MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



487 



but by rest from labour. In spring 

 they observe a long fast, and in 

 summer one of shorter duration. 

 They have no particular customs 

 either at the birth or death of man, 

 but annually perform general pil- 

 grimages to holy places, most of 

 which are remains of Christian 

 u'hurches erected in the time of 

 the celebrated Georgian queen 

 Thamar, who reigned from A. D. 

 1171 to 1198, subdued most of 

 the Caucasians, and converted 

 them to Greek Christianity. On 

 such occasions they make offerings 

 of sheep, beer, and other things. 

 An old man of known sanctity, 

 whom they term Zanin stag, or 

 pure man, who is their only priest, 

 and unmarried, has alone the right 

 to offer sacrifices and prayers at 

 the holy places. A festival of 

 this kind is celebrated with a 

 general feast upon the animals sa- 

 crificed. Of Christianity they 

 retain nothing but a veneration for 

 ancient churches, and a contempt 

 for the Mohammedan religion. 

 Those who resided nearest to the 

 plain of the Kabardah suffered 

 themselves to be baptized in the 

 time of the Russian missionaries, 

 but since the suppression of the 

 Ossetian commission this has 

 totally ceased. 



On the south side of the valley 

 of the Ingusches that has just been 

 described, upon an eminence at 

 whose foot the two arms of the 

 Assai unite, and on the right arm, 

 is an ancient building, the object 

 of the great annual pilgrimages of 

 the whole nation. The Zanin 

 stag, or holy old man, resides near 

 it, and slaughters the animals pre- 

 sented for sacrifice, which are 

 consumed by the pilgrims; the 



head, horns, and bones only being 

 preserved in the building. The 

 latter is partly sunk in the earth, 

 and is twenty-three paces in length, 

 seven in breadth, and eighteen 

 feet in height. It is built of 

 smooth hewn stone, but the roof 

 has fallen in. On the west and 

 east side is to be seen a small 

 court-yard. The entrance by a 

 gate was on the west side, but is 

 now blocked up with stones: the 

 present entrance is by a low door 

 on the south side. Over the prin- 

 cipal entrance are some rude 

 figures cut in stone in alto relievo. 

 A man is represented sitting on a 

 chair, and over him on the left 

 a hand proceeds from the clouds 

 holding a rule ; by his side stands 

 another figure holding a cross in 

 the left hand and a sabre in the 

 right. On the other side another 

 figure is carrying bunches of grapes 

 on a pole over his shoulder ; at 

 the side are heads of cherubs, 

 which are also introduced by way 

 of ornament at the corners. Over 

 the principal figure is seen the 

 facade of a Greek church ; but 

 the ancient Georgian inscriptions, 

 which Pallas has mistaken for 

 Gothic, are now wholly illegible. 

 On the east side of the building 

 are two narrow windows, and in 

 the south wall small triangular 

 holes are left instead of windows. 

 The interior of the edifice is dark, 

 dirty, and without pavement ; 

 and in the middle is a heap of 

 ashes accumulated from the sa- 

 crifices. Heads with horns, bones, 

 and broken arrows, are laid up 

 against the sides. On the east side 

 are some arches walled up with 

 stone, which are said to commu- 

 nicate with vaults where books 



