5- How Sataney and Lhepsch fell out with one another

(The original is in Kabardian. First cycle, tale no. 26, pp. 156-8 in The Narts: Circassian Epos. Vol. 1. Asker Hedeghalh'e. Maikop: The Circassian Research and Science Institute, 1968)

  Lady Satanay was the only person entrusted with cutting the umbilical cords for the Narts. When the Narts had a girl they let Lady Satanay wash her, so that some of her beauty would rub on the new-born. When they had a baby boy, they let Lady Satanay educate the child and give him council and advice, so that he would grow up to be intelligent and sagacious.

  Lady Satanay heard that Vaqwe Dane called her a "bitch". She refused to cut her grandchild's umbilical cord when he was born. She also declined to teach the baby. "Let the bitch's grandchild remain a numbskull!" Satanay cast her aspersion.

  "How could I stay in this world with the bitch's curse hanging over my head?!" Vaqwe Dana said. She took her grandchild and set off. She kept going and going. She came across red-haired Theghelej (the god of crops and agriculture in the Circassian Pantheon). Theghelej was counting the holes for white corn plants and husking the ears in a stubble-field. Vaqwe Dana begged:

  -  Red-haired Theghelej, I would be at your beck and call for ever and ay, if only you instruct my daughter's child and cultivate his intellect.
  -  I could only give him some plant seeds, if he so desires.

  Vaqwe Dana moved away and continued on her journey. She met Amisch (god of cattle). Amisch, whose leg hairs were as shaggy as those of a bear, was sitting on a hillock bending ram horns and singing an ancient aria. Vaqe Dana beseeched him:

  Amisch, whose leg hairs are as shaggy as those of a bear, I would be in your debt for eternity, if you impart wit to my grandchild.
  -  I will give him what he needs to set up his own herd of cattle.

  Vaqwe Dana turned away and resumed her quest. She met Waschx'we, piece of grey rock. She pleaded with him:

  -  Waschx'we, piece of grey rock, I would be your servant for all time to come, if you educate my grandchild.

  Waschx'we, piece of grey rock sneezed, emitted lightning and disappeared in a trice.

  Vaqwe Dana, stomaching yet another failure, went to Lhepsch (the god of the smiths). Lhepsch the Lame was busy forging metal in his smithy, down below. She beckoned him come up, and pleaded earnestly:

  Lhepsch the blacksmith, bestow knowledge on my grandchild, and I would be your slave forever.

  -  If he wants a weapon, I would make it for him.

  -  Please respect my wishes. Do as I beg of you. Do not give satisfaction to my enemy.

  -  Come along, if you want to respect my wishes, we'll go to Satanay, and I will intercede on your behalf.

  -  No, no! The curse of the Alij family is on me.

  -  Very well.

  Lhepsch took Vaqwe Dana's grandson by the hand, and led him down to his smithy. He placed the child in front of him and started to instruct and teach him. When he finished, he gave back the child to his grandmother.

  Vaqwe Dana left the presents that she had brought along, and went back to her village in an ecstatic mood.

  Lady Satanay came to hear that lhepsch had instructed Vaqwe Dana's grandchild. She was beside herself with anger. She went to Lhepsch's smithy and gave him a piece of her mind:

  -  What you have done is absolutely outrageous! Has it fallen to your lot to educate the child of the Vaqwe clan, you, whose coal-face is oozing with filthy smelted iron? Why do you stick your nose in other people's affairs? Why do you interfere in my business?!

  Lhepsch just laughed and went into his smithy. Then he took his hammer and started to hit his anvil making a thunderous sound:

  -  A bad start presages an even worse conclusion to this affair.

  Satanay became even more outraged, and she cursed thus:

  -  May the child educated by Lhepsch become dim-witted! May he fail to carry out the instructions he has received! May his endeavours prove futile, and may his toasts turn into curses!


I include the original transliterated in a latinized Kabardian alphabet.
Seteney Gwaschere Lhepschre zerizeschihar
  Nartxe binzhepiwipsch'u ya'er Seteney-gwaschet. Nartxe bzilhxwghe qasch'ex'weme, Seteney-gwasche yiragheghepsk't "daxe x'wn schhech'e" - zha'ertiy. Nartxe x'w qasch'ex'wame, Setteney-gwasche yiragheghe'wscht, "gwbzighe x'wn schhech'e" - zha'ertiy.

  Vaqwe Dane Seteney schhech'e "hebz" zhiy'awe zexiyxizhatiy, abi yi px'wrilhxwm yi binzhe piywipsch'iniy, yighe'wschiniy yidaqim: "Fiz psezchim yi px'wrilhxwp schhediqiu qireyne! - zhiy'ariy.

  -  Alijxe ya hebzim yi gibzer qisteyxwawe mi duneyishxwem siteytin?! - zhiy'eriy Vaqwe Dana yi px'wrilhxwr yiriyshezchasch. K'wem, k'wewre Vaqwe Dane Theghelej tsipeplhim xwezasch. Theghelejir xw nap'e yebzhu, schhemizh yi'wetre yighelhalhew pxafem yistiy, Vaqwe Daner yelhe'wasch:

  -  Theghelej tsipeplh, schhewzih sipxwx'w! Siy px'wrilhxwr sxweghe'wsch, sxwewschiy!

  -  Meshipx'e xweyme yestinsch, - zhiy'asch Theghelejim.

  Vaqwe Dana 'wiyghezich'izhriy yezchezhasch. K'wem-k'wewre Amisch xwezasch. Amischu mische lhebitser 'waschhe gwerim teyst t'ibzche qiygheshre weredisch qiriyshu. Vaqwe Dane yelhe'wasch abi:

  -  Amischu mische lhebitse, schhewzih sipxwx'w, siy px'wrilhxwr sxweghe'wsch, sxwewschiy!
  -  X'wpx'e xweym yestinsch, - zhey'e Amischiy.

  Vaqwe Dane 'weyghezich'izhriy yozchezh. K'wem-k'wewre Waschx'we mivaschx'we ch'anem xwozeriy yolhe'w:

  -  Waschx'we mivaschx'we ch'ane, schhewzih sipxwx'w, siy px'wrilhxwr sxweghe'wsch, sxwewschiy!

  Waschx'we mivaschx'we ch'aner qeyps, qex'wepsch'riy 'wch'izhasch.

  Ar schimix'wm Vaqwe Dane triydzeriy Lhepsch deyzh k'wasch. Lhepsch lhashew ch'ischim sch'ettiy, qisch'iyshriy yelhe'wasch:

  -  Ghwch'e Lhepsch, schhewzih sipxwx'w, siy px'wrilhxwr sxweghe'wsch, sxwewschiy.
  -  'esche xweyme xwessch'insch, - zhiy'asch Lhepsch.
  -  Siy ts'ixwbzighem yi hetir qelhaghw, siy zhaghweghw wimighegwf'e.
  -  Nak'we, siy hetir qiylhaghwme, Seteney sipxweylhe'wnsch.
  -  Hewe, hewe! Alijxe ya gibze steylhsch.
  -  X'wnsch t'e, - zhiy'asch, Vaqwe Dane yi px'wrilhxwm yi 'er yubidriy ch'ischim sch'iyshasch yi gwpe yiriyghewveriy, yighe'wschasch, yiwschiyriy qiriytizhasch.

  Vaqwe Dane tighe qiyhaxer qiyghaneriy gwf'ew k'wezhasch.

  Ar we zhip'a, se zhic'a - stmiy Seteney-gwaschem deyzh nesizhasch "Vaqwe Dane yi px'wrilhxwr Lhepsch yighe'wschasch, yischiyasch", - zha'eriy.

  "Ye'im-ye'!" - zhiy'eriy Seteney gwbzchawe Lhepsch deyzh qesasch.

  -  Arqimiy arqim, wiy nek'wr f'amisch're ghwsch' f'eyr qipch'erit'et'u Vaqwexe ya sch'alem yi ghe'wschin yi psche qiynat we? Wiy mi'wexw schhe zeypxwere, siy 'wexw schhe yiqixe'ebre?!

  Lhepsch diheshxriy sch'ihezhasch ch'schim. Yit'ane yi wader qiyschteriy 'ewelhaweshxwe yiriyghesch'u sijim yewew sch'iydzasch:

  -  Ar ziy qeyghezchech'em yi ch'em f'i qiriyk'wenqim. Siyzizheghwenim zexiywix, - zhiy'eriy, Seteney nex'riy gwbzchriy bgasch:

  -  Lhepsch yighe'wschir schhemiqiu, yi psalhe mizasch'ew, yisch'er mix'wu, yi x'wex'wr gibzew duneym tireyt! - zhiy'eriy.


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