First published 2016
Adrienne Mayor presents the epic tales of the Narts, legendary heroes whose stories have shaped Caucasian culture for millennia. These ninety-two myths come from four related peoples who maintained their oral traditions across centuries of upheaval. The collection features warriors who battle giants, magical horses that speak wisdom, and sorceresses who wield ancient powers. Haughty Nart heroes face humbling defeats at the hands of towering adversaries. The tales span generations of conflict, romance, and supernatural encounters that reveal the values and worldview of cultures now hanging by a thread. Mayor draws from Circassian, Abkhaz, Ossetian, and Ubykh sources to compile this comprehensive gathering of stories never before widely available to Western readers. The sagas operate on the same mythological scale as Greek epics, offering gods, monsters, impossible quests, and tragic heroes. These straightforward retellings preserve the direct storytelling style of oral tradition while making the complex cultural context accessible to modern audiences. The collection stands as both entertainment and cultural preservation, capturing belief systems and narrative traditions that face extinction in the contemporary world.
Genres: mythology, folklore, cultural, epic
Vibes: atmospheric, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: epic-hero, supernatural-encounters
Setting: Caucasus
Period: Millennia
456 pages · Paperback · Princeton University Press