CONCEPT OF NATSILIANI IN KHEVSURIAN MYTHOLOGY

Abstract

This article investigates the symbolic function of light in Khevsuretian mythology, with particular emphasis on its association with the category of Natsiliani—individuals marked by divine favor. Drawing on textual analysis of several Andrezis (traditional mythological narratives), the study argues that light in these accounts functions as a semi-autonomous, active agent of divine presence, operating beyond mere physical illumination. Rather than being reducible to its physical source, light in Khevsuretian cosmology serves as a visible manifestation of divine will, selectively revealed to human beings as a means of communication, protection, or guidance.

The term Natsiliani, derived from the Georgian word “natsili” (“a part” or “a share”), designates individuals who possess a “share” in the divine realm. These individuals are born with distinctive corporeal signs—luminescent markings, bodily radiance, or other visual phenomena—which signify their sacred status and exceptional mission in the mortal world. However, these signs are often hidden from the general populace and perceptible only to those with heightened spiritual perception. This motif is exemplified in narratives such as ‘The Natsiliani’, where a character named Bobghiat Chuai is revealed to bear a radiant imprint resembling the sun and moon, and in Betsikua Natsiliani, where a newborn's eye emits a sun-like light perceived only by a spiritually attuned observer.

Beyond bodily marks, light also appears as an external manifestation of divine intervention in the broader landscape. In the myth ‘Transpassing of the Icon’, a mystical light arises from a sacred shrine, ascending into the heavens as a multi-colored celestial vision, interpreted as a threshold to the divine accessible during solstitial moments. In the myth ‘Gakhua in Betlemi’s Residence’, an icon designated as Natsiliani emits light autonomously, guiding its bearer across dangerous terrain and ultimately transforming into radiant doves enveloped in a golden shroud.

In the narrative of ‘Sparsangelozi’, light functions as both a concealment and navigational aid during an escape, mediated through an enchanted earring provided by an angelic figure.

The article contends that in Khevsuretian mythological thought, light embodies an ontological bridge between material and spiritual realities. It demarcates the exceptional from the ordinary, signals divine presence, and mediates human interaction with the sacred. Natsiliani individuals, as bearers of embodied light, assume a mediatory role within the community, their distinction not only physical but cosmological. These mythological constructs reflect a sophisticated religious system in which visible light serves as the index of invisible divine agency. The study thus contributes to a deeper understanding of Caucasian vernacular cosmologies and the culturally specific modalities through which divine election is articulated and socially enacted.^[1].

KEYWORDS: Khevsuretian mythology; divine light; Natsiliani; embodiment of the sacred; Caucasus cultural traditions; religious symbolism; initiatory signs; folklore and spirituality; myth and identity; comparative mythology; sacred marks; embodiment; divine election; Andrezis; mythological narratives; Georgian folklore; religious symbolism; semiotics of light; traditional narratives.

[1] (Gambashidze N. , Sacred Crossroads of the Cults of Metallurgy and Agriculture: Exploring the Mythic Saga of Pirqushi and its Indoeuropean Parallels – Zeus Keraunos, Hephaestus, Percunas, Apollo Paean, and Hellen of Troy, 2024, გვ. 323-358)