Dvozinar drank from a ‘milk fountain’ - a special mountain spring - and miraculously conceived twin giant sons who founded, built and ruled the Kingdom of Sassoun.
I started telling episodes from Sassountsit Tavit about 25 years ago.
It was the character Khandout Khatoun that drew me into this hearty, earthy, wondrous world of giant rulers of Sassoun.
Khandout Khatoun is a warrior princess – daughter of the King of Tabriz – who is big, strong and gorgeous. The perfect match for Tavit – the large lisping, clumsy orphan who learns through his mistakes. They share the fact that they don’t know their own strength. And, finally, they find their equal – in each other!
The women in this epic call their husbands to them. They rule as equals and own their distinct power as women.
After working on the episode of Khandout Khatoun I turned to the previous generation – Tavit’s parents – Medz Mher and Armaghan. Armaghan is a beautiful character – brave, strong and firm.
I am looking forward to telling this epic which traditionally emphasises the ‘strong male hero’, through the female line, focusing on the episodes that revolve around the wise, wilful wonderful women.
By storyteller Vergine Gulbenkian
