David of Sassoun ( hy, Սասունցի Դավիթ ''Sasuntsi Davit also spelled David of Sasun'') is the main hero of Armenia's

national epic A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation—not necessarily a nation state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with as ...

Daredevils of Sassoun ''Daredevils of Sassoun'' ( hy, Սասնա ծռեր ''Sasna cṙer'', also spelled Daredevils of Sasun) is an Armenian heroic epic poem in four cycles (parts), with its main hero and story better known as ''David of Sassoun'', which is the story ...

'', who drove Arab invaders out of

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

Background

The ''Daredevils of Sassoun'' (also known as after its main hero ''David of Sassoun'') is an Armenian

poem recounting David's exploits. As an

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

, it dates from the 8th century, and was first put in written form in 1873 by

Garegin Srvandztiants Garegin or Karekin Srvandztiants ( hy, Գարեգին Սրուանձտեանց or Սրուանձտեան; November 17, 1840November 17, 1892) was an Armenian philologist, folklorist, ethnographer, and ecclesiastic. Life Karekin Srvandztiants was ...

. He also published other ethnographic books. David of Sassoun is the name of only one of the four acts, but due to the popularity of the character, the entire epic is known to the public as David of Sassoun. The epic's full name is ''Sasna Tsrer'' (The Daredevils of Sassoun). In 1902, the prominent Armenian poet and writer

Hovhannes Tumanyan Hovhannes Tumanyan ( hy, Հովհաննես Թումանյան, classical spelling: Յովհաննէս Թումանեան, – March 23, 1923) was an Armenian poet, writer, translator, and literary and public activist. He is the nationa ...

penned a poem of the same name retelling the story of the David of Sassoun in a more modern language. In 2010, an animated film was produced called ''Sasna Tsrer,'' directed by Arman Manaryan, covering the first three cycles of ''Daredevils of Sassoun.'' The 80-minute animated film took 8 years to create. In 2012,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

included the epic in their Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

References

Armenian culture Epic poems Fictional Armenian people Medieval Armenia

David of Sasun David of Sassoun ( hy, Սասունցի Դավիթ ''Sasuntsi Davit also spelled David of Sasun'') is the main hero of Armenia's national epic ''Daredevils of Sassoun'', who drove Arab invaders out of Armenia. Background The ''Daredevils of S ...

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