Collection of tales

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or 4580
  • Dates of Creation
    • 16th century - 17th century
  • Language of Material
    • Armenian
  • Physical Description
    • 1 item 283 ff Glazed paper. 283 folios, with the first 11 and final 5 folios left blank by original scribe and later filled, and ff.1-9 and 283 being of a coarser paper and perhaps a later addition. 15.3 x 10.8 cm (written surface 10 x 7 cm). Text is in a single column of 23 lines. Text is written in notrgir in black ink, with titles and other headers in red ink. Binding is brown leather with flap, the metal studs and clasps are lost.

Scope and Content

An Armenian manuscript containing:. ff.2v-4r, 5r-10r Hymns. ff.11r-97r History of Alexander (Alexander Romance), with kafas. ff.97v-120r History of the Brazen City (City of Bronze), with kafas. ff.120v-125r History of King Bahlul. ff.125v-133r History of the youth and the maid. ff.133r-164r History of King Zarmanazan. ff.164v-190v History of Barlam and Josaphat. ff.191r-212r History of Khikar (Ahiqar). ff.212r-222r History of the birth and upbringing of that minister of Satan, Mahmet, and of his reign. ff.222r-241r A narrative of the birth, upbringing and evil deeds of the Antichrist, and of the work of Elias and Enoch. ff.241r-279r Songs. Provenance notes on f.10v and f.283.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Other Finding Aids

For more information, see Conybeare, F.C. 1913. A Catalogue of the Armenian Manuscripts in the British Museum. London: The British Museum. pp 277-281.

Bibliography

Conybeare, Frederick Cornwallis. 1896. 'The Barlaam and Josaphat Legend in the Ancient Georgian and Armenian Literatures,' Folk-Lore 7, pp 101-142. Russell, James R. 1983. 'The Tale of the Bronze City in Armenian' in Thomas J. Samuelian and Michael E. Stone (eds.) Medieval Armenian Culture. Chico, CA: Scholars Press. pp 250-261. Russell, James R. 2009. 'The Cross and the Lotus: The Armenian Miscellancy Patmut'iwn płnjē k'ałak'i ('History of the City of Brass') on the Periphery of the Iranian Oikoumene' in Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis and Sarah Stewart (eds.) The Idea of Iran, Volume IV: The Rise of Islam. London: I.B. Tauris. pp 71-83. Simonyan, Hasmik. 1989. Patmut'iwn Aghek'sandri Makedonats'wots': Haykakan xmbagrut'iwnner. Erevan: Academy of Sciences. Srapyan, Armenuhi. 1983. Patmut'iwn vasn mankann ew aghjkann, patmut'iwn yaghags P'ahlul t'agaworin. Erevan: Academy of Sciences.