ქართული The Myth of Eternal Spring in the Folklore of Speri

Abstract

Abstract: The myth of eternal spring, also known as the lost paradise or the timeless moment of suspended time, is familiar to the folklore of all ancient peoples worldwide. In Georgian narratives, this archaic myth is documented in multiple variations; these narratives associate the loss of earthly paradise with an unusual natural phenomenon — snowfall — that occurred during the era of Queen Tamar. In the historical memory of the inhabitants of Speri, an ancient Georgian region, the myth of eternal spring or the lost paradise, akin to the traditions of Tao-Klarjeti, is not linked to the era of Tamar but rather to the onset of glaciation in these once sunny and warm lands. This event is tied to a tragic cultural moment in Georgian history — the decline of Christianity