Divine Smith of the Narts

Adyghe/Kabardian ⟨Лъэпщ⟩ Łəpš. Counterpart of the Ossetian smith Kurdalægon and comparable to Hephaestus/Vulcan/Wayland. Distinct from the Ossetian tradition.

Domains

• smithcraft
• iron and metallurgy

Powers

• hammers out the first tongs and sickle for humankind
• quenches the newborn hero in his trough to make him invulnerable
• forges a sword that hunts and slays of its own accord

Epithets

• the smith of the Narts
• Лъэпщ

Relations

• ally: Mother of the Narts
• mentor: Fire-Bringer Born of Stone
• equated with: Smith-God of the Abkhaz

Sources

• Colarusso, John. Nart Sagas from the Caucasus. Princeton UP, 2002, Tlepsh tales and notes.
• Jaimoukha, Amjad. The Circassians: A Handbook. Curzon, 2001 (Lhepsh as smith deity).
• Colarusso, John. Nart Sagas from the Caucasus, 2002, etymological notes on Tlepsh.