| David of Sassoun In the Battle Against the Khalif of Baghdad, the story begins with the pagan Khalif deciding he wants the cross-worshipping king Cakig’s daughter in marriage or he will destroy their kingdom and take possession of their people and treasures. The King Cakig has no male heirs, only one daughter. To avoid the war, the daughter agrees to sacrifice herself and the kingdom agrees to this. The only condition she asks is that the King Cakig build her a separate palace for her to worship, for one year while he keeps his hands to himself and stays away from her bed. King Cakig not only agrees to one year, but promises a whole seven years. The afternoon of the wedding, she went for a walk, and became thirsty, praying for a spring. When one appeared, she drank from it and became pregnant. The term used to describe the spring water is “anmahagan” which means “having the foretaste of immortality.” Then she attended the wedding and: “The Khalif was overjoyed on her arrival; He held a wedding feast for seven days and seven nights. Then he built a separate palace for Dzovinar, Sent food and drink to her And ordered her: - You will not leave the palace. Dzovinar Khanoum retired within seven chambers. Locked her seven doors, went into mourning.” However, she did not tell the Khalif that she was pregnant and upon learning this, the Khalif wanted her head cut off. In protest, she declared that she was a virgin when she left her father’s place: “I was a virgin when I left my father’s home; I am still a virgin. By the will of god my child was conceived of the water That I drank at the lake.” Then she pleads that he allow her to have the child first so two lives are not lost. The Khalif agreed and they waited nine months, nine days and nine hours and even nine more minutes. She gave birth to twin boys. The big child was named Sanasar and his little brother named Baghdasar. Through her cunning ways, she worked it out so that the king allowed her to remain alive while the children were nursed and raised. As the boys were growing up, after they reached the age of seven, they became rambunctious and the Khalif decided to deal with it. Then one day while the children were out playing some neighborhood boys took after them calling them “bastards” and they went home crying asking who their father was. They were told the Khalif was but the boys didn’t believe it because they would not be teased if that were true. At this point, we can see the similarity of Gilgamesh when Enkidu was teased by Humbaba when Humbaba exclaimed “Give advice, Enkidu, you ‘son of a fish’, who does not even know his own father.” The importance of paternity seems to be well fixed in the mythology of the last 5000 years. |
Farther along in the story, both Sanasar and Baghdasar discovered a plot to have them sacrificed and left town. [Roaming far and wide, they came to a strange land, Entering a narrow valley, Where they saw a big river. And a tiny stream That flowed from yonder mountains … The two brothers wondered: How powerful that tiny stream must be! Sanasar pondered and said to baghdasar: - I am amazed, really amazed! What kind of water is it Baghdasar? Baghdasar said to Sanazar: That water is aznantzordy water (People belonging to a race of brave warriors of noble birth) The man who drinks it at its source Will become invincible; No one will be able to down [overpower] him. Sanasar then said to Baghdasar: - Whoever finds the source of that tiny stream And builds his home at its site, He will sire sons As powerful as the water of that stream. Build our home there and establish our community.] And so they did. But they needed a name for their new home and went seeking a person to name it for them. This is where we learn they are giants. [Early in the morning Sanasar arose and went here and there; He saw a white bearded fatherly man Who, with the help of a plough-boy, Was furrowing the arid soil With six pairs of buffalos yoked to a plough. When the elderly man saw the giant, His hands began to tremble, he stopped the plough. Sanasar went to him, greeted him] The brothers went down to the lake to find a good horse that was “fire-born,” or supernatural. Sanasar jumped into the lake but Baghdasar thought he had drowned, not able to see him. While Sanasar was at the bottom of the lake, which appeared to him to be dry: [He reached a garden at the bottom of the lake. Where he saw a palace and pavilion, And a pool, [in the garden]. Water flowed in front of the palace. There he saw the marine horse, Kourkig Jelaly, Tied to a post, equipped with a saddle of mother-of-pearl, And a Lightning Sword hung on the side. There he also saw a chapel. And he entered the chapel, he looked around. He fell asleep and had a dream. |