Circassians— The Best Horse Riders!

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• published: 11 Feb 2016
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Footage of Circassian horsemen demonstrating their riding skills, shot in Kabarda in 1965. Circassian horse-born warriors (шууей [shuwey], in Circassian; джигит [dzhigit], in Russian) have always been famous for their immaculate equestrian skills. According to tradition, horsemanship reached its heyday in the time of the legendary Narts. It was developed into a magnificent institution with special rules and codes. To crown it all, a god, Zeik’wethe (ЗекIуэтхьэ), was assigned to patronize it, in extension of his original duty as deity of campaigns/raids (зекIуэ; zeik’we). Equestrian competitions (шыуджэгу; schiwjegw; Adigean) were occasions for the village heroes to show off their riding skills. Intrepid horsemen rode their mounts in all positions: upright or clinging to the horse’s side, in simulation of battle manœuvres. They had the uncanny ability to crawl under the belly of the mount, at full gallop – a manœuvre called “schinibech’epsh” (шыныбэкIэпщ; Adigean) – to confound the enemy. They performed daredevil feats, picking up whips and other articles (schiwye’ebix; шыуеIебых; Adigean), and hitting eggs (jedich’eyewe; джэдыкIэеуэ) placed on the ground at breakneck speed. A special kind of trick riding, “shurelhes” (шурэлъэс; literally: mounting-dismounting), in which a horseman, at full tilt, leapt off and then back on his horse, was also part of their repertoire. In “nipzef’eh” (ныпзэфIэхь; literally: banner-snatching), an equestrian game that required considerable strength and high skill, a group of horsemen snatched away a flag from one another, the object of the game being to carry it away. In “pi’ezef’eh” (пыIэзэфIэхь), the snatched object is a Circassian cap (пыIэ; pi’e). There were many versions of this sport, which is still played to this day. Two special forms of dressage, “shiqafe” (шыкъафэ; literally: horse-dance) and “shighejegw” (шыгъэджэгу; literally: making the horse dance), were, and still are, crowd favourites. Target shooting games were a mandatory component of trick-riding. The game of “shooting the eggs” («джэдыкIэеуэ», in Kabardian; «кIэнкIэео», in Adigean) was mainly associated with the wedding ceremonies. The path of the escort of the bride to the groom's house during wedding merrymaking was blocked by relatives of the bride, daring the valiant riders accompanying the bride to shoot eggs spread out on the ground with their hand guns at full gallop. They were not allowed to proceed until all the eggs have been smashed. The “right of passage” of the bridal procession was contingent upon successfully performing the “rite of passage”. So, it was a good idea to include a goodly number of sharpshooters when dispatching a delegation to escort the bride. According to the Circassian ethnographer and anthropologist Beresbiy Bghezchnoqwe (Бгъэжьнокъуэ Бэрэсбий), breaking eggs symbolized “the transition from Chaos to Cosmos, or Order”, and the spilled mass of eggs was considered as conducive to enhanced fertility of Mother Earth. Two special forms of dressage, namely “shiqafe” (literally: “horse-dance”, and “shighejegw” (literally: “horse-play”), were, and still are crowd favourites in Circassia. Horse wrestling matches were demonstrations of the staying power of the riders and strength of steeds. Two competitors faced one another, each trying to dislodge the other by pushing and shoving with his horse's chest. Another version had a rider and a man on foot endeavouring to throw one another afloor. War games were very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. One game had a group of foot soldiers wielding long clubs and knouts forming a circle, with horsemen trying to breach the formation. It was a veritable demonstration of courage and technique. Despite the onrush of horses, generally no serious injuries resulted. This game usually blended with other festal rites, usually following upon a compact “wij” (ancient ritual circle dance) formation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Cossacks acquired these skills, including “dzhigitovka” (джигитовка; trick-riding), which have become more associated with them, rather than the Circassians. [From Amjad M. Jaimoukha, “Circassian Culture and Folklore”, London: Bennett and Bloom, 2010, p. 43.]