Abstract:
Historical-ethnographic part of Georgia – Dvaleti, starting from the period of King Parnavaz (boundary of the IV-III cc. A.D.) had been an integral part of Georgia till 1858, when the authorities of Russia finally separated it from Georgia. The Dvals were Georgian highlanders. The ethnographic group of Dvals disappeared in the Middle Ages, the reason of this being their migration to different parts of Georgia and migration of Ossetians to the area of Dvals settlement from XVI century. Dvaleti was bordering with Shida (Interior) Kartli, Racha and Truso-khevi. Conclusion has been accepted in the linguistic science that the speech of the village Glola in highland Racha – Gloluri – reveals close relation to the speech of historical-ethnographic parts of East Georgian highland. Why is the Gloluri speech close to the dialects of territorially distanced East Georgian highland? It is evident that in the village Glola bordering Dvaleti from highland Racha, Dvals settled compactly and brought with them that speech/dialect, which was spoken in Dvaleti. Closeness of Gloluri to East Georgian highland dialects cannot be explained otherwise. Migration of Glola population from Dvaleti has been proved by the ethnographic data. The population of highland Racha village Glola from the ethnographic viewpoint is closer to the historical-ethnographic parts of East Georgian highland than to Racha. For example, like the population of East Georgian highland and Dvaleti, the population of Glola celebrate the Athanogenoba holiday. It is supposed that the population, which migrated from the village Tli to Glola, took with them Athangena worship of their ancestors. In Glola, similar to historical-ethnographic parts of East Georgian highland, it was forbidden for women to approach the territory of Athengena worship and to ride a horse in the field around it.
It was a tradition in the village Glola to mourn by crying in voice, more exactly, in the period of mowing and reaping men mourned over their dead by crying in voice: in the mountain (in Khevsureti) part such mourning was called “gvrini”. Analogous song was preserved in Racha as well. It was said in mourning voice while reaping adjusted to the rhythm of a scythe. One more fact points to the relation of Glola villagers with the historical-ethnographic parts of East Georgian highland, in this case, Khevi (and Dvaleti). E. Takaishvili read such inscription on the church of the village Glola: “God, give victory and thy mercy to Davitet”. This name is a local expression of Davitisdze (son of David). Such form was characteristic to the dialect of Mokhevians (the population of Khevi) as well. The above-said indicates directly that Dvalian dialect was in the group of East Georgia highland dialects. The mentioned above strengthens the consideration expressed in the Georgian science that Dvals were ethnic Georgians, one of the ethnic groups of Georgians