Davtak Kertogh (Old Armenian: Դաւթակ Քերթող, lit. 'Davtak the Poet') was a 7th-century Armenian poet who authored the first known work of Armenian poetry on a secular subject.[1][2] He is the author of "Elegy on the Death of the Great Prince Jevansher" ("Ołbk῾ i mahn J̌ewanširi meci išxani"), dedicated to Juansher, a 7th-century prince of Caucasian Albania who was murdered by a traitor,[2]

The only information that has survived about Davtak comes from the history attributed to Movses Kaghankatvatsi, in which Davtak's elegy for Juansher—his only known work—is recorded. According to Movses, Davtak was a guest at the royal court in Partav, the capital of Caucasian Albania, when Juansher was assassinated (669). This indicates that Davtak was a figure of some renown in Caucasian Albania. Movses praises Davtak, but gives no other details about his life.[2] Theo van Lint concludes that Davtak was a travelling poet who "perform[ed] the function of a court poet" at Juansher's court, and that he may be considered a Christian gusan (bard). He was a Christian, or at least composed a Christian poem.[1] The poem is written in alphabetical acrostic verse. It has been described as "in effect, a pagan lament over a fallen hero."[2] In the elegy, the author shows a familiarity with Greek mythology and the Homeric epic.[3] In van Lint's view, the work represents a merging of the oral and written traditions of Armenian poetry.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Van Lint, Theo Maarten (2012). "From Reciting to Writing and Interpretation: Tendencies, Themes, and Demarcations of Armenian Historical Writing". In Foot, Sarah; Robinson, Chase F. (eds.). The Oxford History of Historical Writing: 400-1400. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. p. 189. ISBN 9780199236428. The section on Juansers exploits concludes with the earliest piece of secular Armenian poetry since the adoption of Christianity to have reached us, in the form of an abecedarian elegy extolling the prince and bewailing his passing.
  2. ^ a b c d Hacikyan, Agop Jack; Basmajian, Gabriel; Franchuk, Edward S.; Ouzounian, Nourhan (2000). The Heritage of Armenian Literature, Volume II: From the Sixth to the Eighteenth Century. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 9780814330234.
  3. ^ Khachatrian, P. (1977). "Davtʻak Kʻertʻogh" Դավթակ Քերթող. In Simonian, Abel (ed.). Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան [Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia] (in Armenian). Vol. 3. p. 297.

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