[Daviscenter-list] John Colarusso: The Narts of the Caucasus, 12/4/06

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Mashtots Chair in Armenian Studies, Harvard University announce a lecture by Prof. John Colarusso, McMaster University THE NARTS OF THE CAUCASUS The Nart sagas are a body of heroic tales found among he peoples of the North Caucasus. While of recent attestation (mid-19th century) they appear, as does much in the Caucasus, to be highly conservative and to preserve a mixture of local themes blended with elements of great antiquity. This lore shows parallels with that of the Irish, the Norse, the Russians, the Greeks, and the host of Indo-Iranian peoples, as well as some Altaic and Semitic themes. This rich comparative nexus is the direct result of geography: the peoples of the North Caucasus, until recently stable residents of the region, must have had contact with virtually every branch of Indo-European, including the original community itself. Monday 4 December 2006 4 P.M. Semitic Museum (6 Divinity Ave.), room 201.