A long, long time ago, when the land of Abkhazia was completely covered with dense forests, and mountains were green under the hot rays of the sun, there lived beautiful strong people. They lived together friendly and content. Nature generously gave them its fruits and meat of various wild animals. Pure rivers carried the cool water to these people... In short, they lived carefree because they did not have to put much effort to secure their own food or shelter. 

Abkhazia was a corner of abundance back then. The only thing that the people were treasuring more, even more than their own eyesight, was a fire that burned for hundreds of years on top of the hill. People kept it going because among them lived a legend: “if the fire went out – they would no longer have a happy life.”

But once, a heavy downpour extinguished the flames. The negligent tribesman did not save it. People came to the hill and in horror saw curling pitiful smoke instead of a hot flame in the sacred hearth. At that time, the great mourning started among the people.

Then, the oldest and wisest of them rose, and asked the others:

“Does anybody know the secret of the capture of the fire? 

The answer to him was complete silence.

“So, we are destined to die,” said the old man. “Is there any brave man among us who can take a piece of the hot sun from the sky?” 

Puzzled people glanced at each other.

“No, we cannot find him among us, we cannot find,” they whispered to each other.

But suddenly, the crowd began to move, parted in the middle and a very handsome young man came out to the center.

“Its Amra... His name is Amra,” the people said. They knew Amra well. The young man was the embodiment of beauty and courage.

“I'll get a piece of the sun!” he said firmly. “If we lost the fire, we can regain it. But a piece of the sun – is it not too much for this little nation?”

“No! No!” people started to scream. “Amra, take our hands in help, but get the fire for us soon!”

“Okay,” said the young man.

For three days and three nights the whole nation, under the leadership of Amra, was making a giant bow. The height of this bow was in a hundreds and hundreds of elbows (ancient measurement of length, meaning forearm). The stringer was woven from a thousand veins of bulls. Finally, after the third night people have raised a giant bow with an arrow at the top of the highest Abkhaz Mountain – Ertsahu. The sun, by the time, was already at the zenith. Thousands of people pulled on the stringer. Amra carefully aimed. 

And the miracle happened – the arrow directly hit the center of the sun. The sun leaped from the pain, thus dropping a tear. Very soon a tear reached the ground, and the millennial forest hotly flashed. The valleys of Abkhazia were covered with a smoke for three months. It was a lot of fire, but the forests disappeared, game burned alive and the rivers shallowed.

“You gave us the fire back, but deprived us of food,” people accused Amra. “Now we will not live in abundance.”

“Go away from us, young man who brought misfortune.” 

“Okay,” said Amra, “I'll go, and let the sadness in your hearts disappear with me.”

Amra said so and instantly he turned into a ray of sunshine.

Since then, many years passed and many generations changed, but the land of Abkhazia remains rich in various fruits, people lived happily under the sun which the Abkhaz called "Amra”.

I

Information:

This legend belongs to the most ancient stratum of the Abkhaz national poetical art.