This is what the Alans looked like
The Huns were not to blame for the collapse of the Roman Empire, as was believed. She owes her fall to the eastern people, who had an unusual elongated skull, called the Alans.
It was the Alans who brought the cult of war to Europe. And the basics medieval knighthood were laid by them.
The history of the Great City remembers many invasions of nomads, but its collapse began under the hooves of Sarmatian and Hunnish horses. Despite the fact that the ancient world was shaken long before the Alans appeared there, the latter became the cause of its collapse.
This “non-German” people differed from their predecessors in that they were able to establish extensive settlements in Western Europe.
The Alans existed for many years in the neighborhood of the empire, paying it “neighborly” visits from time to time. They were invincible warriors, as Roman commanders recalled more than once.
Where did the warlike people live?
They lived on both banks of the Don, because, as he believed great geographer those years Claudius Ptolemy, the border ran along the river.
He called those who lived on the western bank Scythian Alans, and the lands they occupied - European Sarmatia. The inhabitants of the eastern shore were called, according to Ptolemy's sources, Scythians, or Alans (according to Suetonius' sources).
Joining the Roman Empire
Thanks to Constantine the Great, the Alans became part of the Roman Empire as federates. This happened in 337. Their place of settlement was Central Europe(formerly Pannonia). Thus, it was possible to turn a dangerous enemy into a defender of the imperial borders for a worthy reward.
This did not last long, however, because the warriors were dissatisfied with their lives.
Teaming up with the Vandals
Alan symbolism
A hundred years later, the Alans entered into an alliance with the German tribe of Vandals. These two peoples earned the title of cruel robbers of Rome, which they ravaged for two weeks.
The Eternal City was unable to recover from such an “invasion.” More than 20 years passed until the German leader Odoacer managed to formalize his fall. He forced him to abdicate the throne last emperor Rome.
Therefore, even today the name “Vandal” remains a common noun.
In the fifth century AD, the Romans began to imitate the barbarians. Strange as it may seem, they dressed in wide trousers tailored in the Samara style, grew beards and mounted short, but extremely hardy and fast horses. Everything “Alan” was in fashion and simply overwhelmed the Eternal City.
But special honor was given to horses, which, as already mentioned, were not distinguished by height and beauty, but were famous for their almost supernatural endurance, and dogs.
The Patricians of Rome, having had their fill material benefits, preferred everything primitive, natural and simple, which brought them closer to the people, as it seemed to them. Tired of the noisy ancient metropolis, they contrasted it with a quiet barbarian village. The barbarian tribes themselves were so idealized that legends and traditions were composed about courtly knights.
Reincarnation
Video: The history of the invincible Alans
In the books of that time, the Romans praised both moral and physical virtues. With the Alans, the opposite process took place. They freely used the achievements of the largest civilization, which were absent on the periphery, which gradually led to the romanticization of the Alans, in contrast to the Romans, who were “Alanized.”
However, the Romans did not like some Alan customs. They did not accept the fashion for an elongated skull and the artificial deformation common among the Alans. Although for modern historians It is this feature that facilitates the work of determining the territories of Alans’ residence.
- Scientists find burials with long skulls, which make it easier to assess the habitats of militant people.
- According to the manager local history museum Pyatigorsk, in that ancient era, up to 70% of Alans had long skulls.
How was the unusual shape of the skull achieved?
To change the shape of the head, children immediately after birth, until the cranial bones were strengthened, had their heads bandaged very tightly, using a bandage made of leather and decorated with beads, multi-colored threads, and pendants.
They were removed only after the bones had strengthened.
Why was the elongated skull needed?
One version claims that the deformation of the skull affected the capabilities of the brain. Thanks to this, the priests quickly fell into a trance. This tradition was later adopted by the local aristocracy. It soon became fashionable.
According to Flavius Arrin, the mounted tribes of Sarmatians and Alans attacked the enemy with lightning speed, not allowing him to come to his senses. The most effective means used against Alan attacks were infantry flanks, which had metal shells.
But the “steppe people” often used the tactics of false retreat, which often caught the enemy, thus achieving victory. When the Alans fleeing from the advancing infantry lost their ranks and the victory of the attackers was so close, the Alans suddenly turned their horses 180 degrees, crushing the pursuing foot soldiers.
This tactic was later adopted by the Romans. This is understandable, since the Alans had great combat capabilities, which they could not ignore in the west. The Alans elevated the fighting spirit into a kind of cult.
Ancient writers explained that at that time it was an honor for the Alans to die in battle, even joyful, since they believed that those who died served God. Those Alans who lived to old age and died in their homes were despised and considered cowards who disgraced their families.
The importance of Alans in the development of European military art
The influence of the Alans on the development of military art in Europe was very strong, since they provided spiritual, ethnic and military-technical developments, which became the beginning of the knighthood of the Middle Ages. In addition, the culture of fighting influenced the creation of the legend of Arthur's exploits.
Witnesses to this are ancient authors who say that more than eight thousand experienced Alan and Sarmatian horsemen were hired for military service during the time of Howard Reid. Most of the soldiers in Britain fought on Hadrian's Wall under banners resembling the famous dragon.
Legends of Arthur
It varies among different researchers. Researchers Malkon and Littleton see it in the sacred cup and Grail from the Ossetian epic (Nart) - Nartamonga.
The path to independence
Two warring tribes - Alans and Vandals, having united, were big threat. The savagery of these peoples and great aggressiveness did not allow concluding an agreement with the empire. They live a quiet life in a certain territory, preferring to engage in robbery in new territories.
In the end, the Alans reached the borders of Eastern Spain by 425. Here they captured ships and set off on them to North Africa. The leader of the Alans was Geiserin. They landed in the Roman colonies, which at that time suffered from internal uprisings directed against the current government and from frequent raids by the Berbers, and were therefore weakened. The Alans captured significant territories in a matter of days.
- The lands, including Carthage, were a tasty morsel for the Alans.
- Having taken possession of a strong fleet, Alan warriors often visited Sicily and the shores of Southern Italy.
- Rome had no other choice, and it recognized the independence of the Alans in 442, and 30 years later, its defeat.
During the period of their existence over a vast territory, militant people left a fairly “long” trail - from the Caucasus Foothills to Africa through Europe. Today, the peoples living in these places are fighting for the right to be related to the famous tribe. But, according to scientists, their descendants are Ossetians. In modern Ossetia there is even a movement demanding the return of the country's historical name.
Ossetians have every reason for this:
linguistic community;
territorial;
folk epic.
Residents of Ingushetia, who also consider themselves descendants of a militant tribe, oppose this.
Some ancient sources claim that the Alans are a collective image of nomads and hunters who lived north of the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. Most likely, the Ossetians represent only a small proportion of the successors of the Alans.
And most of them merged with other ethnic groups, including:
Berbers and even Celts.
One version says that the common Celtic male name Alan originates from “Alans”. They lived in Luarez from the beginning of the fifth century, mixing with the British.
It was not the Huns who put an end to the Roman Empire. She fell under the hooves of the Alan cavalry. The long-skulled eastern people brought a new cult of war to Europe, laying the foundations for medieval chivalry.
"On guard" of Rome
Throughout its history, the Roman Empire more than once faced the invasion of nomadic tribes. Long before the Alans border ancient world shook under the hooves of the Sarmatians and Huns. But, unlike their predecessors, the Alans became the first and last non-German people who managed to establish significant settlements in Western Europe. For a long time they existed next to the empire, periodically paying them neighboring “visits”. Many Roman generals spoke about them in their memoirs, describing them as practically invincible warriors.
According to Roman sources, the Alans lived on both sides of the Don, that is, in Asia and Europe, since, according to the geographer Claudius Ptolemy, the border ran along this river. Ptolemy called those who inhabited the western bank of the Don Scythian Alans, and their territory “European Sarmatia”. Those who lived in the East were called Scythians in some sources (from Ptolemy) and Alans in others (from Suetonius). In 337, Constantine the Great accepted the Alans into the Roman Empire as federates and settled them in Pannonia (Central Europe). From a threat, they immediately turned into defenders of the borders of the empire, for the right of settlement and salary. True, not for long.
Almost a hundred years later, dissatisfied with the living conditions in Pannonia, the Alans entered into an alliance with the Germanic Vandal tribes. It was these two peoples, acting together, who gained the glory of the sackers of Rome after they plundered the Eternal City for two weeks. The Roman Empire was never able to recover from this blow. Twenty-one years later, the German leader Odoacer formalized the fall of Rome by forcing the last of the Roman emperors to abdicate. The name of vandals remains a household name to this day.
Alan fashion
Imagine the citizens of Rome who began to imitate the barbarians. The idea that a Roman, dressed in Sarmatian-style trousers, grew a beard and rode a short but fast horse, trying to conform to the barbarian way of life, seems absurd. Oddly enough, for Rome in the 5th century AD, this was not uncommon. The Eternal City was literally “covered” by the fashion for everything “Alanian”. They adopted everything: military and equestrian equipment, weapons; Alan dogs and horses were especially valued. The latter were not distinguished by either beauty or height, but were famous for their endurance, which was attributed to an almost supernatural character.
Fed up with material goods, entangled in the shackles of sophistry and scholasticism, the Roman intelligentsia sought an outlet in everything simple, natural, primitive and, as it seemed to them, close to nature. The barbarian village was contrasted with the noisy Rome, the ancient metropolis, and the representatives of the barbarian tribes themselves were idealized so much that, in part, traces of this “fashion” formed the basis for subsequent medieval legends about courtly knights. The moral and physical advantages of barbarians were a favorite theme of novels and stories of that time.
Thus, in last centuries The Roman Empire, the savage took first place on the pedestal among the idols, and the German barbarian became the object of adoration among the readers of Tacitus and Pliny’s “Germany”. Next step, became imitation - the Romans sought to look like barbarians, behave like barbarians and, if possible, be barbarians. Thus, the great Rome, in the last period of its existence, plunged into the process of complete barbarization.
The Alans, as well as the rest of the federates in general, were characterized by the exact opposite process. The barbarians preferred to take advantage of the achievements of a large civilization, on the periphery of which they found themselves. During this period, there was a complete exchange of values - the Alans became Romanized, the Romans became Alanized.
Deformed skulls
But not all the customs of the Alans were to the liking of the Romans. Thus, they ignored the fashion for an elongated head and artificial deformation of the skull, which was common among the Alans. In fairness, it should be noted that today a similar feature among the Alans and Sarmatians greatly facilitates the work of historians, allowing them to determine the places of distribution of the latter, thanks to the long skulls found in burials. Thus, it was possible to localize the habitat of the Alans on the Loire, in Western France. According to Sergei Savenko, director of the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore, up to 70% of skulls dating back to the Alan era have an elongated shape.
To achieve an unusual head shape, a newborn whose cranial bones had not yet become strong were bandaged tightly with a ritual leather bandage, decorated with beads, threads, and pendants. They wore it until the bones became stronger, and then there was no need for it - the formed skull itself held its shape. Historians believe that such a custom came from the tradition of the Turkic peoples of strictly swaddling a child. The head of the child, lying motionless in a strong swaddling blanket in a flat wooden cradle, was formed longer in size.
The long head was often not so much fashionable as ritual. In the case of priests, the deformation affected the brain and allowed the clergy to go into a trance. Subsequently, representatives of the local aristocracy took over the tradition, and then it came into widespread use along with fashion.
First knights
This article has already mentioned that the Alans were considered invincible, brave to death and practically invulnerable warriors. Roman commanders, one after another, described all the difficulties of fighting a warlike barbarian tribe.
According to Flavius Arrian, the Alans and Sarmatians were mounted spearmen who attacked the enemy powerfully and quickly. He emphasizes that a phalanx of infantry equipped with projectiles is the most effective means of repelling an Alan attack. The main thing after this is not to “buy” the famous tactical move of all the steppe inhabitants: “false retreat,” which they often turned into victory. When the infantry, with which they had just stood face to face, pursued the fleeing enemy who had upset his ranks, the latter turned his horses and overthrew the foot soldiers. Obviously, their style of fighting subsequently influenced the Roman way of warfare. At least, later talking about the actions of his army, Arrian noted that “The Roman cavalry holds their spears and beats the enemy in the same manner as the Alans and Sarmatians.” This, as well as Arrian’s considerations regarding the combat capabilities of the Alans, confirms the prevailing opinion that in the West they seriously considered the military merits of the Alans.
Their fighting spirit was elevated to a cult. As ancient authors write, death in battle was considered not just honorable, but joyful: among the Alans, the “lucky dead” was considered to be the one who died in battle, serving the god of war; such a dead man was worthy of veneration. Those “unfortunates” who happened to live to old age and die in their bed were despised as cowards and became a shameful stain on the family.
The Alans had a significant influence on the development of military affairs in Europe. Historians associate with their heritage a whole complex of both military-technical and spiritual-ethical achievements that formed the basis of medieval knighthood. According to the research of Howard Reid, the military culture of the Alans played a significant role in the formation of the legend of King Arthur. It is based on the evidence of ancient authors, according to which Emperor Marcus Aurelius recruited 8,000 experienced horsemen - Alans and Sarmatians. Most of them were sent to Hadrian's Wall in Britain. They fought under banners in the form of dragons, and worshiped the god of war - a naked sword stuck in the ground.
The idea of finding an Alan basis in the Arthurian legend is not new. Thus, American researchers, Littleton and Malkor, draw a parallel between the Holy Grail and the sacred cup from the Nart (Ossetian) epic, Nartamonga.
Kingdom of Vandals and Alans
It is not surprising that the Alans, distinguished by such belligerence, in alliance with the no less warlike tribe of Vandals, represented a terrible misfortune. Distinguished by their particular savagery and aggressiveness, they did not enter into an agreement with the empire and did not settle in any area, preferring nomadic robbery and the seizure of more and more new territories. By 422-425, they approached Eastern Spain, took possession of the ships there, and, under the leadership of the leader Geiseric, landed in North Africa. At that time, the Roman colonies on the Dark Continent were going through hard times: they suffered from Berber raids and internal revolts against the central government, in general, they represented a tasty morsel for the united barbarian army of Vandals and Alans. In just a few years they conquered vast African territories that belonged to Rome, led by Carthage. Passed into their hands powerful fleet, with the help of which they repeatedly visited the coasts of Sicily and Southern Italy. In 442, Rome was forced to recognize their complete independence, and thirteen years later - its complete defeat.
Alan blood
Throughout their existence, the Alans managed to visit many territories and leave their mark in many countries. Their migration stretched from Ciscaucasia, through most Europe, and to Africa. It is not surprising that today many peoples living in these territories claim to be considered the descendants of this famous tribe.
Perhaps the most likely descendants of the Alans are modern Ossetians, who consider themselves the successors of the great Alania. Today among Ossetians there are even movements advocating the return of Ossetia to its supposedly historical name. In fairness, it is worth noting that the Ossetians have grounds to claim the status of descendants of the Alans: a common territory, a common language, which is considered a direct descendant of the Alan, a common folk epic (Nart epic), where the core is supposedly the ancient Alan cycle. The main opponents of this position are the Ingush, who also advocate their right to be called descendants of the great Alans. According to another version, Alans in ancient sources were a collective name for all hunting and nomadic peoples located north of the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
According to the most common opinion, only part of the Alans became the ancestors of the Ossetians, while other parts merged or dissolved into others ethnic groups. Among the latter are the Berbers, Franks and even the Celts. Thus, according to one version, the Celtic name Alan comes from the patronymic “Alans”, who settled at the beginning of the 5th century in the Loire, where they mixed with the Bretons.
The history of ancient peoples is full of secrets and mysteries. Historical sources did not show a broad picture of the ancient world. There remains scant information about the life, religion and culture of nomadic peoples. The Alan tribes are especially interesting, since they lived not only on the territory southern Russian steppes and in the Caucasus mountains, but also on the territory of medieval Europe.
Alans are nomadic Iranian-speaking tribes of Scythian-Sarmatian origin, which are mentioned in written sources from the 1st century AD. One part of the tribe participated in the Great Migration, while others remained in the territories in the foothills of the Caucasus. It was on them that the Alan tribes formed the state of Alania, which existed before the Mongol invasion in the 1230s.
In the epics of other peoples
Numerous studies devoted to peoples during the Great Migration era ignore or do not notice the role of the Scythian and Alan tribes in the conquest of Europe. But they had a great influence on the military art of European peoples. The history of Alans in Germany dates back to those times. The people had a huge influence on the Gothic tribes, since they did not own military equipment.
Alan military culture underlies medieval legends and the code of chivalry. The tales of King Arthur, the Round Table and Them are attributed to the Anglo-Saxon tribes, but some researchers argue that this is not true. These legends come from the Alan people. Emperor Marcus Aurelius recruited 8,000 Alan warriors at the end of the second century. The warriors worshiped the god of war - a sword stuck in the ground.
Historiography
Why were researchers interested in the kinship of the Alan and Ossetian tribes? It’s simple, the Ossetian language is very different from the languages of other peoples North Caucasus.
Gerhard Miller, in his work “On the peoples who have lived in Russia since ancient times,” made an assumption about the kinship of the Ossetians with the Alan tribes.
In the 19th century, the German orientalist Klaproth spoke in his works about the genetic kinship of the Ossetian tribes with the Alans. Further research confirmed this theory.
Klaproth's concept was also adhered to by the Swiss archaeologist Dubois de Montpere, who considered the Alan and Ossetian tribes as related tribes who settled in different time in the Caucasus. The German Haxthausen, who visited Russia in the 19th century, was a supporter of the German theory of the origin of the Ossetians. Ossetian tribes descended from Gothic tribes and, persecuted by the Huns, settled in the Caucasus mountains. The French scientist Saint Martin paid special attention to the Ossetian language, as it originated from the languages of Europe.
Russian researcher D.L. Lavrov in his work “Historical Information about Ossetia and Ossetians” provides many details about the relationship between the Alans and this nation.
The largest Russian researcher late XIX century V.F. Miller published the book “Ossetian Sketches”, in which he proves the genetic relationship between these two peoples. The proof was that the names of the Caucasian Alans extended to the ancestors of the Ossetians. He considered the ethnonyms Alans, Os and Yases as belonging to the same people. He came to the conclusion that the ancestors of the Ossetians were part of the nomadic Sarmatian and Scythian tribes, and in the Middle Ages - Alanian.
Today, scientists adhere to the concept of the genetic relationship of Ossetians with the Alan tribes.
Etymology of the word
The meaning of the term “alan” is “guest” or “host”. Modern science adheres to V.I. Abaev’s version: the concept of “Alan” comes from the names of the ancient Aryans and Iranian Agua tribes. Another scientist, Miller, suggested the origin of the name from the Greek verb “to wander” or “to wander.”
What did the neighboring peoples call the Alans?
In ancient Russian chronicles, Alans are jars. So, in 1029 it is reported that Yaroslav defeated the Yasov tribe. In the chronicles, the Armenians use the same term - “Alans”, and the Chinese chronicles call them Alans.
Historical information
The history of the ancient Alans can be traced back to the 2nd century BC. e. in the territory Central Asia. They are later mentioned in ancient records from the middle of the first century. Their appearance in Eastern Europe is associated with the strengthening of the Sarmatian tribes.
After the defeat by the Huns, during the Great Migration, part of the tribe ended up in Gaul and North Africa, where, together with the Vandals, they formed a state that lasted until the 6th century. Another part of the Alans went to the foothills of the Caucasus. Gradually, partial assimilation of the Alan tribes took place. They have become ethnically heterogeneous, as evidenced by archaeological finds.
The fall of the Khazar Kaganate is associated with the unification of the Alan tribes into the early feudal state of Alania. Since this period, their influence in Crimea has been increasing.
After the merger of the Alans with Caucasian tribes they switched to farming and a sedentary lifestyle. This was the main factor in the formation of the early feudal state of Alanya. In the upper reaches of the Kuban, under the influence of Byzantium, there was West Side countries. Part of the “Great Silk Road” passed through its territory, which strengthened the Alans’ ties with the Eastern Roman Empire.
By the 10th century Alanya became a feudal state. Also at this time given people plays an important role in foreign policy relations between Byzantium and Khazaria.
By the 13th century, Alania had become a powerful and prosperous state, but after the Tatar-Mongols captured the Ciscaucasia plain, it fell and the population fled to the mountains Central Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The Alans began to assimilate with the local Caucasian population, but retained their historical identity.
Alans in Crimea: history of settlement
A few written sources talk about resettlement through the Kerch Strait to the territory of the Crimean Peninsula. The burial grounds found were of a design unknown to Crimea. Similar crypts were discovered in the Caucasus, where the Alans lived. The method of burial was also specific. There were 9 buried people in the crypt, and a sword was placed on the warrior’s head or shoulder. The tribes of the North Caucasus had the same custom. In addition to weapons, gold and silver jewelry were found in some burial grounds. These archaeological finds allow us to conclude that in the 3rd century AD. e. Part of the Alan tribes migrated to Crimea.
The Crimean Alans are practically not mentioned in written sources. Only by the 13th century different information about the Alans appeared. Researchers are of the opinion that such a long silence is not accidental. Most likely, in the 13th century, part of the Alans moved to Crimea. This may be due to the Tatar-Mongol invasion.
Archaeological data
The materials found in the Zmeysky burial ground confirm the data on the high culture of the Alans and developed trade relations between Iran, Russia and the countries of the East. Numerous finds of weapons confirm the information of medieval authors that the Alans had a developed army.
Also important factor the fall of the state became frequent avalanches in XIII-XIV centuries. Many settlements were destroyed, and the Alans settled down on the slopes. The final fall Alania was a consequence of Tamerlane's attack. Alans participated in Tokhtamysh's army. This was the largest battle in the history of the Golden Horde, which determined its position as great power.
Religion
The Alan religion was based on the Scythian-Sarmatian religious tradition. Like other tribes, the Alans' beliefs centered on the veneration of the sun and the hearth. In religious life there were such phenomena as “farn” - grace, and “ard” - oath. With the formation of statehood, polytheism was replaced by a single God (Khuytsau), and the remaining deities turned into the creature “avdiu”. Their functions and features eventually passed on to the saints surrounding the one God. The Alans believed that the Universe consists of three worlds. Therefore, the ternary division was present in the life of society: in the religious, economic and military spheres.
After the final transition to an agricultural way of life, the formation of the Scythian-Sarmatian union, the structure changed public life. The military nobility now ruled, not the shepherds. Hence the numerous tales about warrior knights. In such a society it was necessary to abandon the pagan pantheon and have one God. The royal power needed heavenly patron- an unattainable ideal that will unite different people. Therefore, the Alan king chose Christianity as the state religion.
Spread of religion
According to church traditions, the Alans became acquainted with Christianity in the first century. The disciple of Christ, Apostle Andrew the First-Called, preached in the Alanian city of Fust. Also, written sources report that Christianity was adopted by the Alans who visited Byzantium and Armenia. After the Great Migration, many Alans converted to Christianity. Since the 7th century, it spread widely throughout Alanya and became the state religion. This fact strengthened foreign policy and cultural connections with Byzantium. But until the 12th century, the eastern Alans remained pagans. They partially accepted Christianity, but were faithful to their gods.
After the establishment of the Golden Horde rule in the Caucasus, the construction of Muslim mosques began on the site Christian churches. Islam began to supplant the Christian religion.
Life
Alanya was located on part of the Great Silk Road, so trade and exchange were developed in it. Traders mainly traveled to Byzantium and Arab countries, but archaeological finds indicate that they also traded with the countries of Eastern Europe, Central and Central Asia.
The history of the Alans interests modern scientists. The people had a great influence on the states of Eastern Europe and Ossetians. And yet the information is not enough. The few essays on the history of the Alans do not allow us to draw conclusions about the origin of the people.
The dwellings of the Alans varied depending on social order. The settlements of the early Alans were practically no different from the settlements of the nomads of Eurasia. Gradually they moved from a semi-nomadic to a sedentary agricultural way of life.
Culture
About development material culture indicates the presence of burial grounds and settlements found in the Northern Donets and Northern Caucasus. Above-ground tombs and crypts, dolmens, and catacombs indicate the high development of Alan culture.
The settlements were fenced with slabs on which geometric patterns or images of animals were applied.
Alans were masters of jewelry art. This is confirmed by pendants made of gold and silver with semi-precious stones, figurines of warriors, and various brooches that decorated the clothes of the Alans.
Numerous amulets, toiletries, sabers, and clothes found in the Zmeysky burial ground indicate the heyday of the Alanian state.
In the 10th century, Alanya developed its own written language and heroic epic.
Tales
The Nart epic is the pinnacle of the Alan medieval art. He reflected long period the life of this people - from the early communal system to the fall of Alanya in the 14th century. Narts is a pseudonym for the creators of the epic, which they preserved in legends religious beliefs, life and public relations people. The Nart or Nart epic was formed among the Alans, and over time developed among the Georgian peoples. It is based on the adventures of warrior heroes. The tales intertwine reality and fiction. There is no chronological framework or description of events, but reality is reflected in the names of the areas where warriors’ battles take place. The motifs of the Nart epic reflect the life and beliefs of the Alans and Scythian-Sarmatians. For example, one of the legends describes how they tried to kill the old man Uryzmag - it was customary among the Alans and Scythians to kill old people for religious purposes.
Based on legends, the Narts divided society into three clans, which were endowed with special features: Borata - wealth, Alagata - wisdom, Akhsartaggata - courage. This corresponds to the social division of the Alans: economic (Borata owned the riches of the land), priestly (Alagata) and military (Akhsartaggata).
The plots of the Nart tales are based on the exploits of the main characters during a hike or hunt, matchmaking and revenge for the murder of their father. The legends also describe a dispute about the superiority of the Narts over each other.
Conclusion
Alans, Scythians, Sarmatians... The history of these peoples has a great influence on the Ossetians. We can say with confidence that the Alans influenced the formation of the Ossetian people. This is why the Ossetian language is different from other Caucasian languages. And yet, the few essays on the history of the Alans do not allow us to draw conclusions about the origin of the people.
In the 1st century BC. and I century. AD Representatives of the eastern Sarmatians appeared on the territory of modern Ukraine - the Aors and Alans. They are mentioned as inhabitants of the lands “north of the Ister” (i.e. the Danube) by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder and the philosopher Seneca.
In the 1st century BC. and I century. AD Representatives of the eastern Sarmatians appeared on the territory of modern Ukraine - the Aors and Alans. They are mentioned as inhabitants of the lands “north of the Ister” (i.e. the Danube) by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder and the philosopher Seneca. The migration of the Alans significantly changed the historical and ethnic picture of European Sarmatia. Under their pressure, the Iazyges went west, to the area between the Tisza and Danube rivers, and the new newcomers created a military-political association near the Roman borders, known in science as the “kingdom of Pharzoi and Inismey.” The names of these Sarmatian kings are placed on the coins of Olbia, which certain time was either under the protectorate of the Sarmatians or in alliance with them. The existence of an alliance of Alans in the neighborhood of Olbia and some connections between the Olviopolitans and Sarmatians is evidenced by the recently found fragment of an Olbian decree, which speaks of an embassy of the Olviopolitans to “Umabius... the greatest kings of Aorsia.” It is possible that the names of these kings that have not survived were the names of Farzoi and Inismey.
Etymology of the ethnonym “Alans” modern science considers as equivalent to the term “arya”, which corresponds to the general name of the ancient Indo-Iranian peoples, which, apparently, served as a unique national idea in a new tribal association. This ethnic unification was based on a common cultural, economic and ideological platform. It is no coincidence that already in the 2nd century, that is, immediately after the creation of the Alanian union, a single late Sarmatian (or Alanian) archaeological culture arose, distinguished by striking uniformity over wide areas from the Caucasus to Ukraine and the Volga region. The Alan era begins in the Northern Iranian world.
Pushed by the Alans to the west and south, the vanguard of the Sarmatian tribes encountered the zone of influence of the Roman Empire, which entailed not only a military confrontation with the latter, but in the future, cooperation with it (Fig. 26). Under the influence of the Sarmatian, advanced for its time military technology There is a complete change not only in weapons, but also in battle tactics in the Roman army. Sarmatian cataphracts - riders and horses clad in armor, would later become the prototype of medieval knights (Fig. 27). Already from the end of the 2nd century. AD Roksolan cavalry carries border service on British Isles, defending the borders of the empire from Celtic tribes rebellious to Rome. The influence of military art and culture of the Sarmato-Alans was felt by their neighbors Germanic tribes. Researchers have more than once drawn attention to the striking similarities between the Scythian-Sarmatian heritage, the British legend of King Arthur and the epic of the Ossetians, who represent one of the last ethnic fragments of the Scythian-Sarmato-Alans.
By the 2nd century. AD In the Far East of Asia, some serious movements of nomadic tribes took place, which was the beginning of the “Great Migration of Peoples”. The stable ethnic mass of Northern Iranians is beginning to be crowded by a young union of Turkic tribes, which has displaced many peoples from their homes. In the 3rd century. AD The Sarmato-Alans of the Northern Black Sea region collide with the Ostrogothic union of Germanic tribes, and already at the end of the 4th century. AD The hordes of the Huns, led by the formidable Attila, crossed the Volga and crushed the Gothic-Alan alliance, carrying most of it to Western Europe (Fig. 28). Thus, in the wake of the “Great Migration,” the Alans found their way to the north of Italy, into the territory of France and Spain. Pressed by the Huns, in alliance with the Visigoths and Vandals, they subsequently penetrated North Africa, to Carthage, where by the 6th century. their traces are lost (Fig. 29). But the memory remains. The ethnonym “Alan” became widespread in Europe not only in the form of a personal name, but also in toponymy. The rich spiritual heritage of the Northern Iranians has been preserved in the folklore and ethnoculture of those peoples with whom the Alans were brought together by historical fate.
The remaining part of the Alan ethnic massif in southern Russia was located in the foothills and mountain gorges of the Central Caucasus, constituting a significant military-political force at that time (Fig. 30). They began to develop early medieval statehood. Scientists noted that the simultaneous appearance in different parts of the Central Caucasus of the same type of burial structures can be considered as evidence of the formation within the borders of Alanya in the 6th-9th centuries. united cultural and ethnic community. It occupied most of the North Caucasus during the Middle Ages.
A significant group of North Caucasian Alans, through the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait) and the territory of the Bosporus Kingdom, moved to Crimea, where by the 4th century. n. e. Alan crypts became the dominant type of burial structures in the foothill Crimean burial grounds, excavated near the villages of Druzhnoe in the Simferopol region, Balanovo in the Belogorsk region and in other places. Some information about the settlement of Alans in Crimea can be extracted from written sources. Thus, in an anonymous description of the shores of the Black Sea, compiled in the 6th century. n. e., another name is given for Feodosia, which was deserted by that time - Ardabda (“seven-god”), which belongs to the “Alan, that is, Taurian language.” Many researchers believe that the name of the Crimean medieval city Sugdeya (modern Sudak) in the Alan language meant “pure, holy.” According to church tradition recorded in the 13th century, this city was founded in 212 AD.
In the North Caucasus, Alan settlements, most of them based on places previously inhabited in Koban, Scythian, and Sarmatian times, developed rapidly. One of these settlements, which has no domestic analogues in terms of the power of defensive structures, was discovered by archaeologists in the territory of the village of Zilga, not far from Vladikavkaz. Scientists have established that the Zilgin settlement existed in the 2nd – 5th centuries AD. e.
Alania is gradually gaining significant international weight. This was greatly facilitated by its military power and favorable geographical location. Important trade routes, as well as roads of military-strategic importance, passed through its territory. In the 6th century, the Great Silk Road route was laid through Alanya. Thanks to international trade, Alanya's treasury received considerable income and, in addition, it was able to establish close ties with many countries. Contemporaries considered Alanya a country full of “all kinds of blessings”, in which there is “a lot of gold and magnificent robes, noble horses and steel weapons, tempered with the blood of reptiles, chain mail and noble stones” (Fig. 31).
The Alans were engaged in cattle breeding and did not change the traditions of horse breeding. The country was also very rich in bread. Archaeologists have identified pits for storing grain, as well as sickles, grain grinders and mortars and pestles. The Alans, like the Scythians in their time, were good beekeepers. From honey they made an intoxicating drink - rong, which is widely mentioned in the Ossetian epic about the Narts.
The turbulent history of those years accelerated the early state processes that had begun. Participation in the Arab-Khazar wars, diplomatic and military cooperation with Byzantium and Georgia united the Alan military aristocracy, pushing it to socio-economic changes in society. At the beginning of the 10th century. Alanya officially accepts Christianity. Byzantine, Georgian and Arab chronicles note that the Alans had strong royal power, an extensive network of cities and fortresses, castles and churches (Fig. 32, 33). The description of medieval Alania is not much different from the description of contemporary Rus', Georgia, and Bulgaria.
Powerful medieval states they sought a political alliance with her, and their rulers considered it an honor to become related to the kings of Alania. The latter were related to the Byzantine emperors, Khazar, Georgian, Armenian, Abkhazian kings, ancient Russian princes. In the prestigious list of states with which Byzantium maintained diplomatic relations, Alania was located above Khazaria and Rus'. If the Georgian, Abkhaz and other Caucasian rulers received orders from the Byzantine emperor, then the king of Alania was recognized as an independent sovereign and was called his “spiritual son” (Fig. 33a, b).
At the same time, Alanya retains stable connections with the related population of the Northern Black Sea region, noted in ancient Russian chronicles under the ethnonym Yasy (Alans). At the same time, scientists record the final formation of the Nart epic of the Alan-Ossetians.
The Nart epic of the Ossetians is an outstanding cultural monument of Scythian antiquity and the Alanian Middle Ages (Fig. 34). In the form of myths, capturing the history of the ancient people, starting from the tribal system and ending with the tragedy that befell them as a result of the Mongol-Tatar invasion, it goes back to the era of the Aryans. Tales about the Narts, under whose name the creators of the epic themselves appear, figuratively reflect the model of the world, worldview, way of life and social structure of the ancestors of the Ossetians. The images of Nart heroes evoke associations with real-life historical heroes who followed the same code of honor. A real man is a valiant warrior who abstains from food and respects women. A warrior possessing these qualities is placed by the Narts at the highest level of the social ladder. They do not forgive insults and keep their word.
In historical chronicles of the V–VII centuries. Alans are often mentioned among the “literate” peoples. Information has been preserved that suggests that the church service was held in the Alanian language, and therefore, there were translations of theological literature. In particular, this is suggested by the words of the creator of the Slavic letter, Constantine the Philosopher (in monasticism, Cyril), dating back to the 9th century, who mentions the Alans among the peoples “who have writing and glorify God in their native language.”
Research in the 20th century led to the discovery of an interesting pattern. In the period from 800 to 1200. AD The peoples of Europe are experiencing intensive state building. During the same period, anomalous global warming climate, an increase in grain yields and a general economic takeoff, which once again confirms the connection between the history of mankind and the surrounding cosmos. But good times in history are always followed by years of trials. And sometimes you want to see the guiding hand in this.
Mongol-Tatar invasion of the XIII-XIV centuries. completely undermined the statehood of the Alans. The Alans were the first to fall under the wheel of the formidable conquerors, the first clash with whom occurred in 1222. It ended in the defeat of the Alans (deceived by their allies - the Polovtsian khans), but not in their conquest. After his death, the countless army of Genghis Khan was led by his grandson, Batu, who in 1238 began to conquer Alanya. He besieged its capital for three months in 1239, and in the end the city of Magas fell (Fig. 35, a). However, this sad event did not bring the Alan princes to their senses and did not prompt them to leave their strife and stand up as a wall for their country. As a result, despite the desperate resistance of its inhabitants, Alanya was destroyed piece by piece. On its territory, the Mongol-Tatar state of the Golden Horde was created, which included the conquered Alan principalities.
One part of the Alans, having fortified themselves in the narrow gorges of mountainous Alania, tirelessly harassed the conquerors, raiding their settlements, while the other left their homeland forever. For example, Hungarian jars owe their origin to this outcome. Scientists also noted that starting from the 13th century. Crimean Alans or Ases are mentioned many times in written sources. The last ethnonym (name of the people) is rightfully compared with the Yases (as Alans were called in Russian chronicles) and is therefore identified with the Alans. The sudden discovery of the Crimean Alans by the authors of medieval works against the background of the previous long silence is hardly accidental. It seems that Crimea came from the North Caucasus around the beginning of the 13th century. Some group of Alans moved. Purely hypothetically, based only on the coincidence of dates, it can be assumed that this migration occurred as a result of or in connection with the threat of the Mongol-Tatar invasion.
In the first half of the 13th century. Christian missionary Bishop Theodore, on the way to North Caucasian Alania, arrived by sea in Kherson (as it was called in the Middle Ages ancient Chersonesos, the ruins of which are located near modern Sevastopol). Pursued by enemies, he fled and found shelter in an Alan village located not far from the city. “Alans live near Kherson, as much by their own free will as by the wishes of the Kherson people, like a kind of fence and security of the city,” writes Theodore. A little higher he calls these Alans “small”. Theodore's information seems especially reliable in light of the fact that he eventually reached Caucasian Alania and was therefore able to compare the inhabitants of the Crimea and the Caucasus. Probably as a result of this comparison, he called the Crimean Alans “small”, in contrast to the much more numerous, but related inhabitants of the North Caucasus. Thanks to the testimony of Theodore, it becomes clear that the Alans concentrated in the South-Western Crimea, where they guarded the approaches to Kherson.
The most important evidence about the Crimean Alans belongs to the Arab geographer of the 14th century. Abu al-Fide (Abulfeda). “Kerker or Kerkri... is... located... in the country of the Aesir, his name means forty people in Turkish; it is a fortified castle, difficult to access; he rests on a mountain that cannot be climbed. At the top of the mountain there is a square where the inhabitants of the country (in times of danger) find refuge. This castle is some distance from the sea; the inhabitants belong to the Ases tribe... Kerker is located north of Sary-Kermen; between these two places is one day's journey." Thanks to fairly accurate topographical indications, none of the researchers doubt that Kerker (often called Kyrk-Or by other authors) is the famous “cave city” of Chufut-Kale, located near modern Bakhchisarai. Some late medieval Arab and Turkic-speaking authors called Kherson Sary-Kermen. Thus, it turns out that the Alans, as in the 13th century, inhabited the South-Western Crimea and possessed one of the most powerful fortresses on the peninsula.
The same thing was written about at the beginning of the 15th century. Arab geographer Al-Kashkaidi, and in the 18th century. - Turkish historian Aali-Efeidi.
In the Caucasus, the fate of the Alans developed tragically. Having stormed the capital of Alanya, the Mongols occupied it foothill areas. After them, devastation and civil strife began, well known to us by analogy with Russian history. The Mongols skillfully poisoned one people against another, dividing them and conquering them. But the Alans more than once tried to free themselves from the Mongol yoke by raising uprisings. The center of one of them was the large Alan city of Dedyakov. However, all performances ended in failure.
At the end of the 14th century, on the Alan lands there was grand battle between the Golden Horde and the Central Asian conqueror Timur. Timur defeated Tokhtamysh, the khan of the Golden Horde, and then turned his sword against the Alans, completing the process of genocide of a huge people, finally undermining the Alan statehood. An unheard of disaster befell the ancient people advanced civilization(Fig. 36). It has lost its former level of economic and social development. It was as if he did not have crowded cities and lively trade. It was as if he had just dreamed of his single mighty power, and the vast expanses of mountains and plains, their countless riches. Knocked out of the usual circle of advanced countries of that time and isolated from them, he was also limited in his internal connections. Locked in the mountain gorges and forgotten by everyone, he had to start all over again. A dark period of survival and a difficult struggle for existence dragged on. There is no time leftovers strong people entrenched in their last territory - in the mountain gorges of the Central Caucasus, recorded by Georgian chronicles as “axes”, and from the 18th century. Russians as “Ossetians” have preserved to this day their unique Northern Iranian language and their unique thousand-year-old culture (Fig. 37, a).
It should be noted that the Alan diaspora in Hungary preserved its language and culture until the 18th century, and the Crimean Alans will live until late Middle Ages, inhabiting two regions of Crimea. One of them - densely populated with a center in Kyrk-Ore - Chufut-Kale - is localized in the South-Western Crimea, the other, less significant - in the south-eastern part of the peninsula. Separate groups of Alans settled in the Crimean steppe. In the 16th century, after the capture of Crimea by the Turks, the Alans apparently took part in the ethnogenesis of the Crimean Greeks and Crimean Tatars (mountain ethnographic group), lost their ethnic characteristics and ceased to exist as an ethnos.
An ancient Ossetian song dedicated to the sad events of the past has brought to this day the amazing image of Zadaleski Nana, who saved orphaned children from “Timur’s nimble armies.” Exhausted from adversity, the hunched old woman gathered them together, hid them in a cave and, “protecting them from beasts and enemies,” raised them. The song calls her the Mother from Zadalesk, but she is seen as the Great Mother Ossetia-Alania, who was bled dry by the blows of fate, but whose spirit remained unbroken.
From the book by V. Tsagaraev “The Golden Apple Tree of the Narts”)
www.anaharsis. ru
Alans. Who are they?
M. I. ISAEV, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences .
From the preface to the Russian edition of Vernard S. Bachrach's book "Alans in the West." (Original: “A history of the Alans in the West”, by Bernard S. Bachrach)
Peoples are like people. Just as each person has his own biography, any ethnic group has a history unique to it.
There is one similarity between personality and ethnicity. For more complete identification of a person, along with his name, the patronymic is usually called, that is, the name of the father, and in some nations, the name of the son (or daughter). In the same way, scientists strive to identify the ancestor of the people being studied and their descendants (if they themselves have already sunk into oblivion as an ethnos).
Fortunately, scientists have sufficient information about the Alans so that they can be considered in a single succession chain: Scythians - Alans - Ossetians.
Scythians
A child announces his birth with an energetic cry, and the Scythians marked their arrival into the fold of history with the boom of galloping cavalry, by war with the Cimmerians, who were driven out by them by the 7th century. BC e. from populated areas in the vast Northern Black Sea region. In the next century, they made victorious campaigns in Asia Minor, conquering Media, Syria, and Palestine. However, after a few decades, they were forced out of there by the recovered Medes.
There is no exact data on the settlement of the Scythians during different periods of their history. It has only been established that they settled mainly in the steppes between the lower reaches of the Danube and Don, including the steppe Crimea and areas adjacent to the Northern Black Sea region.
According to the father of history, Herodotus, the Scythians were divided into several large tribes. The predominant position among them was occupied by the so-called “ royal Scythians", who lived in the steppes between the Dniester and Don. Scythian nomads lived along the right bank of the lower Dnieper and in the steppe Crimea. Not far from them and interspersed with them, Scythian farmers settled.
The Scythians had a tribal union that resembled a slave-owning state. They carried on an intensive trade in livestock, grain, furs and slaves.
The power of the Scythian king was hereditary and deified. However, it was limited to the so-called union council and people's assembly.
As often happens, wars greatly contributed to the political unity of the Scythians. In this regard, their campaign in 512 BC played an important role in the consolidation of the Scythians. e. to Persia, which at that time was ruled by King Darius I. By the 40s of the 4th century. BC e. The Scythian king Atey, having eliminated his rivals, completes the unification of all Scythia from the Sea of Azov to the Danube.
About the heyday of the Scythians by the 4th century. BC. evidenced by the appearance in Transnistria of grandiose mounds, the so-called “royal mounds” - up to 20 m high.
They had deep and complex structures, in which kings or their closest associates were buried. In the rich burial grounds there were copper, silver and gold utensils, dishes, as well as Greek painted ceramics, amphorae with wine, and fine jewelry made by Scythian and Greek craftsmen.
End of the 4th century BC e. considered the beginning of the fall of the Scythians.
In 339 BC. Scythian king-unifier Atey dies in the war with the Macedonian king Philip II. And by the end of the same century, related tribes of the Sarmatians were advancing from across the Danube, significantly displacing the Scythians, who were now concentrated mainly in the Crimea and the lower reaches of the Dnieper.
Here are the Scythians in the 2nd century. BC e. acquire a second wind and subjugate Olbia and some possessions of Chersonesos, actively trading bread and other products on the foreign market. Perhaps the last rise in the power of the Scythians occurred in the second half of the 1st century. already AD. Then there is a gradual decline in the importance of the Scythians in the historical arena.
The Scythian kingdom, centered in Crimea, existed until the second half of the 3rd century. AD, when it was defeated by the Goths. From this time on, a gradual attenuation of the independence of the Scythians and their ethnic identity began, and they mostly dissolved among the tribes of the Great Migration of Peoples.
However, the “Scythian trace” did not disappear, as sometimes happens with ethnic groups.
Firstly. The Scythians made an invaluable contribution to artistic culture humanity. Of particular interest are products decorated in the so-called “animal style”. These are the linings of scabbards and quivers, sword handles, parts of bridle sets, and women's jewelry.
The Scythians depicted entire scenes of animal fights, but they achieved particular brilliance in showing the figures of individual animals, the most favorite of which is considered to be the deer.
Secondly. The Scythians as an ethnic group did not disappear without a trace, since, according to competent scientists, their direct descendants were the Alans, no less famous in history, to which we now turn.
Alans
Just as a young man snatches a sword from the weakening hand of his warrior father and continues his work, in the last century BC. From among the semi-nomadic Scythian-Sarmatian population of the Northern Caspian region, Don and Ciscaucasia, energetic Alans emerged and rushed on their fast horses to the south, and then to the west.
As if led genetic memory their Scythian and Sarmatian ancestors, they made victorious campaigns in the Crimea, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, and Media. Some of the Alans, together with the Huns, took part in the Great Migration of Peoples and reached Spain through Gaul North Africa. At the same time (first half of the 1st century AD), another part of the Alans approached the foothills of the Caucasus, where, under their leadership, a powerful union of Alan and local Caucasian tribes was formed, called “Alania”.
There is a partial settlement of the Alan nomads, who begin farming and pastoralism.
It has been established that in the VIII-IX centuries. Feudal relations arose among the Alans, and they themselves became part of the Khazar Khaganate. In the IX-X centuries. Alans create an early feudal state and play an important role in external relations Khazaria and Byzantium. From there Christianity penetrates them.
Medieval Alans created their own original art. They painted specific geometric patterns and images of animals and people on stones and hewn slabs. Concerning applied arts, then it is represented mainly by jewelry made of gold and silver, stones or glass, and jewelry.
The Alans also developed cast bronze images of humans and animals. Alan art reached its peak in the 10th-12th centuries, as evidenced by numerous objects found in the Zmeysky burial ground (North Ossetia). Among them are clothes, scabbards of sabers, a unique gilded horse guard in the form of a female half-figure, ornamented gilded plaques, etc. There is strong evidence that during the heyday of the original Alan culture they had writing in Greek script (Zelenchuk inscription on a gravestone, 941). ). In the same era, the world-famous Nart epic arose among the Alans, which later spread also among some neighboring peoples.
The existence of Alania as a powerful state was interrupted at the moment of its highest prosperity by the invasion of the Mongol-Tatar hordes, which finally captured the entire plain of Ciscaucasia (1238-1239). The remnants of the Alans went into the gorges of the mountains of the Central Caucasus and Transcaucasia, partially assimilated with the Caucasian-speaking and Turkic-speaking tribes, but retained their continuity with the Alans. They were reborn under the names Yassy, Ossy, Ossetians.
Ossetians
Deprived of the power and glory of their Alan ancestors, the Ossetian tribes disappeared from the arena of history for five long centuries.
During this entire period, everyone seemed to have forgotten about them - no one remembers them in any treatises. That is why the first travelers - Caucasian scholars of modern times - when faced with the Ossetians, were at a loss: what kind of people are they that are not like their neighbors of the “Caucasian and Turkic races”? Appeared different hypotheses their origin.
The famous European scientist and traveler Academician Gyldenstedt, who visited the Caucasus in 1770 and 1773, put forward a theory of the origin of the Ossetians from the ancient Polovtsians. He found similarities between some Ossetian names and Polovtsian ones.
Later, in the first half of the 19th century, another travel scientist, Haxthausen, substantiated the theory of the Germanic origin of the Ossetians. He proceeded from the fact of the coincidence of individual Ossetian words with the Germans, as well as from the commonality of a number of cultural and everyday objects among these peoples. The scientist believed that the Ossetians were the remnants of the Goths and other Germanic tribes, defeated by the Huns, who survived in the Caucasus.
Somewhat later, the scientific world learned about the third theory of the formation of this people. It belongs to the famous European traveler and ethnologist Pfaff, according to whom the Ossetians are of mixed Iranian-Semitic origin. He believed that the Ossetians were the result of a mixture of Semites and Aryans.
The initial argument for the scientist was the external similarity he discovered between many highlanders and Jews. In addition, he also found some common features both peoples. For example: a) the eldest son remains with his father and obeys him in everything; b) the brother is obliged to marry the wife of the deceased brother (the so-called “levirate”); c) with a legal wife, it was possible to also have “illegal” ones, etc. However, with the development of science, in particular comparative ethnology, it became known that similar phenomena were also observed among many other peoples.
Unlike sports, where the required result is achieved in three attempts, in this case the scientists “hit the mark” on the fourth try.
In the first half of the 19th century. the famous European traveler J. Klaproth expressed the hypothesis of the Iranian origin of the Ossetians. Following him, in the middle of the same century, the Russian academician Andrei Sjögren, using extensive linguistic material, proved once and for all the correctness of this point of view.
The point here is not only the level of development of science. As it turns out, the most important determinant of an ethnic group is language. It is not for nothing that the classification of peoples is also based on linguistic criteria.
This means that the genetic classifications of languages and peoples (ethnic groups) almost completely coincide...
Analysis of the linguistic material of Academician Sjögren (“the father of Ossetian studies”) helped determine not only the origin of the Ossetians, but also their place in the Iranian branch of the most extensive Indo-European family of peoples. But this is not enough. Language turned out to be a kind of mirror in which the entire history of its speakers is reflected. As the wonderful Russian poet P. A. Vyazemsky said:
Language is the confession of the people,
His nature is heard in him,
His soul and life are dear...
This property is especially important for peoples who did not have ancient written traditions.
The fact is that many nations have important information about their history in the written sources of ancient eras. Among unliterate people, to a certain extent they are replaced by language, from the history of which scientists pave the way to the history of the people themselves.
Thus, according to the language data, the main contours of the history of the Ossetian people for almost four thousand years have been reliably established.
Scientists have determined that Ossetian turned out to be one of the most archaic languages as part of the huge Indo-European family of languages, whose speakers appeared on the arena of history back in the 2nd millennium BC. and continuously play an ever-increasing role in it. As is known, this family of peoples included and includes: the ancient Hittites, Romans, Greeks, Celts; Indians, Slavic, Germanic and Romance peoples; Albanians and Armenians.
At the same time, it was established that Ossetian belongs to the Iranian group of Indo-European languages, which also includes languages such as Persian, Afghan, Kurdish, Tajik, Tat, Talysh, Baluchi, Yaghnobi, Pamir languages and dialects. This group also included dead languages: Old Persian and Avestan (approximately VI-IV centuries BC), as well as Saka, Pahlavi, Sogdian and Khorezmian, called “Central Iranian”.
Thanks to the evidence of linguistic data in the works of the largest academician Iranian-Ossetian scholars V.F. Miller and V.I. Abaev, the immediate ancestors of the Ossetians were also established. The closest of them chronologically are medieval tribes Alans, and “distant” - Scythians and Sarmatians of the 8th-7th centuries. BC. - IV-V centuries. AD
Having discovered direct continuity along the line of Scythians - (Sarmatians) - Alans - Ossetians, scientists have found the keys to unlocking the secrets of the largely mysterious Scythians and Alans.
The linguistic material of the Scythian-Sarmatian world, which stretched over a vast space from the Danube to the Caspian Sea, is preserved in several thousand toponymic names and proper names. They are found in the writings of ancient hysterics and Greek inscriptions, found mainly on the site of old Greek colony-cities: Tanaids, Gorgipgia, Panticapaeum, Olbia, etc.
The absolute majority of Scythian-Sarmatian words are recognized through the modern Ossetian language (just as, say, ancient Russian vocabulary is recognized by us through the vocabulary of the modern Russian language). For example, the names of the rivers Dnieper, Dniester, Don, dating back to the Scythian era, are deciphered through the Ossetian language, in which don means “water”, “river” (hence the Dnieper - “ deep river", Dniester - " big river", Don - "river").
The very meager linguistic material remaining from the Alans is all the more fully explained from the modern Ossetian language, more precisely, from its more archaic Digor variety.
However, the Ossetians, having formed as a people already in the Caucasus, experienced significant influence from the Turkic and Iberocaucasian peoples. This affected the language, the “second nature” of which is rightly called “Caucasian”.
The mixing of the Iranian element with the Caucasian element also affected the racial identity of the people (which scientists now define as “Balkan-Caucasian”), not to mention the culture. In the life, rituals, and customs of the Ossetians, the Caucasian element gained almost complete victory over Iranian. Only special scientific research makes it possible in some cases to reveal traces of Iranianness under the “Caucasian layer.”
In the religious views of the people there is a bizarre interweaving of various beliefs: Christian, Muslim and pagan.
Most Ossetians are considered adherents of Orthodoxy, which penetrated them back in the 6th-7th centuries. from Byzantium, later from Georgia, and from the 18th century. From Russia. A minority are adherents of Islam, the influence of which penetrated to the Ossetians mainly from the Kabardians in the 17th-18th centuries. Both religions did not take deep roots among the Ossetians and often replaced each other in certain places. In addition, like grass through the asphalt, pagan beliefs often seeped through Christian and Muslim dogmas, destroying and leveling the characteristics of the two “world religions.”
The religious institutions of the Ossetians have undergone the most significant degradation over the years Soviet power. Churches and mosques were damaged, which were closed almost everywhere and partially destroyed. Only in the last 3-4 years has there been a revival of both religions, as well as pagan cult rituals.
Nowadays there is a deepening interest in the historical roots of the people, in the world famous Nart epic of the Ossetians, which captures the poetic image of the people, historical facts, and realities. It was the epic that became the moral university of the newly-literate people. Passing it on from mouth to mouth, Ossetians from generation to generation affirmed in the minds of young people such moral values as honesty, hard work, respect for guests, women, and elders. The epic glorifies love of freedom, daring and courage. It is no coincidence that many associate the following phenomenal fact in the “biography of the people” with the influence of the Nart epic. According to absolutely official and published statistical data, the Ossetians were in first place among the peoples of the former USSR in terms of such indicators as the number of generals, heroes of the Soviet Union, commanders and recipients in general (in proportion to the size of the nation) in the Second World War. As they say, you can’t erase words from a song...
In the formation of the current appearance of the nation, in addition to the discovery of its own potential, comprehensive contacts with neighboring peoples, and especially with the Russians, played a huge role.
It is characteristic that centuries-old Ossetian-Russian relations have always (including the Alan era) been peaceful and fruitful, which was a significant factor in the economic and cultural progress of Ossetia.
Suffice it to say that the formation of Ossetian writing is associated with the name Russian academician A. Sjögren; founder of Ossetian literary language And fiction Kosta Khetagurov (1859-1906) received an excellent education at the Russian Art Academy in St. Petersburg.
Dozens and hundreds of students from Russian universities played a significant role in the development of Ossetian culture, as well as Ossetians - officers of the Russian army. They were the pioneers of the creation of a national Ossetian school and press.
Ossetian-Russian multifaceted contacts especially intensified after Ossetia became part of Russia. This act occurred in two stages. In 1774, North Ossetia's request to be accepted into Russia was granted, and in 1801, South Ossetia joined Russia, so that the unity of Ossetia continued to be preserved.
Ossetia joined Russia as indivisible. Of the three Ossetian ambassadors, two were southerners.
However, this unity was shaken in the early 20s due to the “disengagement” of two union republics - the RSFSR and Georgian SSR. Initially, the main obstacle to intensive contacts between the two parts of the united Ossetian nation was, perhaps, only the mountains. But gradually the Georgian authorities began to implement Stalin’s well-known “Marxist thesis” that “North Ossetians will assimilate with the Russians, and southern Ossetians with the Georgians.”
The matter was set in such a way that this “predestination” was put into practice as soon as possible. Even the alphabet of South Ossetians at one time (from 1938 to 1954) was transferred to Georgian graphics. Quite often they began to add a Georgian ending to Ossetian surnames -shvili. Resistance to massive Georgianification was suppressed in the most brutal way: with the label “nationalist,” “saboteur,” or “enemy of the people,” hundreds and hundreds of South Ossetians ended up in prison.
Some “easing” has occurred since the mid-50s. For example, a single Ossetian alphabet was restored for South Ossetians, many “nationalists” and “enemies of the people” returned to their homeland. Contacts between the two parts of Ossetia, as well as with Ossetians scattered in other regions of the country and the world, have intensified.
The majority of Ossetians populate central part Caucasus and are located on both sides of the Main Caucasus Range. Its branches, running from Mount Sanguta-Khokh to the southeast, divide Ossetia into two parts: the larger, Northern, and the smaller, Southern. North Ossetia forms a republic within the Russian Federation, in which other compact groups of Ossetians also live, in particular in the Stavropol Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Karachay-Cherkessia. In Georgia, in addition to South Ossetia, numerous groups of Ossetians live in the city of Tbilisi and a number of districts. Many Ossetians live in Turkey and the Arab countries of the Middle East.
The total number of Ossetians in former USSR reaches 580 thousand people. (according to 1985 data). Of these, approx. 300 thousand live in North Ossetia and 65.1 thousand in South Ossetia. In total, more than 160.5 thousand people live in Georgia. It must be emphasized that the division of Ossetians into northern and southern has always been considered a purely geographical phenomenon. However, the political events of our century are turning it into an administrative one.
The fact is that, by the corresponding laws of the Soviet authorities, the South Ossetians received autonomy as part of the Georgian Union Republic, and the northern ones - as part of the Russian one. With the collapse of the USSR, two parts of one nation found themselves in two states. This is all the more absurd because a few years ago the centuries-old dream of the Ossetians came true - a highway was built and is operating through a tunnel in the Main Caucasus Range, i.e. and geographically connected two parts of a single living organism of a single nation. Things were moving towards its unification (following the reunification of the two parts of Vietnam and Germany). However, fate had its own way...
The collapse of the USSR led to the formation of independent states on the basis of the Russian and Georgian republics. The Georgian authorities, relying on nationalist forces, interrupted the process of unification of Ossetia, the resistance of the South Ossetian people is suppressed by force... The blood of an innocent freedom-loving people is being shed.
Nowadays, there is a time of bloody lawlessness against the Ossetians, as well as some other peoples. They say that all happy people are alike, but every sufferer suffers in his own way...
Peoples really look like people. They work, they suffer, they hope. The hopes of the Ossetian nation are connected with the democratization of all aspects of social life, which should lead to strict observance of human rights and individual rights. And any people is also an individual.
In our time - a time of general devastation and destruction of familiar forms of life - every nation is looking for spiritual support in its roots, its history. Ossetians turn their attention first of all to their closest ancestors - the Alans, who became famous throughout the world for their daring and valor, outstanding achievements in economy and culture.
In this plan vital importance has the publication of objective historical evidence. The work of Bernard S. Bachrach is rich in just such things, the translation of which will undoubtedly be met with interest by a wide readership who wants to know as much as possible about the Alans - the famous ancestors of the Ossetians and the descendants of the no less glorious Scythians and Sarmatians.
"Treasures of the Scythian burial mounds" on
History of the Don and the North Caucasus