Monthly Archives: March 2012

PARUYR SEVAK – ZAREH KHRAKHUNI – 2012-1

Comparative Analysis of the Characteristic of 20th century Epic Writings

Summary

Knarik A. Abrahamian 

Our article is dedicated to the creative and theoretical relationship that exists between Eastern Armenian poet Paruyr Sevak and Western Armenian poet Zareh Khrakhouni.

It’s interesting, that in the 1960s two separate cultural environments formed independent literary movements. The Eastern Armenian literary scene, influenced by P. Sevak, was characterized as “non-poetic poetry,” while Z. Khrakhouni’s poetry established “objective symbolism” within Western Armenian literature.

It’s not a superfluous observation to say that recognition between the two poets was not mutual. The Western Armenian poet from Istanbul knew Eastern Armenian poet P. Sevak very well. The same cannot be said about P. Sevak, who never mentioned Z. Khrakhouni in his poems, articles or letters. This fact comes to show that regularity between two artists can be seen in the development of literature, but not as a subjective influence.

Comparing methods in literature is vital to understanding inter-literary history that fate separated to two sections. The comparative work between two cultural systems gives us a chance to see their history through one lens.

THE POETRY IN EDGAR ALLEN POE’S SYSTEM OF AESTHETICS – 2012-1

Summary

Mariam H. Gevorgyan
Writer, poet, and critic Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849), a notable representative of late period American romanticism, holds a unique place in the history of world literature.

Poe was an exceptional lyricist and theoretician. He created a complete poetic review of American literature.

Poe’s aesthetic goals were complied in the articles, ‘’The Philisophy of Composition,’’ (1846) and “The Poetic Principle,” (1850).

In the sphere of aesthetics, he developed the concept of beauty, the close bond between lyricism and music, the study of the principles of poetic structure of European romanticism, and through his theories discriminated between the concepts of Beauty and Truth. The concept of superlative Beauty was at the foundation of Poe’s poetry.

By moving on to the revelations of lyrical functions, Poe considered it important to have limits and characterizations, which determine the place of poetry in man’s consciousness.

THE ARMY OF THE ARSACID KINGDOM OF GREAT ARMENIA ACCORDING TO “ZORANAMAK” (MILITARY LIST) – 2012-1

Dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of the creation of the Republic of Armenia’s Armed Forces

Summary

Babken H. Harutyunyan
We have received a very interesting document, conditionally named by researchers “Zoranamak” (Military list), since it has preserved detailed information about armed forces of the principalities (in Armenian – nakhararutyun) of the kingdom of Great Armenia.

The Armenian Army was comprised of 120 thousand soldiers and this number most probably represented the 120 strategies (or generalships) in the kingdom of Great Armenia, as stated by roman author Plinius Secundus. In other words, each strategy which corresponded to an Armenian gavar or province has brought to battlefield an average of 1000 soldiers.

The Armenian royal forces was divided into four flanks and formed a group of forty thousand combatants who then formed four military units, which operated under the command of Bdeshkhs or royal frontier-keeper leaders. From these, the Bdeshkhs of Aghdznik and Gugark had their own proprietorships from quite ancient times. The Bdeshkhs of New Shirakani (Նոր Շիրական) joined them after the year 298, and the forth whose name has not been preserved, owned no proprietorships.

To the number of royal armed forces belonged the Royal guard regiment or Malkhazyan guard regiment, which was comprised of 10000 combatants, out of which 6000 were always deployed for the king during wars or other circumstances. 4000 soldiers of this regiment were permanently stationed in the kingdom’s capital to ensure the safety of Royal Court.

The Mardpetakan regiment who protected the country’s domestic rule and order was also considered to be royal armed forces, comprised 15000 combatants. The regiment’s commander was also responsible for protecting the queen, the Women’s quarters and the safety of most royal treasures. The rest of the treasures were protected by prince of Angeltoun.

Thereby, the royal armed forces were made up of 65000 combatants who made it possible for the king to restrain possible princely actions or rebellions.

The number of combatants in the princely detachments was actually 55 thousand, however it is hard to determine the distribution of those forces into four flanks because the “Zoranamak” example we have is a literary document subjected to a series distortions. It is simply impossible to completely restore it in its original form.

The information regarding the 19400 cavalry or soldiers of the principality of Syunik bears on it the influence of a period when there was a Marzpanate (administrative unit in Sassanid Persia) in Eastern Armenia being under the rule-ship of Sassanid Persia and Marzpan or leader of the Marzpanate was the prince of Syunik – Vasak Syuni. The armed forces of the Syunik principality included the power of 15 thousand soldiers of Armenian Marzpanate, which coincide with the Mardpetakan regiment numbers.

Among the 13200 soldiers that made up the forces of the Kadmeatsik principality 10000 in reality were the soldiers of the Royal guards regiment also secretly preserved as well as the 3200 combatants from Bdeshkh principality of Nor Shirakani.

The Amatouni principality’s name in “Zoranamak” is preserved by the vague writting of Amaskoni who allegedly brought 200 soldiers to the battlefield. An examination shows that the military power of the Amatounis was in reality comprised of 800 to 900 soldiers, of which nearly 400 secretly remained in Vahouni’s units or 500 in Bagratouni’s units. The princely forces were led by four sparapets or flank commanders. 4,000 soldiers from the royal armed forces occupied the Iberian (Virk) and the so called Albanian kingdoms.

The commander of the Armenian armed forces was formally the king of Great Armenia. However, during war the entire army fought under the command of the sparapet of kingdom or general military leader.

Based on military needs, sometimes a group of soldiers was collected to serve as combatants (lands forces) comprising as a rule from infantrymen.

THE METHODOLOGICAL VALUE OF WILHELM DILTHEY’S SYSTEM OF THE “SCIENCES ABOUT THE SPIRIT” – 2012-1

Summary

Marieta K. Nikoghosyan

In 1847, suggesting the idea of ‘‘Sciences about the Spirit‘‘ as a characterization of the second half of the intellectual globe, W. Dilthey aimed to formulate the standards of a scientific character typical for the humanities. He sustained that the problem was of theoretical-gnosiological nature, that is to say, everything made by Kant in the sense of natural sciences, must be repeated in regard to the humanities.

However, during his research Dilthey found that the problem couldn’t be solved with the help of the method applied by Kant, as the theoretical-gnosiological interpretation he had extended an analysis to was a single whole of the “human” and the “human world.” In this case the approach has changed: instead of the “human being as a recognized subject and his intellect” such notions as “fully fledged person,” “universality of human nature,” “totality of human life,” became the points of departure. Dilthey interpreted this concept by intertwining hermeneutics with the philosophy of life. Later hermeneutics was broadened by Dilthey, not as a simple research of texts but as a methodology of humanities and sciences about the spirit. That is to say, it was a theory with the help of which the humanities were founded. Dilthey studied the history of the origin of hermeneutics and formulated it as a method of past cultural interpretation, based on the reproduction of the investigated epoch of “spiritual life.”

Finally his considerable contribution was the cultivation of the philosophical bases of the humanities, concept margin and “sensible sociology.” Dilthey also formulated such gnosiological problems, as how the experience and gnosiology of the individual could be raised to the level of historical experience. Owing to the theory of Dilthey, the main issue of hermeneutics was defined; its further evolution was developing in the direction of obtaining the status of hermeneutical philosophy and cultivation of conceptions.