Siklódi Csilla szerk.: Tradicionális sportok, népi játékok (A Sportmúzeum Kincsei 2. Budapest, 1996)

Oszét fiújátékok (Szabó István)

István Szabó Ossete Boy-Games (Summary) On the northeastern part of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, in the valleys of the rivers Zagyva and Tarna the so called Jászság constituted once an independent administrative unit the population of which was a separate ethnic group. The Jazyg (Jász) population appaered in 1241 in Hungary as an auxiliary troupe of the admitted Cumans. They had relatively early lost their language, consequently it was difficult for a long time to identify them truthfully with any of their kin remained in Asia. In 1912, János Melich proved scientifically the identity and the relation of the people "ász, ászi, assi, assija" appearing in the sources with the present day Ossetes. This ethnic group is of Iranian origin that appeared in the 1st - 2nd century A.D. on the northern part of the Caucasus. The Ossetes living on the northern part, in the Russian Federation are only partly continuing the ancient agricultural tradition, the Slavic elements are predominating in their culture. The way of life of the Southern Ossetes living in the high mountains of Georgia assimilated more with that of the Georgian and other smaller Caucasian peoples living around them. The Ossetes are very lucky in that respect that similarly to the Kalevala of the Finns and the Kalevipoeg of the Estonians, at the end of the last century they collected and wrote down the legendary and the folk traditions of the early history of their nation and composed a consistent national epos of them. So the "Nart epos" is one of the best sources for nearly all the aspects of the daily life. From our point of view e.g. different physical exercises are mentioned as sharpshooting, wrestling, running, mountain-climbing, stone-throwing, weightlifting and carrying of weights as far as possible, riding skills, different acrobatic exercises on horseback, hurdle race on horse or on foot through natural obstacles (rivers, grooves, abysses). All these games that follow the whole life of the hero of the epos from his childhood can be interpreted as games and customs attached to the different ages as well. According to the character and to the different elements the traditional Ossete boy-games can be range into ten groups: 1. Rider competitions which can be simple riding or divers exercises made on horseback. 2. Shooting with bow or rifle. 3. Lifting and carrying of weights. The weights can be stones, rocks, but also men. 4. Different climbing: on pole, on mountain or on rock.