A Year Among the Circassians


Book Description

Reprint of the original, first published in 1840.




Twice a Minority: Kosovo Circassians in the Russian Federation


Book Description

This book tells thestory of 64 Circassian families who during the Kosovo conflictin 1989/99 migrated from the Field of Blackbirds to the Republic ofAdygheya in the Russian North Caucasus, their historical "homeland". It focuseson the identification process among the Kosovo Circassians before andafter this migration. In her approach, Marieta Schneider challengesthe nationalist assumptions of a non-conflicting relationship betweenidentity, ethnicity and culture and demonstrates the impact of theminority status on the identity formation of thisethnic community. By comparing national and minority politics both inex-Yugoslavia and in the USSR/Russian Federation, the author highlightsthe role linguistic, religious, cultural and social "boundaries"played in this process. The book provides new insights for thosewho study minority politics and identification processes in the Balkans, in theSoviet Union and in the post-Soviet realm.




The Circassian Diaspora in Turkey


Book Description

A North Caucasian ethnic group that has been largely obscured in world history as a result of their expulsion from their homeland by Tsarist Russia in the 1860s, Circassians now comprise significant communities not only in the Northwest Caucasus but also in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Europe and the US. The Circassian Diaspora investigates how a community of impoverished migrants has evolved into a well-connected and politically active diaspora. This book explores the prominent role Circassians played during the Turco-Greek War or the "Turkish National Liberation War of 1919-1922," and examines the changing nature of Circassians’ relations with the Turkish and Russian states, as well as the new actors of Caucasian politics such as the US, the EU, and Georgia. Suggesting that the Circassian case should be studied alongside those of the Jews, Armenians and other diasporas whose formation is fundamentally tied up to a violent detachment from their homeland, and arguing that Circassian diaspora politics is not a post-Soviet phenomenon but has a history dating back to early 20th Century, this book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of Diaspora Studies, History, and Politics.







Adyghe Khabze


Book Description

This book "Adyghe Khabze" is about the customs and traditions of the Adyghe (Circassian) people, who are one of the oldest people in the world with a unique language and distinctive culture, appeared larger than life in the historical arena of the world in far distant times, survived the ancient civilizations of the Babylonians, Assyrians and Hittites and contributed to the world culture the Heroic Nart Epics, the Promethean Spirit and the world renowned Maikop Culture. Their rituals, customs and traditions, which are described in this book, are actually their ancient unwritten code of life and honor, Adyghe Khabze, and deal with such vital human qualities as kindness, compassion, honor and conscience. Those who follow them seriously, whether they are Adyghes or not, will certainly become pure in soul and heart, true to their words and will learn to live honestly, without deceiving themselves or others, without interfering in the affairs of others, without subservience and genuflection to the powerful in this world of ours, respecting the opinions of others with a lofty human dignity, understanding their situation, helping and protecting the weak, standing up for the degraded and insulted for the sake of fairness and justice, living by their honest work, without stealing, envy and greed and raising children according to the norms of high moral and spiritual values of Adyghe Khabze, respecting elders and honoring the women, the tender givers of life. In short, my dear reader, I hope you will read this book and find it pleasurable, interesting, informative, wholesome and beneficial.










Nart Sagas from the Caucasus


Book Description

The Nart sagas are a series of tales originating from the North Caucasus, forming the basic mythology of the tribes in the area. In ninety-two straightforward tales populated by extraordinary characters and exploits, by giants who humble haughty Narts, by horses and sorceresses, these myths bring these cultures to life in a powerful epos. In these colorful tales, women, not least the beautiful temptress Satanaya, the mother of all Narts, are not only fertility figures but also pillars of authority and wisdom. In one variation on a recurring theme, a shepherd, overcome with passion on observing Satanaya bathing alone, shoots a "bolt of lust" that strikes a rock -- a rock that gives birth to the Achilles-like Sawseruquo, or Sosruquo. With steely skin but tender knees, Sawseruquo is a man the Narts come to love and hate. Despite a tragic history, the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs have retained the Nart sagas as a living tradition. The memory of their elaborate warrior culture, so richly expressed by these tales, helped them resist Tsarist imperialism in the nineteenth century, Stalinist suppression in the twentieth, and has bolstered their ongoing cultural journey into the post-Soviet future. Because these peoples were at the crossroads of Eurasia for millennia, their myths exhibit striking parallels with the lore of ancient India, classical Greece, and pagan Scandinavia. The Nart sagas may also have formed a crucial component of the Arthurian cycle. Notes after each tale reveal these parallels; an appendix offers extensive linguistic commentary.