Renaissance of van vasburagan

BISHOP KAREKIN SRVANTZDIANTS
He was born on “Sandi” street of Van-Aygestan (where wheat was crushed on stone) which is why he was called Sandents and that became his baptismal name. He received his early education in the parish school, and then entered the Khrimian Zharankavorats school (1851) where he was one of the bright students. He became a typesetter for “Ardzvi Vasburagan,” and became a continuing worker for that project of Khrimian’s. He graduated in 1862, after having had a laudatory article on Khrimian printed in the Tiflis “Grung” paper (1862). In that same year he wrote “Hairig’s Travels to the Caucasus” for the Tiflis “Meghu” paper. He then became a regular contributor to “Ardzvi Vasburagan.”

Srvantzdiants was ordained vartabed in 1864, by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Harutiun Vehabedian. In 1879 he was named a member of the Van famine committee, and in 1880-2 locum tenens of the Van diocese. He played a role in the opening of the Van girls’ school. He contributed regularly to the paper “Daroni Ardziv” during the time when Khrimian was primate, in the St. Garabed monastery. After Khrimian had left, Srvantzdiants served skillfully as primate and as editor of the newspaper.

When Srvantzdiants was in Constantinople, he was named guardian of the Armash monastery, and after serving as preacher at the Holy Trinity Church of Pera he became primate of the diocese of Pontus (Trabizon). At that time Maghakia Ormanian was primate of Garin, and the two of them traveled together to Echmiadzin to become ordained as bishops. On that occasion the two of them preached in the Mother church of Tiflis, Ormanian partly in classical Armenian hardly understandable to the people, while Srvantzdiants in a simple, clear, and understandable language, leaving a deep impression on the people, earning their appreciation.

Srvantzdiants became primate also of the Agn province.

In collecting and publishing the extensive sayings of the people of the areas of Agn and Van, Srvantzdiants won the “Izmirlian Literary Prize.”

Bishop Karekin Srvantzdiants had four brothers, the son of one of whom was Hamazasp, a well known revolutionary figure. One brother was Hagopos who spent his entire life teaching in Van. Another brother was Mikael, educated by Amirchanian, and in the Nubar Shahnazarian school of Constantinople, became a teacher in the Garin school. When in 1878 during the Russo-Turkish wars the Russians had occupied Garin, an Armenian officer serving in the Army, Gostantin Gamsaragan, took Mikael to the Caucasus with him. When Gamsaragan was named ambassador to Van he took Mikael with him to Van, as interpreter. Mikael spent the last years of his life in Constantinople.

One of Karekin Srpazan’s nephews now resides in California. He is known as a successful composer of music. A number of his works have been published, and they have been well received.

Srvantzdiants, a humble but highly talented clergyman, died, totally fatigued, in the Armenian National Hospital of Constantinople, on November 17, 1892. Thus was another of Armenian stars extinguished. In addition to the countless intellectual and moral gifts given to the Armenian people, Srvantzdiants also gave materially. He gave even of what he did not have, in bequeathing one thousand Ottoman gold pieces for the building of a hospital bearing his name, in Van., as well as to build a magnificent memorial at the gravesite of the classical writer Yeghishe, whom he eulogized in song.
Te hayrenyats bsagatir, goghtni knar lrer en, lrer en. . . .
Given above are three individual lines. Below are the translation of three verses of Srvantzdiants’ ten-verse poem]
If Goghtan bards of fatherland

Have ceased to chant their songs,

Let immortals from heaven descend,

Armenia’s braves to crown.
Vanish, clouds, from Shavarshan

Shed not your dews anymore,

For fully drenched is Shavarshan

With the blood of Armenia’s braves.
No rose will bloom, no grass will grow

Upon the fields where heroes died,

But on the land where Vartan fell

Will ever flourish his sacred faith.
“May brave Vartan, with pen in hand, come to Ardaz and measure, shape, write, and seal the life, death, and faith of Vartan, etc.”
Going back to the construction of the hospital in 1897, when I was returning from America to Van in 1900 with my sister-in-law’s husband, teacher Hagopos Srvantzdiants, brother of the deceased bishop, we took a trip and my in-law showed me the lands he had set aside for his bereaved brother for the building of the hospital, but alas, a variety of events that would occur later prevented that vital action from taking place.

We had noticed that the legacy of 1835 [error in original, should be 1890] had accumulated, through interest, to 2000 golds. We brought attention to that fact, in the May 1935 and February 1936 issues of the Baikar paper (Boston), pointing out that since the provision of the will could not be carried out in Van, why not build a hospital in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, where a sizable number of repatriate Vanetsis live, and they had the right to benefit from that blessed gift. The matter dragged on until the present [1950] Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, Karekin II, had come to America as a personal representative of the Catholicos at Echmiadzin, and a meeting was held in Boston. There, during a long meeting, it was learned that the Catholicos of All Armenian had written to the Patriarch of Constantinople about carrying out the provisions of the will. A response had been received that “the times are not right for pressing the matter, and we must wait for a time...” We are still waiting.

Later, it was written in the Constantinople newspapers that a few beds had been gifted to the S. Prgich National Hospital in the name of the deceased, and that the value of the fund, in a foreign bank, had decreased, and so forth.
THE LITERARY WORKS OF K. SRVANTZDIANTS
It hurts us to acknowledge, and we are ashamed of it, that as a relative(¹⁵) of the deceased, we do not have even a sample of his numerous works which are on Christianity, grammar, Hnots-Norots, Krots-Prots and Manana, Shushana, Toros Ahgpar two volumes, Hamov-Hodov, songs, descriptive writings, etc., the result of the tireless effort of a teacher, editor, able poet, author, and historian.

All we have at hand at this writing is the book Hamov-Hodov, from which we extract a sample.
SAMPLES -- A FEW SWEET THOUGHTS
“I start from Van once again, there where archeologists and Armenologists have deep interest, and where much interesting and valuable information is being kept under mounds of earth, on rocks, in the hills and in the villages. Even the very name of a region or of a village, or of a building or a ruin, captures the attention of researchers. There too are its sea and its feeding rivers, its beautiful vistas which have claimed the interest of nations from the times of our king, Handsome Ara, to the present.

“ During the unfortunate days of the Van famine, in 1880, I was directed by Khrimian and the Patriarchate to leave my position as Primate of Agn and go to Van. My spiritual feelings carried me on the wings of the wind, carrying me there, to be a part of its inner and external sacrifices.

“I left Agn, taking with me heart-warming gifts for those who were suffering from the famine. I passed through Gamakh, Erjincan, Derjan, Garin, and entered [the monastery of] St. Garabed of Mush in the light of the moon over Daron, to the shore at Tatvan. Oh, that sea, the mother sea, clear and marvelous sea that in August reflected the pure picture of the heavens. I became confused, perplexed, not knowing which was the heavens and which was the sea. I could see in both of them the shimmering, eagle-like moon and the countless thousands of stars of the heavenly bowl. O sea, full of perpetual memories of centuries; O sea, like the laughing eyes of a mother; O sea, of love and awe, like a virgin floating in hope and despair; O sea, I hear your outcry and your weeping. . . .”

Srvantzdiants described the surrounding mountains, the forests, the burbling streams. On the way he came upon those suffering because of the famine, from Aghpag, from Norduz, from Khoshab, from Shadakh, from Kavash, and from Hayots Tzor, old people, women, the young, and little ones. They were approaching him for a little bread to satisfy the hunger of their bellies. Srvantzdiants went through villages and monasteries, and finally reached the Mokhrapert of Nor Kiugh, where St. Sahag toppled the fire-temples built by Yazdigerd’s magi, saying, “May those gods that did not create the heaven and earth be destroyed.” Then, on seeing the bell tower of the Nareg monastery, he became inspired and cried out, “The soil is sacred, the water is sacred, the stone is sacred, the grass is sacred, the air is sacred, the Sun is sacred, everything is sacred that touched Nareg’s hand, foot, breath, his cries and his blessing, but alas, I cannot say that the people who live here are sacred....” Being kept in this wondrous church are the bones of saints, of Anania Naregatsi, of his uncle and his teacher, of Hovhannes Vanagan, of St. Gregory [Krikor] and of his brother of identical faith, and others. I kiss the dust you have left. I kiss your shroud, your shrine, where you sleep in wakefulness, where you guard silently, where your lyre sends forth its divine living music. This saint [Nareg], with pure faith and hope, had the deep longing to see Christ, and he saw the infant Christ in the lap of the Mother-of-God, on the Arder [’toward the Lord’] island in the sea from which light issued and then the voice of the mother saying, “Krikor, there it is, according to your wish,” and the Mother and Son ascended.

The reader will have noticed that Srvantzdiants in going from Agn to Van to the south had disembarked and traveled by land and given beautiful descriptions of Nareg and Aghtamar. We shall continue with a brief presentation of the description.

The village of Ardamed offered a cool, green, welcoming region with its fascinating apple trees bearing luscious, beautiful tasty red fruit. “Ardamed, praised by Shamiram, blessed by Ardashes, boasts precious archeological sites, remains of fortresses, ancient caves, early cuneiform inscriptions, cemeteries, and enormous statues. Shamiram’s beautiful hair ornaments. The ruins of a large stone building in the village of Gadetsants with its four rooms and 12 cubicles hewn in granite. Now what is this 12-line cuneiform writing on the cave wall? What are those meaningful markings on rocks all around the village? Could it be that they are praises of the goddesses Asdghig and Anahid?

The name Ardamed, then, has come down to us from our legendary history. Was this the Ardamed city named by Moses of Khoren as the city of the king Yervant? Srvantzdiants went on to the Grung monastery, to Gentanants, Dzevsdan, and other places, and then on to Van. Let us hear him.
“My mouth becomes numb, my eyes dimmed. How did I arrive at Van? I find myself at the diocesan headquarters of the St. Nshan church in the center of the city, in the lap of Srpazan

[Photo of Van Fortress] [page 73][

Hairig. It is evening at our house in Aygestan (Sandets street) with my mother. I remained in Van (for months, but I shall be silent about the events that took place then, except that I shall mention the excavations performed by the British ambassador Clayton on the ruined and burned out caves). He brought to light idols, remnants of copper seats, remains of wondrous buildings on the hill opposite, all showing the greatness of construction skills. All this is more marvelous than the main Van fortress. The passage beyond the cave opening continues all the way to Mher’s door and the Agop village. From the outside the array looks like a giant backbone. It appears that the whole length of the hill has been a palace for the early kings, and the interior connected with those who occupied the Van fortress.

The excavations by the British ambassador Clayton has also brought to light the fortress of Tzoravan, disclosing buildings, and various artifacts which he sent to the London Archeological Museum, along with those taken from the Zump-Zump cave. What has become of them, we do not know!

“Leaving Aygestan we entered Hayots Tzor, Azdvadzashen, Haigashen, always ‘shen’ [built by God, built by Haig]. The next day, over mountain after mountain, we descended into the deep valley where the Hokeats monastery is, in ancient times the Throne of Anahid. Khorenatsi, by order of Sahag, prince of Ardzuni, writes, ‘Many people lived there, and some were cheated, giving the place a bad name. There were skilled masons who worked in granite, and fashioned statues of gods. ... The place was named ‘Tarpnots Kar’ [Sculpturer’s Stone]. This name still exists there, and there is a blackened cave where immolations were performed in deference to their gods. But marvelous monument to the immaculate Mother-of-God was built by St. Bartholomew to replace the statue of Anahid. The church was built in the name of the Mother-of-God, as well as a monastery and a hostel, for workers and for visitors. In early times there was an asylum for women in need of care. Hence, it was known as Hokots or Hokeats Vank [Monastery for Care].

“A clear, cool stream ran in front of the monastery, and on its bank stood a plain and simple chapel, and also the granite grave-marker where the remains of Medzn Dikran [Tigranes the Great] are kept. There is also a stream which is a branch of the Tigris River that goes to Shadakh, and is named Shadakh.”
FOLK SONGS
The author [Srvantzdiants?] says that he has put aside the many songs and fables, because they have already been published. Therefore, he has selected only those that have an ingenious quality, or contain ancient ideas. Or those that reflect the qualities or lessons of life, or clever wisdom that reflect village language and style. Some of them are not particularly old, but have become a part of the nation. Words and expressions reflect the qualities of the race, such as, “The blood of individuals of one race blends with the blood of individuals of another race.’ [Meaning unclear]
List of a Number of Songs from ‘Hamov-Hodov’
(1) Sare Sipane, or Sia-Mantan and Kheze-Chare (traditional). Theme: Two heroes die together on the peak of Mt. Sipan, two flowers of the same color grow there each spring, and two butterflies fly around them.

(2) Kovasank Dzaghgants [Praise for flowers]

(3) Kovasank Biubiulin yev Vartin [Praise for the Nightingale and the Rose]

(4) Kovasank Harsnarunerun [Praise for those getting the bride]

(5) Hoverov Ser [Love with the wind]

(6) Or, or

(7) Anduni [Homeless]

(8) Maherk [Dirge]
The author’s statement to the “Arevelyan Mamul” [Eastern Press].

“ For those who understand, the folk song is very tender, and rustic, especially when the songs are sung by the natives, and brave youths and blushing brides dance together arm in arm, on their knees, swaying their heads. We saw the dancing of the Armenians of Shadakh, on the rooftop of the Hokots monastery, in the moonlight. They had come on a pilgrimage, and they were mixing a little physical enjoyment along with spiritual enjoyment.

“The Tigris, its waves glistening in the light, flows along the deep gorge of the Antzeveats range of mountains, near where the king Drtad lies in his everlasting sleep. That is where his grave is. That great, old, awesome, silent, famous Hokots or Hogeats monastery, surrounded by pools, was where on the rooftop the crowd of enthusiastic people, old, widowed, man, woman, bride, groom, girl, child engaged in dance and play along with the embers, smoke, and the smell of khorovadz [roasting meat]. And to one side gathered, catholicos, clergy, prince, ...”
Let Us Return Once Again to the Songs, at Least the List
(9) The brides’ dance of the Armenians of Mok. (10) The song of the secret lover. (11) A mother’s praise of her daughter. (12) Lovers (“I was coming from the mountains, you opened the door.”) (13) Haro and Mayro. (14) The Little Farmer. (15) Gidur (madakh). (16) Kutani Hodagh. (17) The Lazy Reaper. (18) Ardudig. (19) Laylag. (20) The Word of the Village Girl. (21) Prayer. (22) Alacha Dance (the dance of the Armenians of Van and Mush. Twenty to thirty persons dancing together -- you’d think they were one.) (23) A lover’s songs` -- Boy and Girl. (24) Song of mother and daughter in pastime. (25) Prayer. (26) The Lenten longing for Easter (dance-song). (27) Girl of Daron and dark Haro. (28) The Lame Ox. (29) Presentation of birds. A popular comedy, based on village life. (30) Blessing of the groom (St. Sarkis came down from the mountain and brought forth forty springs from out of the rocks. (31) Prayers. (32) Fortune telling dance, on the occasion of the Feast of Ascension.
SRVANTZDIANTS’ SPECIAL SKILL AS A WRITER
Vanantetsi(¹⁶) praises the works of Srvantzdiants, pointing out that compared to the general character of western Armenian writing, Armenian culture in the 19th century took a significant forward step toward advancement in several ways. Literature was one of those ways. A number of people appeared amongst us to give impetus to that fact. For example, Alishan, a champion for freedom of thought, developed writings that were pure patriotism. “I zen i vrej” [To arms for revenge] was a call uttered by Armenian youth. It pictured an army for which that would be a march song. He also wrote “Pamp Vorodan.”

Turian [Ghevont], a blossoming youth, fired with the idea of national freedom, sings the same song.

Beshigtashlian, the same.

A literature was being created inspired with racial and religious principles. Khrimian, Raffi, and others, became the pioneers of that patriotic spirit. And the consequence was widespread publishing. With his “Sisvan” Alishan created a writing genre that mixed history, archeology, and geography. Srvantzdiants writes of what he has lived, seen, and felt. He tells in poetry of his infinite rapture as he stands in front of a monastery, or mountain. Every well, stone, tree, chapel, and even every ‘thing’ becomes a story under Srvantzdiants’ pen. It is hard to determine if there is the savant in Srvantzdiants, as it is not difficult to determine it in Catholicos Karekin. Patriotism in Alishan shows as vengeance, while in Srvantzdiants it comes out as a calm, cultural revolution. A concept for advancement, for dominance, gradually [thought not clear]. The output of such writers deserved our highest appreciation, for it is their precious effort (Srvantzdiants’), precious because there is no longer any writing for the Armenian people coming from their native lands. Turian, Beshigtashlian, Terzian, Berberian, Nar Bey, and others, cultivated the field of appreciation and pain. Khrimian, Srvantzdiants, Zartarian, Gurdjian, and others, in their provincial writing, tell of the people’s grief and of their life, by setting down on paper their prayers, their fables, their curses, their songs, and everything that is theirs. That means that they write of their true life, a biography, the national history, of a people.

The writing of a national history was not new. The opening of the Lazarian Institute [Moscow] was for that purpose. But its was Srvantzdiants who opened the spigot for western Armenian writing.

Srvantzdiants traveled from village to village, to pry away all practices, or a fable from the lips of a mamig or a babig.

Srvantzdants separates from other writers in that he comes to us as a patriot in reality.

The region where Srvantzdiants lived was an area for popular writing. Everybody wrote poetry, even those who had no skill in the art. Srvantzdiants also wrote poetry, if not in rhyme, at least in free form. His descriptions in Hamov-Hodov on his travel to Van is poetical, blended in with the narrative. Today, all writers esteem him, and they should, for he is the storehouse of the new literature. The youth must like him, without being selfish, because it is the song of the lost homeland that he sings. The nation likes him, because he brings the past to the nation today. It is no exaggeration if we think of him as one of our immortal writers.

Let us recall H. Oshagan’s evaluation of Srvantzdiants.

“His works, his thinking are of value today, when the unspoken tragedy has ended, and we still await the great poet who will extract divine harmony out of the raw material, our unique art and traditions, and bring us the power of life.

Alas, that he is no longer with us!
HOVHAN VARTABED OF VARAK
We do not have details about his life, except for some found in an article signed by Seylan in the 1905 issue of “Geghuni.” That writer, in traveling around various parts of Armenia, has gathered some information, some of which he has given to Bishop Karekin Srvantzdiants and to Ghevont Vartabed Pirzalemian. Some of it has been published in newspapers of the Armenians of the Caucasus, and some has been lost.

In 1886, a guest in the home of Gharibzants of Baghesh [Bitlis] found a “literary treasure,” the Lamentations by Hovhan Vartabed of Varak.

It was about the invasion and ruin caused by the Shah Tahmaz. Hovhan of Varak was a 16th century Armenian poet whose Lamentations, with his own music, was sung by the weeping people. Seylan wrote Sasune, (see the monthly “Murj,” as well as a short biography of Karekin Ardzruni). The original is believed to be in the library of the Monastery of Gduts, while he has added it to his novel “Anzkamuhi” [Senseless Woman] which appeared in serial form in “Jeridey Shakrie” of Constantinople.

Seylan discovered in the Lamentations that the Shah Ismaeli had taken Armenians and raised and educated them in Aghtamar, and made kings of them in Iran. He asks why our historians have been silent about this, especially Father V. Chamchean, when Lamentations mentions keeping and raising them in Aghtamar.
LAMENTATIONS

[Note: There are 20 verses, all in regional classical Armenian, but only 5 have been rendered in an approximate translation]

(1) The heavens were the home of hosts, and hell always a threat.

Let me offer you a sweet invitation, come and lament in Vasburagan.
(2) Tahmaz-Ghuli, a wild beast, do not release this dragon.

Gliding in murmuring, leave Van out of mind,

And thou, vengeful God, come and weep over Vasburagan.

Let us bewail unfortunate Van.
(3) He did not remember our extreme ruin caused by his father,

With sweet thoughts suckled them in Aghtamar.
He taught us, and fed us, to become brave generals,

Attained supporting strength, and hurried to the throne of Bars Sefian,

And became the glorious Shah Ismael of Iran.
(4) But his son Tahmaz, a wild beast,

Became a plague to a nation, and shook the foundations of the world.

Came bands of princes, seeking means to gain freedom,

For the Persian swords would not be satiated with Armenian blood.
(5) Wise generals gave support to the promise

On the appearance of the lawless ones, mercy for the people was ignored.

Stars of the heavens of the Armenians, come down to help us.