Tales of the Narts: Ancient Myths and Legends of the Ossetians($20.97Value)

Description

An exciting collection of mythology about heroes, heroines, villains, and monsters in the intriguing world of the nomad warriors of the Caucasus The Nart sagas are to the Caucasus what Greek mythology is to Western civilization. Tales of the Narts expands the canon of this precious body of lore by presenting a wide selection of fascinating tales that are part of a living tradition among the peoples of Ossetia in southern Russia. A mythical tribe of nomad warriors, the Narts are courageous, bold, and good-hearted, but also capable of envy, cruelty, and violence. In this wonderfully vivid and accessible collection, colorful and exciting heroes, heroines, villains, and monsters pursue their destinies though a series of exploits, often with the intervention of ancient gods. “Though extraordinarily rich and deeply memorable, Ossetian folklore is barely known to the Western world outside a few specialist circles. This book offers a beautiful, compelling introduction to the Narts―dynamic tales of bygone heroes and demigods that Ossetians share with other northern Caucasian peoples. May's masterful translation into English makes for gripping reading throughout. Colarusso and Salbiev perform a service to world literature by making these traditions widely accessible.” ―Choice "These are simply great, entertaining, multitextured stories, and exotic without being too obscure or arcane. Colarusso is an indisputably major voice in this field." ―Dean A. Miller, University of Rochester John Colarusso is professor in the departments of anthropology and linguistics and languages at McMaster University and the editor of Nart Sagas: Ancient Myths and Legends from the Circassians and Abkhazians (Princeton). Tamirlan Salbiev is professor of English at North Ossetian State University.