The Attitude to War in ‘The Epic of Sasoun’

Abstract

OF THE epic poems and legends recited by the minstrels of ancient Armenia, only tantalising fragments have reached us. We know from classical Armenian literature that these were varied in content: cosmogonical (e.g. the origin of the Milky Way), mythological (the birth of Vahagn), heroic (the Hayk-B6l narrative), historical (the legends of Prince Aram, Ara the Handsome, King Artashes and King Tigran), and genealogical (the origin of the Mamikonyans). The county of Goght'n was particularly renowned for its minstrels.' Sadly, only one epic has survived largely intact until modern times, that centred on Sasoun in southern Armenia and known as Sasna dsr'er,2 Sasountsi Davit,'3 or Qadjants toun,4 first written down and published in 1874 by Garegin Srvandztyants.5 It deals principally with two periods of Armenian history: the pre-Christian era, and the ninth to tenth centuries A.D.6 Summarizing important concepts, it has served to inspire many generations. During the Second World War, for instance, a tank column raised by public subscription was named Sasountsi Davit. 7 Several translations,8 with the exception of Shalian's,' have failed to capture the noble epic mood of the original Armenian, reading more like fairy tales. The difficulties begin with the generic title Sasna dsr'er, i.e. 'the dsour's of Sasoun.' Translations such as 'fools,' daredevils' or 'madmen' are quite misleading. Literally, the word dsour' means 'bent' or 'abnormal,' as the antithesis of 'straight' or 'normal.' In the epic it signifies 'exceptional'--in stature, physical strength and mode of thought. A more correct rendering would be 'the exceptional people of Sasoun;' idiomatically we would call them 'the giants of Sasoun.' The latter is supported by the designation Qadjants toun, 'House/Dynasty of Brave Men,''o which suggests a connection with the giants called qadj who, in popular imagination, lived around Mount Masis/Ararat. The epic is strongly imbued with the concepts of fair play and independence. In the latter respect it is closely allied with the Hayk-B61 narrative, which described the origin of the Armenian nation, and the epic of Prince Aram,2 which epitomized its consolidation. To personify the popular struggle towards its ideals, the epic calls into existence a semi-divine family whose members are praiseworthy but not faultless. The presence of many epic elements, such as the motif of single combat between father and son, suggests that it may originally have been a professional composition, although in its present form it is certainly the product of the Armenian peasantry.'3 As a consequence it reflects the beliefs and morals of the villages of Armenia. Bowra characterizes it as 'the work of men who had little first-hand knowledge of heroic life .. . the action, though full of charm and gaiety, lacks pride and style.' Hence it differs from the works of the royal and nakhararakan bards utilized by the fifth-century