The Secret Language of the Hunters: One of
the Twelve Secrets of the Caucasus
by
Amjad Jaimoukha
A curious aspect of Northwest Caucasian culture is the ‘Hunting Language’,
which used to be spoken by the princes and nobility during their hunting
expeditions. The Circassians had their 'Hunting Language' ('Schak'webze')
and the Abkhaz had their 'Forest Language'. Circassian aristocracy donned masks
on their hunting expeditions, apparently to confound the prey, and together with
the esoteric cant (щакIуэбзэ,
schak’webze=language of the chase), render the objects of the hunt
unaware of the true purpose of the chevy.
The following is extracted from
Z. K. Khiba’s article ‘A Contribution to Abkhaz Lexicography: The Secret
Language of the Hunters’ (Bedi Kartlisa, Paris, 38, 1980, pp 269-77):
"A peculiarity of the West Caucasian lexicon was represented until
recently by the presence of a special stock of lexical items, the use of
which was socially constrained to the realm of hunting. Both the Abkhaz 'Forest
Language' and the Adyghe (Circassian) 'Hunting Language' possessed an important
stock of taboo-periphrases and other words, which were absent from the standard
vocabulary’ (Klimov, 1965, pp 33-4, or 1969, p31). The distinguished Abkhaz
ethnographer, Šalva Inal-Ipa, describes the ‘Forest Language’ as follows
(1965, p191): 'The Hunting Language has a special functional role – not to
give the prey any possibility of recognising the presence and intentions
of the hunters, to lead the beasts into error and to blunt their sensitive
awareness, in order that they should not notice the approach of danger and
run away, but that it should be easy to hunt and kill them.'
"The 'Forest Language', in the main, differs from the vernacular
only in its nominal forms. It was forbidden to call objects by their own
names, since it was considered that this impedes good luck in the hunt. For
the representation of each taboo-object or phenomenon with which the hunters
frequently come into contact, use was made of peculiar word-substitutes. These correspondences manifest in many cases either a lapidary description
of the specific qualities of the relevant objects, or a transformed expression
of their essential role, and also comparisons or onomatopoeic representations.
However, in the majority of instances the meaning and content of the words
of the 'Forest Language' is not clear. Thus, on the hunt, an Abkhaz, as though
having forgotten part of the lexical component of his native language, all
of a sudden begins to communicate with his colleagues of the chase in a different
language, the content of the nouns of which is not understood by the mass
of the people, since these words have nothing in common with ordinary colloquial
speech."
'A curious aspect of Circassian, which it shares with its sister languages, Abkhaz and Ubykh, is the secret language of the hunters, Schak’webze, which was used by the princes and the nobles in their hunting expeditions. This language was not comprehended by the masses of the people. It was not a different language as such, but rather it had a lexicon made up of transposed and other distorted words with the basic syntactical structure unaffected. It was believed that, by switching to the cryptic tongue, the senses of the animals would be dulled as to the purpose of the hunters, and thus a plentiful bag would be assured.' – Amjad Jaimoukha, The Circassians: A Handbook, London: RoutledgeCurzon (Taylor & Francis); New York: Palgrave and Routledge, 2001, p251.
The examples detailed below indicate that (some) 'substitute' words for hunted animals referred to their most striking physical characteristics.
Examples of Eastern Circassian (Kabardian) secretive words
used on the hunt:
· ‘Бжьабэ [Bzchabe]’ (literally: ‘multi-antlered’, ‘with branching antlers’ = ‘deer’) affords an example of a word used in the (secretive) language of the chase (щакIуэбзэ, schak’webze).
· ‘Deer’ are referred to by the euphemistic appellation (of the language of the chase) ‘бжьабэ [bzchabe]’ (literally: ‘multi-antlered’, ‘with branching antlers’). [Re-phrasing of preceding entry]
· In the language of the chase (schak’webze), wild boars and hogs were referred to as ‘пэщабэ’ ‘peschabe’ (literally: ‘soft-snouts’).
These two examples from the Circassian language of the hunt were culled from the following two songs. The words in question are emboldened and underlined in the texts of the songs. I have digital recordings of these chants in my archive. Due to limited capacity, the songs cannot be uploaded to this site. Anyone interested in obtaining them, please contact me at jaimoukha@gmail.com, and I will send them by e-mail.
Songs of the hunt
[From A. Jaimoukha's Circassian Culture and Folklore, Bennett and Bloom, 2009]
Prayer songs of the hunt were addressed to the patrons of the activity, namely (the pagan) Mezithe (Мэзытхьэ) and (the Christian) Dawischjerjiy (St. George) (Даущджэрджий; also Awischjerjiy [Аущджэрджий], Awischijer [Аущыджэр]). The pagan-Christian duality in Circassian folklore shows itself most vividly in the musical lore. In fact, the penetration of Christianity into the Circassian ethos goes much deeper than mere ‘scissors placed crosswise on the chest of the deceased,’ as this study is making increasingly obvious.
Two songs from the Kabardian repertoire are presented in both Circassian and English [translation by A. Jaimoukha]. They were recorded by the Circassian musicologist and folklorist Ziramikw Qardenghwsch’. The first, ‘Pschimezithe’ (‘Lord Mezithe’), invokes Mezithe, the native deity of the chase (V. H. Bereghwn and Z. P’. Qardenghwsch’, 1980, pp 65-9; the book also includes the sheet music of both songs for musicians and musicologists):
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ЩакIуэ уэрэд: Пщымэзытхьэ и уэрэд
1. ПщымэзытхьэкIэ, (уо уор,) соджэр, (иджы, уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) пащIэ, (уа,) бзииплърэ... Ежьу. Уо! Санэплъмэ, (уа, уо,) и бзабзэр, (иджы, уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зыхуа(уо)гъэхыжьи... Ежьу. Уо!
2. Гъэлъэхъу хужьмэ, (уо, уо,) и бжьабэркъэ, (уара уойдэ,) (уа,) зи тыхьэ, (уа уари,) щIасэрэ... Ежьу. Уо! (Уэ,) зи нысэ, (уа-а, уо,) щIасэр, (иджы, уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зыхуэлъэгуажьи... Ежьу. Уо!
3. Дэ недгъэ(уо)жьа гущэр, (иджы, уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зэрыIэ(уари)щхьэхурэ... Ежьу. Уо! Ерэжьми, (ар, уэ,) махуэт, (иджы, уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зэрыхуэIэжьи... Ежьу. Уо!
4. Щыхьыжьми, (уа,) и бжьэпэркъэ тIэ, (уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зи сотэ(уэ-уа-ри)рэшрэ... Ежьу. Уо! Бланэ пшэрми, (уо, уо, уор,) и щхьэфэркъэ, (уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зи фэ, (уо-уэ,) сулыкъуи... Ежьу. Уо!
5. Пылыжьмэ, (уо-а, уо,) и пкъыркъэ тIэ, (уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зи, (уо-уэ-уо,) быдакърэ... Ежьу. Уо! (Уэ,) зи алътыныкIэм,¹ (иджы, уара уойдэ,) (уэ,) зрисэ, ди тхьэмадэжьщ, бжьабэц пIэщхьэгъщ... Ежьу. Уо! |
1. ‘АлътыныкIэ’ is a compound word formed of the Turkic ‘алътын’ (‘gold’, ‘golden’) and the Circassian ‘кIэ’ (here: ‘topknot’). In the olden days, Circassian men shaved their heads, leaving only a tuft of hair on the crown of the head. It is evident that not only did Mezithe have red moustaches, but he also had golden-red hair. When he got into a rage, his topknot would stand on end, terrifying all those around him.
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Song of the Hunt: The Song of Lord Mezithe
1. ‘Lord Mezithe’, (wo wor,) is his name, (yiji, wara woyde,) (we,) his moustache, (wa,) is ginger red… Chorus: Wo! Red wine, (wa, wo,) cheery and fine, (yiji, wara woyde,) (we,) is kept to maturity for him … Chorus: Wo!
2. The white wether, (wo, wo,) fattened and many- horned, (wara woyde,) (wa,) is the offering to him, (wa wariy,) delectable and right… Chorus: Wo! (We,) whose daughter-in-law, (wa-a, wo,) beloved and dutiful, (yiji, wara woyde,) (we,) kneels before him… Chorus: Wo!
3. We sent to him, (yiji, wara woyde,) (we,) the white-sleeved maid… Chorus: Wo! Custodian of victuals, (ar, we,) blessed protector of people, (yiji, wara woyde,) (we,) masterly and dexterous… Chorus: Wo!
4. The great deer’s, (wa,) antler tips, (wara woyde,) (we,) are his toy sabres… Chorus: Wo! The fat fallow-deer’s, (wo, wo, wor,) skin of head, (wara woyde,) (we,) is the material, (wo-we,) for his wineskin… Chorus: Wo!
5. The mighty elephant’s, (wo-a, wo,) hulking bone, (wara woyde,) (we,) is his, (wo-we-wo,) cudgel… Chorus: Wo! (We,) whose golden-red topknot, (yiji, wara woyde,) (we,) stands on end, our great leader, From the wool of deer is the head of thy bedstead… Chorus: Wo! |
The other song of the hunt is addressed to St. George, who shared the patronage of the hunt with Mezithe in the Christian era (V. H. Bereghwn and Z. P’. Qardenghwsch’, 1980, pp 70-7):
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ЩакIуэ уэрэд: Даущджэрджий и уэрэд
1. Си уэройдщ, си уэройдщ, (уэуиуэу, уареди, уо,) угъурлыжьт, угъурлыжь! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! (Уэреда уей, рауэией,) Псышхуэ и банэт, (иджы, уэ,) хуэгъуа(уэ)бжэт, (уоу, уо,) хуэгъуабжэти, (рауэией)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! Ди хьэ гъуа(уэ)бжэжь гущэхэр, (уэр,) къалъэф, (уэу,) я Iуст, я Iуст! Ежьу. Уо, уо!
2. Си уэройдщ, си уэрэдщ, (уэуиуэу, уарэди, уэ,) махуэт! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! (Уэреда уи, рауэиай,) гъуэдыджмэ, (уэ,) ис гущэхэр, (уэ,) зэдэди, (уо-уа,) зэдэдизахуэти, (рэуэией)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! Iэзахуэм дыкIуэмэ, (тIэ, ар,) щытIуэтэ, (уо-уо,) щытIуэтэжынт, щытIуэтэжын! Ежьу. Уо, уо!
3. Си уэройдщ, си уэрэдщ, (уэуиуэ, уарэди, уо,) угъурлыжьт! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! (Уэрэда уи, рауэиай,) Даущджэрджийт, (жи, уэ,) и тхьэ(уо)шхуэр, (уоу, уо,) игъусэти, (рэуэиай)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! Пэщабэ, (уэ,) гъусэт, (иджы,) напэ(уо)хур, (уоу, уо,) и кIэст, и кIэст! Ежьу. Уо, уо!
4. Си уэройдщ, си уэрэдщ, (уэуиуэу, уарэди, уэ,) махуэт! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! (Уэрэда уи, рауэиай,) бажэ дещэнумэ, (уэр,) шы къуэ(уэ)гъукIэ, (уэр,) дывгъакIуи, (рауэиай)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! Бланэ деуэнумэ, (уэр,) шы пшэ(а)ркIэ, (уо,) девгъажьэт, девгъажьэ! Ежьу. Уо, уо!
5. Си уэройдщ, си уэрэдщ, (уэуиуэу, уарэди, уэ,) махуэт! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! Мыр махуэти, (рауэиай,) ди Амэ(уэ)укъуэ гущэмэ, чыблэркъэ, (уо, уоукъэ, уоукъэ, уэ,) щагъэшри, (рауэией)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! Фэ гъуза(уэ) къашэхэр, (ар,) гуфэ зы, (уо-уо,) гуфэ зэтетт, гуфэ зэтетт! Ежьу. Уо, уо!
6. Си уэрайдщ, си уэрэдщ, (уэуиуэу, уарэди, уэ,) махуэт! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! (Уарэда уи, рауэиай,) ди Арыкъыжь гущэхэм мыр бжьабэ(уо)жьхэр, (уаукъэ, уо,) къыщохъури, (рауэией)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! Бланэ е(уэ)хъуахэр, (иджы, ар,) лъэгуа, (уо-уо,) лъэгуажьэ фIыцIэти, (рауэией)! Ежьу. Уо, уо!
7. Си уэрайдщ, си уэрэдщ, (уэуиуэу, уарэди, уэ,) махуэт! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! (Уэрэда уи, рауэиай,) ди фоч фIы(уэ)цIэжь гущэхэм, (уэр,) дызэды, (уо-уо,) дызэдыщIоплъри, (рауэией)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! И нэр зы(уэ)теплъэ гущэр мыр пшэрыхьмэ, (уо, уоукъэ, уоу, уэ,) IэщIыкIкъым, IэщIыкI! Ежьу. Уо, уо!
8. Си уэройдщ, си уэрэдщ, (уэуиуэу, уарэди, уэ,) махуэт! Ежьу. Уо, уоу, уоу рирари! (Уарэда уи, рауэией,) Бэдзэлэ(уэ)ижь гущэхэм мыр блэ фIыцIэхэри, (уоу, уо,) щызэпропщри, (рауэией)... Ежьу. Уо, уо! Сырымэ, (уэ,) Iэщхьэхэр ар зи щхьэм хуи(й)мыт, къритI зэхуакум IэпщэкIэ къыдэзышыжыр Даущджэрджийщ, Даущджэрджий! Ежьу. Уо, уо! |
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Song of the Hunt: The Song of St. George
1. My song, my song, (wewiywew, wareidiy, wo,) is the harbinger of fortune, bringer of good luck! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! (Wereida weiy, rawe-yeiy,) the thickets by the Psishxwe River, (yiji, we,) Are grey, (wow, wo,) are grey, (rawe-yeiy)… Chorus: Wo, wo! Our hardened grey hounds, (wer,) are dragging here, (wew,) their food, their food! Chorus: Wo, wo!
2. My song, my chant, (wewiywew, warediy, we,) augurs well! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! (Wereida wiy, rawe-yay,) in the deep burrows, (we,) dwells, (we,) our, (wo-wa,) our common prey, (rewe-yeiy)… Chorus: Wo, wo! If we set off to ’Ezaxwe,² there, (t’e, ar,) about our failures, (wo-wo,) Might we forget, might we forget! Chorus: Wo, wo!
3. My song, my chant, (wewiywe, warediy, wo,) is the omen of good fortune! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! (Wereda wiy, rawe-yay,) St. George, (zhiy, we,) his Supreme God, (wow, wo,) is in his company, (rewe-yay)… Chorus: Wo, wo! Herself, (we,) always with the soft-snouts [wild boars and hogs], (yiji,) the white-faced [beauty], (wow, wo,) Is his bag, his booty! Chorus: Wo, wo!
4. My song, my chant, (wewiywew, warediy, we,) is propitious! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! (Wereda wiy, rawe-yay,) if foxes we are to hunt, (wer,) on lean steeds, (wer,) let’s set off, (rawe-yeiy)… Chorus: Wo, wo! If deer we are after, (wer,) on stout mounts, (wo,) let’s depart, let’s depart! Chorus: Wo, wo!
5. My song, my chant, (wewiywew, warediy, we,) is auspicious! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! All day long, (rawe-yay,) at our Amewiqwe,³ staffs, (wo, wowqe, wowqe, we,) are bent, [stretching hide] (rawe-yeiy)… Chorus: Wo, wo! The dried off hide that they bring, (ar,) is packed full, (wo-wo,) in layers in bullock carts, In layers in bullock carts! Chorus: Wo, wo!
6. My song, my chant, (wewiywew, warediy, we,) omens well! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! (Wareda wiy, rawe-yay,) at our ancient Ariq the great deer,4 (wawqe, wo,) are grazing, (rawe-yeiy)… Chorus: Wo, wo! The fattened deer, (yiji, ar,) with knees, (wo-wo,) are with black knees, (rawe-yeiy)! Chorus: Wo, wo!
7. My song, my chant, (wewiywew, warediy, we,) bodes well! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! (Wereda wiy, rawe-yay,) our great black muskets, (wer,) together we, (wo-wo,) we fire simultaneously, (rawe-yeiy)… Chorus: Wo, wo! If he looks into the eyes of whatever breed of prey, (wo, wowqe, wow, we,) It cannot flee, it just cannot break free! Chorus: Wo, wo!
8. My song, my chant, (wewiywew, warediy, we,) is the omen of good luck! Chorus: Wo, wow, wow riyrariy! (Wareda wiy, rawe-yey,) Old Bedzele,5 with dark and gloomy snakes, (Wow, wo,) is swarming and teeming, (rawe-yeiy)… Chorus: Wo, wo! He who rescues the captive white-sleeved damsel, by leading her by the hand through the Crevice between the two massive rocks, is St. George, is St. George! Chorus: Wo, wo! |
2. ‘’Ezaxwe’ is the name of a place (in Circassia). ‘’Ezaxwe’ means ‘drinking party’ in Kabardian. Perhaps ’Ezaxwe was the place to be to drown one’s sorrows!
3. ‘Amewiqwe’ is the name of a place (in Circassia).
4. ‘Ariq’ is the name of mountain ridge (in Kabarda; used for pasturage) and a settlement (also called ‘Boriqwey’) located on the right bank of the Terek River to the southwest of the ridge.
5. ‘Bedzele’ is a place name (in Circassia).
The theme of St. George rescuing the damsel in distress is common to the medieval legends of the Circassians, Georgians, English, Ossetians, and other peoples. St. George is considered to be the patron saint of both the Georgians and English (and the Circassians before the advent of Islam). It is known that there had been active interactions between the Circassian and Georgian civilizations throughout the ages. St. (Prophet) Elijah (Елэ, Еллэ, Yele, Yelle), as bringer of rain, was also similarly venerated by both the Circassians and Georgians. The common heritage of the Circassians and Georgians merits further investigation.
References & bibliography:
Bereghwn (Baragunov), V. H. and Qardenghwsch’ (Kardangushev), Z. P’.
(compilers),
Adige
Weredxemre Pshinalhexemre, Yape Txilh.
Narodnie pesni i instrumentalnie naigrishi adigov, tom 1 [Circassian Songs
and Instrumental Folk-Tunes, Vol. 1], Moscow: All-Union Book Publishing House
‘Soviet Composer’, 1980. Online. Available HTTP: <http://www.circassianlibrary.org/library.php?lang=en&mn=4&sbmn=1>
(accessed 11 November 2007). [Edited by E. V. Gippius. This, and the other
volumes in the series, are seminal works on Circassian musical lore. Some of the
collected songs and chants are very ancient indeed]
Dumezil, G., Documents anatoliens sur les langues et
les traditions du Caucase, V: Etude Abkhaz, Paris, 1967.
Dzanasia, B., Apxazur-kartuli Leksik'oni, Tbilisi, 1954.
Essad-Bey (Assad-Bey), Zwölf Geheimnisse im Kaukasus, Berlin and Zurich, 1930.
— Twelve Secrets of the Caucasus, New York: The Viking Press, 1931; reprinted: 1981.
Hewitt, B. G., 'The Relative Clause in Abkhaz: Abzui
Dialect',
in Lingua, 1979, pp 151-88.
Inal-Ipa, Š. D., Abxazi, Sukhumi, 1965.
Jaimoukha (Zhemix’we), A. M., Circassian Culture and Folklore: Hospitality Traditions, Cuisine, Festivals & Music (Kabardian, Cherkess, Adigean, Shapsugh & Diaspora), London and New York: Bennett and Bloom, 2009.
Khiba, Z. K., ‘A Contribution to Abkhaz Lexicography: The Secret Language of the Hunters’ in Bedi Kartlisa, Paris, 38, 1980, pp 269-77.
Klimov, G. A., Kavkazskie jaziki, Moscow,
1965.
— Die kaukasischen Sprachen, (translated
from Russian
by W. Boeder), Hamburg, 1969.
Lomtatidze, K., 'Rtulpujian zmnata agebuleba apxazursi', in Iberiul-k'avk'asiuri Enatmecniereba, IV,
1952, pp 83-125.
Interesting link: