Hovhannes Tumanyan and the Armenian Folk Revival

This episode explores the life and legacy of Hovhannes Tumanyan, Armenia's beloved poet and folklorist who gathered ancient oral tales and reshaped them into modern Armenian literature. Born in 1869 in the village of Dsegh, Tumanyan spent years traveling through the Caucasus, collecting stories from villagers and transcribing epics like 'David of Sasun.' We discuss how the Vernatun literary circle in Tiflis became a hub for Armenian cultural revival under Russian imperial rule. Tumanyan's poems 'The Capture of Tmkaberd' and 'Anush' are analyzed as windows into Armenian struggle and identity. We also cover his humanitarian work during the Armenian genocide and his tragic death in 1923. The episode touches on the role of the Mkhitarist fathers in Venice as early collectors of folk material, and how Tumanyan's work connects to older traditions of minstrels, gusan and ashugh. A focused look at a man who shaped how Armenians remember themselves. #HovhannesTumanyan #ArmenianLiterature #FolkRevival #DavidOfSasun #TiflisArmenian #Vernatun #Dsegh #RussianEmpire #ArmenianGenocide #Ashugh #Gusan #Caucasus #History #FexingoHistory #Culture #Literature #Poetry #Armenia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo