætyn kodta, galty uuyl siftygta æmæ sæ rauagta sækhi bar. Mæguyr læg ændær galty fætsæikodta æmæ kæsy, yæ galtæ ratsæutts, nog dzonygyl yæ sugtæ amad, aftæmæy. Mæguyr læg dæp tyng bacin kodta.

Uastirdzhi darddær atsydi æmæ uyn: bærægbony bon ændær mæguyr lægæn yse hæbul uæzzau færynchyn æmæ yæ mælæty kahyl nyllæuuydi. Uastirdæiy dzuary bon uydi, æmæ læg tykhsy: yæ kusærttag hærnægæn nyuuadza ævi bærægbonæn. Uæd sem batsydis zærond lædzhy huydzy æmæ yyn arfæ rakodta.

Fysym æm dzury:

—Midæmæ, uazæg, fysym dyn stæm, abon bærægbon kuy u!

Uastirdzhi batsydi hædzarmæ, æmæ ta yæm fysym dzura:

—Uazæg, ma soap fæhud, iuæy abon Uastirdzhiyi kuvsen bonu, innæmæy ta mæhædzary zianmæ kæsæg dæn æmæ cherdæm fækænon mækhi, næ zonun.

Uastirdzhi zagta:

—Dæ dzuaræn kuv, rynchynæn ma tsers!

Fysym skætmæ nyuuad kuærttagmæ. Uædmæ Uastyr-ji rynchynil bafu kodta, æmæ avd akhæmy huyzær fætadi. Læppu yæ fydy razmæ rauadi hudgæ. Fysym jihay azzad æmæ zagta:

—Syzgyærin fest, Lægty dzuar, mæguyr lægæn ækhkhuysgænæg dæ æmæ dæ nom fæstægættæn dæp Nyfsæn chazzaæd!

Uyy fæstæ Uastirdzhi yæ urs bækhyl furdy byltyl arast i, kæsy.: furdy byl chyzg æmæ ysehi kæynæy mary. Uastirdzhi yæ færsy:

—- Tsy kænys, khorz chyzg, am tsæmæn dæ?

Chizg yn zagata:

—- Tsy kænon, næ kalak hæu alaz radæy chyzg dætty kæfkhæyndaræn, tsæmæy son don hæssyn bauadza. æz dæn iúæg chyzg mad æmæ fyæn, æmæ mæ fydy times ærzyldi. æz dæn kuyrduaty, æmæ myn zagata: “Atsu, kæd dyn fætserigæd kænid.” Mæn tsy læppu kuyry, uy dard baltsy is. Nyr mæm kæfkhyuyndar ærbatsæudzæn æmæ mæ anyyhuyrdzæn. Mæ mad æmæ mæ fyd ta ærdiag xenynts.

—Uædæ kæd aftæu, uæd ma tærs, - zægy Uastirdzhi, - uækhimse atsu, uyæn æz hos kændzynæn.

Ualynmæ kæfkhyuyndar ærbalenk kodta, chyzg kæm badti, uyrdæm. Uastirdzhi yæ urs bæhyl badti æmæ yyn arts yæ sinty nyssagta æmæ yæ zækhmæ nylkhyvta, stay yæ amardta. Chyzg hærzægguræggag fæcis yæ mad æmæ yæ fydmæ.

—Dy saigæ kænys, - zagtoy mad æmæ fyd. — Uædæ-ma sau koobor gala æmæ urs koobor gala auazut donmæ.

Sau kobor æmæ urs kobor galty auagtoy donmæ, æmæ don tykhnyæzt fækodtoy. Fæstæmæ zdæhgæyæ sau koobor gal dons was atydta, urs koobor gal ta chysyl useldser. U sed kalak khæuylaikhuystiskhabar, æmæ adæmdonkhæssynmæ nyhærræt kodtoy. Paddzakh lsevserttse kodta Uastirdzhiysen, fælæ sæ uyy næ raysta, mæguyrtyl sæ baiuaryn kodta.

Uyrdygæy atsydi æmæ iu sau kommæ bakhyztis Uastyr-ji. Khædy kæron yzzadi iu ærduz, uym næuyl kægæyæ bayyaefta iu læppuyi.

Uastirdzhi yæ færsy:

- Uæmæ tsæulnæ stys, læppu, bækh dæ yæ byny kæny!

— Uadz æmæ fækæna, mæ tsardæy mæ mælæt huyzær y! - zægy læppu.

— Tsæmæn dæ fændy amælyn?

Læppu zagata:

— Mænæn mæ chyndzækhsævy bon ærtsæyævvahs kodta, æz ta dard baltsy atsydtæn, tagd ma kodton, fælæ ardæm ærkhætstæ dæn, ændær næ. Mæ zærdyl æbalaguuyd, mæ kaisy rad kæy u kæfkhyuyndaræn chyzg rattyn, æmæ ma tagd kodton, fælæ afonmæ babyn is mæ warzon, æmæ uuyl kæuyn.

— Tærsgæ ma kæn uædæ, sabyrgay tsu, dæ warzon chyzgy udægasæy nyyafdzynæ, kæfkhyuyndary ta mardey.

Læppu yyn arfæ rakodta æmæ ratsyd. Uastirdzhi ta uælarvmæ atakht. Iu bon yn tsæuyn æntysti kuyribontsauy bærts læppuyæn. Sækhimæ atsyd æmæ chyndzækhsæv skodta. Fytsag ragæn Uastyrdzhiyy gajidau banyztoy. Uæy fæstæmæ Uastirdzhi at Lægty dzuar.”

(“Uastirdzhi was an earthly saint and sat at the same table with the celestials.

Once upon a time, the owners of rivers and waters did not allow anyone to carry water without tribute. One village paid tribute to the dragon with girls from year to year. One year - one house, another - the second, and so on in turn. Uastirdzhi saw this, and this matter seemed offensive to him.

One day he descended on his white horse from heaven to earthly people and walked around them. In one place, a poor man was carrying firewood and his sleigh broke in the mud. Unable to get them out, he decided to go to the village for help. Bykov entrusted the firewood with prayer to the patronage of Uastirdzhi. When the poor man disappeared, Uastirdzhi turned the sleigh into new ones, harnessed the oxen and let them go. The poor man, returning with help, saw that his firewood was stacked on a new sleigh and oxen were carrying it. He was very happy.

Uastirdzhi went further and saw: on a holiday, a poor man’s child fell ill and was near death. It was the day that Uastirdzhi was removed, and the poor man was tormented: whether to leave the victim for the holiday or for the wake. Uastirdzhi came under the guise of an old man and said hello. The owner turned to him:

- Come in, you will be a guest, because today is a holiday!

Uastirdzhi entered the house, and again the owner addressed him:

“Don’t laugh at me, on the one hand, today is the day of the removal of Uastirdzhi, on the other, my house is waiting for the deceased, and I don’t know what to do.” Uastirdzhi replied:

- Pray to your saint, do not be afraid for the patient!

The owner went to the barn to get the victim. By that time

Uastirdzhi blew on the patient, and he became seven times better than he was. The boy ran out to his father with a smile. The owner exclaimed in surprise:

- Become golden-winged, Laegty dzuar, and let your name be hope for the latter too!

Uastirdzhi went on his white horse and saw: on the bank of the river there was a girl crying and dying. Uastirdzhi asked:

- What happened, good girl, why are you here?

“What can I do, our large village gives a girl to the dragon every year so that he will allow us to use the water.” I’m alone with my parents, and it’s our turn. I was betrothed, and my father told me: “Go, maybe the monster will take pity on you.” My fiance is on a long journey. Now the dragon will swallow me. And my father and mother are sad.

“Well, if so, then don’t be afraid,” said Uastirdzhi, “go home, and I’ll find a remedy for him.”

“You are deceiving,” said the father and mother. - Come on, let the strong white and black bulls go to the water.

They let the strong white and black bulls go to the water, and they drank their fill. On the way home, the black bull tore off the bank in one place, and the white one a little higher. The news spread throughout the large village, and people poured out for water...

The village ruler offered gifts to Uastyrdti, but he did not accept them, but ordered them to be distributed to the poor.

Uastirdzhi went further. On the way, he meets the girl’s crying groom, calms him down, and helps him return home quickly. When the guy returned, he arranged a wedding. First of all, we drank to Uastyrdzhi. From then on, Uastyrdzhi is considered “Læggpy dzuar”).

Thus, according to Ossetian folklore sources, the euphemistic epithet of Uastirdzhi - “Lægty dzuar” has three meanings:

1. Patron of men - Lægty dzuar.

2. Patron of people - Lægty dzuar.

3. Man-holy - Læg-dzuar.

So, an analysis of the functions of Uastirdzhi indicates that it combines priestly, military and economic functions at the same time. The evolution of this deity of the Ossetian pantheon did not come from the Scythian or Alan deity of war. Uastirdzhi is closest to the Scythian Targitai, which embodies all three functions. The euphemistic epithet of Uastirdzhi - “Lægty dzuar” should be understood not only as “the patron of men”, but also as the “patron of people”.

Conclusion

The social and mythological consciousness of Ossetians in the 19th and early 20th centuries was closely connected with the mythopoegic model of the world.

The mythopoetic model of the world in the public consciousness of Ossetians was realized through the concept of ægdau (law, order, tradition), which was an ethnic myth of Ossetians and served as a means of integration of society, socialization and self-identification of the individual.

Study of traditional social relations in the social consciousness of Ossetians in the mid-19th century. demonstrates, on the one hand, the actualization of ethnogonic and socionormative myths, on the other, the dependence of ideas about social order on the level of development of early feudal relations in each specific socio-political association (society). Representatives of different Ossetian societies and classes interpreted their status in the Russian state system in accordance with their interests and hopes. At the same time, to justify their personal and class rights, they turned to different layers of the social and mythological consciousness of Ossetians. The social ideals of the peasantry and nobility reflected the struggle between the democratic and aristocratic trends in the public consciousness of Ossetians in the 19th century. century.

In the middle of the 19th century. Each Ossetian society had its own genealogical tradition, designed to consolidate the existing social relations. The legends were based on ancient mythological structures common to the Indo-Iranians.

Mythological “archetypes” (M. Eliade) also underlay ethical ideas that preserved knightly values and areas of ethos that influenced gender stereotypes.

The spatio-temporal coordinates of the Ossetian mythological model of the world were reflected at all levels of the Ossetian ethnic culture (culture of primary production, culture of life support, socionormative culture, humanitarian culture). The trinitarian vertical structure of the universe was marked through a symbolic language common to the Indo-Iranians. The mythological consciousness of the Ossetians included the concept of a sacred center, a world axis and magical-religious time, the most important feature which had a cyclical character. One of the central geometric symbols of the space-time model of the Ossetian world was the mandala - a magic circle divided into eight equal parts by rays-radii.

The plots of the March Epic allow us to trace mythological themes common to Indo-Europeans associated with the sacred language, or “language of the gods.” The presence of subjects related to sacred language in the March Epic once again confirms the opinion of V. I. Abaev that initially the Nart Epic was not a military one, but a shamanic one.

The religious ideas of the Ossetians, despite several stages of Christianization and the penetration of Islam, retained “pan-Aryan stencils.” In this context, one of the central images of the Ossetian religious pantheon - Uastirdzhi - correlates with the Scythian Targitai and acts as the patron of all people (“Lægty dzuar”), and not just as the patron of men and travelers, as was commonly believed last time.

Literature

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Ideal cosmetics. Makeup. Manicure. Oils. Massage. Coloring

Saints and patrons of Alanya. Saint George in the Ossetian religious tradition of Uastirdzhi Ossetia

Nart epic of Ossetians

Uastirdzhi and Nart Margudz noseless