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Pharmat, “The Blacksmith of the Country”
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How he stole Fire from Seli, the God of Lightning and Thunderstorms,
and brought it to his People
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Pharmat, “The Blacksmith of the Country”
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How he stole Fire from Seli, the God of Lightning and Thunderstorms,
and brought it to his People
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A Chechen legend tells how the demi-god Pharmat, “The Blacksmith of the Country” [“phar”, blacksmith; “-mat”, country, place; i.e. the God of Blacksmiths], loved his people and pitied them, for they had no fire. Fire was kept in the realm of Seli, the god of lightning and thunderstorms, and one day Pharmat decided to steal a burning log from Seli and bring it to his people, so that they could cook their food, light their homes, and warm themselves.
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This legend was collected by Akhmed Souleimanov in 1937, from his father Souleiman Mourtazaliev. The story was published in S. Elmourzaev’s Obshtsheie i spetsifitsheskoie v tshetsheno-ingushskikh nart-ertskhoiskikh skazanii v kavkazskom epose narty, an article which appeared in tome V, volume 3, of Izvestiia nautshno-issledovatel’skogo instituta istorii, iazyka i literatury (Grozny 1968), and was reproduced in Mariel Tsaroieva’s Anciennes Croyances des Ingouches et des Tchetchenes (Paris 2005).
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For a long time, the Nart-Erstkhoi ate raw meat and milk [products]. In those days, they had no fire. Agriculture appeared later [i.e. they were hunter-gatherers]. Seli, the God of Lightning and Rain [i.e. the God of Thunderstorms], was ruler of the Sky. He possessed Fire. The Narts were cold, and could not cook their food, because the cruel and severe Seli refused to give them Fire. To show the Narts his strength and power, Seli had his fire-chariot harnessed and criss-crossed the Sky, making a terrible noise. With his bow he fired bolts of lightning down to earth. There was a great quantity of fire in Seli’s Djodjokhati [Hell]. During a long time, the Narts asked Seli to give them at least one burning log. But Seli was deaf to the people’s prayers, as indeed were other gods.
Between the Heavens and the Earth reigned eternal hostility!
Between the God and the People reigned eternal hostility!
The Narts led miserable lives, and Seli was glad to see them so miserable. Seli had a wife, Sata, whose face was like the Sun he loved so much; Sata wanted to help the people obtain Fire, but she was afraid of Seli.
In those days, a great Nart lived in the mountains: Pharmat, favourite of all the other Narts. In exchange for kind words, he forged [cold, without heat; in French: “il forgeait a froid”] coats of mail, swords, and shields for them out of bronze. Pharmat always wished people well, and wanted to help them.
The Nart Pharmat knew that there was a lot of Fire in Djodjokhati, and he always dreamt of obtaining a flaming log for the people and with which he could illuminate the world. Pharmat had all the necessary qualities: strength, ability, courage, firmness of character, and slyness. His horse Turpal always roamed free, grazing among seven mountains, and drinking sea-water [sic.].
The Narts would tell Pharmat that “horses only harden under the rider’s saddle, and under Man – at work and in battle. Why is your horse Turpal always free?” Pharmat would answer: “The time will come when my horse will bring the people a burning piece of wood from Djodjokhati.” The Narts did not believe in Pharmat or his horse’s strength. […] One day, Pharmat called Turpal […] and went there, where none before had gone, where some had risked themselves at the peril of their life.
Having ridden seven days and seven nights and having passed seven hills, then sheer drops, he finally reached the highest mountain in the Caucasus – the Bash-lam – whose peak touches the sky, and where the terrible Seli reigns supreme.
Beautiful Sata, who had taken the form of a bird, alighted upon the summit. She spoke to the Nart Pharmat with a human voice: “O powerful Nart, you have not reached the summit of Bash-lam by chance. You have come to fetch Fire.” “The people are in need of heat, of light. I shall only return to Earth to bring back Fire!” answered Pharmat. Having seen how strong the Nart and his horse were, Sata promised to help him in his quest for Fire. She advised him how to go about obtaining some, and warned him of the possible danger and of Seli’s cruelty.
The Nart Pharmat galloped like the wind, leaped over Djodjokhati, seized a burning piece of wood, and landed back upon the summit of Bash-lam. The cruel god Seli was angered that a Nart had dared to act against his will. Being unable to reach the Nart, who galloped as fast as lightning, the god Seli untied a skein in which he kept the Night. The Nart and his horse quickly became lost in the darkness, but the beautiful bird Sata came to their help. The bird flew ahead, guiding them with its song.
Seeing that the darkness of Night had not prevented the Nart from pursuing his journey, Seli untied a second skein, in which he kept the Storm. Then, he untied the third skein, in which he kept a Cold so terrible that the rocks split and the mountains drew closer together. Thanks to the bird Sata, which flew ahead, the Nart Pharmat was able to overcome these obstacles.
They reached a great cave in which all the Narts awaited their return. “Here is Fire for you!” shouted Pharmat to the astonished Narts. “Multiply and become a great tribe. Warm yourselves; illuminate your homes, the caves, the towers; cook, prepare food from now on. Rejoice!”
But the terrible thunder did not stop ringing in the mountains.
The Sky declared its enmity to the Earth!
The people declared war on the god Seli!
The cruel and ruthless Seli sent his faithful one-eyed servant, Uja, to punish Pharmat. Uja the cyclops chained Pharmat to the eternally-frozen summit of Bash-lam with chains of bronze. Pharmat was cursed by Seli. […] Every morning, the falcon Ida comes to Pharmat. According to the will of Seli, he sits upon Pharmat’s knees and tears at his liver with his beak.
The god cursed the brave Nart Pharmat, but the Narts are grateful to Pharmat for his deed.
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Between the Heavens and the Earth reigned eternal hostility!
Between the God and the People reigned eternal hostility!
The Narts led miserable lives, and Seli was glad to see them so miserable. Seli had a wife, Sata, whose face was like the Sun he loved so much; Sata wanted to help the people obtain Fire, but she was afraid of Seli.
In those days, a great Nart lived in the mountains: Pharmat, favourite of all the other Narts. In exchange for kind words, he forged [cold, without heat; in French: “il forgeait a froid”] coats of mail, swords, and shields for them out of bronze. Pharmat always wished people well, and wanted to help them.
The Nart Pharmat knew that there was a lot of Fire in Djodjokhati, and he always dreamt of obtaining a flaming log for the people and with which he could illuminate the world. Pharmat had all the necessary qualities: strength, ability, courage, firmness of character, and slyness. His horse Turpal always roamed free, grazing among seven mountains, and drinking sea-water [sic.].
The Narts would tell Pharmat that “horses only harden under the rider’s saddle, and under Man – at work and in battle. Why is your horse Turpal always free?” Pharmat would answer: “The time will come when my horse will bring the people a burning piece of wood from Djodjokhati.” The Narts did not believe in Pharmat or his horse’s strength. […] One day, Pharmat called Turpal […] and went there, where none before had gone, where some had risked themselves at the peril of their life.
Having ridden seven days and seven nights and having passed seven hills, then sheer drops, he finally reached the highest mountain in the Caucasus – the Bash-lam – whose peak touches the sky, and where the terrible Seli reigns supreme.
Beautiful Sata, who had taken the form of a bird, alighted upon the summit. She spoke to the Nart Pharmat with a human voice: “O powerful Nart, you have not reached the summit of Bash-lam by chance. You have come to fetch Fire.” “The people are in need of heat, of light. I shall only return to Earth to bring back Fire!” answered Pharmat. Having seen how strong the Nart and his horse were, Sata promised to help him in his quest for Fire. She advised him how to go about obtaining some, and warned him of the possible danger and of Seli’s cruelty.
The Nart Pharmat galloped like the wind, leaped over Djodjokhati, seized a burning piece of wood, and landed back upon the summit of Bash-lam. The cruel god Seli was angered that a Nart had dared to act against his will. Being unable to reach the Nart, who galloped as fast as lightning, the god Seli untied a skein in which he kept the Night. The Nart and his horse quickly became lost in the darkness, but the beautiful bird Sata came to their help. The bird flew ahead, guiding them with its song.
Seeing that the darkness of Night had not prevented the Nart from pursuing his journey, Seli untied a second skein, in which he kept the Storm. Then, he untied the third skein, in which he kept a Cold so terrible that the rocks split and the mountains drew closer together. Thanks to the bird Sata, which flew ahead, the Nart Pharmat was able to overcome these obstacles.
They reached a great cave in which all the Narts awaited their return. “Here is Fire for you!” shouted Pharmat to the astonished Narts. “Multiply and become a great tribe. Warm yourselves; illuminate your homes, the caves, the towers; cook, prepare food from now on. Rejoice!”
But the terrible thunder did not stop ringing in the mountains.
The Sky declared its enmity to the Earth!
The people declared war on the god Seli!
The cruel and ruthless Seli sent his faithful one-eyed servant, Uja, to punish Pharmat. Uja the cyclops chained Pharmat to the eternally-frozen summit of Bash-lam with chains of bronze. Pharmat was cursed by Seli. […] Every morning, the falcon Ida comes to Pharmat. According to the will of Seli, he sits upon Pharmat’s knees and tears at his liver with his beak.
The god cursed the brave Nart Pharmat, but the Narts are grateful to Pharmat for his deed.
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