The figure of David of Sassoun looms large in the Armenian imagination. In Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, the statue in honor of this hero of the Armenian national epic poem Daredevils of Sassoun stands as testament. Transmitted orally through generations since the eighth century, the story of David of Sassoun continues to hold a significant place in Armenian culture; it’s been fixed in my own imagination since childhood. For me, the story is more than lore.
This essay, which appears in Common Good Magazine, explores the idea behind the communion of saints and the importance of tradition using a famous Armenian statue as its focal point.
Yervand Kochar
David of Sassoun
1959
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