Q'ursha

Q'ursha (Georgian: ყურშა; also Qursha or Kursha) is a legendary dog from Georgian mythology. Although he appears in a number of different stories, he is best known as the loyal companion of the culture hero Amirani.[1] His name means "black-ear", a common Georgian name for dogs.[2] He was said to be born of either a raven or an eagle and is sometimes depicted as having eagle's wings as a result.[3][1] Apart from his wings, Q'ursha was sometimes described with other special features: colossal paws, "lips of gold, and eyes as big as sieves".[4][3] He was attributed supernatural abilities such as a thunderous bark, a leap "as big as a great field"[3] and an infallible ability to track prey.[4][3]

Q'ursha was the subject of the popular Georgian folk song "O my Kursha!", which dates back to at least the 18th century. The Georgian poet Davit Guramishvili, born in 1705, wrote of a desire to hear it again, in a poem describing his youth.[5] There are at least twenty-seven documented versions of the song.[6]

  1. ^ a b Jones-Bley, Karlene (1998). Proceedings of the Ninth Annual UCLA Indo-European Conference, Los Angeles, May 23,24, 1997. Institute for the Study of Man. ISBN 9780941694650.
  2. ^ Barber, Elizabeth Wayland; Barber, Paul T. (2012-01-02). When They Severed Earth from Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth. Princeton University Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-1400842865.
  3. ^ a b c d Virsaladze, E.B. (2017) [Originally published in Georgian in 1976]. Khukhunaishvili-Tsiklauri, Mary; Abashidze, Elene (eds.). Georgian hunting myths and poetry (PDF). Translated by Hunt, D.G. Georgian National Academy of Sciences. p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  4. ^ a b Charachidzé, Georges (1993-05-15). "The Religion and Myths of the Georgians of the Mountains". In Bonnefoy, Yves (ed.). American, African, and Old European Mythologies. Translated by Leavitt, John. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-226-06457-4.
  5. ^ Virsaladze, E.B. (2017) [Originally published in Georgian in 1976]. Khukhunaishvili-Tsiklauri, Mary; Abashidze, Elene (eds.). Georgian hunting myths and poetry (PDF). Translated by Hunt, D.G. Georgian National Academy of Sciences. p. 43. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  6. ^ Hunt, David (2012-05-28). "36. Kvartsikheli Tebru Ivane". Legends of the Caucasus. Saqi. ISBN 9780863568237.