Queen Keran of Armenia
Encyclopedia
Keran was the wife of Leo II of Armenia
. She was the daughter of Prince Hethum of Lampron
. Born Anna, she was called Kir Anna (Lady Anna) beginning in 1270. This name was later shortened to Keran, or Guerane.
Many words of praise were made about Queen Keran by her contemporaries. Her son Hethum
claimed that "she had a wonderful soul and a beautiful body." The chronicler and scribe Avetis, described her as "a good friend to her husband in trouble and joy."
They had fifteen children:
After the birth of her last son, Keran became a nun and entered the Monastery of Drazark, assuming the name of Theophania. She died on July 28, 1285 and was buried in the monastery.
Leo II of Armenia
Leo II , also Leon II, Levon II or Lewon II was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains” , and the first king of Armenian Cilicia .During his reign, Leo succeeded in establishing Cilician Armenia as a powerful and a unified Christian...
. She was the daughter of Prince Hethum of Lampron
Lampron
Lampron - is a castle near the town of Çamlıyayla in Mersin Province, Turkey. While part of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in the Middle Ages, the castle was known as Lampron and was the ancestral home of the Armenian Hethumid princes...
. Born Anna, she was called Kir Anna (Lady Anna) beginning in 1270. This name was later shortened to Keran, or Guerane.
Many words of praise were made about Queen Keran by her contemporaries. Her son Hethum
Hethum II of Armenia
Hethum II was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303, while Armenia was a subject state of the Mongol Empire...
claimed that "she had a wonderful soul and a beautiful body." The chronicler and scribe Avetis, described her as "a good friend to her husband in trouble and joy."
They had fifteen children:
- Hethum IIHethum II of ArmeniaHethum II was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303, while Armenia was a subject state of the Mongol Empire...
(ruled 1289–1293, 1294–1297, 1299–1307) - Princess Fimi of Armenia (born c. 1266, date of death unknown)
- Princesse Sybil of Armenia (born c. 1269, date of death unknown)
- Thoros IIIThoros III of ArmeniaThoros III or Toros III was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1293 to 1298. He was the son of Leo II of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron, and was part of the Hethumid dynasty. In 1293 his brother Hethum II abdicated in his favour; however, Thoros recalled Hethum to the throne in...
(ruled 1293–1298) - Prince Ruben of Armenia (born c. 1272, date of death unknown)
- Princess Zablun of Armenia (born c. 1274, date of death unknown)
- Princess Sybil (or Zabel) of Armenia (born c. 1276, date of death unknown)
- SempadSempad of ArmeniaSempad, Smpad, Sambat, or Smbat ; 1277 – c. 1310) was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1296 to 1298. He was the son of Leo II of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron and was part of the Hetoumid-family....
(ruled 1297–1299) - Constantine IIIConstantine III of ArmeniaConstantine I was briefly king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1298 to 1299...
(ruled 1299) - Isabelle of ArmeniaPrincess Isabella of ArmeniaPrincess Isabella, Isabelle or Zabel of Armenia was the daughter of Leo II of Armenia. Originally she was promised in marriage to the King Andrew II of Hungary when he was returning home from the Fifth Crusade, but the wedding plan was eventually abandoned.She was married at Nicosia in 1292/1293...
(died c. 1321, date of death unknown), who married Amalric of Tyre - Princess Theophane of Armenia (born c. 1278, date of death unknown)
- Rita of ArmeniaRita of ArmeniaRita of Armenia was a daughter of King Levon II of Armenia and Queen Keran. She was the wife of Byzantine co-emperor Michael IX Palaiologos, making her a junior empress-consort of the Byzantine Empire. In 1317, she became the only empress upon the death of the senior empress, Irene of Montferrat...
, who married Michael IX Palaeologus, co-Emperor of the Byzantine EmpireByzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
with his father Andronicus II Palaeologus. They were parents to Andronicus III Palaeologus. - Prince Nerses of Armenia (born c. 1279, date of death unknown}
- OshinOshin of ArmeniaOshin was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1307 to 1320. He was a member of the Hetoumid-family, the son of Leo II, King of Armenia and Queen Keran....
(ruled 1308–1320) - Prince Alinakh of Armenia (born c. 1283, date of death unknown}.
After the birth of her last son, Keran became a nun and entered the Monastery of Drazark, assuming the name of Theophania. She died on July 28, 1285 and was buried in the monastery.