00972nam a2200109   4500000000100000008004100001100002400042245006900066300000800135520069700143020002200840       2015                            d1 aViacheslav Chirikba00aBetween Christianity and Islam: Heathen Heritage in the Caucasus  a1913 aThe paper presents a brief survey of the traditional religious practices as still, or until recent times, observed in the Caucasus. I postulate the possibility of a pan-Caucasian "mythological union" formed over centuries between all the Caucasian communities, and discuss in some detail a local "mythological union" on the example of the lightning ritual Coppa.Although the pre-monotheistic heritage, partially intertwining with the official religions, still constitutes an intimate part of the identity of some Caucasians communities, it is slowly fading in the shadow of the mainstream religions-Christianity and Islam, which have become a strong unifying factor in the post-Soviet period.  a978-90-04-30206-8