100 CHAPTER 1
the Rus’ Prince Sviatoslav.378 At the same time (as mentioned earlier) the
authority of the Arab Caliph was too weak and he was primarily a sacral figure.
The question therefore is not only how and to what extent the tradition of
the steppe peoples, along with Judaism have influenced the development or
modification of the power structure in Khazaria, but also whether the pagan
and Jewish population of the khaganate subsequently managed to consolidate
them on a folkloric and mythological level. A. Poliak cites a legend, according
to which “Abraham taught his offspring from Keturah the miraculous name of
God: “They used it when praying for rain or victory (on the battlefield). There
were those among them that settled in Khorasan. The Khazars came to them
and said: Whoever taught you that deserves to be the most revered of the earthly
dwellers or be the king of the world. This is why (the Khazars) called their kings
khagans”.379 The parallel here is with the ancient Jewish title hakham (sage,
rabbi), which the Khazars likened to khagan, having “learned of Abraham as
a bearer of magical knowledge though the magic of the word”.380 This legend
is similar to a genealogical myth of the Turks. Nishindu (Ichjiny-nishidu), also
called “son of the she-wolf ”, had supernatural powers: he could draw forth wind
and rain. He had two wives: one was the daughter of the summer spirit, and
the other was the daughter of the winter spirit. His oldest son, born by his first
wife, also had such powers, which is why he was chosen for chief ruler with the
name of Tuque.381 In other words, “the rise of one of the ancient Turkic houses
that lead to the establishment of the Turkic state is directly associated with the
ability to influence the forces of nature”.382 According to another legend, Noah
taught Japheth the secret name of God that helped bring forth rain during a
drought. Japheth wrote the name on a pebble and strung it around his neck,
using it when necessary. Before dying, he gave the pebble to Oghuz, but his
uncle also wanted it. So Oghuz gave it to Turk. Later, a war broke out between
the Turks and the Oghuz for the pebble. Chin—a son of Japheth who was wise
and had many diviners who foretold the future—interfered then. His diviners
taught the Turks their trade.383 These legends, which transmit the idea of a
378 Adrianova-Peretts 1950, 244.
379 Poliak 2001, 99.
380 Poliak 2001, 99.
381 L’vova, Oktiabr’skaia, Sagalev, and Usmanova 1988, 36; Kliashtornyi 1964, 105.
382 L’vova, Oktiabr’skaia, Sagalev, and Usmanova 1988, 36.
383 Korogly 1976, 88–89. The image of the miraculous pebble has an interesting parallel in
Bulgarian folktales. In them, it is located underground, in a snake lair, and helps the hero
fight hunger. The pebble is “a means to obtain temporary death”. It is a source of various
skills (for example, to understand the language of animals). After tasting the priceless
snake-stone, the hero becomes “to a certain extent related to the underground kingdom