ИЗВЕСТИЯ СОИГСИ

DOI 10.23671/VNC.2018.66.11425

Nart epic of Ossetians is the earliest example of genealogical traditions. In it the family trees of the main heroes, in detail showed their kinship relation. In the epic, there are three kinds of famous Narts’ clans: Alagata, Ahsartagkata and Borata, performing various social functions – religious and ritual, military and economic, respectively. Marriages of Nart's heroes could be concluded either between their three genera, or within their own kind, as well as with celestials or rulers of other lands. In the epic there are examples of an archaic system of kinship, not consistent with modern ideas about marriage, such as a brother marrying his sister or a father marrying his son's wife. In the stories there are plots about the epic heroes acquiring relatives through foster parenting, milk kinship, and sworn brotherhood. These peoples of the Caucasus attached the greatest importance to these forms of artificial kinship. Created for many centuries, the epic absorbed the vivid features of the tribal system. It also reflects the social structure of the Ossetian early feudal society. The popularity of epic heroes is reflected in genealogical legends of Ossetian surnames. Thus, some pedigrees of modern Ossetian surnames trace their ancestors to the characters of the Narts’ epic. The names of the main characters of the epic are notably popular these days. Some names have become household names. Inestimable tales came down to us thanks to the traditions of the people to pass down works of folklore from generation to generation through folk storytellers, from whom researchers and collectors of Ossetian folklore have recorded and preserved for future generations superb examples of epic creativity.

Keywords: Caucasus, Ossetia, folklore, Narts’ epic, genealogy, artificial kinship.

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