Nart Sagas by John Colarusso

Author:John Colarusso
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2016-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

SAGA 54 l Shardan

In the time of the Narts, there was a man of short stature named Shardan.

The millet was ripe, but the Narts did not know how to harvest it, how to mow it.

“Go,” said Nart Sosruquo, “and bring Shardan. Shardan will tell us how we should mow the millet.”

They went and brought Shardan, but he could not climb over the threshold of the Narts’ door. Eventually he somehow managed to climb up, stumble, and fall down into the room.

“O, sons of idiotś You could kill yourself here!” he said.

“Here he is. Shardan! We brought you to solve this problem.” When he had fallen, the Narts, who were seated, began to laugh at him. He was insulted, but he said nothing.

“They laugh at me,” he said to himself.

“We do not know how to mow our millet.”

“I shall not tell you!” he said. He stomped out and returned home.

Sosruquo said, “Go and eavesdrop on him! He will walk along and talk to himself.” One of the Narts rose and went out to follow him. He overheard Shardan talking to himself.

“Oh, tribe of stupid people, born by a bitch! They do not know that one has to make iron scorching hot, bend it so that it is shaped like a chicken’s comb, then sharpen it, and only then begin to mow.”

The Nart returned. “By God, I am back!”

“What did he say?”

“He said, ‘Don’t they know that first one should make the iron scorching hot, bend it, shape it like a chicken’s comb, sharpen it, and then mow?’ That is what he said.”

It did not take the Narts long to do all this. Soon they had fashioned a sickle and had begun to mow.

From text 26, p. 115.

l This tale depicts a sort of dwarf or gnome, who, though wise, is the object of the Narts’ ridicule. It closely parallels Circassian saga 16, in which the water sprite Lady Isp assumes the role of the knowledgeable dwarf. Only in saga 74 are such small people depicted again.

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