jjares reviewed on 3/6/2021 + 3293 more book reviews

These are enjoyable tales and myths from cultures distant from our own. They give a view of how other people viewed tradition, heroism, valor, honesty, and warfare. The Caucasus region's mythology is a combination of native pagan tradition and influences from ancient Greek and Persian cultures. Other influences were the medieval knightly culture and romance, as well as Christianity and Islam. Some of the oldest tales are related to the Narts sagas (ancient Caucasian gods). The first part of this book contains myths and legends.

The second part provides the reader with differing versions of two national epics from the Caucasus. The first epic is Armenian, "David of Sassoun." This is the four-generational story of a single-family. Persian culture intermingles with that of Armenia. In this story, the 'devs' (evil demon-like beings) are from Persian culture but eventually adopted into the mythologies of surrounding nations.

Second, comes an abbreviated version of a medieval Georgian epic, "The Knight in the Panther's Skin." It was originally written in the poetical form in the medieval romance tradition. For ease of understanding, this has been abbreviated and converted to prose. This myth was written much later than the first epic, "David of Sassoun."

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