Poghos KHACHATRIAN
PH.D.

 
 1. PREFACE
 2. LEGENDS
 3. VIPASANK
 4. LITERATURE OF RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL STRUGGLE
 5. GOLDEN AGE OF ARMENIAN LITERATURE
   a. Historiography
   b. Sacred Literature
 6. RENAISSANCE LITERATURE, 11^th-12^th centuries
 7. ARMENIAN LITERATURE, 12^th-13^th centuries
 8. ARMENIAN LITERATURE, 13^th-14^th centuries
 9. MIDDLE AGES, 15^th century
10.LATE MIDDLE AGES, 17^th century

1. PREFACE

The old Armenian literature is one of the most interesting fields of the written culture in the world. Its sources date back to the Antiquity, i.e. times, when Armenians developed as a nation through the amalgamation of tribes and ethnic races on the Armenian Plateau. This process lasted for several millenniums and the artistic thought found its expression as a preliminary ideology and belief in an exclusively oral manner. These ancient ideas refer to the good and evil spirits, folk beliefs, cult of nature and divinization of natural elements, atmospheric phenomena or heavenly bodies. They reflected the emergence of animism, by which all the objects were perceived with human virtue and character. Demons and gods were considered as the cause for the shifts in heavenly bodies and atmospheric phenomena. Totems, i.e. idolization of any animal, plant or natural phenomenon considered as sacred, were one of the worship manifestations for Armenian ancestors. Through idolization the worshippers were considering those phenomena as their forefathers, calling them by their names.

The oldest Armenian beliefs and cults, as ideology and simple artistic perception of life, leaving profound traces in customs and daily round life, have continued their existence not only in the Christian Middle Ages, but also have reached modern times, of course, having lost much from their preliminary wholeness and purity, with linguistic adjustments, transformed and teaseled in compliance with the Christian ideology, interlaced into numerous fragments of historical and daily round nature. By their coexistence until the 5^th century as a traditional folklore, later, during the whole period of the Middle Ages, this or that way, they played a great role in the Armenian chronicle-scripture, usually carrying the attitude of denial or rejection towards themselves. Especially in the 19^th-20^th centuries they were recorded from folk narrators and were combined into folklore-ethnographic collections of works. Thus, the earliest folklore samples with the beliefs and cult reflected in them, have maintained their existence in the Middle Ages and have survived in the modern times as remnants. About the beliefs and ideas sustaining since times immemorial speak the sorcery prayers (the so-called "bundle prayers", which later were also coexisting in oral form, the written "charms", "amulet" or "magic"), the magic formulas and oaths, as well as the superstition narration. They are meanwhile the oldest manifestations of the Armenian artistic thought.

In contrast to the preliminary visions about the world and beliefs, the Armenian myths are considered to be the outcome of a more mature perception on the world, for the maintenance of which we owe to Movses Khorenatsi, called the Father of the Armenian historiography. The oldest written source available in the Armenian mythology is his History of Armenia and, especially, its first book. Khorenatsi mentions all those original sources, in compliance to which he has presented the myths and mythological narrations. One of them was a register by a Syrian, Mar Abas Katina (or at least ascribed to him), and the other one was the collection of Armenian epic songs, heroic narrations about Armenian ancestors, forefathers and national heroes, which were performed by minstrels under the accompaniment of the musical instrument pandir.

2. LEGENDS

We meet some curt references and fragments about Armenian mythology also in Yeznik Koghbatsi's (5^th century) Refutation of Heresies; in the chapter Armenian Prehistory at the beginning of the historian Sebeos’ (7^th century) work; in the works by scientist Anania Shirakatsi (7^th century); in Tovma Artzruni's (9^th -10^th centuries) History of Artzruni House and a little bit in several other medieval chronicles. In the second half of the 19^th century collectors of the folklore and authors of travel notes have done separate recordings on Armenian myths directly from the people. Through the comparative study of all those narrations and references, as well as their comparison with the Greek and old Eastern mythology, we more or less fully get an idea about the Armenian myths, the heroes of which, according to Khorenatsi's interpretation, are equally mythical and historical figures. He has perceived the myths from the point of view of their historical importance as figurative evidence of Armenian history with the particular emphasis on their historical construction material, while also speaking about their mythic nature as a secondary matter.

The myths tell about the hero Hayk, the forefather Aram, Tork Angegh (Ugly Tork), Ara Geghetsik (Handsome Ara) and Semiramide, Vahagn Vishapakagh (Vahagn the Dragon killer). Handsome and broad-shouldered Hayk, with his happy-looking eyes and strong arms is a giant using bow and arrow, by description very similar to the Greek Orion, who was the son of Poseidon and the god of hunt. In the Sebeos' narration, too, Hayk is represented as the god of hunt. It is interesting that the old Armenians were comparing him with the same Orion, and it is not accidental that the name of the galaxy Orion in the Armenian translation of the Bible is replaced by the name of Hayk. For the same galaxy in different parts of Armenia, too, people were using the name Hayk. But in the Khorenatsi’s narration of the myth the reality of Hayk being a god is in the shadow. He performs as forefather of the Armenian people, giving his name not only to the people, but also to the country, which for millennia was called Armenia (Hayastan).

The historical aspect, in contrast to the mythic one, is also emphasized in the fragments about other strong men. Especially of valuable significance among the Khorenatsi's narrations is the fragment referring to Vahagn the Dragon killer, god of thunder, where the narrator, having heard about that from the minstrels, illustrates the song on his birth This is a small fragment, nine lines expressed in verse, but with its poetic beauty and natural originality it is one of the highly valuable pearls of world folklore.

The legends represent the first mature development phase in the Armenian traditional folklore. During the next centuries of the Armenian history legendary folklore leads us to the creation of epic songs, known as Vipasank or Yergk vipasanats, in which the legendary element composed a certain layer: it is not in vain that the historian Faust of Byzantium, possibly based on this circumstance, but by expression of his Christian irony toward their pagan contents, calls them "legendary novels", while Khorenatsi merely called them “legends” in the same spirit.

3. VIPASANK OR LEGENDARY TALES

The Vipasank is a historical artistic expression of the Armenian political upheaval, when the Armenian State comes into existence, with three kingdoms following one another with interruptions; Orontids  (since 6^th century BC), Artaxiads (since 189, BC) and early Arsacids (partially, from 66 to the beginning of the 3^rd century, BC). Vipasank did not occur originally as a completed novels, it was developed in separate fragments. They were simple and unsophisticated verse compositions, epical narrations about the heroes and famous political and military individuals that have played a great role in the path of Armenian state building, about the emergence of the Armenian princely houses, foundation of cities, and, in general, about the significant events taken place in the lives of the people and the country, as well as about the war events, and also about the ways the ruling dynasties have been established. For centuries those separate fragments were integrated with one another and through the unification with the songs and some mythological narrations coming from the early times. They have become a traditional epic, relatively complete, with several branches. For the preservation of Vipasank, we again owe to Movses Khorenatsi, his History of Armenia being the unique source, if we exclude the fragment on King Artashes, kept in one of the Letters of Grigor Magistros (11th century).


Abeghian has differentiated between the branches of Vipasank: Tigran the Great which includes the Legend Azhdahak, son of the Dragon and Median king; The Novel of Sanatruk; The Novel of Yervand and Artashes and Artavazd. Narrations about the engagement of Vardkes Manuk and King Artashes (probably Artashes III) who was dying in a foreign land and longing for his hazy homeland are also parts of this genre. According to Khorenatsi Tigran was the son of Armenian king Yervand Sakavakiats, contemporary to the Persian king Cyrus. Studies have shown that this personage combines in him two historical figures: Tigran I and Tigran II, the great conqueror with his political and military activities. Probably Khorenatsi did not have enough historic original sources under his disposal and fully trusted the Vipasank, which was narrated among people, and he identifies with no basis two different Tigran (Orontid and Artaxiad) divided in time and works.

In the novel Tigran is a perfect conqueror, symbol of greatness, and Khorenatsi with pleasure surrenders to the heroic element of the national tale about the hero who has never despised the poor and has never envied the riche, weighed the assessment of everyone’s work and service with the weights of his mind, extending his care over everyone by raising his whole nation against the enemy yoke and freeing them from subordination, further making his nation dominant. It is well-known that while making the Tigran’s panegyric, Khorenatsi has used a highly poetic work of a certain David; unfortunately a very insignificant fragment of it has been preserved.

Vipasank is a tale about big political shifts. One must note the creative activity in the strengthening of the country of Artashes I and his descendant Artashes II, who introduces order and adopts laws through reforms. The epic tale gets its colorfulness and richness by songs that represent different aspects of the Armenian daily round life and reflect the customs and traditions typical for the people life on those days. Of great interest is the speech of Satenik, daughter of the king of Alans, addressed to king Artashes, as well as the kidnapping of the princess, her wedding; Satenik’s lust for Argavan, leader of the dragon sons; Artavazd’s evil character, his discontent of his late father; Artashes’ curse; Artavazd’s overthrow into the Masis abyss. In contrast to the Christian perception in Vipasank, like in the myths, the perfect body and physical power of the heroes, their unique feats resulting from their strong arms and quick and successful movements are emphasized. They are “tall, handsome, have broad shoulders, long legs”, and meanwhile beautiful in soul, courageous, wise, eloquent, just and creative. The fragments in verse from Vipasank, which Khorenatsi reports verbatim, are famous for the richness and the beauty of the old Armenian language (grabar), with tasteful pictures and comparisons.

Manuk Abeghian divides old Armenian literature development process into three big periods. The first period includes works of the times when Armenian people had no written script, and is characterized as a "primary mythic-historical folklore" (from ancient times to the 4th century). The literature of the following periods, which after a relatively shorter time obtained its full manifestation tool, i.e. the script, is looked upon by the scientist in two big periods "Literature of Ecclesiastic-Political Struggle" (from the 4th century to the end of the 10th century) and the "Renaissance Literature" (from the 11th century to the end of the 17th century). This classification is substantiated and it correctly reflects the ideological tendencies and progress, as well as the artistic features of the literature development.

4. LITERATURE OF RELIGIOUS - POLITICAL STRUGGLE

The 3^rd century was the feverous period of Christian preaching in Armenia, which triumphed during the times of king Tiridat III (298-330). In 301, Christianity was adopted as state religion in Armenia. It was a decisive turnover not only in the ideology of the Armenians, but also in their political life. Parallel to the introduction and adoption of Christianity the Arsacid state underwent abrupt changes also in its foreign relations and political orientation. Till the first quarter of the 3^rd century Parthian dynasty was dominating in neighboring Iran, one branch of which were Armenian Arsacids. That is why, when the last Parthian king Ardavan was killed in Persia in 224, and the state power was transferred to the Sassanids, a war started between the Armenian Arsacids and Sassanid Iran. This hostility and wars became durable through the whole period of 3^rd-4^th centuries. Armenia directed its glance towards the Western neighbor, Greeks, Roman Empire, where after the "Milan Edict" (314) Christianity got the right to freely be worshiped, and in the last quarter of the 4th century, during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius the Great (379-395), celebrated its definitive victory.

 The Christian Church in Armenia strengthened feudalism, and side by side with the central royal power, it became a strong power contributing to the stability and strengthening of the royal family, but its interests sometimes came into conflict with the Arsacid royal leadership by encouraging and supporting the process of confrontation and the centrifugal desires of the Armenian princely families. For more than 150 years the Armenian nation was struggling, on one hand, against the Iranian expansion, on the other hand, against the Eastern-Roman Empire, which was trying by all means to keep Armenia under its domination. The forces were unequal, and everything ended by the division of Arsacid Armenia into two parts between Byzantine Empire and Iran (387), with the smaller part transferred to the former while the incomparably larger more part became Sassanid Iran’s share.
 
During that long period of struggle our next national epic appeared in the scene, which is usually called The Persian War. It, too, was created orally, but was recorded after a relatively shorter period, in the 5^th century. Its wholeness has been preserved in the works of the early Armenian historians: History by Agathangelos and especially, History of Armenia by Faust of Byzantium. The latter was so faithful to the national epic that Abeghian took the liberty to present long parts of it in free verse together with a number of pieces from the History by Agathangelos. The epic was quite well known to Movses Khorenatsi who has made use of it with his scientific sense of abstention. Later on, in the 7^th century, historian Sebeos paid attention in his work to such heroic fragments and epic heroes as Mushegh Mamikonian, Smbat Bagratuni, Theodoros Rshtuni, who, although directly connected with the history of the 6^th-7^th centuries, have obvious legendary coloring and heroic nature under the influence of folklore narrations of the 3^rd-4^th centuries. Traces of The Persian War and its similarities are also obvious in The Taron War epic, the main source of which is Hovhan Mamikonian’s (8^th century) History of Taron.
 
The Persian War illustrates the life of Armenians during tragic and heroic times. It is dominated by the spirit of patriotism. The Christian ideology is, also, characterized by such powerful and imperious features. The early period of the epic, that has found its reflection in the History by Agathangelos, is mostly the conflict between the Pantheism (in the person of king Tiridat) and Christianity (in the person of Gregory the Illuminator), which ends with the triumph the new, true faith. The carrier of the Armenian heroism and patriotism in the epic are the Mamikonian courageous commanders, historic figures who tried to preserve and strengthen the Armenian state, men for whom self-sacrifice and devotion were the highest moral obligations. They were faithfully serving their "native" lords, i.e. Arshak, Pap and other Arsacid kings. To die in peace was the worst death for them. Their dream was to die on the back of the horse, in the battle field, during a patriotic war. Of such type are especially the commander-in-chief Vasak Mamikonian, as well as his successors, commanders Mushegh and Manvel.

In The Persian War, especially in Faust of Byzantium’s narrations, there are such epic tales, which attract the readers by the dramatic tension of acts, with acute clashes, psychological reasoning of the heroes’ actions. Among them are the tale about Tiran’s wonderful stallion, that of Gnel, Tirit, Parandzem and Arshak, the story on king Arshak passing through the ordeal prepared by Shapuh, as well as murder of Vasak and condemnation of the Armenian king to irrevocable exile, the fragments on the bloody revenge towards Pap and Mushegh.

As compared to Vipasank, The Persian War, with its surprising folklore hyperbolism, is a more real story and far from mythological elements.

The 5^th century started with an event of great significance for the Armenian nation in religious and cultural life: the creation of Armenian alphabet (405-406). The invention of genial Mesrop Mashtots, no doubt, came into life directly on the demand of the Armenian Church and the latter’s instigation to bring the Christian enlightenment of the people to the final point, but its role was much greater than intended. Armenian thought, by getting rid of oral distortions, obtained its powerful tool for firm establishment, i.e. the opportunity to become real through the written script and serve the reasonable development and progress of the generations. Later on, Mashtots’ scientific feat had to be assessed by Nerses Shnorhali in the following way:

 
Shortly, after this invention came into life, Arsacid dynasty completely stopped its existence also in the Eastern part of Armenia under the subordination of Iran (428). Under such conditions the Armenian written language, schools, books, literature took up the objective of keeping the Armenian spirit alive, inflame its national self--consciousness and political cautiousness with the maintenance of the national ancient traditions, strengthen the Christian faith from the orbit of providing its spiritual independence and serving the nation.

The literature started through translations. A wide-scope project of translation work was implemented under the control of the Church to satisfy intellectual demands of Armenian people. The first Armenian erudite (Mashtots, Sahak Parthev, Yeznik Koghbatsi, Koriun and others), also became first translators whose work was highly valued by the Church, which canonized them and established days of "Holy Translators” (twice a year). The rich translation literature of the 5^th century transferred the Syrian and especially Greek cultural traditions to the Armenian literature and predetermined its content and genre. The borrowings became a school for the Armenian masters of the pen, but the Armenian literature was also enriched with the realities of Armenian life and specific Armenian world view. The Holy Scripture’s twofold translation (first from Syrian Peschitta, then, immediately after Ephesus ecumenical council in 431, from the Greek edition called Septuagint) became the examination of opportunities of the noble and rich word stock, stylistic-expressive means of the classic Armenian on the level of the Golden Age. The old Armenian (Grabar) text of the Bible, that has reached our times, really causes amazement for the perfection of the language, and it is not incidental, that Lacrosse, while referring to the translation of the Genesis and some other books of the Bible, has called it "Queen of Translations."
 
With its richness and significance Armenian historiography has a priority role in the 5^th century literary legacy. History is such a comprehensive genre which combined in itself various types (epistles, lives and hagiography, verse and poems, folklore quotations, prayers and lamentation, artistic descriptions and scenes of nature, military actions and settlements, speeches, poetic-philosophical thoughts). The history book, in this respect, is a comparative work with utmost historical focus, and the narrator is simultaneously an aesthete and a writer. The artistic components and means have contributed to giving sustainability and sensitivity to the history and historic figures, which, even if introduced in a rapid and superficial way, demonstrate image-bearing features.

5. GOLDEN AGE OF THE ARMENIAN LITERATURE

a. Historiography

The first period of Armenian literature, also called “Golden Age”, has given five prominent narrators: the foreign-named Agathangelos and Faust of Byzantium, whose personality and life are unknown; then Yeghishe, Movses Khorenatsi and Ghazar Parpetsi. All of them lived either in the same decades or a little back and forth, but their works in terms of their style and thought are very different from one another and each of them has a unique personality.

Agathangelos, or the person under this name, brings us the spirit of the tense atmosphere of Christianity adoption in Armenia. He is an author totally devoted to the truth, in whose History of Armenia the human vile passions and highest ideas are in irreconcilable conflict. Their carriers are, on one hand, pantheist Tiridat and his court and, on the other hand, Christian Gregory and Hripsime with her friends, all of them being polarized figures. Live martyr Gregory and martyrized brides of Christ become the winners. The physical rude force loses; the victory is with the spirit, with the true God. For Agathangelos this is the salvation of the Armenian world and it is but natural that the third book of his work has been called in the same way Salving Conversion of Armenia. Faust of Byzantium, who does not mention Agathangelos’ name, but obviously testifies that he is well informed about his work, directly continues in his History of Armenia by giving  historical-romantic description of the following five or six decades (331-387). More than the former, he surrenders to the primordial character of epic folklore, by playing himself the role of a national narrator, as noticed. However, he is likely to have maintained the purely national picture it formerly had, especially, he has preserved the Persian War with its tragic end, i.e. the division of the Arsacid Armenia becoming the subject of a foreign land. By the picturesque comparison of the narrator, Armenia is torn into pieces as an old carpet. The heroic times as if give way, with the "days of suffering" approaching. Among the works of the "Golden Age" historians, the History of Armenia by Faust of Byzantium, with its word treasury and linguistic perception is more close to the Armenian translation of the Holy Scripture.

There is a chronological theory, according to which, the first historic work of the 5th century, after Koriun’s Life of Mashtots, is the book of Yeghishe titled About Vardan and the Armenian War created by the mid-460s, when the name of St. Gregory the Illuminator was supposedly not known yet in Armenia as the greatest national saint (Yeghishe does not know him). In the second half of 460s the History by Agathangelos was written and followed by the Martyrdom of the Apostle Thaddeus as a counterbalance to the version of Christianity entering into Armenia from the West via Caesarea, emphasizing the version according to which the new faith was spread in Armenia through Apostle Thaddeus from the South (this fact was unknown to Agathangelos). Finally, the History of Armenia by Faust of Byzantium was written after the abovementioned works (this author knows both Agathangelos work and the Martyrdom of the Apostle Thaddeus). However, despite of its substantiated basis, this chronological perception is not persuasive. It is more likely, that Yeghishe succeeded the two earlier narrators both by his perceptions and the way of narration, representing a higher level of the latter.

As the prominent armenologist, late academician L. Khachikian confirms, by his philosophical outlooks Yeghishe is connected with the Neoplatonic School and he is, in fact, its first adept in Armenia. His book is the narration of the heroic Vardanids War, which was a decisive and significant event of the Armenian history in the period of 449-450s. The nation was raised to unequal battle. Under the leadership of Vardan Mamikonian people devoted to the Armenian sacred oath, demonstrated a unique feat in the field of Avarair on May 26, 451 by fighting against the Persian army three times exceeding the Armenian one. Usually researchers describe that event and assess it as a moral victory of Armenians, whereas characterizing it as an arms victory for Sassanid Persia. But inspired by the willingness of making a sacrifice for a higher goal, and admired by the feat of his nation, the narrator-poet provides a deeper formulation of the battle: “It was not the one side winning and the other side losing, simply courageous people arose against other courageous people and both sides lost”. And that is substantiated, taking into account, that king Yazdgert II afterwards renounced to the absurd plan of making the Armenians change their faith (i.e. assimilation of Armenians). The idea of martyrdom is the denial of war and death and praising of the life free from slavery. By this the Vardanids have become a symbol of fair struggle and Armenian freedom-loving, celebrative saints of Armenian Church. Yeghishe’s register is full of wise thoughts and poetically beautiful descriptions. Especially impressive is the concluding part of the book with the ode to the delicate Armenian women. In M. Abeghian’s assessment, in many fragments of his work, he has created “a poetic prose, which is quite choice, full of poetic features, that is unique in our literature”.

In the second half of the century the Movses Khorenatsi’s monumental figure rises in Armenian historiography. He implemented a plan highly significant in its essence. He discovered and restored the marvelous structure of the Armenian whole history from the mist of obscurity and oblivion. Quite justifiably he is entitled to bear the highest title of “Father of the Armenian historiography”. He is also known by the name of “Kertoghahayr”, and it not only reminds us of the fact, that he is the author of a grammatical commentary dedicated to the Greek translation of the Art of Grammar by Dionysius Thrax, but is also an evidence of his great artistic talent, his being universally known as poet. In his History of Armenia from the beginning to the end the investigating historiographer is accompanied by high esthetic taste, sense of measurement, capacity to see and evaluate the beautiful, features, which supplement and make the loftiness of his narrative style more emphatic. A thinker fed by traditions of the Greek literature and art, his cultural orientation is Western, with the explicit rejection of the Eastern style and imagination. For Khorenatsi Plato’s words are an example of perfection and consistency, “beautiful and bright” and “far from falsehood” and he attempts to resemble him. The chronicler aimed at laconic and fast speech is always cautious to avoid any danger of incidental loquacity and garrulity, trying to cut his speech short, if it is especially a narration or legend, going far from the reality. He has an individual tendency to narrate about the building activity of the Armenian kings, endows in some cases the historic figures with epic and artistic features. Wonderful is the description of Yervand’s estate, as if viewed from the solar height. Khorenatsi’s history ends with a Lamentation, which is the generalized description of the political, social and moral situation of the whole century, filled with the author’s strong passion, dramatic outlook and patriotism. Here his speech is like a poem with harmonic and melodic flow of words, sometimes even calmness, powerful comparisons and pictures, especially with the richness of feelings and thoughts, features, by which his prose becomes meditative and lyric.

The last historical work of the Golden age is the History of Armenia by Ghazar Parpetsi, created at the end of the century. He has followed the principle “Neither add the non-existent, nor reduce the existent”. Parpetsi is also the first representative of the epistolary genre. Letters written before him were of religious-theological nature, void of the vital-historic value, by which his Epistle, addressed to liar priests, was characterized. The 5^th century has also bequeathed a rich legacy of speeches. We mean Gregory the Illuminator's Faithful Speeches collection and the Book of Homilies, which has been published under the name of Hovhan Mandakuni. They are valuable collections of rhetorical speech, in which the objectives of Christian faith strengthening, Christian coexistence organization and custom purification of Armenian nation are touched.




b. Sacred Literature

In the same century Armenian sacred poetry was established, too. By coming to life, for purely religious purposes, the sacred songs, i.e. sharakans (religious hymns), were performed during the ceremonials, as a supplement to the psalms and Holy Scripture lectures, originally being called ksurd (tropar) . The first hymns writers were Mesrop Mashtots and Patriarch Sahak Parthev. Hymns have also been written by Hovhan Mandakuni, Movses Khorenatsi, later on, especially, in the 7^th-8^th centuries, by other authors: Catholicos Komitas Aghtzetsi, Sahak Dzoraporetsi, Stepanos Siunetsi, Hovhan Odznetsi and others, among them two female poets living in the 8^th century, i.e. Sahakadukht Siunetsi and Khosrovidukht Goghtnetsi. Until the 8^th century the sacred hymns were developing so rapidly, that Sharaknots (Hymnal) collections resulted as an outcome based on eight main modes and canon. Exclusively sensitive are Mashtots’ Penance hymns, small lamentation-prayers, which were performed during the period of the Lent.

The 6_^th-9^th century Armenian literature had difficult course of development. In the 6^th century, when in the Eastern part of Armenia the power was in the hands of Persian governors, the speed of the literature development was reduced. From those times separate works have been preserved, mostly letters of dogmatic nature. The only exception is Petros the Poet’s fragmentary work referring to the famous figures of the Siunik princely family, the courageous deeds of the governor Andovk and his son Babik. Those fragments carry the seal of the epic Persian war and bear a local nature concretized within the borders of Siunik.

Beginning with the 7^th century, the Armenian historiography has gradually been recovering its significance. The historians Sebeos, Movses Kaghankatvatsi (7^th century), Hovhan Mamikonian and Ghevond (8^th century) appeared in the arena, then, by the end of the 9^th century: Thovma Artsruni, Hovhannes Draskhanakertsi, Artsruni princely family anonymous historian and others, in the works of whom the artistic prose preserves its power to some extent. Noteworthy is especially Hovhan Mamikonian’s History of Taron about the wars for the Glak monastery and the whole province of Taron. This epic history, though historically doubtful, is a highly valuable literary work. The bellicose style of its narration anticipates the close arrival of The Fools of Sasun narrating the struggle of Armenians against the Arab Caliphate.
 
The Lamentation on the Death of Jivanshir, Great Prince of the East speaks about the high development level of the 7^th century Armenian secular poems. Its author is the Davtak. Applying to the lamentation genre the poet has followed on one hand the traditions of the literary lamentation (Prophet Jeremiah’s, Movses Khorenatsi’s Lamentations) and, on the other hand, the traditions of Armenian national lamentation. He is well-informed about Komitas Catholicos’ (615-628) Hymn dedicated to Hripsimean virgins, which follows the acrostic rhythm and composition. He was, also, fully mastering the Greek mythology and epic art.

At the end of the 9^th century the achievement of Armenian independence, the establishment of Bagratids Kingdom (885) in most part of the country, further, the establishment of the Artzrunids Kingdom in Vaspurakan (908) highly contributed to the flourishing of the whole culture and arts, as well as poems. Under more than a hundred years of peace (930s-end of 1030s), development of trade and arts, under the auspices of Armenian royal and princely families, both spiritual and intellectual life flourished. In terms of ideology, this was the beginning of a period of great turnover. The people, with the preservation of medieval Christian piety, also started to appreciate the life on earth. The literature was proceeding through the path of secularization. The Armenian rebirth started.

Grigor Narekatsi is the thinker and poet of that turnover century. He is the most remarkable and the greatest personality of the 10^th century with his controversy, complex thoughts on humanity and life.

 In the field of poetry he became a real innovator. Narekatsi laid the basis for a new collection of sacred songs Gandzaran or Tagharan with such units as gandz, tagh, meghedi, hordorak (pokh). He didn’t write hymns with an exception of a single one, the attribution of which is not sure. To his opinion the hymn has been brought to its perfection by his predecessors. With his best poems and melodies Narekatsi reformed the Armenian sacred chant, which hymn genre was by that time in indirect dependence from the Holy Scripture in word-stock, stylistic and expressive means, descriptive comparisons and themes. Narekatsi, as compared with his far and close predecessors, went towards the sources of the national speech and life, creating artistic pictures by showing a higher perception of poetic art. In his poetry he has applied to allegory, by embodying the spiritual ideas and divine truth by pictures of reality and nature, with the thought "To see the soul through the body". It might be assumed that the everyday life and nature themselves have enhanced Narekatsi to apply to allegory since it is through the spiritually abstract ideas that their poetic subjectivity is obtained, they become easily perceivable, give pleasure to the reader and the audience. Narekatsi has created his poems and melodies as songs and has created music for them.

It is also noteworthy to mention the two essential sides of his talent and poetic conception. Narekatsi is gifted by unusual imagination. Everyday phenomena in his poems are replaced by beautiful images. As if his objective was to express not so much the truth-like, but rather the beautiful and the perfect. The other side is his capacity of perceiving and expressing the nature and objects in changing movement: the nature and action in his poems and melodies are not in the same state, they express movement and change. The poetic images, as he has once mentioned on one occasion, are developing step by step. It seems that through this line the poet describes not only the water of Jordan but also his own song:


With his poems Narekatsi created various tricks of poetic structure and metrics, a rich system of poetical art, which became a guide for the future development of the Armenian poetry and was thoroughly used by his successors.

Narekatsi’s highest poetic feat was the Book of Lamentation, never surpassed by the poetic flight of the Middle Ages. It was written during the last years of the poet’s life, in 1001-1003. Hovhannes Tumanian has given this comprehensive description to the Book of Lamentation: "Here it is not the Armenian tongue speaking, it is nor a mouth that tells. It is rather a flaming heart, which burns all around the country; it is a suffering soul, which roars to the skies."

The book composed of 95 chapters is a speech addressed to the God (“From the depth of the heart a word to the God”), expressed in the form of a prayer, frank and direct, from the beginning to the end filled with tragic mood. But Narekatsi cannot be perceived as an ordinary preacher. In his book of faith and confession he is a philosopher poet, a Christian voluntarily carrying in himself the sins and defects of the whole humanity and an individual confessing on behalf of all (“I am everyone, I am for everyone”), who continuously searches new mechanisms for poetic expression, creates images, directly generating flows of speech without direct self-repetition. The Book of Lamentation is both an individual and universal narration on the attempts of salvation for humanity that suffers from sin and defects. It is justifiable to assess Narekatsi from purely the literary viewpoint as A. Chobanian does: “Let’s remove the religious veil of the preacher, limiting his nature, and put him among the literary geniuses on the highest top”.

The path to catharsis is a frank confession, which is chosen by Narekatsi who tries to remove the mortal festering wound with the help of speech, and to get rid of the bitterness resulting from the pains of the heart “by vomiting the disgust”. The human controversy is established since the beginning, predetermined by those elements, from which the human structure is composed. “My nature composed of many parts is in everlasting struggle with those parts”, he confesses. From this accrue both the human controversy and ambiguity. His essence is uncertain and is always in alarm. He smiles, but he is wounded in the mind. As if hopeless, he has lost the guarantee to trust something:


The Savior from human collapse is only God, no matter how far and unreachable he is, similarly close and indivisible. If God justifies someone, then “no one has the power to condemn him”. According to symbolist Narekatsi, confession and catharsis lead to God, and give a possibility “to see him”, “to unite with him indivisibly”, “to become divinized”, reach to its light. The Book of Lamentation will always by on the lips of future generations for the salvation of the mortal poet, as a guarantee for his immortality. As he writes:

6. RENAISSANCE LITERATURE, 11^th -12^th centuries.

In the second half of the 10^th and first fifty years of the 11^th century, Ani, the famous town of the Bagratids, situated on the East-West transit trade route, was not only the evidence of the Armenian economic life upraise, but also served as capital, attracting the most influential layers of society, i.e. princely families and richest figures grown in the trade. The fortunate and rich highest officials did not neglect faith; they wanted to be decent and were developing the church building, protecting the development of culture, school and enlightenment, sponsoring the craftsmen, scribes, painters and writers. That culture was called to life by the dictation of the faith and devotion to God, but was more vividly expressing political and secular desires, giving evidence of the secularization tendencies of the Armenian mind and arts. Its best examples are activity and work of Grigor Magistros († 1058/59), Vardan Anetsi (11^th century) and Hovhannes Sarkavag († 1129).

Grigor Magistros, the last prominent representative of the Pahlavuni distinguished family, was a versatile personality, a great expert of theology, philosophy, Iranian, Greek and Arabic culture, mastering several languages. This is testified by more that 80 Letters, which have reached to our times. His starting-point to appreciate the Armenian world-wide thought is not the idea of emphasizing the Christian faith, but the scientific-cognitive significance of each phenomenon.

That is why he, in addition to other fields, specifies the necessity of introducing the epic (i.e., fables and legends) into the curriculum, and liked to articulate his ideas in his Letters and to enliven them with quotations from ancient samples of folk legends and tales. Magistros was the first among Armenians to write a rhythmic verse piece, the so called Hazartoghean (Thousand-lined) poem (consisting really of 1016 lines), which is the shortened story of the Holy Scripture, addressed to the Arab wizard Manuche, who was very vainglorious towards Koran. But the poetical talent and the high patriotic standpoint of Grigor Magistros is revealed through the high spiritual verse, which is a call to fight for motherland addressed to one of his sons, a real patriotic war-cry.

Vardan Anetsi is probably his contemporary, but his biography is totally unknown. He is well known only through one versed poem, titled Panegyric for God. Pitifully, the last part of the manuscript is missing. But even uncompleted, it is outstanding for its monumental, picturesque comparisons, and high style Armenian. Through the description of the Ezekiel vision of the coach, the Panegyric praises human courage and endurance, and is a request to God for ascend and happiness. Father Alishan and others do not hesitate to compare Vardan Anetsi with Grigor Narekatsi.
 
In the person of Hovhannes Sarkavag we have a representative of an outstanding scientific mind, some bright ideas of whom have surpassed the century and his time. His rich heritage gives us the notion that he has been a real inborn researcher with a deep ability to listen and investigate the mystery of nature and a desire to reveal secrets of universe. He has suggested the concept of the experiment as means to check the reality and truthfulness of opinions and science, thus being a predecessor of the European mind in this question. He has created verses as well, especially the  voluminous ethical poem Word of Wisdom, which is an ode to nature as source of inspiration for music and poetry, and which can be only followed and praised to create immortal pieces of art. This is a new point of view on the genesis of art and poetry, very different from the principle of “Revelation”, which was dominant in the Middle Ages.

In the middle of the 11^th century a tragic period started in the history and life of Armenian nation. The Eastern Christian world was unprepared and not ready to resist the Turk Seljuk invasions, which were menacing from the East. The Armenian kingdoms and noble families were defeated one after another. The major reason of defeats was probably the short-sighted policy of the Byzantine Empire, which under the mask of protector of the Eastern Christianity, in fact, revealed its mistrust towards Armenia and through false promises displaced the Armenian kings and numerous princely families onto the territory of its Empire, which resulted into the displacement and influx of big masses of people as well, thus making it possible that the previously flourishing and secure country was easily conquered by the Eastern hordes. The native owners of the Armenian land diminished, ruins and displacement were everywhere. The banished Armenian nation settled west to Euphrates in Sebastia area and especially in Cilicia. Here powerful Armenian reigning houses were established and defensive struggle, started from the end of the 11^th century and lasted during the whole 12^th century, was crowned by the creation of, first, the Rubinian Armenian Kingdom (in 1189), and then Hetumian dynasty (around 1220), and just before the fall of the kingdom (1375) the reign of Lusignians. That was one of the unexpected miracles of the Armenian history: being devoid of kingdom in their main motherland, they achieved independence and a reigning house in Taurus, or it should be correct to say, in Armenian Tauros.

The works of Nerses Shnorhali (1102-1173) are a reflection of the political rise of Armenians in Cilicia with the essential desire to re-establish Armenian cultural and spiritual values and traditions. The theme of a vast part of his inheritance, both poetry and prose (theological, oratory and literary), is religious, but the other aspect of the Armenian life and history is also present in his works. He bears the spirit of Armenian legend as an oath: that is the spirit of the poem Records of Homeric Epics. In his biblical Christ the Son or Epical Tragedy, theological On Faith and sacred poems, psalms Morning of Light, The Whole World, songbook, hymns, as a real dedicated worshipper inspired by sacred ideas, he is presenting the word of God to the people through literature. It is worth mentioning his 300 riddles, through which, as well as through a series of poems, he pursues educational goals. Through riddles Shnorhali wished to deepen and widen the world cognition of Armenians.

The most eminent work of the poet’s heritage is the Lament on Edessa, describing a historical event of his days, namely the conquest, plunder and devastation of the city of Edessa by the Muslim troops. The Lament is the expression of big passion and feelings, a call to the Christian world to sober, wake up and unite against the Muslim threat. The poet casts a look towards his fameless motherland as well, to Ani, Vagharshapat, creates images full of patriotic meditation, compares the fameless and tragic present with the past days of Armenian grandeur and glory. He suffers for the lost political freedom. In the person of Nerses Shnorhali, for the first time the muse of Armenian poetry spreads through Armenian motherland. The Lament ends with an expectation of a second Crusade, with which the poet’s hopes for liberation of Eastern Christianity and Armenia lie. The Lament of Shnorhali had a lasting impact on the history of the further development of the Armenian tragedy, especially the development of the theme of historical lament. Among his followers were Grigor Tgha (1124-1193), Stepanos Orbelian (†1305), Arakel Baghishetsi (†1454), Simeon Aparanetsi (†1614), Minas Tokhattsi (born in 1507), Stepanos Tokhattsi (born in 1558), Hacob Tokhattsi (born in 1573) and others.

Nerses Shnorhali is a balanced, poetical individuality. The image, the burst of passion in his works is always subdued to the rhythm and regulating power of the poem. He pursues achieving ideal forms. The rhythm and meter of poem in his works always come forward as an origin for both recitation and singing, because Shnorhali is a musician and a poet at the same time. He has stayed unsurpassed in the medieval poetry for his rhyme and meter.

7. ARMENIAN LITERATURE – 12^th - 13^th centuries

By the end of the 12^th century and especially starting from the 13^th century the Armenian literature entered a new qualitative era thanks to deepening of secular emotions and the tendency of an independent from Church development. The range of literary themes widened and its ideological content was enriched due to closer correlation of literature and reality. The bloom of Armenian fable as a separate field of literary prose fostered the process of creation of Armenian secular literature.

Due to the famous lawyer Mkhitar Gosh (†1213) the fable, as a type of traditional folklore, was enriched with morale and became a full fledged literary genre. Fortunately, the Book of Fables by Gosh, where 190 fables are assembled, with morale as endings and the introductions of the author, has reached our days without any missing part through manuscripts and has been published. Gosh has written in old Armenian.

The most eminent person in Armenian fable writing is Vardan Aigektsi (2^nd half of the 12^th century, around 1230s), who is representing the next generation after Gosh. He has created fables in middle Armenian, thus being fully understandable for the whole nation. And this had its unsurpassed impact on the future development of Armenian fable writing. Whatever has been created in this field in the 13^th to 17^th centuries is assumed to be authored by the great Vardan, and collections of this type were not called Fox Book or Fables by Vardan, Book of Vardan. The fables use animal images, which give us grounds to assume that in Armenia of older period the so called animal novel had a leading role and that its fragments have survived in the fables as remainders of the once complete novels.

Both Gosh and Aigektsi were followers of the Greek fable traditions and have elaborated some of its samples. They have been familiar with some of Aesop’s Fables, translated into Armenian and presented through Fables by Olympian still in early Middle Ages. They have known the Moralist, a collection of fables translated during the same period from Greek, which describes the specific features and behavior of plants and animals. But Armenian fables had their roots in folk fables, tales, humorous stories and anecdotes that were told by people through centuries, with funny accents, hearty laughter and ruthless criticism. Written fables have the same descriptive features. They bring to surface the social relations of Armenian life between the nobles, the rich, the flourishing citizen, the priest and the clergy on one side, and the workers, peasants, homeless on the other side.

Middle Armenian which was the language used by common people at that time, entered and started to be used as the language of poetry as well during the second half of the 13^th century.
 

8. ARMENIAN LITERATURE OF THE 13^th- 14^th centuries

The 13^th -14^th centuries can be considered an era of glory for Armenian secular poetry. Though the political conditions were not supportive to promote arts and literature, because the nation was suffering under the yoke of Mongols and other oriental tribes, since the times of Bagratid Kingdom of Ani and Narekatsi, basis was created for expressing the Armenian national spirit in arts and literature thanks to Armenian noble families and princes, especially to Zakarids. Notwithstanding the disastrous times the seeds were sawn and the first seedlings of Armenian creative mind appeared. Gifted individualities with outstanding abilities came forth, and amongst them were Frik, Kostandin Yerzynkatsi, Hovhannes Tlkurantsi, and others. Lyrical mood is visible, especially in the songs of love, flames of soul of Armenian native songs called Hayren. In peaceful time, minstrels were supported by noblemen and wealthy citizens (barons). The widely spread Hayrens were much beloved by common people; their theme was mostly on love, joy, weddings, people in exile. Initially being sung as simple songs, they influenced the poetry of the high Middle Ages (Narekatsi, Shnorhali, Grigor Tgha, Frik, Khachatur Kecharetsi and others), then later were written down in Songbooks and other collections and preserved up to our days. Their numerous samples like The Exiles of Akna, Cradle Songs and Funeral Songs were written down by the end of the 19^th century and some years later, especially in the region of Akn – Sebastia.
 
”The one who had direct thought and deep fine feelings”, Frik (a poet of the 13th century) lived a life full of joys and pleasures, but more than that full of pain and disappointments. The wealth and well established flourishing living in his lyrics is reminiscence only, while wretchedness is a living reality to which his tortured body and fatigued soul are condemned. More than 50 of his verses are frank confessions about what he has seen and felt during his life, about all the numerous experiences and temptations that have been continuing to bother him while he has been resisted them and moving forward towards his ruthless faith. His road of life has been crossed by Mongol rulers, khans and sahibs; he has been deprived of his property and has drunk the full cup of bitterness. He has passed through everything and now he asks painful questions: why the world created by God is so unfair? Is it his lot, or the will of faith, or the God itself? In any case he does not kneel and continues his accusation with the full conviction that:


Frik is a rebel, his is a complainer, but he does not reject God. He is comforted by his share of divine gift, the ability to create verses, see the reality and express himself that was given to him by God. He is a symbolist like Narekatsi. But his forms of self-expression are more simple and common: Narekatsi is a confessor between his secular cell and Seventh Heaven, rhetoric and pathetic. Frik firmly stands on his motherland, with affection for the wretched mankind in his soul, mumbling as a simple human being.

Hovhannes Pluz Yerzynkatsi (†1293) received brilliant education from the wise monks and devoted himself to enlightening the people of Armenia from Cilicia to East Armenia with the noble mission to wake up in their souls national consciousness and patriotism. His poetry has been created on this ideological basis and served solely the educational role through spiritual and admonition.

The area of Yerzynka has given to the Middle Ages one more great poet, namely Konstandin Yerzynkatsi (approximately last quarter of 13^th century - first half of 14^th century), a person with very rich inner world dissatisfied with his environment and people surrounding him, at whom he casts a look full of distrusts, because he assumes they are thirsty for blood. The Whole World is a Wolf, he declares without hesitation and complains of people whose souls are blind, who are mindless and ignorant, and for that reason do not speak “of men with love”. He is very sensitive and distrustful, thinks that everybody “hates him with animosity”. He sees only enemies around. Condemned to be lonely and not appraised, the poet is hurt especially by the reality that some have been jealous of his ability to create. To justify his right of creation Yerzynkatsi presents a vision of how God has given him the gift of writing:


Kostandin has expressed his highest comprehension as a poet through allegoric works. In this case he is a real spiritual son of Narekatsi, the one who is developing the traditional forms of allegories, he himself turning into an example to be followed by later generations of poets (Arakel Baghishetsi, Metric Naghash, Grigoris Aghtamartsi, and others). He rings the song of awakening from the cold breath of winter, from its darkness, and fogginess into spring; rings the bells of renewal of the world weaving the canvas of the bird waiting for the rose and the novel of lyrical love, a real Rose Novel, but without any courteous tendency, expressing the spiritual meaning of the Nativity and Salvation and renewal of life from the pagan darkness. “Do not understand my work as physical”, warns he endlessly, “but spiritual”. Even though, Konstandin’s verses are exactly understood as the delight of human soul towards the beauties of nature. The axis of this joyful mood and beauty is love:

From time to time the allegories and usage of the fable language gives place in the lyrics of Yerzynkatsi to the earthly love. Three to four verses of this type have survived to our days, thus making him the first singer of love of the medieval Armenian lyrics, if we exclude the Hayrens of folk singers, names of whom are unknown. He has written those at the request and desire of members of the Youth Union of Traders and Craftsmen. With these songs Kostandin forecasted the future development of love songs, thus creating a real system of expressing love through images. This was the beautification of love with oriental colorfulness, which since then was developed and enriched with new shades until Sayat Nova. Khachatur Kecharetsi, a younger contemporary of Kostandin also has an allegorical love song about the rose and nightingale, and has left pretty little lyrical songs with a touch of individuality. But his role was big especially because he revealed and brought back form the dust of neglect, corrected, edited, and made a beloved book for reading the History of Alexander, which is considered to be authored by Pseudo Callisthenes, a fifth century translation from Greek, the translator considered to be Movses Khorenatsi. Kecharetsi has done almost everything to localize the story and make it closer to Armenians. He interwove into the original his verses, called Kafa, with Alexandrian motives. Grigoris Aghtamartsi, Hovasap Sebastatsi, Zakaria Gnunetsi, and other poets, miniaturists of 16^th century played a major role in designing the miniatures and making in Kafa style the Armenian original, which is famous for its several editions. Kecharetsi has enriched the original with comparison of Alexander with some features of Jesus Christ

Hovhannes Tlkurantsi (14^th century), a bright lyrical poet and author of love, meditative and epic songs of the period of the fall of the Cilician Armenian Kingdom, is free from allegories and conventionalism. His songs are marked with the transparency of watercolors. He is not using allegories; everything is presented with pure vision and clearly. Though the beloved creature is sacred to him, and love a victorious feeling and idea, he is not free of Christian prejudices to love. The soul falls to love, but conscience realizes that “it is a mortal sin”. He confesses his weakness for love. How could he not love, when even a 100-year-old monk is subject to love, as, breaking off the mass, he “wants you in front of the cross”. Nothing is strong enough against love: it melts mountains, ruins high castles and demolishes rocks. In Tlkurantsi’s understanding love gives birth to life, the bosom of beloved girl is an immortal paradise, which returns the soul of dead, brings back life to those who have passed away. For love the Crazy Hovhannes (as he calls himself everywhere) is ready for sacrifice:


Tlkurantsi's love lyric is marked for its individuality. He praises love not for the sake of propriety, or copying somebody, but as a personal feeling, as a fact of his personal life. At some point the praise of the beloved creature and the desire to reach her are interrupted: the beloved woman is ruthless: “You spilled my blood without sword and knife”, she rejects him, which is equal to killing him. Tlkurantsi, who has over lived this tragedy, has created one of the most precious pearls of Armenian love lyric, the verse that starts with the line “I cannot resist your love”. A. Chobanian and Russian great poet, an expert of Armenian poetry and translator V. Briusov have given praiseworthy estimates to this love song. According to the first, as if an oriental Baudelaire and Verlaine have combined their talents together, while according to Briusov’s estimation “Hovhannes opens up in his song such depths of feelings”, that were achieved by the poetry of 19^th-20^th centuries, and “such outbursts of real passion that cannot be found neither in Petrarch’s sonnets nor in love songs by Ronsard”.
 

9. MIDDLE AGES - 15^th century

By the end of 14^th century the ancient Armenian literature entered the late medieval phase of its development. The period from the 15^th to the 17^th centuries was disastrous time for Armenia. Armenia had turned into an endless war arena between the Turk sultans and Persia, and the nation was exposed to unheard exploit, massacres, and displacement. In motherland or in Armenian communities elsewhere (Crimea, Valachia, Romania, Poland, Constantinople) through inexplicable efforts learned people were trying to preserve the manuscripts of Armenian culture written and to depict the life and faith of the nation in pursuing literary efforts. During this period the tendency of secularism continues and deepens, the poetry tends to develop in the direction of individualism, reflecting day to day life and details, thus gaining the local colorful description. The minor theme are gaining more significance, the humor becomes more obvious, and is woven around the simple and ridiculous events of life. The lyric of this three hundred year period is created partly in Armenia and partly away in foreign countries. True talents seldom appears among the poets of this period: Arakel Siunetsi (14^th -15^th centuries), Arakel Baghishetsi (†1453), Mekrtich Naghash (15^th century), Grigoris Aghtamartsi, Hovasap Sebastatsi (first half of the 16^th century), David Saladzortsi (17^th century), Naghash Hovnatan (1661-1722) and one or two more, who in many cases continuously repeat the previous poets, make use of their images and comparisons, apply their epithets, and other means of expression. Naghash Hovnatan, continuing the traditions of lyrical songs, tends more towards the folk songs.

Thanks to hand-written songbooks more names of the 16^th and 17^th centuries’ poets have survived to our days together with their songs. In addition to the abovementioned poets, we would like to mention some others as well: folk singer Kuchak Vanetsi, Ghazar Sebastatsi, Martiros Kharasartsi, Vrtanes Srnketsi, Sarkavag Berdakatsi, Grigor Vanetsi, Stepanos Varagetsi, Minas Tokhattsi (16^th century), Simeon Aparanetsi, Nerses Mokatsi, Stepanos, Hacob, and Khachatur Tokhattsi (16^th -17^th centuries), Martiros Ghrimetsi, Yeremia Kiomurjian, Kosa Yerets Basentsi (17^th  century) and others. They are many. Big is also the number of those lyrical singers whose works have survived partially but whose names are unknown.

Side by side with chronicles two genres of memoir style obtain special meaning in the prose of the 17th century: travel notes and diaries. The travel notes style was established a bit earlier, in the first half of the 17^th century and is remarkable by the satirically colored work of Khachatur Tokhattsi The History of the City of Venice and Simeon Lehatsi’s Notes of Travel. Yeremia Kiomurjian, Zakaria Aguletsi, and Minas Andetsi have written diaries

10. LATE MIDDLE AGES - 17^th century

The more outstanding lyrical poets of 15^th -16^th centuries are Mekrtich Naghash and Grigoris Aghtamartsi. Naghash is the second after Frik in Armenian lyric who has deeply felt the social grief of the common people, lashed back at the cruel and miser exploiters’ greediness with sarcastic and furious words in his poem Against Greed. On the other hand with his two poems For the Refugee he established the motive of migration and displacement in the Armenian lyric: the peak of this direction is the Crane, written by an unknown author in the second half of 16^th century and having a national fame after the elaboration of the genius Komitas.


Grigoris Aghtamartsi, also a miniaturist painter, as well as Mekrtich Naghash, is more valued for his outstanding gift of a poet. Even though quite often he has used the form of allegory, he is depicting blazing love, with the desire of life and nature, through colorful and impressive lyrical images. Being rejected in love, as Tlkurantsi was, he also feels candid burst of love and does not hesitate to describe his beloved woman:

 
The contradictory feelings of the vanity of the world and desire for life gave birth to the poem that starts with the line “Every morning and every day”, that is assumed to be authored by him, about eternity of life and passing life, which is a philosophical reflection where the ideas of life and death are opposed to each other. The poem has a deep meaning, short in volume and lacks decoration.

The 18^th century was a period of brewing new political and social ideas. New prospects were being developed for national awakening and enlightenment. The Armenians in Venice (St. Lazarus Mekhitarist Congregation), the Armenians in India (Shahamiryans) and their ideological peers in other regions were persistently acting for the rebirth of national feelings, developing Armenian culture to direct the Armenian life in correspondence to the New Times.

This century was at the same time the period of literary brewing, preparation and transition period for literature from the old to the new, where amidst the mixture of ancient Armenian, middle Armenian and dialects, the new modern Armenian literary language (ashkharhabar) is starting to be used. Even the grammar of it is written and published, and this is done maybe chaotically with the perception that it should be the renewed literary language. Among numerous writers (Mkhitar Sebastatsi, Hacob Nalian, Petros Bertuments, Petros Ghapantsi, and others) special attention should be paid to Baghdasar Dpir (1683-1768) for his songs of love and missing.

The 18^th century has become meaningful thanks to the name of the great poet Sayat Nova, who in addition to Armenian (the dialect of Armenians of Tbilisi, Georgia), has created in Georgian and Turkish languages as well. His literary life has spread for two decades only, between 1740s and 1750s. The ancient Armenian poetry is coming to an end, and the new one tries to establish its new path. Sayat Nova stands on the crossroad of the old and the new and due to his comprehension of life and mentality is closer to the new era.