WPF Historic Publication Historical Significance of the Armenian Writing, Original and Translated Literature in the Aspect of the Dialogue of Civilizations Eduard Danielyan December 31, 2010 Original copyright © 2010 by World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilizations Copyright © 2016 by Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute The right of Eduard Danielyan to be identified as the author of this publication is hereby asserted. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions of the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute, its co-founders, or its staff members. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please write to the publisher: Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute gGmbH Französische Straße 23 10117 Berlin Germany +49 30 209677900 [email protected] Historical Significance of the Armenian Writing, Original and Translated Literature in the Aspect of the Dia- logue of Civilizations Eduard Danielyan Leading Scientific Researcher of Institute of History of National Academy of Sciences, Scientifically-Cultural Foundation Noravank, Armenia Originally published 2010 in World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilizations Bulletin 7, 415–24. 2 In the history of mankind the origin and development of writing conditioned verbal preservation of spiritual values and their transfer to future generations. Fundamental sig- nificance of writing is in its culturologic universality. The study of history, as a history of civilization1 is based on written sources. Since the 18th century the term “civilization” has been brought into scientific use2 with reference to all the epochs of human history, at the junction of economic, spiritual- cultural and social concepts in general system of philosophy. The study of main compo- nents of civilizations allows to consider their dialogue in the context of contemporary tendencies of geopolitical processes3. In the concept of civilization a paramount significance is attributed to culture as an important sphere of the human activity. Oswald Spengler: “Every Culture has its own Civilization... The Civilization is the inevi- table destiny of the Culture...”4. Will Duran: “Civilization is social order promoting cultural creation. Four ele- ments constitute it: economic provision, political organization, moral traditions, and the pursuit of knowledge and arts. It begins where chaos and insecurity end”5. Arnold Toynbee: “The cultural elements are the essence of a civilization”6. N. V. Kalyagin: “The concept of civilization may be identified with the concept of cul- ture”7. Yu. N. Yakovets determines “civilization as a qualitative stage in history of socie- ty, which is characterized by a certain level of the development of human being, techno- logic and economic basis of society, social-political relations and spiritual world” 8. According to some contemporary theories about civilization, it is taking place the increase of the conflict of cultures together with the tendency of turning into the clash of civilizations9. Anyhow, it is necessary to remember that destructive forces are derived not 1 The Mainstream of Civilization. Sixth edition, New York, 1990, p. XIV-XV. 2 A. Ferguson An Essay in the History of Civil Society. Edinburgh, 1767; И. Н. Ионов, В. М. Хачатурян. Теория цивилизаций от античности до конца XIX века, СПб, 2002, с. 369, http://abuss.narod.ru/Biblio/ionov_civ.htm 3 E. L. Danielyan. Civilization’s Theory in Geopolitical Conceptions. – “XXI century”, N 1, 2009, p. 57-72. 4 Spengler Oswald. The Decline of the West. Form and Actuality, vol. 1, 1945, New York. p. 31-32. 5 Will Durant. The Study of Civilization. Part I, Our Oriental Heritage. New York, 1954, p. 1. 6 Arnold Toynbee. A Study of History, vol. II, Oxford University Press, London, New York, Toronto, 1955, p. 1 and vol. IV, p. 57). 7 Клягин Н. В. Происхождение цивилизации (социально-философский аспект) М., 1996, с. 3. 8 Яковец Ю. В. Ритм смены цивилизаций и исторические судьбы России. М., 1999. с.18. 9 Samuel P. Huntington. The Clash of Civilizations, Foreign Affairs. Summer 1993, v 72, n 3, from the Academic Index (database on UTCAT system), Council on Foreign Relations Inc. 1993, p. 1-3. 3 from cultural development, but because of its lack. At the same time, cultures, as main constituents of civilizations, are bridging them owing to their creative principle10. In “The Declaration of the Rights of Culture” D. S. Likhachov, considering culture as the main source of human culture’s humanization, writes: “Culture is defining condition of realization of creative potential of the individual and society, a form of conformation of the people’s originality and a basis of spiritual health of nation, humanistic orienting point and a criterion of the development of a human being and civilization. The present and future of peoples, ethnoses and states is deprived of meaning out of culture” (Article 2.). According to S. N. Iconnikova, only humanitarian culture is able to become a fun- dament of ethics and morality11. Jagdish Chandra Kapur observs the peaceful future of peoples through cultural creation and cooperation along with preservation of national originality12. Article 6 of “The Declaration of the Rights of Culture” states: “Culture of each people has right to participate in humanitarian development of the whole mankind. Cul- tural cooperation, dialogue and mutual understanding of the world’s peoples are a guar- antee of justice and democracy, a condition preventing international and interethnic con- flicts, violence and wars”. In cultural-historic heritage, as “a form of fixing and transfer- ring of the cumulative spiritual experience of mankind” (Article 1a), writing has an im- portant meaning. In history of the development of the world written languages Armenian writing, being a means of creativeness and a guarantee of national originality, has certain contri- bution to the world culture treasury and that is highly appreciated in the Western and Russian literature and historiography. Rev. Pére Dom Augustin Calmet (1672-1757) wrote : “L’Arménie a été nommée le “Berceau de la Civilisation”13. In 1816 George Gordon Byron visited the Armenian 10 E. L. Danielyan. Cultural Basis of the Dialogue of Civilization. – Scientific magazine «Logos», Tbilisi, 2008, p. 298-303. 11 Иконникова С. Н. История культурологии: идеи и судьбы.- СПб., 1996, http://www.countries.ru/library/uvod/ks.htm. 12 Jagdish Chandra Kapur. Dialogue of civilizations: a philosophy for a humane order. – Dialogue of Civilizations in the Contemporary Epoch, authors Vladimir I. Yakunin, Jagdish Chandra Kapur, Nicholas Papanicolaou, Eng- lewood, NJ, 2008, p. 23. 13 Calmet (Rev. Pére Dom Augustin) in Dictionnaire de la Bible-Paris : Aux Ateliers Catholiques du Pont Montrouge, 1846, см. Léonian R., “Les Arméniens de France sont-ils assimilés ?”, Issy-les-Moulineaux, 1986. 4 Congregation of Mkhitarians on St. Lazar Island in Venice and, being inspired by Arme- nian culture and literature, began to learn the Armenian language. In the Preface to the Armenian-English grammar manual Lord Byron wrote about Armenians and Armenia: “Whatever may have been their destiny - and it has been bitter - whatever it may be in future, their country must ever be one of the most interesting on the globe. If the Scrip- tures are rightly understood, it was in Armenia that Paradise was placed. It was in Ar- menia that the flood first abated, and the dove alighted”14. S. N. Glinka (1776-1847), a contemporary of Lord Byron, was one of the Russian thinkers who comprehended the history of Armenia from the point of view of touching the sources of the civilization of mankind15. He wrote: “The second cradle of mankind rested on the summits of the Armenian mountains by Biblical and folk traditions”16. David M. Lang wrote in the same spirit: “The ancient land of Armenia is situated in the high mountains... Although Mesopotamia with its ancient civilizations of Sumeria and Babylon, is usually considered together with Egypt as the main source of civilized life in the modern sense, Armenia too has a claim to rank as one of the cradles of human culture. To begin with, Noah's Ark is stated in the Book of Genesis to have landed on the summit of Mount Ararat, in the very centre of Armenia. From the Ark, Noah's descend- ants and all species of living beasts, and birds are supposed to have issued forth to people the globe. Whether or not we attribute any importance to the Book of Genesis as a histor- ical source, none can deny the symbolic importance of its account of Noah's Ark, which is cherished by both believers and unbelievers all over the world. Again, Armenia has a claim on our attention as one of the principal homes of ancient metallurgy, beginning at least five thousand years ago. Later on, Armenia became the first extensive kingdom to adopt Christianity as a state religion pioneering a style of Church architecture which an- ticipates our own Western Gothic”17. The roots of the origin and development of the Armenian language (as a separate 18 branch in the Indo=European family of languages) and writing are in the depth of mil- 14 Lord Byron`s Armenian Exercises and Poetry. From the Letters of Lord Byron. Venice: in the Island of St. Lazza- ro, 1907, p. 8. 15 Э. Л. Даниелян, Философское осмысление истории Армении в сочинении Сергея Глинки. – « 21-й век», N3, 2009, с. 77. 16 Обозрение истории армянского народа, М., 1832, ч. II, с. III. 17 David M. Lang. Armenia Cradle of Civilization. London. George Allen and Unwin LTD, 1970, p.