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E00889: The History of the Albanians, written in Armenian, recounts the miracles that took place on the spot of the burial of *Grigoris (Katholikos and martyr in Caucasian Albania, ob. early 4th c., S00062), the founder of the Albanian Church. Written probably in Caucasian Albania, possibly in the 6th c. or 7th c.

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posted on 2015-11-24, 00:00 authored by naleksidze
History of the Albanians, Book 1, Chapter 22

The abbot of the monastery in Amaras tells a story how a certain Job converted the entire district of Parskank. This immediately follows the account of the discovery of the relics of Patriarch Grigoris by King Vač'agan and his companions.

Եւ պատմեաց վանաց երէցն եւ ասէ. «Երէց միՎեկերտու Յոբ անուն՝ ճգնաւոր եւ յոյժ առաքինիվարուք կեցեալ յաշխարհի, որ ունէր եւ առաքելականշնորհս, քանզի եւ մեծագոյն աշխարհ մի Արցախայ՝Պազկանք անուն, դարձուցանէր ի մոլորութենէ եւառնէր աստուածածանօթս անճառելի խորհրդոյխորհրդակից Երրորդութեանն պաշտօնատարս։ Սա եկեալկատարէր բազում անգամ զյիշատակ Սրբոյն Գրիգորիսիեւ ասէր երկիցս եւ երիցս առաջի բազմաց, եթէ թագաւորհաւատացեալ յառնելոց է յաշխարհիս Աղուանից եւխնդիր առնէ տեղւոյս եւ Սուրբ նշխարացս Գրիգորիսի։Եւ դարձեալ այլ ոմն անապատաւոր հիւր եկեալ մեզ, եւմեր ընդ առաջ ելեալ ընկալաք զնա որպէս սովորութիւնէ եղբարց։ Եւ լուացեալ զոտս ճաշակել փոքրագոյն ինչ,եւ ելեալ ի տեղւոջդ յայդմ ի քուն մտեալ հանգչէր. եւյարուցեալ վաղվաղակի՝ խաչ արարեալ իւրով իսկձեռամբ՝ կանգնէր ի տեղւոջն. եւ մեզ պատուիրէրասելով. «Մի՛ ոք զխաչդ ի բաց հանցէ ի տեղւոյդ, այլմեծագոյն խաչ տուք հարկանել ի տեղիդ եւ այգուն եւերեկուն աղօթս կատարել եւ խունկ ծխել, զի մեծսքանչելիս տեսանեմ ի տեղւոջնե։
Եւ այլ աբեղայ ոմն հիւր եկեալ, եւ մեք ճաշհրամայեցաք տալ. եւ մինչ նա հաց ուտէր, եւ մանուկ միգինի տայր բաժակաւ, եւ ի շինին ամբոխն իմն լինէր։ Եւմեր ամենեցուն զհիւրն թողեալ մեկնակ՝ յաղաղակներթայաք. եւ հիւրոյն յարուցեալ զբաժակն առեալգնայր. եւ տարեալ վաճառէր. եւ զգինսն առեալ ի դպրոցմտանէր եւ ուսանէր թոշակաւն։ Եւ տեսանէր իտեսլեանն բաժակագողն՝ այր մի եպիսկոպոս նստեալաթոռով առ խաչին, զոր անապատաւորն տեսլեամբ եւզինքն մերկ կապեալ՝ տանջել հրամայէր ի վերայ Սրբոյգերեզմանին։ Եւ յարուցեալ ցուցանէր զմարմիննբազմաց,զի կապուտակացեալ էր հարուածովք ահագինտանջանացն։ Եւ այնպէս օր ըստ օրէ հրամայէր տանջել,եւ նորա ի բռնութենէ տանջանացն ապաստանի ի Սուրբքաղաքն Երուսաղէմ՝ խնդրելով զբոյժ տանջանացն։
Եւ տեսանէր դարձեալ անդ ի տեղւոջն զնոյնեպիսկոպոսն դժնդակագոյն եւս հարկանել հրամայէր եւասէր. «Չիք հնար բուժել քեզ ի տանջանացդ, եթէ ոչերթեալ խոստովանեսցիս ի նմին տեղւոջ, ուստիզբաժակն գողացարե։ Եւ յարուցեալ աբեղայն առնոյրզգինս բաժակին եւ գնացեալ յԵրուսաղէմէ՝ գայրյԱմարաս։ Եւ մտեալ յեկեղեցին՝ կոչէր առ ինքնզվանաց երէցն, սկսանէր լալով խոստովանել զիրսն։ Եւբազում աղաչանօք տուեալ զգինս բաժակին եւ եկեալցուցանէր զտեղին, ուր խաչն կայր։ «Այդր եպիսկոպոսնստէր, ասէ, լուսաւոր զգեստու եւ ահաւորկերպարանօքե։ Եւ զտեղին ցուցեալ զգերեզմանին, եթէայդր հրամայէր զիս հարկանել։Եւ ընկալեալզառողջութիւն տանջանացն՝ գնայր խաղաղութեամբ: Եւբազումք ի գիւղս, ասեն, որ անորդիք լեալ են եւ եկեալուխտեալ եւ հող առեալ ի տեղւոյս՝ որդեծնութեանզաւակի հասին. եւ ամենայն ջերմոտք եւ ախտաժէտք հողառեալ՝ վաղվաղակի ընդունէին զառողջութիւն անձանցիւրեանց։ Եւ մինչ դեռ զայս ամենայննշանագործութիւնս պատմէին առաջի արքային, լսելիլինէր նմա։


'The abbot of the monastery responded:
"There was a priest in Vekert named Job, a hermit with virtuous deportment, who possessed Apostolic gifts. He converted from their error [the people residing in] a large area of Arcax called Parskank', teaching them to know God and to worship the unknowable mystery of the Holy Trinity. He came and many times honored the memory of St. Grigoris, and told the multitude two or three times that a believing [Christian] king would arise in the land of Albania who would seek the site of the holy relics of Grigoris. Now it came about that on another occasion, a hermit visited us as a guest and we welcomed him as is the custom among brothers. We washed his feet, gave him a little to eat, and he went and fell asleep in that same place. Suddenly he arose, took his cross, and erected it on that spot. He commanded us, saying: 'Let no one remove this cross. Rather, put up a larger one right here, perform morning and evening prayers and burn incense before it, for I foresee great miracles associated with this place.'

Now it so happened that yet another monk came to us as a guest. We ordered that he be served a meal. While he was eating and being served wine in a goblet by a lad, there was a disturbance in the village. We all left the guest alone and went to see what the noise was about. The guest, meanwhile, arose, took the goblet, and left. He took and sold the goblet, using the money as a stipend to enter school. Then the thief of the goblet saw a vision in which a bishop, dressed in white and with a very frightening mien, was seated on a chair by the cross which had been erected by the hermit. The bishop stripped and bound him and ordered that he be tortured over the grave of the Saint. When he woke up, he showed many people his body which was covered with black and blue marks from that severe beating. [The bishop] ordered that he be punished in this manner day after day. Then [the thief] traveled to the blessed city of Jerusalem seeking a cure for the brutal torture.

But again, even in this place, he saw that same bishop who ordered that he be punished even more severely. [The bishop told him]: 'There will be no relief from these torments until you go to the very place whence you stole the goblet and confess.' The monk arose and took with him the price of the goblet. He left Jerusalem, traveled back to Amaras, entered the church, called the abbot and, in tears, began to confess his misdeeds. Greatly beseeching [the abbot for forgiveness], he paid him the price [of the goblet]. He pointed at the place where the cross stood and said: 'That is where the bishop sat in radiant garments and with a frightful visage.' And he showed them where the grave was, saying: 'That is where he ordered me to dig.' Cured of his torments, he went on his way in peace. They say that many folk in the village who are childless come there as a place of pilgrimage, take some soil from the spot, and afterwards become parents. Similarly people with fevers who took some of the soil were cured at once."'

Text: Arakelyan 1983. Translation: Bedrosian 2004.

History

Evidence ID

E00889

Saint Name

Grigoris (Katholikos and Martyr in Caucasian Albania, ob. early 4th century) : S00062

Saint Name in Source

Գրիգորիս

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Language

  • Armenian

Evidence not before

600

Evidence not after

1000

Activity not before

480

Activity not after

510

Place of Evidence - Region

Albania in Caucasia Armenia

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Urekan Ուռեկան Urekan Hadamakert Հադամակերտ Hadamakert Başkale

Major author/Major anonymous work

History of the Albanians

Cult activities - Places

Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave

Cult Activities - Miracles

Miracle after death Punishing miracle Healing diseases and disabilities Fertility- and family-related miracles (infertility, marriages) Apparition, vision, dream, revelation

Cult Activities - Relics

Contact relic - dust/sand/earth Privately owned relics

Source

The History of the Albanians is one of the most controversial texts of the medieval Armenian corpus. It is relatively obvious that the text known today as the History of Albanians is a compilation, sometimes a rather crude one, of various narrative sources, historical documents, or oral narratives, the latest of which dates as late as the 11th century. The authorship is usually attributed to a certain Movsēs Dasxuranc'i, who is most probably one of the 10th century compilers or editors of the corpus. There exists yet another Movsēs (Kałankatwac'i) to whom the History is also attributed, although here again we are dealing with a continuator or a compiler. It is equally unclear whether these two Movsēses are one and the same persons or not. Therefore, despite the traditional attribution to a Movsēs, we refer to the text by its title only. In spite of all these uncertainties, the information provided by the History of the Albanians is invaluable in many ways. First of all it is the only history that specifically treats Caucasian Albania, secondly, it constructs the history of Albania specifically around its saints and their cult, presenting the Christian history of the Kingdom in line with the established Armenian tradition, which also emphasises its unique character and cultural autonomy. The History provides great details on cultic practices, perhaps more than we have from any other contemporaneous Caucasian texts. In our database only the first book of the History is considered, as it is the part of the narrative that can be dated to the late antique period with the highest degree of confidence. The most important section of the Book I is perhaps the life and deeds of the Albanian King Vač'agan III (r. 487-510). J.P. Mahé and K. Zuckerman distinguish this component from the rest of Book I and date it to the 6th century. The rest must be a 7th century composition. The 6th century chronicler must have recounted these events soon after the death of King Vač'agan in the early 6th century (Mahé 2009, 114-115). Mahé suggests that Vač'agan symbolizes a certain unity of two parts of Albania, the north, which was predominantly Albanophone, and the south, where Armenian was used as an official language. The author also wishes to highlight the close cultural ties between Armenia and Albania. Vač'agan's principle challenge was to eliminate the continuous spread of paganism in Albania. Apart from strict measures taken against 'sorcerers' and pagans, Vač'agan instituted schools to re-educate the children of pagans. Vač'agan's particular concern with the cult of the relics is also a part of his anti-pagan project. Thus, the entire first part of Book I is a long quest for the relics of the saints, narrated with striking details.

Discussion

This is a classic punishing miracle story, with a reference to soil from the saint's grave being able to both cure and bring fertility. The miracle is connected to the burial site of Patriarch Grigoris in Amaras and is presented as a part of King Vačagan's quest for Grigoris's relics.

Bibliography

Critical edition: Arakelyan, V. (ed.), Մովսէս Կաղանկատւացի, Պատմութիւն Աղուանից Աշխարհի (Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1983). Translations: Bedrosian, R., Movses Daskhurants'i's History of the Aghuans (Long Branch, New Jersey: Sources of the Armenian tradition, 2010). Dowsett, C.J.F., The History of the Caucasian Albanians by Movsēs Dasxuranc'i (London: Oxford University Press, 1961). Smbatyan, S.V., Мовсэс Каланкатуаци, История страны Алуанк [Movsēs Kalankatuac'i, History of the Land of Albania] (Yerevan, 1984). Studies: Bais, M., Albania Caucasica: Ethnos, Storia, territorio attraverso le fonti greche, latine e armene (Milan: Mimesis, 2001). Hewsen, R.H., "On the Chronology of Movsēs Dasxuranc'i", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 27:1 (1964), 151-153. Mahé, J.-P., "Vac'agan III le Pieux et le Culte des Reliques", Révue des Etudes Armeniennes 35 (2013), 113-129. Yuzbachian, K.N., “Einige Bemerkungen über die Entwicklung der nationalen Bewusstseinsbildung im kaukasischen Albanien", in: W. Seibt (ed.), Die Christianisierung des Kaukasus (Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2002), 181-189. Zuckerman, C., "The Khazars and Byzantium. The First Encounter", in P.B. Golden, H. Ben Shamai, A. Róna-Tas (eds.), The World of the Khazars: New Perspectives. Selected Papers from the Jerusalem 1999 International Khazar Colloquium (Handbook of Oriental Studies, Section 8: Uralic and central Asian Studies, 17; Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2007), 399-432.

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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