Cherkes
ОБЩИЕ СВЕДЕНИЯ ВИДЕО
To live by rules consecrated by the tradition
“Solidarity is crowned with good, mutual misunderstanding with grief”, the Cherkes traditional saying goes. So, who are the Cherkes? They are a Circassian people living in the Russian Federation mostly in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, together with Karachay, Russians, Abazins, Nogais, Ossetians.
According to the 2002 Census, 49 591 ethnic Cherkes reside there. Overall there are 60 517 Cherkes in the Russian Federation. They speak Kabardian-Cherkes language (which they share with Kabardians), belonging to the to the Northwest Caucasian family of the North Caucasian language phylum. The Cherkes also live in the Middle Eastern countries, to where they resettled in the second half of the XIXth century as a result of complex historic processes. This is a separate and delicate, sometimes a painful topic. The consequences of those processes, including the Russian-Caucasian War, are still felt by the Cherkes.
In the XIV—XV centuries the Cherkes were considered Christians. They adopted Christianity from Byzantium sometime in the X—XII centuries. Yet in the XIVth century Islam reached their habitat. So by the XVIIIth century the Cherkes turned Muslim, yet they have preserved certain Christian elements up to the ХХth century. They also had their own deities of pagan origin, like Thagaledju, the god of fertility; Mazytxe, the god of hunting; Merisse, the god of bee-keeping; Axinu, the patron of cattle; Yamshu, the patron of goats and sheep. It is worth noting, that the thundergod Shible was also the patron deity of horseback riding. Cherkes smiths also have their own god, Tlepshu.
The Cherkes’ main occupation was agisted stock-breeding (sheep, goats, horses, cattle). Of special importance was breeding of Kabardian horses. Traditional crafts were mostly connected to treatment of products obtained from flocks and herds: woolen cloth manufacture, making of outer garments, including burkas. Cherkes woolen cloth was much valued by their neighbors. The subject of righteous work is precisely reflected in Cherkes proverbs:
“There are no small tasks, only small men”.
“Any deed is as great as you make it”.
Unsurprisingly, those pursuing unrighteous ways are condemned and rehabilitated by the Cherkes society.
Nart Saga, the world cultural legacy
Speaking of the Cherkes oral tradition as a whole one should note that epic Nart Saga was very popular among this Circassian people. For a long time it had been passed by way of mouth. Only as late as in the first half of the XIXth century it was recorded and became an object of scholarly study. The Saga praises courage and honesty, the willingness to sacrifice one’s life for happiness of the people. Heroic songs, poems, and legends of the Nart Cycle are an outstanding masterpiece of world epic literature.
The Cherkes like narratives, legends, stories, and parabolas. There are heroic and historic narratives. Popular are legends about Hatqokoshko, Chechanoko Chechane, Qajtkoko Aslanbech, and many others. Such stories combine references to well-established historic events with elements of fantasy and imagination. It makes them somewhat similar to folk tales. Historic narratives told about most important events of Circassian history, like, for example, the Battles of Osh’naw and Bzijuk.
Somh accompanied a Cherkes from cradle to the grave. Many religious rites involved singing. In the XVI—XIX centuries` heroic and historic songs were very popular, telling about most important events of Circassian people’s history or about deeds of individual heroes. Many songs depicted struggle against invasion by Crimean Tatars and Turkish troops. Often singers would perform Abrek and rebel songs (e.g., “The Song of Martin”, “Of Ali the Black”). Yet note only songs of historic battles and ancient heroes are popular among the people. As before, there are also military, hunting, labour, wedding, humorous folk songs, lullabies.
What makes a Cherkes a Cherkes? Adherence to the etiquette, called “Adyghe Habze”. Thorough study of the Nart Saga shows that almost all elements of Circassian etiquette are represented in its songs and legends.
This concerns family and matrimonial relationships, wedding rituals, norms of hospitality and child rearing, this concerns life in general. Many prescriptions of this etiquette have in time turned into proverbs, becoming part of Cherkes folk wisdom. “Reason is not bought or sold, but accumulated within”. “No happiness where there is no respect”. “Reason is beyond any price, education beyond any limits”. “Mother’s etiquette is the standard for her daughter”. “The one who doesn’t value himself is not of much value”. Special attention shall be paid to the following prescription: “Make friends with a cunning one and you’ll forget your upbringing”. A maxim of high relevance for our days. Elusive cunning, according to the Cherkes, is bad, while brave reasoning is good. There is another very definite saying on this topic: “Man’s resource is the strength of mind”. Sometimes the Cherkes tell the following joke: “Let a reasonable man’s dog bite me!” Well, you know, it is much better than an unreasonable man’s dog…