Hetag

THE ONE POST-NART FIGURE IN THIS BATCH, and the only one whose shrine you can still walk into: the Grove of Khetag is one of the main Ossetian sacred sites, with a kuvandon prayer-house inside it and strict rules protecting the trees. The legend is exactly the seam this tradition runs along — a Christian convert saved by the pagan patron of travellers, who is himself Saint George.

Domains

• sanctuary and refuge
• the grove of khetag
• conversion

Relations

• delivered by: Uastyrdzhi

Sources

• Reference treatment of Hetag and the Grove of Khetag: Khetag was the son of a prince — named in the tellings as a local Kabardian Muslim prince and as an Alanian king — who secretly converted to Christianity and took refuge in a dense forest to escape relatives who practised Islam; exhausted and desperate, he prayed to Uastyrdzhi, Saint George, the Ossetian patron of warriors and travellers, and a miracle occurred: the trees moved, closing in around him to form an impenetrable wall and hiding him from his pursuers; the grove has been considered sacred ever since, imbued with a special power, and Khetag is said to have consecrated it to Uastyrdzhi; the Khetag Grove is one of the main Ossetian sacred sites, with a small prayer house called a kuvandon standing within it, and strict rules govern visitors, the trees being under special protection.