Pkhari: Another Version of the Myth about Pkharmat (Chechen Prometheus)

Pkhari (Pkhäri)

From K. Z. Chokayev Our Language - Our History, pp. 170-172. Translated from Chechen.

This myth was written down in 1940 in Zumsa by Ahmad Suleimanov from an old man whose name was Gela.

Note. Pkharmat and Pkhari (Pkhäri) are two variants of the same name. In another version of this myth, he is called Pkharmat. In the version below, his name is Pkhari (Pkhäri), but two times he is called Pkharmat.

Long time ago, it was very cold on the earth. People's life was difficult. They did not have fire. Sela [god of fire] had all the fire. Narth-Orstkhois are our ancestors. Narth-Orstkhois were tall people. They did not have any tools. However, they had consciousness and mind.

At that time, there lived a Nart whose name was Pkhari. He made bows, he made arrows, he made tools to soften leather. He was the most kind and strong. Pkhari had a good horse. It was called Turpal.

Pkhari put on warm clothes, took armor and told Narths: "I am going in order to bring you fire from Sela's hearth. Do not worry about me." Narths said: "Let your way be good!" They gave Pkhari oil, coal, and combs. "If Sela pursues you, scatter coal on the road, and there will be dark night between you and Sela. If Sela passes through the night, pour oil, and there will be mud between you two. Let your arm be like of a duck, let your leg be like of a stallion."

Seven days and seven nights Pkhari has been on his way. Pkhari passed through seven gorges and seven mountains. He reached Mount Bashlam [Mount Kazbek]. He rode on Mount Bashlam on his horse. There were beautiful herbs and flowers on this mountain. A white bird came to Pkhari. It spoke our language: "What are you doing, where are you going?"

"I am going in order to take a smoldering log from Sela's hearth. Help me, white bird," asked Pkhari.

"I will help you. However, you are in a danger. It is hard to argue with Sela. Sela is ruthless. Make your ear four times more sensitive, make your eye four times more clear!" told white bird Sela-Sata [goddess; the word "selasat" means "oriole"]. "Approaching Sela, stretch your arm to the hearth unnoticed!" "My arm is like of a duck, my leg is like of a stallion, my eye is clear like of a wolf, my ear is sensitive like of a deer!" replied Pkhari.

Sela-Sata said: "Let your horse Turpal strike its hoof and rush like a big cloud to Sela's favorite hearth. Slow it down and turn to the fire. Then, you will be able to stretch your arm to the hearth..." said bird Sela-Sata.

As the white bird Sela-Sata advised, Nart Pkhari's horse stroke its hoof and rushed like a big cloud. Having reached Sela's hearth, Pkhari slowed it down. Then, it stamped its hooves near the fire and ran like a big cloud. When it jumped high, Pkhari took a smoldering log with his hand. Horse Turpal ran swifter than wind.

Sela heard noise and woke up. He woke falcon Ida that fulfilled his errands, Uzha that had sickle-like teeth and one eye, and dragon Sarmak that spewed fire out of its mouth. Sela sent them to catch riding Pkhari.

Turpal said: "Someone follows me. Look who it is." "Uzha is reaching us!" replied Pkhari.

"Throw your comb," said Turpal. Pkhari threw his comb. A thick forest grew before Uzhu. Uzha stayed in the middle of the forest.

Turpal said again: "Look behind. I hear loud noise." Looking behind, Pkhari saw that Sarmak was reaching them.

"Pour your oil!" said Turpal.

Pkhari poured his oil. Mud appeared on Sarmak's way. The dragon got stuck in the mud.

"I hear loud noise behind me, like of splitting sky. Look what it is!" Looking behind, Pkhari saw that huge falcon Ida was reaching them.

"Huge dragon Ida is reaching us!" said Nart Pkhari. "Scatter your coal!" said Turpal.

Nart Pkhari scattered coal from his hands.

Dark night, like a wall that cannot be passed through, stood before the falcon. Ida became blind and stopped.

Sela got angry.

Sela threw smoldering logs to the courage Nart who stole fire from his hearth.

It seemed that sky burst, earth shook, and mountains crashed. White bird Sela-Sata was flying before the courage Nart and horse Turpal. Pkhari's body was not harmed and his horse's body was not harmed when Sela threw his smoldering logs and Pkhari threw himself to the ground.

Sela got angry even more. Then, he untied his sack with dark night. It became so dark that Pkharmat did not see ears of his horse and Turpal could not see even its reins. White bird Sela-Sata flied in front of them and showed them the way by her wonderful singing. Sela saw that dark night was unable to stop Pkharmat and his horse. Then, he untied his other sack with cold. Wind, cold and dark night together tried to stop and catch Nart Pkhari and his horse Turpal. They were unable to catch and stop courage Nart Pkhari and his horse Turpal.

"Do not come back to sky! Let sky not be calm for you!" Sela-Sata did not come back to sky.

Uzha that has a cup-like eye and sickle-like teeth, with chains took Pkhari to the summit of Mount Bashlam and put there. He gathered all the ice, snow, and cold there. Narts are unable to release Pkhari because they cannot approach him. Being angry at Pkhari that he stole fire, Sela ordered dragon to lie around Pkhari. The falcon tortures him. It has black wing, steel beak and steel talons.

It sits down on Pkhari's knees.

"Do you surrender, being defeated? Do you repent for what you have done?" asks falcon Ida.

"I do not surrender and am not defeated. I took a smoldering log from Sela's hearth for the sake of people. I do not repent for what I have done!" - replies Pkhari.

Ida wounds Pkhari with its beck in the most painful place. After that, it asks again:

"Do you surrender, being defeated? Do you repent for what you have done?" Pkhari answers in the same way as the first time.

Ida makes a bigger wound at Pkharmat's body. Ida wounds Pkhari's liver. Pkhari is said to suffer this way. He is said to suffer without groaning and without tears. Pkhari's horse Turpal is said to stand on this Baslam, being exhausted. It does not eat and does not drink.

Bird Sela-Sata is said to be very sad. It comes to Pkhari and sings its beautiful songs for him.

It is not white now, but yellow, red, black, blue because when Pkhari was caring a smoldering log from the sky, Sela threw smoldering logs that singed it.

Sela was once frightened, very frightened that people took fire.

The one who frightened him is honorable.

The one who frightened him for our sake is Pkhari. He is Pkharmat.