Samuel (novel)

Samuel (Armenian: Սամվել, romanized: Samvel, pre-reform orthography: Սամուէլ) is an 1886 Armenian-language historical novel by the novelist Raffi. Considered by some critics his most successful work, the plot centres on the killing of the fourth-century prince Vahan Mamikonian and his wife by their son Samuel.[1][2][3] It was first published in parts in the Tiflis newspaper Ardzagank’ in 1886–87 and released as a separate edition in 1888.[4]

Samuel
Cover of the 2010 French edition
AuthorRaffi
LanguageArmenian
GenreHistorical novel
Publication date
1886; separate edition 1888
Media typePrint
Pages749 (1888 edition)
Original text
Samuel at Armenian Wikisource

Background

Raffi wrote Samuel as a response to the closing of Armenian schools in the Russian Empire in 1885.[3][4] He saw this move as an attack against the Armenian language and therefore "an attack on the very essence of the Armenian ethos and the sole bond of unity for a nation in dispersion". Raffi drew parallels between the current situation and the invasion of Armenia by Sasanian Iran in the fourth century, depicting an attempt to destroy Armenian culture and language by a foreign invader.[3] He based his story on the historical figure of Samuel Mamikonian, who is mentioned in a few brief lines in the old Armenian histories of Faustus of Byzantium and Movses Khorenatsi.[1][3] Samuel killed his father, Vahan Mamikonian, and his mother for apostasy.[1][3] In order to depict fourth-century Armenia, Raffi relied on Armenian sources, his imagination, and his impressions from his travels to remote parts of Armenia, where, he supposed, less change would have occurred over the centuries.[3]

Translations
  • English: Translated by Tashjian, J. The Armenian Review, Winter, 1948, 131–39; Spring, 1948, 144–58; Summer, 1948, 143–58; Autumn, 1948, 143–57; Spring, 1949, 142– 57; Summer, 1949, 142–55; Autumn, 1949, 142–5; Winter, 1949–50, 136–51; Spring, 1950, 135–54; Summer, 1950, 139–56; Autumn, 1950, 140–55; Winter, 1950–51, 131–55. Spring, 1951, 146–55; Summer, 1951, 138–55; Autumn, 1951, 146–58; Winter, 1951, 142–55.[3]
  • French:
    • Samouël. 2 vols. Translated by Altiar and Kibarian. Paris: Editions de La vraie France. 1924.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)[5]
    • Samuel. Translated by Kibarian, Haïg-Aram; Avédissian, Jean-Jacques. Editions Thaddée. 2010.[6] (Reprinted in 2014.)[7]
  • Russian:
    • Samuėl: Istoricheskiĭ roman Самуэл: Исторический роман. Translated by Ter-Karapetova, A; Revant͡si͡an, I. V. Moskva: Goslitizdat. 1946.
    • Samvel: Istoricheskiĭ roman 364-400 Самвел: Исторический роман 364-400. Translated by Dubrovina, A. N.; Kusikʹi͡an, I. K. Erevan: Armi͡anskoe gosudarstvennoe izdatelʹstvo. 1958. (Reprinted in 1959 and 1960.)
    • Samvel: Istoricheskiĭ roman 364-400 Самвел: Исторический роман 364-400. Translation and notes by N. Khachaturi͡an. Erevan: Sovetakan grokh. 1982.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)[3]
  • Bulgarian: Samvel: Istoricheski roman 364-400 Самвел: Истoрически роман 364-400. Translated by Ormandzhii͡an, Agop. Sofia: Narodna kultura. 1982.[8]
  • Estonian: Samuel: ajalooline romaan. Translated from the 1946 Russian edition by E. Hange. Talinn: Ilukirjandus ja Kunst. 1948.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)[9]
  • Ukrainian: Samvel. Istorychnyǐ roman (364-400 rr.) Самвел. Історичний роман (364-400 рр.). Translated by Boz͡hko, Oleksandr. Kyïv: Veselka. 1989.[10]
  • Latvian: Samvels: Vēsturisks romāns 364-400. Translated by Talce, Nora. Riga: Liesma. 1974.[11]
  • Romanian: Samvel: roman istoric 364-400. Translated by Poladian Ghenea, Meliné. Bucureşti: RAO. 2000.[12]

References
  1. Hacikyan, Agop J.; et al., eds. (2005). The Heritage of Armenian Literature: From the Eighteenth Century to Modern Times. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 96. ISBN 0-8143-3221-8. Raffi devoted more time to his next novel, Samuel (1884), and this may be why it is his most successful work. [...] Raffi selects a powerful theme, the killing of fourth-century Prince Vahan Mamikonian and his wife by their son Samuel.
  2. Sarkisyanz, Manuel (1975). A Modern History of Transcaucasian Armenia: Social, Cultural and Political. Udyama Commercial Press. ISBN 9789004059115. Raffi's 'Samuel' can compare with such historical novels as 'The Last Days of Pompeii' by Lytton and 'Ein Kampf um Rom' by Felix Dahn. The author regretted that old Armenian historiography gave little attention to the people and that the[...]
  3. Bardakjian, Kevork B. (2000). A Reference Guide to Modern Armenian Literature, 1500–1920: With an Introductory History. Wayne State University Press. pp. 146–148, 474. ISBN 9780814327470. Raffi expanded this act of patricide into an extensive novel cast against the background of a massive Persian campaign to supplant the native tongue and culture with their own.
  4. Petrosyan, Eghishe (1959). Raffi: kyankʻě ev gortsuneutʻyuně Րաֆֆի: կյանքը և ստեղծագործությունը [Raffi: Life and Work] (PDF) (in Armenian). Erevan: Haypethrat. pp. 81–84. OCLC 573656871.
  5. Raffi (1924). Samouël; roman historique (364-400). Paris: Editions de La vraie France – via HathiTrust Digital Library.
  6. Raffi (2010). Samuel: roman historique (364-400) (in French). Editions Thaddée. ISBN 978-2-919131-01-3 – via Google Books.
  7. Raffi (2014). Samuel: roman historique (364-400) (in French). Ed. Thaddée. ISBN 978-2-919131-21-1 – via Google Books.
  8. "Самвел : Истoрически роман 364-400 / Раффи (авт. предисл.); Пер. с арм. Агоп Орманджиян". Union Catalog of Armenian Libraries. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  9. "Samuel: ajalooline romaan". Antikvariaat.eu (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  10. "Samvel : istorychnyĭ roman (364-400 rr.)". Neos.library.ualberta.ca. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  11. "Samvels : Vesturisks romans : 364-400 / Rafi ; [trl. Nora Talce]". Union Catalog of Armenian Libraries. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  12. "Samvel: roman istoric 364-400". Goodreads. Retrieved 22 September 2023.


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