The Nameless Son of Wyryzmæg

Abstract

In the Nart sagas, the story “The Nameless Son of Wyryzmæg” holds a unique position. In this tale, Barastyr, the lord of the dead, allows Wyryzmæg’s son to briefly leave his realm to persuade his father to make a yearly funerary offering in his name, following Ossetian tradition. The father, who unintentionally caused his son’s death, has completely repressed the tragic event to overcome grief and continue living as if it never happened. The opportunity to leave the Land of the Dead is a singular occurrence in the entire Nart cycle and stands in stark contrast to the story “Soslan in the Land of the Dead,” in which an Ossetian hero enters the afterlife while still alive and manages to return among the living.”