NATELA KHINCHIGASHVILI - Tbilisi State University

OTAR ONIANI
Georgia, Tbilisi
Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian Literature
The Snake-Eater and Georgian Mythology
The Snake-Eater takes its origin from the foundations of Georgian
mythology. Along with man’s communion with the hidden wisdom, a complex
problem of the relationship between good and evil is to be seen in this poem.
The world of the evil, Kajaveti (evil spirits) is presented in a specific way in the
narrations relating to Mindia. He acquires much wisdom, mystery, the secret of
blacksmith’s work that is a religion for them. Mindia manages to defeat the evil
in himself, he serves his community, places its safety above his own, in the
wide sense, defends the interests of his country.
Key words: Snake-Eater, Mindia, myth, Vazha-Pshavela, Georgian
Mythology.
oTar oniani
saqarTvelo, Tbilisi
SoTa rusTavelis qarTuli literaturis instituti
gvelismWameli da qarTuli miTosi
gvelis-mWameli vaJa-fSavelas poemaTa Soris yvelaze rTuli,
idumalebiT moculi Zeglia. igi qarTuli miTologiis safuZvlebidan
iRebs saTaves. rogorc gr. kiknaZe aRniSnavda:
`vaJa-fSavelam Tavis nawarmoebTa Sinaarss axali azri da mimar-
Tuleba misca. qarTul literaturaSi iSviaTad iyo moxmobili
miTologiuri samyaro... vaJa-fSavela pirdapir SeiWra miTologiaSi
da miTTa azrisa da mniSvnelobis Sesafaseblad moamzada
qarTveli mkiTxveli da qarTuli kritika. am gziT qarTul
literaturasTan ideuri erTianobis viTarebaSi, _ Tavisi
uCveulo xatovnebiTa da gancdiTi SinaarsiT qmnida vaJa axal
samyaros~ (kiknaZe 1975: 11).
`gvelis mWameli~ am azris klasikuri dadasturebaa. vaJa yvelaze
Rrmad swored am poemaSi SeiWra admianis sulier samyaros
saidumloebebSi da gviCvena idumal sibrZnesTan Tanaziarobis
rTuli gzebi da safexurebi, ufro zustad, pirovnebis sulieri
zeaRsvlis gzebi da safexurebi. specialistTa gansakuTrebuli
yuradRebac am garemoebam ganapiroba da mindia imTaviTve yovlismcodne
adamianad aRiares, vinaidan mas mTeli garesinam-
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