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Prometheus Among the Circassians
| Article
# : |
16285 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
3 / 1989 |
3,532 Words |
| Author
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John Colarusso
John Colarusso is professor in the departments of anthropology
and of modern languages and linguistics at McMaster University
in Hamilton, Ontario. He has studied the Circassians and
other Caucasian peoples for the past twenty years and has
advised various Circassians regarding their aspirations to
maintain their identity and return to their homeland. He was
made an honorary member of the Holland Cherkess Cultural
Society in 1991. |
In the southwest of the Soviet Union, bordering on Turkey and Iran, lies one of the most ethnographically complex areas in all Eurasia--the Caucasus. The Caucasus Mountains, which dominate this area nearly the size of Spain, are home to a bewildering variety of ethnic groups, some of which seem to be survivors from earlier eras. These groups speak roughly fifty languages, the majority of which are unrelated to any other languages on earth, and show complex and exotic features that set them apart from the other languages of Eurasia. In this one area there are three distinct language families: the Southern or Kartevelian, the Northeastern or Daghestanian, and the Northwestern. The Northwestern languages are perhaps the most complex of any in the region and are spoken by the Abkhazians, the Abazas, the Ubykhs, the Kabardians, and the Adygheans. The last two peoples are often grouped together as Circassians.
The Circassians originated in the northwestern quarter of the Caucasus, which is bounded on the north by the Kuban river. They practiced a mixed economy. Those in the higher valleys and mountain forests practiced small-scale agriculture and hunting, and often preserved old Christian or pagan customs. Those in the foothills and plains practiced horse breeding, farming, and trade. They usually espoused Sunni Islam, though in their towns Christian and Jewish Circassians could be found. The Circassians were famed throughout the Middle East for the beauty of their women and the courage of their men. Physically, most Circassians are European in appearance, with perhaps a slight oriental cast to their features. Many Circassians are blond and blue eyed, while others show a common feature of the Caucasus: very light skin coupled with black or extremely dark hair. A lithe and erect physique was favored, both for the men and women. Circassian villages even today have large numbers of healthy elderly people, many over a hundred years of age.
Their culture was and still is strongly dominated by a warrior ethic. The battle garb of the men, the Cherkesska, is a fitted caftanlike coat with cartridges sewn across the chest, a sheepskin hat, and soft-soled knee-high boots of fine leather. This costume has been borrowed by many neighboring peoples, most notably the Slavic Cossacks, so that it is often thought of as being Russian.
Until recently the eight Circassian tribes showed varying degrees of a caste system similar to that surviving in modern India. They were priest-kings; nobles who served as warriors; freemen who carried on trade, large scale farming, and manufacturing; and lastly peasants--former prisoners of war who were either
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