If you ever take an oath, swear by your mother’s name

The Adyghe people can be distinguished by their traditional dress. It is more or less the same throughout the whole North Caucasus. Men’s outfit includes shirt, beshmet jacket, chockha, silver-inlaid girdle, breeches, felt burka, papakhi, bashlyk cone-shaped hood, tight gaiters made of felt or leather. Women wear sharovars, undershirts, form-fitting long jackets, long wrap gowns with silver girdles and long blade-like pendants on sleeves, high silver- or gold-hewn cap, and, of course, head cloths.

Adyghe proverbial wisdom says that modesty is the most beautiful outfit. It is hard to disagree. We have read carefully Adyghe traditional proverbs and could not but notice that many of them are very relevant for the present day. And some wise sayings even today can still serve as practical guidelines.

Judge for yourselves:

It is better to give everything out than to lose it bargaining. He who has many guests never has his children starve. When a crow was given brows, it started asking for brows. There’s something ancient and pagan-like in the following no so simple proverb: “Within any business unstarted there sits a snake”. If you want to start something, drive the snake away first. And then everything is going to run smoothly.

The God Tha created the Universe.

In the times long gone the Adyghe people were heathen. They worshipped trees, groves, forests. The Adyghe paid special attention to the god they called Tha. He played the central role in all pagan beliefs. This deity created the Universe; in his hands are the fates of all living things. The Adyghe attributed to him, as their supreme deity, the following qualities: benignant, merciful, all-forgiving, health-giving, and judging. This set of attributes hints at monotheism. Yet it must be noted that at the same time the Adyghe believed in the existence of other, lesser deities. Among these secondary gods was, for example, Shible, the god of lightning and thunder, whom Tha appointed to nurture and educate the humankind. Well, with the help of a lightning or, rather, the god of lightning, many virtues can be instilled in people.

The Adyghe also believed in Paradise and Hell, the existence of soul, angels, jinni, the Satan, as well as afterlife.

Lifestyle defined by customs

The Adyghe are a people of Russia, the indigenous population of the Republic of Adygea (108 115 persons total). The Adyghe people also inhabit several districts of the Krasnodar Krai (more than fifteen thousand). Some live in Turkey and the Middle East. The Adyghe language belongs to the Northwest Caucasian family of the North Caucasian language phylum. Russian is also widely spoken. Adyghe orthography is based on Cyrillic alphabet. Believers are Sunni Muslims.

History of the Adyghe stretches back in antiquity. They formed as an ethnic group in the XIII—XIV centuries. Social development of the Adyghe people progressed non-steady and very dramatically. The Russian Empire has de facto conquered Adygea, though the conquest took several decades to accomplish. A new period, during which the Adyghe enjoyed much greater freedom started in 1922, when the Cherkess (Adyghe) Autonomous Oblast was formed (as part of the Krasnodar Krai). In 1991, this Oblast was elevated in status, becoming the Republic of Adygea.

Family and everyday life of the Adyghe were defined by customs and norms of a patriarchic society. Yet the position held by a woman in the Adyghe society has always been rather high and remains such today.

What is pleasant to the soul, is beautiful to the eyes

Folk poetry features heroic legends collectively known as the Nart Saga. These are ancient epic songs telling about heroes’ struggle against local feudal lords. There are also historic, military, hunting, labour, wedding, humorous folk songs, lullabies, as well as mourning songs. Adyghe historic, heroic and humorous songs are traditionally sung by men. Women sing songs of other kinds: lyrical, healing, mourning songs and lullabies. The subject of music, singing, and euphony is also featured in proverbs:

Sitting in another’s arba (horse cart), sing his songs. He whose speech is sweet can lure even a snake out of its lair. Two-voice texture is characteristic of Adyghe folk songs. It is formed by themes of the soloist and the choir, the latter either singing in unison with the former or following a separate melodic pattern. The Adyghe also have their own traditional musical instruments. Among them is kamyl’ — a kind of end-blown flute. Shichepshin is a bow-instrument, while phachich is a kind of wooden rattle. Since mid-XIX century squeezebox has been an essential element of Adyghe musical life, gaining much popularity with years. Many famous Russian composers were well familiar with Adyghe folk music, among them Glinka, Alyabyev, Balakirev, and Taneev.

For the picture to be complete, some words should be said about traditional occupations of the Adyghe people. These include agriculture (millet, barley, maize and wheat), gardening, viniculture, cattle breeding (flocks and herds, horse breeding). Household crafts practiced are wickerwork, weaving, felt and leather work, stone and wood carving, gold and silver embroidery. Traditional Adyghe settlements consisted of separate farmsteads and were divided into patronymic parts; those in the lowlands used street layout. Traditional dwelling centered around one main above-ground chamber, later encircled by additional isolated rooms with separate entrances for married sons.

The Adyghe have a special regard for education and good manners. The notions of ‘Adyghe’ and ‘cultured person’ are synonymous to them. If somebody behaves in an improper manner or fails to show due respect to others, he is asked “We adygheba?” which means “Are you not Adyghe?” All moral principles, social behavior patterns, requirements for self-discipline are contained in the oral code known as “Khabze”. This code of laws is considered sacred; anyone who violates it is punished by the council of elders.

The Adyghe are also known to swear in the name of one’s mother (the strongest oath imaginable) or of one’s ancestor. Breaking such oath would bring disgrace and dishonor upon the whole family. People have no reason to trust anyone who has violated an oath in the name of his mother. And how should a foreigner behave if he or she happens to be among the Adyghe? It is advisable to manifest interest in local language and customs. The one who respects Adyghe language and traditions, the one who is familiar with them, is treated as a most .important guest, regardless of the social standing.

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