Hovhannes Tumanyan
Encyclopedia
Hovhannes Tumanyan (February 19, 1869 - March 23, 1923), is considered to be one of the greatest Armenian
poets and writers. His work was mostly written in tragic
form, often centering on the harsh lives of villagers in the Lori region.
in the Province of Lori, Armenia
. With his father was an offspring of an Armenian princely family of Tumanian (branch of the house of Mamikonian
) and the village's priest and his mother an avid storyteller with a particular interest in fables, Tumanyan had incorporated many of the themes from his mother's stories and his father's preachings into his writings.
He was also a great master of quatrains:
"As You take the blessings You gave me since life began,
I look to see how many are left till my race is run
Amazed am I: You have given so freely, with generous hand;
How much must I yet return till I merge with You into one?"
Tumanyan is usually regarded in Armenian circles as "All-Armenian poet". He earned this title when the Catholicos of Armenia
had ordered that Armenian refugees from the west not enter certain areas of his church and house, since he is considered to be "The Catholicos of all Armenians". Tumanyan in response decried that decision claiming that the refugees could seek relief in the Catholicos' quarters under order of "The Poet of all Armenians".
He created lyrics, fables, epic poems and translations into Armenian of Byron, Goethe and Pushkin.
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
poets and writers. His work was mostly written in tragic
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
form, often centering on the harsh lives of villagers in the Lori region.
Biography
Tumanyan's inspiration for his writing came considerably from his parents. He was born in the village of DseghDsegh
Dsegh is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia. The town was renamed in honor of writer Hovhannes Tumanyan, a native of the town.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
in the Province of Lori, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. With his father was an offspring of an Armenian princely family of Tumanian (branch of the house of Mamikonian
Mamikonian
Mamikonian, Mamikoneans, or Mamigonian was a noble family which dominated Armenian politics between the 4th and 8th century. They ruled the Armenian regions of Taron, Sasun, Bagrevand and others...
) and the village's priest and his mother an avid storyteller with a particular interest in fables, Tumanyan had incorporated many of the themes from his mother's stories and his father's preachings into his writings.
He was also a great master of quatrains:
"As You take the blessings You gave me since life began,
I look to see how many are left till my race is run
Amazed am I: You have given so freely, with generous hand;
How much must I yet return till I merge with You into one?"
Tumanyan is usually regarded in Armenian circles as "All-Armenian poet". He earned this title when the Catholicos of Armenia
Catholicos of Armenia
The Catholicos of All Armenians is the chief bishop of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches that do not accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon. The first Catholicos of All Armenians was Saint Gregory the Illuminator...
had ordered that Armenian refugees from the west not enter certain areas of his church and house, since he is considered to be "The Catholicos of all Armenians". Tumanyan in response decried that decision claiming that the refugees could seek relief in the Catholicos' quarters under order of "The Poet of all Armenians".
He created lyrics, fables, epic poems and translations into Armenian of Byron, Goethe and Pushkin.
Literary works
- AkhtamarAkdamar IslandAkdamar Island also known as Aght'amar or Akhtamar, is the second by size of four islands in Lake Van in the south of Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey, about 0.7 km2 in size, situated about 3 km from the shoreline. At the western end of the island a hard, grey, limestone cliff rises 80 m...
- AlmastAlmastAlmast is the only opera by the Armenian composer Alexander Spendiaryan.-History:In 1916 Spendiarian met Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanian, who suggested three of his poems "Anush", "Parvana" and "The Siege of the Tmbouk Castle" as themes for a national Armenian opera. Spendiaryan listened to the...
- Anoush (1890 - publish 1892)
- David of Sassoun
- Neso's Steam Bath
- The Old Fight
- Toward the Unknown
- Parvana
- Requiem (Hokehankisd)
- The Capture of Tmpkabert (Tmpgaperti Aroume)
- The Construction of the Railway
- The Dove Monastery
- The Lamp of the Illuminator
Films
The following films were adapted from Hovhannes Tumanyan's works- Anush, 1931 (dir. Ivan PerestianiIvan PerestianiIvan Nikolaevich Perestiani was a film director, script-writer and actor, People's Artist of the Georgian SSR . He was an ethnic Greek, his original name being Giannis Nikolas Perestianis.-Biography:...
)
See also
- VernatunVernatun"Vernatun" was an Armenian literary study group and a collective of writers based on the fourth floor of 44 Bebutov Street in Tiflis. "Vernatun" which was established in 1899. With some pauses it exists until 1908...
- Armenian literatureArmenian literature-Early literature:Armenian literature begins about 406 with the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop.Isaac, the Catholicos of Armenia, formed a school of translators who were sent to Edessa, Athens, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Caesarea in Cappadocia, and elsewhere, to procure...
- Armenians in GeorgiaArmenians in GeorgiaArmenians in Georgia are ethnic Armenians living within the country of Georgia. Armenians are the second largest ethnic minority in Georgia at about 5.7% of the population. The Armenian community is mostly concentrated in the capital Tbilisi and the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, which borders Armenia...
- Armenians in TbilisiArmenians in TbilisiArmenians in Tbilisi are ethnic Armenians living within the city of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Armenians are the second largest ethnic minority in Tbilisi at 7.6% of the population. Armenians formed the majority in the city until the early 20th century...