Nart Extravaganza

Nart Musical Extravaganza

Anthems and Songs of the Circassian Nart Epos

АДЫГЭ НАРТ ПШЫНАЛЪЭХЭР 

[Kabardian]

Bedinoqwe was the son of Bedin and a Nart female warrior who fought the Chint (generic term for the enemies of the Narts) incognita in men’s war costume. Bedin and his wife lived on the bank of the Don River. Whilst a Nart was being hosted by Bedin, the sound of Bedinoqwe crying was heard from his mother’s womb as she brought in the food table. The Nart was freaked out, and he hurried to the Narts and relayed what had transpired in Bedin’s guest-house. The  Narts fell into great consternation and they resolved to murder the child the moment it would be born a male. When Bedinoqwe came to the world, the Narts kidnapped him from his parents house, but they did not have the heart to kill him, seeing how extraordinarily handsome he was, so they placed him in a hole in a tree and left him to his fate. He was found by the Nart gooseherd, who brought him up with his wife in the cellar so that no one amongst the Narts would know about this. When Bedinoqwe came of age, the gooseherd went to Bedinoqwe’s parents and told them that their son was still alive. Bedinoqwe became a man in full measure. He came out of the cellar and fought the Chint, as his mother did in earlier years, and he inflicted woe unto them, and then went back to the cellar. This is but one of many tales that relate the heroism and fierceness of Nart Bedinoqwe, the inimical foe of the Chint. Bedinoqwe did not wreak his vengeance on the Narts, his people, but he pursued a somewhat aloof existence. When the exotic warrior set on his campaigns on his steed, his two hounds played by his two sides and his two eagles perched on his shoulders. The sun shone on his right shoulder and snow fell on his left. He was preceded sometimes by a great conflagration and by thick mist at others, and a multitude of rooks swarmed, or wild birds soared, in his wake. His steed sprang and spun. The coals issuing from Bedinoqwe’s mouth set the sides of his path on fire… When he first joined the Narts in their white wine festival (санэхуафэ; sanexwafe) at the great palace of the Alij clan (cf. the Circassians’ reference to the Greeks as ‘Alijxer’), he was received very warmly and he partook in the dancing and merry-making. It was the Nart matron Satanay, in her infinite wisdom, who made the arrangements for the awe-inspiring hero to join Nart society so smoothly.

3.  Bedinoqwe’s Melody

(Бэдынокъуэ и пшыналъэ; Bedinoqwe yi Pshinalhe) 

Zawir Tut (Тут Заур; Tutov).

Words of the song are found in Z. Qardenghwsch’, 1979, pp 16-19. Two versions of the song are presented, one by Zawir Tut and the other by Ziramikw Qardenghwsch’. Tut’s version is shorter.

This is Bedinoqwe’s anthem performed by the famous baritone. Bedinoqwe was the son of Bedin and a Nart female warrior who fought the Chint (generic term for the enemies of the Narts) incognita in men’s war costume. Bedin and his wife lived on the bank of the Don River. Whilst a Nart was being hosted by Bedin, the sound of Bedinoqwe crying was heard from his mother’s womb as she brought in the food table. The Nart was freaked out, and he hurried to the Narts and relayed what had transpired in Bedin’s guest-house. The  Narts fell into great consternation and they resolved to murder the child the moment it would be born a male. When Bedinoqwe came to the world, the Narts kidnapped him from his parents house, but they did not have the heart to kill him, seeing how extraordinarily handsome he was, so they placed him in a hole in a tree and left him to his fate. He was found by the Nart gooseherd, who brought him up with his wife in the cellar so that no one amongst the Narts would know about this. When Bedinoqwe came of age, the gooseherd went to Bedinoqwe’s parents and told them that their son was still alive. Bedinoqwe became a man in full measure. He came out of the cellar and fought the Chint, as his mother did in earlier years, and he inflicted woe unto them, and then went back to the cellar. This is but one of many tales that relate the heroism and fierceness of Nart Bedinoqwe, the inimical foe of the Chint. Bedinoqwe did not wreak his vengeance on the Narts, his people, but he pursued a somewhat aloof existence. When the exotic warrior set on his campaigns on his steed, his two hounds played by his two sides and his two eagles perched on his shoulders. The sun shone on his right shoulder and snow fell on his left. He was preceded sometimes by a great conflagration and by thick mist at others, and a multitude of rooks swarmed, or wild birds soared, in his wake. His steed sprang and spun. The coals issuing from Bedinoqwe’s mouth set the sides of his path on fire… When he first joined the Narts in their white wine festival (sanexwafe) at the great palace of the Alij clan (cf. the Circassians’ reference to the Greeks as ‘Alijxer’), he was received very warmly and he partook in the dancing and merry-making. It was the Nart matron Satanay, in her infinite wisdom, who made the arrangements for the awe-inspiring hero to join Nart society so smoothly.

[Kabardian]

Valantina Sosmaq (Сосмакъ Валантинэ; Sosmakova)

This song is from the monumental album «АДЫГЭ НАРТ ПШЫНАЛЪЭХЭР» (‘Adige Nart Pshinalhexer’) [‘Circassian Nart Melodies’], Melodiya, 1987.

[Kabardian]

Vladimir Bereghwn (Бэрэгъун Владимир)

The words of the tale are available in A. I. Alieva and A. M. Gutova, 1979, pp 71-5 (see 'Circassian Bibliography' section of this website). The first stanza of this song is perhaps the most recognizable in the whole of the Nart repertoire.

7.  Lashin Addresses the Great Narts

(Лашын нартыжьхэм яхуоусэ; Lashin Nartizchxem Yaxwowise)

[Kabardian]

Valantina Sosmaq (Сосмакъ Валантинэ)?

For the words and sheet music of the song, see Z. Qardenghwsch’, 1969, pp 11-14. Words of the song (under the title ‘Lashin yi Pshinalhe’ [‘Lashin’s Melody’]) are also found in Z. Qardenghwsch’, 1979, pp 22-4. An English translation – ‘Lashyn’s Satirical Couplets about the Nart Men’ – is available in J. Colarusso, 2002, pp 175-6. The music file itself contains the words of the anthem.

Lashin in turn addresses the Narts in derision. She refuses Amisch, Lhepsch, Schebetiniqwe, Sosriqwe, Ariqschawe, Lhebitsezchey, Yex’wtenijizch, Schawey son of Qanzh, as suitors, but avows to accept Ashemez son of Ashe as a husband if he offers his solicitations. When Ashemez refuses her suit, she adds him to her list of non-suitors.

Mount Lashinqey, located near the western edge of Lashinqey, a settlement on the left bank of the River Chegem in Kabarda, also known as Tox’wtemischey, is thought to be the burial mound of the Nart heroine.

Бэрэ укъыслъыхъуми, сыпхуэмейкъэ!