Tales of the Narts by John Colarusso & Tamirlan Salbiev

Author:John Colarusso & Tamirlan Salbiev
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2016-06-27T16:00:00+00:00

38 ♦ AISHANA

A son was born to Urizhmag, and like the rumble of thunder the news echoed around and reached the ears of the heavenly Shafa, the god of the domestic hearth.

Whoever arranges a feast in honor of a newborn son has the right to educate him.9 Without delay Shafa brought a white bull on a silken cord into the Nart village. He came to Urizhmag’s house and cried, “Long years of life to the newborn son! The right to bring him up belongs to me!”

He slaughtered the bull straightaway and gave a great feast for the Narts. They named the youngster Aishana. After the feast Shafa took him home with him to his heavenly dwelling. There Aishana began to grow up. Shafa’s friends came to see him, and all admired and liked the little lad very much. Washtirji came with Afshati, and Tutir with Wasilla. Nogbon was accompanied by Elia. The young lad ran out to greet them, and helped them to dismount from their horses, the eldest first. Then he took off their saddles; carried their clothes, their cloaks, and whips into the house; and carefully tidied up the guests’ equipment. Shafa called the guests to the hearth, sat them on double benches, and placed low, three-legged tables before them. Food and drinks were then brought in, and Aishana, having removed his cap, began to serve them. When they had eaten and drunk their fill, they got up from their seats and took a look down on the earth below. Was there anything new to see?

Suddenly they noticed hosts of Agur warriors invading the land of the Narts, and whole herds of horses leaving their dung-heaps there.

The best of the Narts were away at that time on a distant campaign, and all who had not gone with them gathered on the Field of Games. They were ordered to dance there by the Agurs, who then amused themselves by shooting arrows among them. Those who were struck between the shoulder blades began to dance more lively, and those who got an arrow in their calves began to jump rather higher.

The heavenly dwellers were surprised at this, and said to each other: “The arrows do not pierce far into the Narts, and they do not even reach for their swords! What are such men made of?”

Then suddenly the heavenly dwellers saw Shoshlan’s wife come out of the old Akhshartag house, smiling like the sun, radiant as the morning star. She drank water from the spring, and one could see it flowing into her transparent throat, shining and gleaming, and the reflection of this reached the heavenly dwellers, gathered in Shafa’s house. They wondered at all they saw, and began to tell their host Shafa what was happening on earth. On hearing this Aishana suddenly dropped a jug of ale he was carrying. Shafa was angry with him.

“You will come to a bad end, my lad. You are yet too young to begin dreaming about beautiful women. What else could it

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