“The Knight in Tiger Skin,” a summary of which is given in this article, is an epic Georgian poem. Its author is Shota Rustaveli. The work was written in the 12th century. As researchers have established, between 1189 and 1212.

Rustaveli's poem

The events of the poem "The Knight in the Tiger's Skin", a brief summary of which allows you to get an idea of ​​the plot of the work, begin in Arabia, where King Rostevan rules. He is dying, so he wants to enthrone his only daughter Tinatin.

The day after her accession to the throne, Rostevan goes hunting with his military leader Avtandil, who is in love with Tinatin.

While hunting, the king notices in the distance a horseman dressed in a tiger skin. He wants to talk to him, but the knight refuses. Rostevan is angry, he orders him to be taken prisoner. But in Rustaveli’s poem “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger,” a summary of which you are reading, the horseman every time puts to flight the detachment sent after him.

When the king himself goes after him with Avtandil, the knight disappears without a trace.

Who was that?

Tinatin then orders Avtandil to search for the knight for three years, and if he succeeds, she will become his wife. Avtandil travels around the world for several years, and when he was almost desperate, he meets six travelers. In the summary of “The Knight in Tiger Skin” they say that they recently saw the knight while hunting.

Avtandil pursues him for two days until he witnesses a meeting between the knight and a girl named Asmat. Together they cry over the stream.

Knight's Secret

From the summary of the poem "The Knight in the Tiger's Skin" we learn how Tariel tells his story. His father was one of the seven rulers of Hindustan. At the age of 15, the knight received the title of commander, like his father.

Shota Rustaveli in “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger” describes the beauty of Nestan-Darejan (daughter of Lord Farsadan), who won the heart of Tariel. She agrees to give him her hand and heart if he manages to win glory and honor in the war.

To war

Tariel goes on a campaign against the Khatavs and achieves victory. The morning after the victory, Nestan’s parents come to him to seek advice on who to marry their daughter to. They knew nothing about the young people’s agreement.

It turns out that the parents want to marry their daughter to the son of the Shah of Khorezm. During the meeting, Nestan accuses the knight that it was in vain to call herself his beloved, since he so resignedly agrees with the decision of her parents. Nestan asks him to kill the khan’s son and become the ruler himself and her husband.

In the analysis of “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger” by Shota Rustaveli, researchers note that the hero fulfills the desire of his beloved. However, the king believes that his sister Davar, who knows how to cast magic, is to blame for everything. In revenge, Davar sends his slaves to Nestan, who take the girl to the sea. Davar commits suicide. Tariel tries to find his lover, but to no avail. In "The Knight in Tiger's Skin" the hero, together with his comrades, is looking for her all over the world.

Meeting with Nuradin

In his wanderings, Tariel meets Nuradin-Freedon. He fights against his uncle, who seeks to split the country. The knights make a vow of eternal friendship to each other. Tariel helps defeat the insidious enemy, and Nuradin says that he once saw a mysterious boat on the seashore, from which a lovely girl came out.

Tariel continues his search. Analysis of the poem "The Knight in the Tiger's Skin" allows us to study his wanderings in detail. As a result, he ends up in a cave, where he meets Avtandil. He decides to help him in his search. But first, see Tinatin. He is greeted with joy and honor, but is soon forced to leave again to help his new friend.

In the cave he finds one Asmat. Tariel did not wait for him and went in search of Nestan alone. Avtandil discovers the knight on the verge of despair. In addition, he is wounded after a fight with a tigress and a lion. Avtandil suggests going to Fridon to ask him in more detail about the incident when he saw Nestan.

Fridon tells them everything in detail, but this does not add clarity. The next time the beauty's trace is discovered after communicating with a merchant from Baghdad, Osama. Avtandil helps him defeat the sea robbers. As a reward, he asks for an ordinary dress and permission to come to Gulansharo under the guise of a merchant.

Avtandil in Gulansharo

There, Fatma, the owner’s wife, became interested in Avtandil. She orders the merchant to be taken to the palace. Fatma falls in love with Avtandil. One day, when they were kissing, a formidable warrior appeared and promised Fatma great punishment. The woman began to beg Avtandil to kill Chachnagir. The hero of the poem fulfilled this request; in gratitude, Fatma told him about Nestan.

One day she saw a boat at sea, from which an incredibly beautiful girl emerged, accompanied by two black men. Fatma ordered her slaves to ransom her from the guards, and if they did not agree, to kill them. The guards were killed.

But Nestan was not happy about this; she continued to cry around the clock. Fatma's husband happily accepted the foreigner. One day he promised her to be the king’s daughter-in-law. Having learned about this, Fatma immediately put Nestan on a horse and sent her away.

Soon she heard a story about Lord Kajeti. That's what they called evil spirits in those places. It turned out that after his death the king’s sister named Dulardukht ruled the country. The slave who told this story was a robber. Once he and his comrades saw a horseman in the steppe, whom they captured. It turned out to be a girl.

Fatma immediately sent her servants to Kadzheti to find Nestan. They said that the girl was engaged to Prince Kadzheti. However, Dulardukht is planning to go overseas for his sister's funeral. She takes almost all the sorcerers and sorcerers with her, but the fortress still remains impregnable.

Avtandil told Fatma about the knight in the tiger skin. The hero of the poem ordered Fridon's slaves to gather an army and march to Kadzheti. He himself hurried to Tariel with the good news.

Together with the knight and Asmat, the friends headed to Fridon. After consulting with the ruler, they decided to set out on a campaign against the fortress immediately, until Dulardukht returned from the funeral. With a combat detachment of three hundred people, the knights set out. They managed to take the fortress by storm, Tariel rushed to his beloved, no one could tear them away from each other for a long time.

The knights return to Fatma

The winners loaded three thousand mules with rich booty. Together with the beautiful princess Nestan, they went to Fatma. They wanted to thank her. As a gift to the ruler of Gulansharo, the hero was presented with everything that was obtained in the battle in Kajeti. He received the guests with honors, also presenting them with gifts.

A great holiday was held in the kingdom of Freedon. The wedding took place for more than a week, and the whole country enjoyed the celebrations.

During the wedding feast, Tariel announced that he wanted to go with Avtandil to Arabia to become his matchmaker there. He stated that he did not want to get married until he arranged his friend's personal life. Avtandil answered the knight that neither eloquence nor the sword would help him in his native land. If he is destined to marry the queen, then so be it. In addition, the time had come for Tariel himself to seize the Indian throne. That day he returned to Arabia. But Tariel is still going to help his friend at all costs. Fridon also supports him.

Rostevan forgives Avtandil

Tariel sends messengers to Rostevan with a certain message. Rostevan goes to meet him with his retinue, as well as the beautiful Nestan.

Tariel asks Rostevan to forgive Avtandil and be merciful to him. After all, the young man left without his blessing to look for the knight in the tiger skin. Rostevan forgives his military leader, gives him his daughter as his wife, and also bestows the entire Arabian throne.

Rostevan points his squad to Avtandil, announcing that this is their new king. Avtandil and Tinatin are getting married.

Funeral caravan

At the end, the heroes see a funeral caravan on the horizon. All the people in it are wearing black clothes. From the leader, the heroes learn that Farsadan, the king of the Indians, having lost his dear daughter, died of great grief. At this time, the Khatavs came to Hindustan, surrounding it with a huge army. At the head of this army is Ramaz.

Upon learning of this news, Tariel decides not to hesitate for a minute. He rushes on the road and overcomes it in one day. All his brothers-in-arms go with him. In an instant they defeat the entire Hatav army. Hindustan no longer faces any threat.

Then the queen solemnly joins the hands of Nestan and Tariel, who sits on a high throne with his wife.

The poem mentions that they received all their father's possessions, having achieved everything they had strived for for so long. Rustaveli also has his own morality. In his opinion, only those who know true sorrow can truly appreciate joy.

As a result, all three twin knights become rulers each in their own country. Tariel rules Hindustan, Fridon rules Mulgazanzare, and Avtandil rules Arabia. The people are lucky because they turn out to be wise rulers, whose merciful deeds will be remembered for a long time.

neutrality

"The Knight in Tiger Skin" or "Knight in Tiger Skin" (ვეფხისტყაოსანი, Vepkhistkaosani listen)) is an epic poem written in Georgian by Shota Rustaveli, in the 12th century, most likely between 1189-1212.

The poem is known in Russian under the names “The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin”, “The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin”, “The Knight in the Leopard’s Skin”, “Wearing the Tiger’s (Leopard’s) Skin”, “Leopard’s Skin”, etc.

Story

This poem in its original form has not reached us. Over the centuries, the text of the poem was distorted a lot and almost mutilated in the hands of successors - imitators and many copyists. Many interpolated later editions of the 16th-18th centuries have been preserved, and the debate continues among researchers both regarding the content as a whole and regarding the interpretation of individual passages of the work. There is also a continuation of the poem, known as “Omaniani”. Of all the editions of the poem “The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin,” the canonized and most widespread is the so-called Vakhtangov edition, printed in Tiflis in 1712 by Tsar Vakhtang VI and provided with special commentaries. There are up to thirty new editions of the poem, but with the exception of two, all of them are essentially, to a greater or lesser extent, a repetition of the Vakhtangov edition. The official church of that time recognized Rustaveli’s philosophical and religious views as heretical; she opened persecution against the poem. The persecution continued for centuries, as a result of which the first complete edition of the poem in 1712 was almost completely destroyed.

To this day, the question of where Rustaveli borrowed the plot of his poem remains unresolved. Four opinions have been expressed in the literature: the first is based on the words of Rustaveli himself, who in the 16th stanza of the poem states that “he found a Persian story and translated it into verse, like a large pearl passing from hand to hand”; however, the Persian original, despite all the searches, has not yet been found.

The second opinion was first expressed by Professor D.I. Chubinov, who proves that Rustaveli did not borrow the plot of “The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin” from Eastern writers; it was created by him and aimed at glorifying Queen Tamara.

The third opinion belongs to A. Khakhanov: comparing Rustaveli’s poems with folk songs about Tariel, he suggested that the artificial poem of the 12th century is based on folk poetry, just as “Faust” and “Hamlet” go back to medieval folk traditions. Rustaveli used a folk tale to depict a great historical era. A comparison of the songs about Tariel circulating among the Georgian people with Rustaveli’s poem, where Tariel is the main character, reveals their unconditional similarity in the general plot and in details.

On the other hand, a comparison of Tamara’s life with the events described in the poem gives reason to think that Tamara herself is hiding under the name of the main character, Nestan-Darejan. One might think that the poet deliberately transferred the plot of “The Knight...” to an ideal location - “India, Arabia, China” - in order to divert the reader from guessing and hide his love, “for which there is no cure...”

Once upon a time, the glorious king Rostevan ruled in Arabia, and he had his only daughter - the beautiful Tinatin. Anticipating his approaching old age, Rostevan ordered his daughter to be elevated to the throne during his lifetime, which he informed the viziers about. They favorably accepted the decision of the wise ruler, because “Even if a maiden were to be king, the creator created her. A lion cub remains a lion cub, whether it’s a female or a male.” On the day of Tinatin’s accession to the throne, Rostevan and his faithful spaspet (military leader) and pupil Avtandil, who had long been passionately in love with Tinatin, agreed the next morning to organize a hunt and compete in the art of archery.

Having gone to the competition (in which, to Rostevan’s delight, his pupil turned out to be the winner), the king noticed in the distance the lonely figure of a horseman dressed in a tiger skin, and sent a messenger after him. But the messenger returned to Rostevan with nothing, the knight did not respond to the call of the glorious king. The angry Rostevan orders twelve warriors to take the stranger into custody, but when he sees the detachment, the knight, as if waking up, wipes away the tears from his eyes and scatters those who intend to capture his warriors with a whip. The same fate befell the next detachment sent in pursuit. Then Rostevan himself galloped after the mysterious stranger with the faithful Avtandil, but, noticing the approach of the sovereign, the stranger whipped his horse and “like a demon disappeared into space” as suddenly as he had appeared.

Rostevan retired to his chambers, not wanting to see anyone except his beloved daughter. Tinatin advises his father to send reliable people to look for the knight around the world and find out whether he is “a man or a devil.” Messengers flew to the four corners of the world, traveling halfway around the world, but they never met anyone who knew the sufferer.

Tinatin, to the delight of Avtandil, calls him to his palace and orders him, in the name of his love for her, to search for a mysterious stranger throughout the entire earth for three years, and if he fulfills her order, she will become his wife. Going in search of the knight in tiger skin, Avtandil respectfully says goodbye to Rostevan in a letter and leaves in his place to guard the kingdom of his friend and close associate Shermadin from enemies.

And so, “Having traveled all over Arabia in four marches,” “Wandering across the face of the earth, homeless and wretched, / He visited every small corner in three years.” Having failed to pick up the trail of the mysterious knight, “running wild in heartache,” Avtandil decided to turn back his horse, when he suddenly saw six tired and wounded travelers who told him that they had met a knight while hunting, immersed in thought and dressed in tiger skin. That knight showed them worthy resistance and “rushed off proudly, like a luminary of luminaries.”

Avtandil pursued the knight for two days and two nights, until finally he crossed a mountain river, and Avtandil, climbing a tree and hiding in its crown, witnessed how a girl (her name was Asmat) came out of the thicket of the forest to meet the knight. and, hugging each other, they sobbed for a long time over the stream, grieving that they had never managed to find a certain beautiful maiden. The next morning this scene was repeated, and, having said goodbye to Asmat, the knight continued his mournful path.

Once upon a time there were seven kings in Hindustan, six of whom revered Farsadan, a generous and wise ruler, as their ruler. Tariel's father, the glorious Saridan, “the thunderstorm of enemies, / Ruled his destiny, the adversaries of exactions.” But, having achieved honors and glory, he began to languish in loneliness and, also of his own free will, gave his possessions to Farsadan. But the noble Farsadan refused the generous gift and left Saridan as the sole ruler of his inheritance, brought him closer to himself and revered him as a brother. At the royal court, Tariel himself was brought up in bliss and reverence. Meanwhile, the royal couple had a beautiful daughter, Nestan-Darejan. When Tariel was fifteen years old, Saridan died, and Farsadan and the queen gave him “the rank of his father - commander of the entire country.”

The beautiful Nestan-Darejan, meanwhile, grew up and captivated the heart of the brave Tariel with burning passion. Once, in the midst of a feast, Nestan-Darejan sent her slave Asmat to Tariel with a message that read: “Pitiful fainting and weakness - do you call them love? / Isn’t glory bought with blood more pleasant to the midjnur?” Nestan suggested that Tariel declare war on the Khatavs (it should be noted that the action in the poem takes place in both real and fictional countries), earn honor and glory in the “bloody clash” - and then she would give Tariel her hand and heart.

Tariel goes on a campaign against the Khatavs and returns to Farsadan with victory, defeating the hordes of the Khatav Khan Ramaz. The morning after returning to the hero, tormented by the torment of love, the royal couple comes for advice, who were unaware of the feelings experienced by the young man for their daughter: to whom should he give his only daughter and heir to the throne as his wife? It turned out that the Shah of Khorezm expected his son to be Nestan-Darejan’s husband, and Farsadan and the queen favorably perceived his matchmaking. Asmat comes for Tariel to escort him to the halls of Nestan-Darejan. She reproaches Tariel for lying, says that she was deceived by calling herself his beloved, because she was given against her will “for a stranger’s prince,” and he only agrees with her father’s decision. But Tariel dissuades Nestan-Darejan, he is sure that he alone is destined to become her husband and ruler of Hindustan. Nestan orders Tariel to kill the unwanted guest, so that their country will never fall to the enemy, and to ascend to the throne himself.

Having fulfilled his beloved’s order, the hero turns to Farsadan: “Your throne now remains with me according to the charter.” Farsadan is angry, he is sure that it was his sister, the sorceress Davar, who advised the lovers to commit such an insidious act, and threatens to deal with her. Davar attacks the princess with great abuse, and at this time “two slaves who look like kajis” (fairy-tale characters from Georgian folklore) appear in the chambers, push Nestan into the ark and take him to the sea. Davar stabs himself with a sword in grief. On the same day, Tariel sets off with fifty warriors in search of his beloved. But in vain - he could not even find traces of the beautiful princess anywhere.

Once in his wanderings, Tariel met the brave Nuradin-Freedon, the sovereign of Mulgazanzar, who was fighting against his uncle, seeking to split the country. The knights, having “concluded a cordial alliance,” give each other a vow of eternal friendship. Tariel helps Freedon defeat the enemy and restore peace and tranquility to his kingdom. In one of the conversations, Fridon told Tariel that once, while walking along the seashore, he happened to see a strange boat, from which, when it moored to the shore, a maiden of incomparable beauty emerged. Tariel, of course, recognized his beloved in her, told Fridon his sad story, and Fridon immediately sent sailors “to various distant countries” with orders to find the captive. But “in vain the sailors went to the ends of the earth, / These people did not find any traces of the princess.”

Tariel, having said goodbye to his brother-in-law and received from him a black horse as a gift, set out again in search, but, despairing of finding his beloved, found shelter in a secluded cave, where Avtandil met him, dressed in a tiger skin (“The image of a fiery tigress is similar to my maiden, / Therefore, the skin of a tiger is the dearest to me among clothes”).

Avtandil decides to return to Tinatin, tell her everything, and then join Tariel again and help him in his search.

Avtandil was greeted with great joy at the court of the wise Rostevan, and Tinatin, “like a paradise aloe over the Euphrates valley, was waiting on a richly decorated throne.” Although the new separation from his beloved was difficult for Avtandil, although Rostevan opposed his departure, the word given to his friend drove him away from his family, and Avtandil for the second time, already secretly, left Arabia, ordering the faithful Shermadin to sacredly fulfill his duties as a military leader . When leaving, Avtandil leaves Rostevan a will, a kind of hymn to love and friendship.

Arriving at the cave he abandoned, in which Tariel was hiding, Avtandil finds only Asmat there - unable to withstand the mental anguish, Tariel alone went in search of Nestan-Darejan.

Having overtaken his friend for the second time, Avtandil finds him in extreme despair; with difficulty he managed to bring back to life the wounded man in the fight with the lion and tigress Tariel. The friends return to the cave, and Avtandil decides to go to Mulgazanzar to see Fridon in order to ask him in more detail about the circumstances under which he happened to see the sun-faced Nestan.

On the seventieth day Avtandil arrived in the possessions of Fridon. “That girl came to us under the guard of two sentinels,” Fridon, who greeted him with honor, told him. - Both were like soot, only the maiden was fair-faced. / I took the sword and spurred my horse to fight the guards, / But the unknown boat disappeared into the sea like a bird.”

The glorious Avtandil sets off again, “he asked many people he met in the bazaars over a hundred days, / But he didn’t hear about the maiden, he just wasted his time,” until he met a caravan of traders from Baghdad, the leader of which was the venerable old man Osam. Avtandil helped Osam defeat the sea robbers robbing their caravan. Osam offered him all his goods in gratitude, but Avtandil only asked for a simple dress and the opportunity to hide from prying eyes, “pretending to be the foreman” of the merchant caravan.

So, under the guise of a simple merchant, Avtandil arrived in the marvelous seaside city of Gulansharo, in which “the flowers are fragrant and never fade.” Avtandil laid out his goods under the trees, and the gardener of the eminent merchant Usen came up to him and told him that his owner was away today, but “here Fatma Khatun is at the house, his lady wife, / She is cheerful, kind, loves the guest at the hour leisure." Having learned that an eminent merchant had arrived in their city, moreover, “like a seven-day month, he is more beautiful than a plane tree,” Fatma immediately ordered the merchant to be escorted to the palace. “Middle-aged, but beautiful in appearance,” Fatma fell in love with Avtandil. “The flame grew stronger, grew, / The secret was revealed, no matter how the hostess hid it,” and so, during one of the dates, when Avtandil and Fatma “kissed while talking together,” the alcove door swung open and a formidable warrior appeared on the threshold, promising Fatma for her debauchery is a great punishment. “You will gnaw all your children out of fear like a she-wolf!” - he threw it in her face and left. Fatma burst into tears in despair, bitterly executing herself, and begged Avtandil to kill Chachnagir (that was the name of the warrior) and take the ring she had given him from his finger. Avtandil fulfilled Fatma’s request, and she told him about her meeting with Nestan-Darejan.

Once, at a holiday with the queen, Fatma went into a gazebo that was built on a rock, and, opening the window and looking at the sea, she saw a boat landing on the shore, and a girl, whose beauty eclipsed the sun, came out of it, accompanied by two black men. Fatma ordered the slaves to ransom the maiden from the guards, and “if the bargaining does not take place,” to kill them. And so it happened. Fatma hid the sunny Nestan in secret chambers, but the girl continued to shed tears day and night and did not tell anything about herself. Finally, Fatma decided to open up to her husband, who received the stranger with great joy, but Nestan remained silent as before and “she closed her lips like roses over pearls.” One day Usen went to a feast with the king, who had a “friend” and, wanting to reward him for his favor, promised “a maiden similar to a plane tree” as his daughter-in-law. Fatma immediately put Nestan on a fast-footed horse and sent her away. Sadness settled in Fatma’s heart about the fate of the beautiful-faced stranger. Once, passing by a tavern, Fatma heard the story of the slave of the great king, the ruler of Kajeti (the country of evil spirits - kaj), that after the death of his master, the king’s sister Dulardukht began to rule the country, that she was “majestic like a rock” and She had two princes left in her care. This slave ended up in a detachment of soldiers who traded in robbery. One night, wandering across the steppe, they saw a horseman, whose face “sparkled like lightning in the fog.” Recognizing him as a maiden, the soldiers immediately captivated her - “the maiden did not listen to either pleas or persuasion; she only remained gloomily silent before the robber patrol, / And she, like an asp, poured an angry gaze on people.”

On the same day, Fatma sent two slaves to Kadzheti with instructions to find Nestan-Darejan. At three days the slaves returned with the news that Nestan was already engaged to Prince Kadzheti, that Dulardukht was going to go overseas for the funeral of her sister and that she was taking sorcerers and sorcerers with her, “for her path is dangerous, and her enemies are ready for battle.” But the Kaja fortress is impregnable, it is located on the top of a steep cliff, and “ten thousand of the best guards guard the fortification.”

Thus the location of Nestan was revealed to Avtandil. That night, Fatma “tasted complete happiness on her bed, / Although, in truth, the caresses of Avtandil,” who yearned for Tinatin, were reluctant. The next morning, Avtandil told Fatma the story of “how one dressed in the skin of a tiger endures grief in abundance,” and asked to send one of his sorcerers to Nestan-Darejan. Soon the sorcerer returned with an order from Nestan not to go to Tariel on a campaign against Kadzheti, for she “will die a double death if he dies on the day of battle.”

Having called Fridon's slaves to him and generously gifted them, Avtandil ordered them to go to their master and ask them to gather an army and march to Kadzheti, while he himself crossed the sea on a passing galley and hurried with the good news to Tariel. There was no limit to the happiness of the knight and his faithful Asmat.

The three friends “moved through the deserted steppe to the land of Fridon” and soon arrived safely at the court of the ruler Mulgazanzar. After consulting, Tariel, Avtandil and Fridon decided immediately, before the return of Dulardukht, to set out on a campaign against the fortress, which was “protected from enemies by a chain of impenetrable rocks.” With a detachment of three hundred people, the knights hurried day and night, “not letting the squad sleep.”

“The brothers divided the battlefield among themselves. / Each warrior in their detachment became like a hero.” The defenders of the formidable fortress were defeated overnight. Tariel, sweeping away everything in his path, rushed to his beloved, and “this fair-faced couple was unable to separate. / The roses of the lips, falling to each other, could not be separated.”

Having loaded three thousand mules and camels with rich booty, the knights, together with the beautiful princess, went to Fatma to thank her. They presented everything they had gained in the Kadzhet battle as a gift to the ruler of Gulansharo, who greeted the guests with great honors and also presented them with rich gifts. Then the heroes went to the kingdom of Fridon, “and then a great holiday began in Mulgazanzar. For eight days, the whole country had fun during the wedding. Tambourines and cymbals beat, harps sang until dark.” At the feast, Tariel volunteered to go with Avtandil to Arabia and be his matchmaker: “Where with words, where with swords we will arrange everything there. / Without marrying you to a virgin, I don’t want to be married!” “Neither sword nor eloquence will help in that land, / Where God sent me my sun-faced queen!” - Avtandil answered and reminded Tariel that the time had come to seize the Indian throne for him, and on the day “when these plans come true,” he will return to Arabia. But Tariel is adamant in his decision to help Friend. The valiant Fridon joins him, and now “the lions, having left the edges of Fridon, walked in unprecedented joy” and on a certain day reached the Arabian side.

Tariel sent a messenger to Rostevan with a message, and Rostevan with a large retinue rode out to meet the glorious knights and the beautiful Nestan-Darejan.

Tariel asks Rostevan to be merciful to Avtandil, who once left in search of the knight in tiger skin without his blessing. Rostevan happily forgives his military leader, giving him a daughter as his wife, and with her the Arabian throne. “Pointing to Avtandil, the king said to his squad: “Here is the king for you.” By the will of God he reigns in my stronghold.” The wedding of Avtandil and Tinatin follows.

Meanwhile, a caravan dressed in black mourning clothes appears on the horizon. Having questioned the leader, the heroes learn that the king of the Indians, Farsadan, “having lost his dear daughter,” could not bear the grief and died, and the Khatavs approached Hindustan, “surrounded them with a wild army,” and they were led by Haya Ramaz, “who does not enter into conflict with the king of Egypt.” in bickering."

“Tariel, having heard this, did not hesitate any longer, / And he rode the three-day journey in 24 hours.” His brothers-in-arms, of course, went with him and overnight defeated the countless Khatav army. The mother queen joined the hands of Tariel and Nestan-Darejan, and “Tariel sat down with his wife on the high royal throne.” “The seven thrones of Hindustan, all their father’s possessions / were received there by the spouses, having satisfied their aspirations. / Finally, they, the sufferers, forgot about the torment: / Only he who knows sorrow will appreciate joy.”

Thus, three valiant twin knights began to rule in their countries: Tariel in Hindustan, Avtandil in Arabia and Fridon in Mulgazanzar, and “their merciful deeds fell everywhere like snow.”

Retold D. R. Kondakhsazova.

"The Knight in Tiger Skin"- epic poem written by Shota Rustaveli

Once upon a time, Arabia was ruled by the just king Rostevan, who had his only beloved daughter, the beautiful Tinatin. The king, sensing that his earthly hours were already running out, one day informed his viziers that he was transferring the throne to his daughter, and they humbly accepted his decision.

When Tinatin ascended the throne, Rostevan and his faithful military leader and beloved pupil Avtandil, who had long been in love with Tinatin, went hunting. While enjoying this favorite pastime, they suddenly noticed in the distance a lonely, saddened horseman in a tiger skin. Sad Wanderer Burning with curiosity, they sent a messenger to the stranger, but he did not obey the call of the Arabian king. Rostevan was offended and very angry, and sent twelve of his best warriors after him, but he scattered them and did not allow them to capture him. Then the king himself went to him with his faithful Avtandil, but the stranger, spurring his horse, disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.

Rostevan, having returned home, on the advice of his daughter, Tinatin sends the most reliable people to look for the stranger and find out who he is and where he came from in their area. The king's messengers traveled all over the country, but never found the warrior in the tiger skin. Tinatin, seeing how his father is puzzled by the search for this mysterious man, calls Avtandil to him and asks him to find this strange horseman in three years, and if he fulfills this request, then she will agree to become his wife. Avtandil agrees and hits the road.

For three whole years Avtandil wandered all over the world, but never found him. And then one day, when he decided to return home, he met six wounded travelers who were rebuffed by a warrior dressed in tiger skin. Avtandil again went in search of him, and one day, looking around the surroundings, climbing a tree, he saw how a man in a tiger skin met a girl whose name was Asmat, she was a slave. They embraced and cried; their grief was due to the fact that for a very long time they could not find one beautiful maiden. But then the knight set off again. Avtandil met with Asmat and learned from her the secret of this unfortunate knight, whose name was Tariel. Soon after Tariel's return, Avtandil became friends with him, because they were united by one common desire - to serve their beloved. Avtandil told about his beauty Tinatin and the condition she set, and Tariel told his very sad story. Love So, once upon a time seven kings ruled in Hindustan, six of them considered their ruler the wise ruler Farsadan, who had a beautiful daughter, Nestan-Darejan. Tariel's father Saridan was the closest person to this ruler, and revered him as his brother. Therefore, Tariel was brought up at the royal court. He was fifteen years old when his father died, and then the king put him in the place of chief commander. Love quickly arose between young Nestan and Tariel. But her parents had already looked at the son of the Shah of Khorezm as a groom. Then the slave Asmat calls Tariel to her mistress’s chambers, where she and Nestan had a conversation. She reproached him for being inactive and that she would soon be given in marriage to someone else. She asks to kill the unwanted guest, and Tariel to seize the throne. That's how everything was done. Farsadan was angry and thought that this was the work of his sister, the sorceress Davar, who advised the young lovers to such deceit. Davar begins to scold the princess, when some two slaves immediately appear and send Nestan into the ark, and then set him on the sea. Davar plunges a dagger into his chest out of grief. From that day on, the princess could not be found anywhere. Tariel goes in search of her, but also does not find her anywhere.

Then the knight met the ruler Mulgazanzar Nuradin-Fridon, who was at war with his uncle, who wanted to split his country. Tariel becomes his brother-in-arms and helps him defeat the enemy. Fridon mentioned in one of his conversations that he once saw a strange ship sail to the shore, from which an incomparable beauty emerged. Tariel immediately recognized his Nestan from the description. Having said goodbye to his friend and received from him a black horse as a gift, he again goes in search of his bride. That’s how he ended up in a secluded cave, where Avtandil met him, who, satisfied with the story, goes home to Tinatin and Rostevan and wants to tell them everything, and then come back again to help the knight find his beautiful Nestan. Return Returning from his native land to the cave, he does not find the sad knight there, Asmat tells him that he again went to look for Nestan. After a while, having overtaken his friend, Avtandil sees that he is mortally wounded after a fight with a lion and a tigress. And helps him survive. Now Avtandil himself is looking for Nestan and decides to visit the ruler Fridon to learn more about the story about the beautiful girl. Afterwards, he met with a merchant caravan, whose leader was Osam. Avtandil helped him deal with the sea robbers and then, dressing in a simple dress to hide from prying eyes, pretended to be the head of the merchant caravan.

After a while they arrived in the heavenly city of Gulansharo. From the wife of one very rich nobleman, Fatma, he learns that this woman bought the sun-eyed beauty from robbers and hid her, but then she could not stand it and told her husband about her, who wanted to make her the bride of the local king, bringing the girl to him as a gift. But the captive managed to escape, and Fatma herself helped her. However, as it turned out later, she was captured again, and Fatma, who also began to look for her, heard rumors that this beauty was now engaged to Prince Kadzheti. His aunt Dularzhukht, who ruled in place of her brother, went to the funeral of her sister-witch, and gathered all the sorcerers and sorcerers for this ceremony. Reunion of loving hearts While she was away, Avtandil and Fridona came to the fortress of Kajeti together with their beloved Nestan Tiriel. A lot of adventures awaited these friends. However, soon the long-suffering hearts of lovers finally united. And then there was Avtandil’s wedding with Tinatin, and after them Tariel and Nestan got married. Faithful friends sat on their thrones and began to rule gloriously: Tariel in Hindustan, Avtandil in Arabia, and Fridon in Mulgazanzar.

Main characters

  • Rostevan - King of Arabia
  • Tinatin - daughter of Rostevan, beloved of Avtandil
  • Avtandil - commander in Arabia
  • Socrates - one of the viziers of Rostevan
  • Tariel - knight in tiger skin
  • Shermadin - Avtandil's servant, who led the estate in his absence
  • Asmat - slave Nestan-Darejan
  • Farsadan - Indian king
  • Nestan-Darejan - daughter of Farsadan, beloved of Tariel
  • Davar - sister of Farsadan, teacher of Nestan-Darejan
  • Ramaz - ruler of the Khatavs
  • Nuradin-Fridon - ruler of Mulgazanzar, friend of Tariel and Avtandil
  • Osam - captain of the sailors whom Avtandil saved from pirates
  • Melik Surkhavi - King Gulansharo
  • Usen - head of the Gulansharo merchants
  • Patma - Usen's wife
  • Dulardukht - Queen of Kajeti
  • Rosan and Rodya are Dulardukht’s nephews; Dulardukht wanted to marry Nestan-Darejan to Rostan
  • Roshak - warlord of Kajeti

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