Apsat (mythology)

Apsat (also Avsati or Æfsati; Georgian: აფსათი) is a male deity of birds and animals in the mythology of the peoples of the Caucasus of Georgia.[1][2] His name may come from the Abkhaz language word a-psaåf, meaning "bird",[3] or possibly from the name of the Christian saint with whom he was popularly associated, Saint Eustathios.[4] Some sources regard him as responsible for all hunted game, while others consider him to watch over fish and birds specifically.[4] In some cycles, he is the primary hunting god, while in others, he is part of a pantheon of hunting deities.[5] A few sources connect him with thunder and lightning.[6]

Svan people

The Svan people of Georgia regard Apsat as one among a pantheon of hunting deities, said to be assistants of the deity Ber Shishvlish, the "Lord of the Bare Mountain".[7] To the Svan, Apsat is the patron of fish and birds. In this capacity, he works with Dzhgyrag (the Svan name for St. George), who is associated with hunters and wolves, Cxek'ish angelwez (the Angel of the Forest) who is responsible for forest animals like bears and foxes, and the goddess Dali, the patron of hoofed mountain animals like goats.[2][7]

The association of Apsat with fish and birds is thought to stem from the eagle, which, as a fishing bird, is associated with both the sky and the water.[5]

Ossetian people

To the Ossetian people, Apsat is called Avsati or Æfsati, and he is regarded as the primary deity of the hunt.[8] He appears as such in the Ossetian epic called the Nart saga.[4] Ossetian hunters referred to game as Æfsati's cattle (Ossetian: aefsatijy fos).[1] Hunters would make offerings and sing hymns begging his favor, and if successful in the hunt, would offer roasted organs such as the heart or the liver for thanks.[8] He is most commonly portrayed as elderly, bearded, and either one-eyed or blind.[4] It was said that he dwelt in a hut deep in the forest with his wife and daughters, and would occasionally permit huntsmen to marry his daughters.[8] Occasionally he was portrayed as a man with antlers or an animal with a white coat.[4]

Other traditions

The Karachay people of the North Caucasus revered Apsat as Apsatı[9] or ApsatƏ,[4] god of hunting and prey. His daughter Fatima was known for her beauty.[9] Like the Ossetian Æfsati, Apsatı often took the form of a white goat.[4]

References
  1. Bonnefoy, Yves (1993-05-15). Asian Mythologies. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226064567.
  2. Bläsing, Uwe; Arakelova, Victoria; Weinreich, Matthias (2015-06-25). Studies on Iran and The Caucasus: In Honour of Garnik Asatrian. BRILL. ISBN 9789004302068.
  3. Scoggin, Mary; Friedrich, Paul (2006-01-01). Language, Culture and the Individual: A Tribute to Paul Friedrich. Lincom Europa. ISBN 9783895867194.
  4. Tuite, Kevin (2015). The institutional and vernacular cults of the military saints in the western Caucasus: Image-mediated diffusion and body shift in the cult of St Eustace in the western Caucasus (PDF). "On the Road to Paradise: Peripheral Visions, Unorthodox Iconographies," Canadian Anthropological Society. p. 4.
  5. Bonnefoy, Yves (1993-05-15). American, African, and Old European Mythologies. University of Chicago Press. p. 260. ISBN 9780226064574. apsat deity.
  6. Golan, Ariel (2003-01-01). Prehistoric Religion: Mythology, Symbolism. Ariel Golan. ISBN 9789659055500.
  7. Billington, Sandra; Green, Miranda (2002-09-11). The Concept of the Goddess. Routledge. p. 169. ISBN 9781134641529.
  8. Billington & Green, p. 167-168.
  9. Chirikba, Viacheslav A. (2015-06-25). "Between Christianity and Islam: Heathen Heritage in the Caucasus". In Bläsing, Uwe; Arakelova, Victoria; Weinreich, Matthias (eds.). Studies on Iran and The Caucasus: In Honour of Garnik Asatrian. BRILL. p. 161. ISBN 9789004302068.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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