Armenian literature

Armenian literature is Christian Oriental literature - such as their language - never became extinct, and thus formed a national as historical link of high identification power. It is the spiritual and secular national literature of the Armenian people. Its beginnings reach back to the year 405 AD, which is connected with the invention of the Armenian alphabet. Traditional Armenian literature is national literature, derived from the local ties of the Armenians, who created seals to the glory of their country in the history and in the chronicles. Further translations are an important part of classical Armenian literature.

History

The Armenians had according to the legend in its pre-Christian era a temple literature, which was destroyed in the course of Christianization in the 4th and 5th centuries by the Christian clergy so thoroughly that barely twenty lines of it in the history of Moses of choirs ( 9th Century. ) remained.

The Old Armenian literature

The beginnings of the Armenian Christian literature ( Golden Age of Armenian literature 407-451 ) begin around the year 405 with the invention of the Armenian alphabet Mesrop by Maschtotz. This is probably an older alphabet, Mesrop the added vowels; a legend, however, led them back to a direct divine inspiration. With the perfected alphabet created Isaac, Catholicos of Armenia, a translators' school whose students were sent to Edessa, Athens, Constantinople Opel, Alexandria, Antioch, Caesarea, Cappadocia and elsewhere to acquire Syrian and Greek manuscripts, and to translate them. Syrian origin, was the first version of the New Testament, Eusebius Church History and Konstantin biography 's homilies Aphraates, the story of Gurias and Samuna that works Ephrem the Syrian ( partially published in four volumes by the Mekhitarist of Venice) or the work of the ( pseudo- - ) Faustus of Byzantium ( Buzandaran Patmut'iwnk '). Beginning of the fifth century, some of the apocryphal works, such as the treatises of St. Gregory, the Agathangelos emerged attributed to "History of the Armenians " as well as works by other well-known personalities. Next in this early period of Armenian literature produced numerous original works. Eznik Kolb wrote a " Refutation of the Sects " and Koryun the " life story of Saint Mesrop and the beginnings of Armenian literature "; both were students Mesrops.

In the silver age (after 451), the vernacular influenced the literature. Ghasar of Parp created historical works; In addition to the translations of the Church Fathers of the Alexander romance was born. The Hellenistic influence was reflected in efforts to subdue the Armenian language the rules of the Greek grammarian Dionysius Thrax. Numerous translations of Greek philosophers found in the course of this input in Armenian libraries. Essentially, however, kept the Armenian writing authors to their own language:

  • Theologians such as Wrtanes Kerdol ( 550-617 ), Catholicos John of Odzun ( 650-729 ), Chosworik Targmanitsch (8th century ).
  • Historians like Eghische Wardapet; Sebeos (7th century ), Ghewond (8th century ), John Catholicos of the historian ( 850-931 ), Toma Arzruni; Uchtanes ( 10th century).
  • Scientific literature authored among others Ananias of Shirak ( 600-670 ), John of Odzun, known as " the philosopher " (8th century ).

The Old Armenian literature lived on in the medieval kleinarmenisch - Cilician kingdom.

The medium Armenian literature

A " polemic against the Paulicians ," a " Synodalschrift " and a collection of the decisions of the Council and of the writings of the Church Fathers to the present day emerged as major works in this period. Appeared about the same time translations of the works of several Church Fathers, particularly of Gregory of Nyssa and Cyril of Alexandria from the pen of Bishop Stephanos of Siunien. Two hundred years later, the well-known " History of Armenia " by Catholicos John VI .. It covered the period from the origin of the nation by the year 925 His contemporary Anania Mok, an abbot and the most respected theologian of his time, created a treatise against the Tondrakianer, a Manichean sect. Chosroes, Bishop of Andzevatsentz is valued for his interesting comments to the breviary and the measurement prayers. Gregory of Narek, his son, is considered Armenian Pindar, who penned elegies, odes come, panegyric works and homilies. Stephen Asoghtks " universal history " handed to the year 1004 and Gregor Magistros ' long poem on the Old and New Testaments found many uses.

The modern period of Armenian literature may well be dated back to the Renaissance of font among the Armenians in the 12th century. Catholicos Nerses IV the Gracious, the most important author in the beginning of this period. In addition to his poetic works, such as the " Elegy to the conquest of Edessa ", there are prose works, including a " pastoral letter " a " Synodalschrift ", and his "Letters ". From this period also a Luke - comment and a comment of the Catholic Epistles. Also noteworthy is the Synodalrede of Nerses of Lambron, Archbishop of Tarsus, on the occasion of the Council of Hromkla 1179. During the 13th century Vartan the Great was born, a great poet, exegete and theologian known for his extensive " universal history ". Gregory of Datev created in the following century his "Question Book ", a sharp polemic against Catholics.

By effected by Tamerlane downfall of kleinarmenisch - Cilician kingdom began a little productive phase in the fourteenth century. In the sixteenth century, Armenia was under Persian domination, the stifled a literary life in the country - the big exception is Nahapet Kutschak whose Hairen mentioned verses ( he wrote a total of 101 ) a peak of Armenian literature represent. - In the resulting from foreign domination dispersion of the Armenians in all parts of Europe can also see a positive effect. Thus, the Armenians established printers in Venice and Rome and in the following 17th century as well as in Lemberg, Milan, Paris and elsewhere. Old works were reprinted and New continue. The Brotherhood, founded by Mekhitar of Sebaste (1676-1749) of Mechitarists of Venice were leaders of this movement; their writings were large in number, but often have low reliability. Your brothers, the Vienna Mechitarists, were also among the activists of this occupational field; to their society, were Balgy and Catergian, two well-known authors on the Armenian issue. In Russia, Konstantin Opel and Echmiadzin, there were other centers of Armenian literary activity; the last-named place ( seat of the " Catholicos of All Armenians " ) is of particular importance, since one established there in the 20th century scientific methods from Germany.

Neuarmenisch

In the 19th century the Neuarmenische found its way into the Armenian literature and provided a strong foundation for both the literary-historical research as well as for the belletristic literature. During the 19th century, the authors Chatschatur Abovyan and Mikael Nalbandian worked on the creation of an Armenian literary identity. Nalbandians poem "Song of an Italian Girl" may be regarded as the inspiration for the Armenian national anthem Mer Hayrenik.

The resulting Neuwestarmenisch was under more French, the Neuostarmenisch ( see also spelling reform of the Armenian language 1922-1924 ) more German influence. After the reception are already in the Middle Ages troubadour poetry of Aschugen, whose most prominent representative is in Armenian literature Sayat Nova, now also found forms such as drama, poetry, novel and satire input in the Armenian literature, which tended in the Soviet period to the worker literature.

Western Armenian writer

  • G. Alischan
  • Misag Medzarents
  • Bedros Tourian
  • Taniel Varus Chan
  • Hagop Baronian
  • Siamanto
  • Krikor Zohrab (1861-1915)
  • Tigran Kamsarakan (1866-1940)
  • Zabel Yesayan (1878-1943)

Ostarmenische writer

  • Chatschatur Abovyan
  • Raffi
  • Shirvanzade
  • Muracan
  • Hovhannes Tumanyan
  • Avetik Issahakjan
  • Vahan Teryan
  • Rafael Gabrielowitsch Patkanjan (1830-1892)
  • Mikael Nalbandian (1829-1866)
Soviet Armenian writer
  • A. Hakobyan
  • Avetik Issahakjan (1875-1957)
  • Paruhir Sevak
  • Jeghische Charents (1897-1937)
  • Shushanik Kurginjan (1876-1927)
  • Axel Bakunts
Present writer
  • Vakhtang Ananjan (1905-1980)
  • Hrant Matewosjan (1935-2002)
  • Silva Kaputikjan († 2006)
Movses Khorenatsi Mesrop Mashtots List of Catholicoi of Armenia Eznik of Kolb Timur Printer (publishing) Yeghishe Charents
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