2015 April 2015 April Medieval Histories Magazine About Our Medieval Heritage & History

Medieval Histories Medieval Armenia The Isle of Lewis - A Norse Kingdom The Lewis Chessmen and Vikings going Berserkr 2015 April 2015 April Medieval Histories Magazine about our Medieval Heritage & History Medieval Armenia New Research Remembering the 100-year anniversary of Lack of Medieval Male Heirs has Modern the genocide of the Armenians, we focus Impact 24 - 26 on the near-destruction of the Armenian The Knighting Ritual and Arm Delivery in Cultural heritage 3 - 6 the 11th century 27 -29 Vikings on the Isle of Lewis Come summer six of the Lewis Chessmen New Conferences return to the Isle of Lewis to become stars Rural Settlements in the Early Middle Ages at the new museum. We tell the story of in France 30 the Vikings there and review a new book Æthelred II and Cnut the Great 1016 31 - about the Chessmen 7 - 15 32 Going Berserkr New Books What did the Vikings really look like? Read Anglo-Saxon Saints’ Lives as History Writ- the story about their ferocious grins and ing in Late Medieval England 33 - 34 wild rites 16 - 23 Markets and Marketplaces in Medieval Italy, c. 1100 to c. 1440 35 Medieval Histories Medieval Histories Aps © Photo (frontpage): News about our Paradisstien 5 The Armenian church in Ani in Medieval Heritage &History DK2840 Holte Eastern Turkey is one of a few Denmark monuments standing, keeping the Editor-in-chief: Karen Schousboe memory alive of a city which in 2015: April www.medievalhistories.com its heyday was home to more than ISBN 978-87-92858-19-1 [email protected] 100.000 Armenians +45 24 23 36 10 © Peopleofar 2 One of the many ruined Armenian churches in present day Turkey. This one from the 12th century is hidden in a forested area of Dilijan National Park. The church is currently in ruins and is diffcult to find - onloved and fortgotten by nearly all. © Peopleofar Medieval Armenia Today the world remembers the 100-year anniversary of the genocide of 1.5 million to Muslim immigrants from the Balkans Armenians, who died as the result of a andMore Greece, specifically and turned churches into were Mosques. given over horrible massacre. We should also remem- ber the awful cultural destruction, which the law of ‘Law of Abandoned Properties’, followed in its wake The legal justification for the seizures was- nian property if the owner did not return. Not quite so awful as the genocide proper, which legalized the confiscation of Arme but also of world-historical importance, Thus, in 1914 the Armenian Patriarchate was the accompanied destruction of the in Istanbul controlled 2549 religious sites, Armenian heritage: churches, manuscripts, amongst which were 200 monasteries and art. Most of the properties formerly be- 1600 churches. In 1974 it was estimated by UNESCO that of 913 registered monu- the Turkish government and turned into ments in Eastern Turkey only 21% were militarylonging toposts, Armenians hospitals, were schools confiscated and pris by- still in existence, although demanding ons. After the genocide at least 600 place- repairs. The rest had either vanished or lay names were changed into Turkish. in ruins. 3 It has to be remembered that very many of these monuments were very ancient founda- tions from the earliest days of Christianity. Armenian Christianity traces its roots back to the apostolic endeavour of the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. Whatever the adopted as a State church. This happened in AD 301. actual truth in this: it is a fact that the Armenian Church was the first to be officially Churches and Monasteries - a few of the more famous of the destroyed The Holy Arakelots Monastery The Cathedral of Kars was founded in the 4th century by one of or the Holy Apostles Church was built in the founding fathers of the ancient Ar- the 10th century. After the genocide the menian Church, Gregory the Illuminator. In 1915 the monastery was attacked and State. In the 60s and 70s it was used as a looted and the last inhabitants were mur- museum.church was In confiscated1998 however, by the it was Turkish turned dered. In 1960 it was blown up by a local into a mosque. Turkish administrator. Varagavank Monastery The Saint Karapet Monastery founded in the early 11th century is today in the Taron province, also founded by in ruins; it ceased to function in 1915, but Gregory the Illuminator. It was blown up was not demolished until 1951. Today, the by the Turkish army and today nothing re- remains of the vast complex are used as a mains except a few shapeless ruins. stable. 4 Manuscripts T’oros Roslin Armenian illuminatorgoogle art projectAt the beginning of WWI the largest collection of Armenian manuscripts was kept in the Cathedral of Holy - uscripts plus other valuables were sent toEchmiadzin. Moscow. Others In February were saved 1915, during 4.660 manthe next months. However, it is estimated that more than 10.000 medieval manuscripts were destroyed. - tutes the core of the 11.000 Armenian manuscriptsThe collection currently from Echmiadzin kept at the consti national museum in Yerevan at the Matanadaran. Some of the treasures in this collection dates to the 5th century: Another treasure is the Homilies of Mush, which measures 55.3 x 70.5 cm and weighs 27.2 kilos. It was written in 1200 -1202. The Mashtots Matenadaran Ancient Manuscripts Collec- Toros Roslin (circa 1210–1270) was the most tion was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory prominent Armenian manuscript illuminator in the of the World Programme Register in 1997 High Middle Ages. Canon Table from 1255. Part Of Google Art Project. Medieval Illuminated Armenian Bible from 1261 © Peopleofar in recognition of its world significance 5 Books about Medieval Armenia: The Armenians: Around The World From Kings and Priests to Nver Antonyan (Author), Merchants and Commis- Arman Antonyan (Editor) sars Kindle Edition of a Google translated self-published Columbia University Press guidebook from Armenia. 2015by Razmik Panossian Treasures in Heaven: “They Can Live in the De- sert but Nowhere Else”: A History of the Armenian Genocide by Ronald Grigor Suny The Armenians in the Princeton University Press 2015 Medieval Islamic World: Medieval Cosmopolitanism and Images of Islam Armenian Illuminated by Seta B Dadoyan Manuscripts Transaction Publishers 2012 by Thomas F. Mathews Princeton University Press 1994 Church and Culture in Early Medieval Armenia by Nina G. Garsoian Ashgate 1999 Armenian Churches 6 Chessmen Returns to the The Isle of Lewis The Lewis Chessmen from the 12th cen- dunes at Uig. Until now the collection has tury are among some of the most iconic been split between the British Museum images of both the Isle of Lewis and the and the National Museum of Scotland. Norse heritage of the British Isles. This With 82 pieces in the British Museum and near the sand dunes, where they were hid- only 11 in Edinburgh feelings do some- densummer, more six than of them800 years will find ago. a new home, times run high. Many Scots is of the opinion they should be repatriated! The Lewis Chessmen were found in 1831, probably in a small stone chamber or Now, however, six of them will go on a – box, built for safekeeping in the sand long-term loan to the Isle of Lewis as a 7 token of the will to boost the important worked from the earliest times to the tourism economy in the Outer Hebrides. present day, how their culture is expressed through the Gaelic language, religion and New Museum community life. Come summer a new museum and archive The plan is to create a 21st Century mu- will open on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer seum and archive with activity and event Hebrides to house the returning ‘Vikings’. spaces, and better facilities for schools. A Located in a modern purpose built exten- dedicated research space will invite visi- sion to the restored Lews Castle, the future tors to study the collections and archive museum in Stornoway will open in the records, while a shop and café plus 600 summer of 2015. The museum is planned acres of beautiful Castle Grounds will pro- to include exciting new galleries, which vide the setting for a great day out for all will look at the stories of the Islands and the family. Islanders. Visitors will be able to The Lews Castle Hotel - discover how the distinctiveness of the Outer Hebrides is shaped by a unique com- At the same time plans have been under- bination of land, sea and people way to turn the restored Lews castle into a luxury hotel. However, the response from - hear details about different people’s the market has been tepid and a year ago lives; the diversity of experience, opinion it was announced that the castle (from the and perception of living life on an Island. 19th century) will instead be turned into a series of units for self-catering. - examine how people have lived and 8 The Vikings on The Isle of Lewis laid some dunes bare, it was expected The history of the Vikings in Lewis is an settlement. However, it was what lay un- changed when Norse immigrants arrived derneath,they would which find thereally remains helped of to a makeNorse the amazing story of how a Pictish life-world place famous. Until the 9th century The Isle of Lewis was inhabited by Scots and Picts, who brought Beneath the Norse settlement they found their language – Gaelic – to the island the remains of eight Pictish, or Iron Age houses from AD 500 -700, built in the tra- However, in the period between the 8th ditional ‘jelly bean’ or eight-shaped form.

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