Abstract
The folklore of Dagestan, which is poorly understood because most of its languages are unscripted, is rich in local versions of the Rostam legend. They are found in Tat, an Iranian language close to Persian, as well as in Kumyk, a Turkic language of the Kipchak group, and also in several of the East Caucasian languages indigenous to these mountains. The presentation at this seminar focused on two versions collected and published in 1920 by Adolph Dirr, the tale of Rostam in Udi, a language spoken in Azerbaijan, and the exploits of Rostam in Aghul. Both languages have long been in contact with the Iranian world. The Udi version blends recognizable elements of Iranian legend with a rather Caucasian plot, in which Rostam distinguishes himself among three journeymen capable of feats by slaying a dragon whose head rolls off and drags him into the world below. When betrayed by his friends, Rostam's anger manifests itself, twice, in epilepsy followed by lethargic sleep. The Aghul version is richer in precise references to details of the Shāhnāme: Rostam is born by Caesarean section; he defeats a "white demon", rides a mount named Rakhsh, and asks his father Zãl's permission to deliver his grandfather Narimãn imprisoned in a fortress, disguising himself as a merchant.
