Davit of Sassoun: Armenian Folk Epic

Illustrated edition of Davit of Sassoun in English (full version with four branches/chapters). Illustrated by Khoren Hakobyan, narrated by Nairi Zarian, translated by Artashes Emin “The history behind Davit of Sassoun is of utmost interest in the world history of epics. It was created by a nation who already had a rich history and had lived for one thousand years among the mountaineers of Sassoun, far from literature and writing. It was after such a long history that it was committed to paper, earning love by not only the natives of Sassoun, but also the entire Armenian nation. It has become the innermost expression of the Armenian nation’s soul. Epic is one of the unshakable foundations of our pride and dignity. If a nation with such a painful history is able to create such pure and humanistic heroes as Sanasar, Great Lion Mher, Davit, and others, then the turbulent history has only strengthened the sense of justice and knighthood within us. In this book by Nairi Zarian, yet another narration is being presented to the reader. Zarian’s verse has its unique place in the narrations (the English version translated by Artashes Emin). Interest in Davit of Sassoun never diminishes. It is worthwhile to recall the opera-ballet Khandut by Edgar Hovhannisyan. The epic has also been featured in cinema art. Especially rich are its reflections in art. The epic legend’s statue, created by Yervand Kochar, a master of Armenian classical sculpture, is erected today at the Yerevan Central Train Station; it has become a symbol of Armenia’s capital. We remember the designs by Kochar and Hakob Kojoyan, another classical representative of our sculpture; their art was marked by a kind of epicness and fairytale style. After all this, it seemed for a moment that artists’ interest in epic art had exhausted itself. But here again we have the illustrations by artist Khoren Hakobyan, which we now present to the reader. Their professional examination is something to be dealt with by art critics. I like them, as I see a spirit in them. In Hakobyan’s works, Davit’s youthful beauty and the invaders’ rough and uninviting countenance are in full harmony with one another. I have no doubt that those colorful episodes, converted into images with the touch of the enamored artist's hand, will captivate young readers in whatever language they read it.” Excerpt from the foreword to the book by Dr. Azat Yeghiazaryan “I have the pleasure of sharing a couple of words about Khoren Hakobyan, his painting, art and especially this series of canvasses, entitled Davit of Sassoun... ... And that’s what I feel Khoren Hakobyan really did. He dared to undertake Davit of Sassoun after a long creative experience. And it was really surprising to me that he was able to convert his graphic works into illustrations that stand out with their articulated Armenian style; breathing epic spirit and monumental artistry, featuring heroes who will remain in our minds forever. The point is that the more artists, there are the more styles and interpretations. That is where the secret of art hides; otherwise, one artist would be enough for all people. Once again, I witness Davit of Sassoun being illustrated, after a celebration marking the epic’s one thousandth anniversary. I believe that Khoren Hakobyan’s Davit of Sassoun has an interpretation and an approach of its own. He saw the heroes in a way, which was in harmony with his spirit. I find that this is of paramount importance, because if one artist uses the features of another, whether they be more powerful or weaker, that is already a shortcoming. At all costs, an artist must strive to go beyond predetermined frameworks, and Khoren did; this artist's concepts and images are all his own. That is a great success.” Excerpt from opening address delivered at Khoren Hakobyan’s solo exhibition “Davit of Sassoun” (1994) by Grigor Khanjyan, People’s Artist of Armenia Scholars of epic literature have emphasized from the beginning of comparative studies devoted to them that the dynamic improvisation and poetic evolution of this, the most developed of oral literary forms, stops when the story or saga recited or sung by the bard or minstrel is written down. Surely this was a major factor in sealing the development of what is now called Davit of Sassoun and regarded today as the Armenian national epic. The publication of the first transcribed variant of Sasna tsrer (literally the crooked or bent ones of Sassoun, that is different than straight or normal, thus iconoclasts, non-conformists, independent beings), as the various versions of the saga were called when Fr. Garegin Srvandztiants recorded what he heard from an illiterate reciter in 1873 and published the first ever version of it in Constantinople the following year. The epic continued to be recited decades after in the countryside of Western Armenia around Sassoun and Moush, about fifty kilometers southwest of Van, and neighboring areas, as we know by the collection of other, often very different, versions in the following decades.