Tusheti

Tusheti, also Tusheti (Georgian თუშეთი ) is a historical region in Eastern Georgia. It is located in the Greater Caucasus and adjacent to the north of Chechnya and Dagestan to the east, the south and to the west it borders the former Georgian provinces Kakheti and Pshavi - Khevsureti. The population consists mainly of ink, a Subethnie the Georgians. Today Tusheti belongs to the Georgian region of Kakheti.

History

Historically, Tusheti comprised four settlements on mountains of Alazani Valley: Zowa, Gometzari, Chagma and Piriqiti Tusheti. Today it belongs to the district of the Kakheti region Akhmeta and comprises ten villages, of which Omalo is the largest and also the administrative center.

From the age-old culture of inks testify archaeological excavations and rock carvings. The first inhabitants of the region were non-Christian Georgians from Pchowi (ie from Pshavi and Khevsureti ), which in the 330s years during their rebellion against the Zwangschristianisierung by the Iberian King Mirian III. fled into the uninhabited mountainous region. Nevertheless, they had to convert to Christianity and be subject to the Georgian kings. The inks participated in the 8th and 9th centuries at least 500 years later than the other Georgians also Christianity, not least because of their economic and cultural connection to the rest of Georgia, lived out their own faith but relatively independent on. They fought against the missionaries and defended their pagan faith. Throughout Tusheti there is only one church - that are located in many places small shrines in the wild, the so-called " Chati " to which the spirits of nature still in pagan tradition offered sacrifices and many non-Christian traditions are maintained.

After the collapse of the unified Georgian Kingdom Tusheti came in the 15th century under the rule of Kakheti. Throughout its history, the inks have often made ​​the Georgian kings military support. They were highly valued as daring fighters in Georgia and fought successfully numerous enemy attacks on Georgia from. In the 16th century Zowa was settled by people of the North Caucasian Bats. King Levan of Kakheti put the Bats in return for their military support in the fight against the Persians, the country's Alwani Valley available. The descendants of the Bats are also called Zowa - inks. They are highly assimilated and usually speak both Georgian and Bats, which is now only spoken in the village of Zemo Alwani.

1801 lived in Tusheti still 1019 families, 1860 - there were 786, in 1931 only 379 During the German invasion of the Soviet Union took place in Tusheti a revolt against the Soviet regime instead, which was associated with larger revolts in the neighboring region of Ingushetia. 1959 has dissolved for political reasons, the collective farm in Tusheti the Soviet government. ( A kolkhoz ( collective farm ) was in the Soviet Union, a large agricultural holding which was organized as a cooperative and its management was " Socialist Collective " by the members. ) Therefore, most inks had from the mountains down to the plains, in the villages of Zemo - and Kvemo- Alwani resettle.

Economy

The inks traditionally living from sheep farming. Ink Phonetic cheese and mascara tables wool were famous for their quality, have been exported to Europe and the Soviet Union. Sheep farming is still the most important source of income tushetian Highlands. The shepherds spend the summer months in the mountains and live in the winter in low-lying villages of Zemo and Kvemo Alwani Alwani. Their culture and tradition, the other Georgian mountain tribes, such as the Khevsurs similar.

The fire or towers of Tusheti

Characteristic of Tusheti are the mighty towers from the 12th - 13th Century. Various towers were built: observation towers, which served to impending attacks quickly using fire news to report to the people of Tusheti and the Georgian domestic and residential towers, which offered refuge and protection of the population. The enemies of the inks were linens Dagestan. When approaching enemies, whose arrival was signaled by made ​​in the towers of fire and smoke signals and passed on the information that way.

Pagan traditions

• Until the early 20th century, the sun was presented at the grave stones instead of the cross.
• When the inks slaughter a sheep on feast days, they still smear the hands with blood. Women and children make with this custom.
• In Tusheti ( Omalo and vicinity) to eat pork. However, the same people grow in the villages in the valley pigs and eat pork quite normal, just above one may not. When tourists from below pork, sausages or bring pork and the locals noticed that the tourists have to bury the meat in the world. The reason no one knows. This is just a tradition from the Middle Ages and they respect that their ancestors.
• Villages where there are church or church remains, have an extra inputs and outputs for women. There are village inputs that may be used only by men. ( This rule applies today, but only for locals ).
• "Holy places " women may not approach. A "holy place " to church remains a " courthouse square " ( where previously criminals were punished ), or simply be a pile of rocks.
• Women should not go into buildings or look in which beer is brewed.
• The tushetian towers have basements like basement. Pregnant women were brought here. They had the child alone, give birth without assistance and remain 40 days after birth there. No one was allowed in and she was not allowed too. These 40 days they were all alone with the child. The food she was served through the window. Many women and children died in such circumstances. This tradition existed until the end of the 19th century.

The legend of the Tebschorikas

Tebschorikas were evil fairies or witches. A Tebschorika looked like a beautiful woman. They attacked the shepherds in his sleep and killed them. If a shepherd awoke before him was the Tebschorika kill her and was able to cut your hair, the Tebschorika was harmless, he lived long his slave. The cut hair had to keep in his dagger sheath, so that the Tebschorika not regained their former power of the shepherd. They were very strong and did all the tasks of their Lord diligently. But you had to tell them everything vice versa, eg " Sit down " instead of " get up ", " screaming " instead of " be quiet ", etc. It is said that the tushetian towers were built by Tebschorikas.