Amiran (Bats Myth)

Speroza and Amiran

Translated from Y. D. Desheriyev Bats Language, 1953.
Bats and Russian texts

In Alzan gorge, near Tbatani, there is a mountain in the middle. There water from Badz pass joins river Alazan. Sakorn pass ends with a high rocky mountain. This mountain slopes are covered by forest and its top is rocky. Rams are unable to graze there and they are not driven there. This mountain is for mountain beasts: mountain goats and chamoises. At the end of this mountain, there is a small deep dip (a pass). From here, a rocky summit begins. It was not destroyed yet. This rocky summit is called Speroza summit.

There is a folk legend that at this summit a god tied ancient legendary Amiran with a chain. People hated him. Near him, a dog was left. This dog licks the chain in order to make it thinner and eventually to break it and release Amiran. The dog was there many years and licked the chain with its tongue.

However, in the weak of Easter, on Good Friday, blacksmiths make a feast. People eat only herb food. Entering the smithy, they just hit with a hammer against an anvil one time. Amiran's chain which is ready to break becomes new again. Amiran hates blacksmiths. If he were able to release himself, he would destroy them.

Amiran is said to have been a strong man. He did not leave anything unfinished. And he fought against monsters. There are songs about him among the mountain peoples.

Amiran made off with a girl. He was dragging her, but walking slowly. The girl knew that her parents followed them. They would start a battle and kill one another. She tells Amiran: "Amiran, go, go faster. You are said to have strong legs. Otherwise, my relatives will come and initiate a bitter war."

Amiran heard what the girl said, but did not listen. He replied, having peaceful heart: "Wait, girl Batsale. I will not run in the end of the way. I am not a she-duck to be caught by a hawk. I am not a trout to be caught by a fishing net. I am not a leaf of a tree to be taken away be a wind. I am sufficient for your relatives together with Bardit and Usup. If nothing works, I will test my head."

Girl's relatives caught Amiran. There was a war. Girl's father was wounded. However, the girl was following Amiran and was not looking at her relatives.

Her father was worried. He said: "Look at the girl who prefers her husband over her parents." He said: "Why did your mother raise you and lulled you to sleep?" The girl replied to her father: "My mother did not raise me and did not lull me to sleep. I was thrown to the wall. I lied down after I embraced father. When I began to cry, mother told me from a distance, Sleep."

There were many such things about Amiran in the ancient times.

At the foot of Speroza, at Didgvirg side, there is a big cave. It is said that in the ancient times, wild people lived there. After they died, there was beasts' winter dwelling place there. A hunter went there and stayed for night because the weather was nasty. This cave is called Kharebo cave. Kharbao took away somebody's wife and lived there.


From I. D. Tsiskarov Pictures of Tushetia, 1846
Russian text

From this side, there is an amazingly formed mountain called Amiran mountain which spontaneously attracts your sight. Tushins [Bats people] and some inhabitants of Kakhetia have a legend that in this mountain famous captive was imprisoned for some action against the Creator of the universe. Aborigines say that he is tied with iron chains which are angrily gnawed by his two faithful dogs. On the day of New Year, the only day when the doors of his mysterious habitation are open, the chains, gnawed by the dogs, are going to be teared. He tried to get a huge sword, lying nearby, and touches it with his finger ends.

"May God forbid it," story-tellers say. "Otherwise, the world would collapse!"

However, blacksmiths hit three times with hammers against iron and the chains get restored and regain their original strength.

It is not hard to recognize that this legend is a corrupted Greek myth about Prometheus or maybe Greeks adopted it from Caucasus people. Nearby, there is another mountain which is called Kite mountain. Probably, it is called after the kite who had to torment Prometheus' chest.

Amiran mountain is one of the most gloomy and most pyramidal mountains in the whole Caucasus. It is located at the edge of the deepest Tsiblon gorge and covered with rocks and pine-trees. It serves as a nest for huge eagles, a shelter for mountain goats, deer, and severe bears, and a trap for hunters. In spite of all the dangers, very agile they climb the steepnesses and often many pay a high price for their courage.



From M. Tabidze, B. Shavkheleshvili Reflection of the Sources of Historical Friendship in the Language and Its Motivation (in Folklore and Literature of Georgians and Vainaks)
Russian text

When old people tell this legend, they try to expressively describe the place where Amiran was chained: "On the left side of our Speroza mountain, in front of the cave, there is a small glade. There Amiran was chained." It is interesting that Amiran's appearance is similar to the appearance of Tushins [Bats people] themselves. For example, the description of his eyes: "black eyes like tar", "falcon's look", "he slept with open eyes", etc.; the description of his physical strength: "he was able to lift a horse with one finger", "he was strong like a hyena", "his stature was like an old oak", "his shoulders were like raven's wings", "when he walked, the earth moaned", etc.

The dog that licks master's chain is of Caucasian guarding breed. It is large, has white shining hair, small bending tail (it is cut off at birth), and pricked up small ears. Its faithfulness to its master is manifested not only in its attempts to release him from chains, but also in its care for him: it brings water, food,and prevents all possible dangers. However, the most important thing is that it is able to think, that is, it experiences and analyzes its every step and ongoing events as a human being: "he is probably thirsty", "how shall I help him?", etc.