In Georgian folklore, there is a fairy tale—”Natsarkekia”—about a poor, weak, and lazy boy who, through wit and cunning, defeats powerful enemies and achieves success. Natsarkekia often sits by the hearth, rummaging through the ashes. His family considers him lazy and useless. One day, he sets off in search of adventure. Along the way, he meets a dev—a huge, powerful creature. Natsarkekia cannot defeat him by force, but he outwits and terrifies him using his cleverness and cunning. By the end of the tale, he becomes rich and happy.
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Recently, on the author program “The Ark” (Kovcheg), the singer and actor Utsnobi, a staunch supporter of the ruling Georgian Dream party, shared how he sees the role of Georgia and the Georgian people in today’s geopolitical situation. We are interested in his opinion because Utsnobi successfully broadcasts the positions of the authorities.
What Utsnobi said:
“We need Georgian cleverness, following the example of Natsarkekia. This is the most important thing, which is why he is my favorite character. Cunning is better than strength, if one uses their head. He defeated huge devs, took over their house, and lived in it. He gathered all his relatives. In today’s situation, this is our strength—not missiles, not ships, not drones. Our strength lies in cunning! That is exactly what we must show.”
This monologue was delivered against the backdrop of the recently started war in Iran and the statement by official Tbilisi, in which the authorities do not support the position of either side, similar to the other two countries of the South Caucasus—Armenia and Azerbaijan.
It is obvious that, for objective reasons, our region cannot be a player in these processes. That is precisely why the statement by the “Georgian Dream” government seemed logical to everyone.
But what is Utsnobi offering us? He believes that in this situation, Tbilisi did not just exercise political restraint and make a strategically calculated, albeit somewhat awkward-sounding, statement. No, Utsnobi is saying that the cunning and clever Georgian has outwitted everyone. But it is obvious that this is most likely wishful thinking, or perhaps preparing the ground for future, possibly more painful maneuvers.
As if to say, we Georgians have always been weak and lazy—timid, if you will—and big, evil forces have tried to destroy us, but we will counter them with our cunning minds, move into their homes, and party until morning!
Is this not how Georgia is behaving today, not particularly interfering with Russia bypassing EU sanctions over the war in Ukraine?
Yet Georgia’s history is full of names whose ideals should be used to raise future generations—people who defended our homeland, language, and faith, who did not lose their identity and passed down values from generation to generation.
These people may not have been strong enough to directly confront the devs; in some battles, they fell as heroes. But they did not compromise their conscience; they had enough stubbornness and perseverance to continue believing in and defending their ideals despite the looming danger. It was precisely perseverance and stubbornness, not outright cunning and conformism.
The tale of Natsarkekia is a good example of how the power of the mind can overcome brute force. It does not contradict basic concepts like honor and dignity. And let us not substitute one concept for another.