OSSETIANS (ИРӔТТӔ)

The Ossetian people (two main groups, Irættæ and Digoræ) descend from the ancient Iranian-speaking Alans (Ossetian: Alantæ; hence the states known as Alania), kin to the Scythians and the Sarmatians. Ossetia, Iriston, lies at the junction of two continents. The Ossetians have preserved an epic literature that derives directly from the Indo-European tradition.

The colors of the Ossetian flags and coats of arms evoke the qualities of the three groups that constitute the mythical Ossetian society: the valiant warriors Æxsærtægkatæ, the highly intelligent Alægætæ, and the Boratæ, rich in herds, arranged upon the sacred mountain, who represent the three Indo-European functions (identified there by G. Dumézil in Romans de Scythie et d’alentour, Paris, 1978). These colors succeed one another on a shield whose shape recalls the Wasamonga, or Cup of Truth, of the ancient Nart heroes. This circular tripartite emblem, formalized in the 18th century, appears twice on the border of the circular shield of the coat of arms of the Republic of South Ossetia.