Armenian Literature

Armenian literature is one of the oldest and richest branches of world culture, whose historical course directly reflects the worldview, spiritual development, and political fate of the Armenian people. It has a history of more than two thousand years, which is conventionally divided into ancient (pagan), medieval, modern, and contemporary periods. The formation of written literature was preceded by ancient oral tradition, fragments of which (for example, the epics "The Birth of Vahagn," "Artashes and Satenik") were recorded by historians in the 5th century. The birth of independent written Armenian literature is associated with the invention of the Armenian alphabet in 405. This period is known as the "Golden Age," during which a powerful translation movement flourished (translation of the Bible and works of ancient philosophers), as well as the creation of national historiography. The foundations of Armenian scientific and artistic prose were laid by the works of Movses Khorenatsi ("History of Armenia"), Koryun, Eznik Koghbatsi, and Ghazar Parpetsi. In the medieval period (10th-14th centuries), literature underwent qualitative changes, gradually becoming more secular and approaching the human inner world. The pinnacle of this era is the genius poet and philosopher Grigor Narekatsi of the 10th century, whose poem "Book of Lamentations" is one of the greatest works of world mystical lyricism. In the 12th century, Nerses Shnorhali introduced poetic forms and riddles close to p