Totresh

Totresh Fights the Dragon

The Narts had many heroes — bogatyrs. They defended the Nart land from enemies: giants, isps, chints, enormous serpents, and evil creatures. Heroes who earned glory were honoured with a song dedicated to their feat. Thanks to such songs, which have come down to us from the depths of millennia, we still remember the Narts to this day.

A song has been preserved about the feat of a famous Nart hero, which, according to scholars, belongs to the most archaic layer of the epic. “T1ot1eresh i bzhype dyk”uak”ue” — “Totresh’s Forked Spear” — so is named the song that tells of the hero’s battle with the seven-headed serpent. When the serpent is nearly vanquished, it gives the hero counsel — to make a spear with a forked point, resembling the forked tongue of a snake. From that day forth, the Narts began to make spears with a forked blade.

The song is remarkable also because it mentions geographical names that can be found on a modern map, located relatively close to the Narzan Valley Park. These are: “Kh’erame 1uashchkh’e” — Mt. Zolotoy Kurgan. Elevation 884.7 m. Coordinates: 43.56°N, 43.06°E.
“Mezekhe” — Mt. Mozeha. Elevation — 1,500 m. Coordinates: 43.70611, 42.915.
“Psyzh psykh”ue” — the Kuban River valley.

Author of the project “Legends of the Narts” Eco-park Valley of Narzans @park_dolina_narzanov
Artist: Aslan Karmoko @karmoko_art