Armenian Legends and Poems
Zabelle C. BoyajianArmenian Legends and Poems by Zabelle C. Boyajian was originally published in 1916. It is an anthology comprised of translations of Armenian literature spanning from the Middle Ages, interwoven with 19th-century poetry. It also includes captivating episodes chronicled by Moses of Khorene, a historian from the fifth century, recounting legendary incidents from ancient Armenian history. The book culminates with an extensive essay by Aram Raffi, providing a contextual overview of the rich tapestry of Armenian literature. Within this essay, there is a deep exploration of Armenia's enduring religious history, commencing with an in-depth discussion of its ancient pagan deities. Situated at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, Armenia has faced numerous conquests by dominant regional powers throughout its history, including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, Ottomans, and Russians. Despite these challenges, Armenia has preserved a distinctive cultural and linguistic identity. During brief periods of independence from foreign rule, Armenians have contributed significantly to their national literature, although much of it remains untranscribed into English. This anthology is one of the scarce resources available in the public domain.
This book has 50,149 words, and was originally published in 1916.