The Emir[23] of Kachiswan had a daughter, and her name wasChandud-Chanum.[24] Chandud-Chanum heard of David's valor, and gave giftsto a bard and said to him: "Go, sing to David of my beauty, that he maycome hither and we may love each other."
[23] "Emir," in the eyes of the orientals, is almost the same as "king."
[24] "Chandud" is a woman's name. "Chanum" means "lady."
The bard went to Sassun, for he thought David was there. He came toSassun and entered Z鰎anwegi's castle, thinking David lived in it, andsat down and began to sing to Z鰎anwegi. Z鰎anwegi cried: "Go. Club himand hunt him forth. He thinks to bring David hither by cunning!"
They set upon the singer, dragged him to the valley, and threw him intothe road. In the evening the shepherds returned on their oxen to thevillage. An ox became wild, and the herdsman fell off, and seeking thecause he found the bard, who wept and lamented and asked the herdsman:
"Which of the brothers lives in that castle?"
The shepherd answered: "Here lives Z鰎anwegi; yonder, in M鰏r, David."
And the bard gave a piece of gold to the shepherds, and they gathered upthe pieces of his broken tambur[25] and pointed out his way to him. Hewent and sang of Chandud-Chanum's beauty before David. David rewardedhim richly, and said, "Go before, I will come," and the singer went andtold all to Chandud-Chanum.[26]
[25] An instrument like a guitar.
[26] The song in which the bard praises the beauty of Chandud-Chanum iswanting. A certain carelessness is seen generally in the rest of thenarrative.
David departed straightway and went by way of Sassun and the Heights ofZ鰖mak. He found a plough[27] standing in his way. He freed the oxen,seized the plough-chain, mounted his horse, and dragged the plough down.And it fell from the summit of the Black Mountain plump into theaqueduct of the village of Marnik.
[27] The Armenians use, in ploughing, a kind of plough which is drawn byfrom five to ten pairs of buffaloes or oxen.
He drew on and perceived that a buffalo had got loose and run along theroad and left its dung there. David looked at the dung and said: "Ifevil befalls me he is guilty of it who left the dung there; if not, itis also his work that it befalls me not."
From a side-path appeared a buffalo, and David had never seen the likebefore. He lifted his club to slay him when from the opposite side ashepherd came and began to scold the buffalo. David thought the shepherdwas scolding him and said, "Fellow, what have I done to you that yourail at me?"
The shepherd answered: "Who are you? Ah, you are a Sassun brawler whohas seen nothing of the world! I spoke to my buffalo."
"Don't be angry, youngster! It is a shame, indeed, that in my country Ihave never seen the like. Are there many such creatures in these parts?"
The shepherd said, "Come, and I will show you."
And they went to the field of Ausut, where the peasants hitched theirbuffaloes and drove them. David found the buffaloes with tongues lollingfrom the heat as they drew the plough. David felt pity for them; heunhitched them and drove them to the pond.
The ploughman began to curse him, and he said: "Ploughman, curse me not;only give me the chain into my hand."
He seized the chain and began to draw; the ploughman guided the ploughand David ploughed nine furrows. Then the shepherd said to David: "Thatis not thy strength. Leave thy horse and then draw. We shall see whetherit is thine or thy horse's strength."
David left his horse and ploughed nine furrows alone.
The shepherd then said to David: "It is already noon. Come now and eat,then thou canst go on thy way!"
David answered: "No, I will ride on. Thy children want to eat, and if Icome nothing will remain for them."
However, they sat down and when the dinner was set out David crumbledall the bread and the vessels all at once, and the shepherd said: "Here,hide yourselves or he will devour us also."
David said: "Surely, brother, he who drags the plough must eat bread.How could it be otherwise?"
And he went his way to the city where Chandud-Chanum dwelt.
* * * * * * *
David came to the gates of the castle where Chandud-Chanum lived--to theplace where all her suitors came to woo. He saw a youth standing nearthe door with a club in his hand, David said: "Ha, my lad, what do theycall you?"
"My name is Gorgis."
"Gorgis!" said David. "When I marry Chandud-Chanum you shall begodfather! Now, Godfather Gorgis, who is in the house?"
"Matchmakers from the giants--Schibikan of Chorassan and Hamsa of Lori."
David said, "Take my horse and fasten him." And he took his horse andtied him.
Then David asked: "What kind of a club have you? Show it me."
David took the club and threw it into the air with such force that itis whirring till this very day. Then he said, "Godfather Gorgis, let usgo in and eat and drink."
They went in, and David sat down, for he was tired and hungry, and everymatchmaker, one after the other, handed David a cup of wine. David lostpatience and seized the wine-pitcher and emptied it in one draught,saying, "Now say only what is well for you!"
The wine made David drunk, and when he let his head fall the matchmakersdrew their swords to strike him, but when he raised his head theyconcealed their swords. They began this again when Godfather Gorgiscalled out: "Think not that you are in Georgia! No, this is a dangerouscountry." And when David heard him he said, "Now stand bravely at thedoor!"
The matchmakers sprang up and as they ran each gave Gorgis a box on theear and escaped. David then turned to Gorgis and said: "Where can I seeChandud-Chanum?"
"In the garden of the King," Gorgis answered. "To-day is Friday and shewill be there. Before her walk twenty slaves, and twenty walk behindher. We will go to-day and see her there."
So Gorgis and David went thither and concealed themselves behind thegarden wall and waited. The slaves passed by one after another, and,when Chandud-Chanum came, David put his arm around her neck and kissedher three times. Chandud-Chanum said not a word. He kissed her again.Chandud-Chanum seized him by the collar and threw him against the wallso that the blood gushed from his nose.
David was angry and was going to mount his horse. "Godfather Gorgis," hesaid, "lead out my horse. I will destroy the city and depart."
Gorgis began to plead: "I pray you, put it off till morning. It is darknow. At daybreak arise and destroy the city and depart."
David lay in bed and could not sleep from anger. "Would it were dawnthat I might rise and destroy the city and get away from here," hethought to himself.
Chandud-Chanum was still walking in the garden. A lame slave came to herand said: "Thy walk will end sadly. Take care, David is going to destroythe city and depart."
She took the cloth in which her evening meal had been brought, andwrapped her head in it. She turned and went straightway into the castlewhere David was and knocked at his door.
David said: "What insolent people live here! They will not wait tillmorning, but say, 'Arise, destroy the city and be off!'"
Gorgis arose and looked out of the window and said, "These are women,not men," and they opened the door.
Chandud-Chanum came to David and said: "You kissed me first for thefatigue of your journey, a second time for yourself, and a third timefor God's sake. Why did you kiss me a fourth time? You are the son ofyour father and I am the daughter of mine. It has been said: Take toyourself a wife that you may have a son who is like his uncle. Do youthink you have brought me the heads of the giants Hamsa of Lori andSchibikan of Chorassan, that you kiss me a fourth time?"
David's heart softened and he said: "If that is so I will go out atdaybreak and bring you their heads." Then he added: "Very well, I go; ifthey are stronger than I they will kill me. For God's sake come and seekmy body. On the right hand I have a birth-mark--a cross--by that youshall know me. Bring my body back and bury it."
So David set out. The giants perceived a rider coming, for the dust fromhis horse's hoofs rose to heaven: "This rider comes to fight with us.Perhaps he is of the race of Sergo."[28]
[28] Sergo-Sarkus (Sergius) so the Kurds called the Christians,regarding them as descendants of St. Sergius, who is very popular amongthe Armenians of Wan and Musch.
They called to him, saying: "Ho, fellow! who are you, and whence comeyou? Do you know Chandud-Chanum? Will you take this ring to her?"
David said: "Certainly I know her, but I have come to take your heads tothe Princess Chandud. I know nothing about your rings!"
The eyebrows of Schibikan of Chorassan hung down over his breast and hefastened them across his back. Hamsa of Lori had an underlip so longthat it reached the ground and swept it.
David and the giants began to hack and hew each other and they foughtwith clubs and bows until night. David cried: "I believe in the high andholy cross of Maratuk," and took his sword and cut both their heads off.He bound their hair together and hung them across his horse like saddlebags and their tongues furrowed the ground like a plough.
David rode away with their heads and had already traversed half the waywhen he saw approaching him, riding between heaven and earth, a rider,who called out to him! "Do you think you have conquered the giantsSchibikan and Hamsa?" The rider sprang behind David and struck at himwith a club. He crawled under the saddle and the club struck the stirrupand tore it loose, and it fell to the ground. David sprang out fromunder the saddle and cried: "Bread and wine, as the Lord liveth!" andswung his club over his enemy. The enemy dodged the blow, but his hairfell away from his face. David looked and recognized Chandud-Chanum; shehad disguised herself and had come to meet him.
"O shameless woman!" David said. "You would disgrace me a second time."
They rode together into Chandud-Chanum's city. They arrived anddismounted and called Chandud-Chanum's father. David said to him: "Willyou give me your daughter for a wife?"
Her father said: "I will not give her to you. If you will marry her andlive here, I will give her to you. If you must take her away, I will notgive her. How can I do otherwise? I have enemies all around me; theywill destroy my city."
And David said: "I will marry her and stay here. I will not take heraway."
So they were married and celebrated the wedding, feasting seven days andseven nights.
The time passed by unheeded, and when nine months, nine days and ninehours had passed, God sent them a son.
And David said to Chandud-Chanum: "If this child is mine, he must have amark--he will show great strength." They put the child inswaddling-clothes, but instead of bands they bound him withplough-chains. He began to cry and stir in his cradle and the chainsnapped into pieces.
They sent word to David: "The youngster is a stout fellow. He hasbroken the chains. But one of his hands seems hurt. He clenches hisfist, and no one can open it."
David came and sat down, looked at the hand and opened it. In the handhe found a little lump of clotted blood. "The whole world is to him as adrop of blood, and he will hold it in his hand. If he lives he will dowonderful deeds."
Then they christened the boy and gave him the name of Mcher.
Time passed and the boy grew fast, and David left him in Kachiswan withhis grandparents, and took Chandud-Chanum with him to Sassun. The men ofChlat[29] heard David's coming and they assembled an army, built arampart, formed their wagons into a fortress, and began to give battle.When Chandud-Chanum sent her lance against the wall she shattered it andthe wagons flew seven leagues away. Then David went forward and drovethe fighters away, saying to them: "Ye men of Chlat! what shamelesspeople ye be! Ye wage war on women! Let me but take my wife to Sassunand I will come back, and we will fight it out."
[29] The city of Chlat (Turkish "Achlat") lies northwest of the Sea ofWan. In olden times it was famous for its splendor, its high walls, andits citadel. The inhabitants had been injured by David's father andwished to avenge themselves.
But the men of Chlat believed him not. "Swear to us by the holy crossyou carry; then we will believe you," said they.
David touched the token with his hand as he thought, but the cross wasthere and he knew it not, and the power of the cross was that no onecould swear by it.
He took Chandud-Chanum to Sassun. Here he first knew that he had swornon the cross, for he found the cross lying at his left shoulder wherethe token had been.
"Now it will go badly with me," said David. "Whether I go or whether Istay, it will go badly with me. And I must go."
He advanced, therefore, to give battle, and the men of Chlat pressed himsorely. His horse was caught in the reedy marsh of Tschechur.[30] Withdifficulty he crawled out of the bog and reached the waters of theLochur.[31]
[30] A marsh at the outlet of the Kara-Su, a tributary of the Euphrates.
[31] A small river which empties into the Sea of Wan not far from Chlat.
Once Abamelik had lingered at the house of Ibraham Aga, and forciblyentered the sleeping-room of his wife. Her name was Schemschen-Chanum.She had borne a daughter to Abamelik, who was now an ardent Mahometan.This daughter took up her bow and arrows and concealed herself on thesloping river-bank. When David bathed in the waters of Locher she shothim, assassin-like, with an arrow in the back. David arose and made agreat outcry and his voice sounded even up to Sassun. Z鰊ow-Owan,Chorassan, Uncle Toross, Tsch鰊tschchapokrik, and Z鰎anwegi cametogether, for they heard the voice of David. And Z鰊ow-Owan called tohim from Sassun, "We are coming."
And they went forth to help David, who heard in the water the voice ofhis kinsmen. They came to the river and found David, who said:"Z鰊ow-Owan, she seemed frightened at our calling. Go and find her."
And they sought and found the blue-eyed maiden. David seized her by onefoot, trod on the other, tore her in pieces, and threw her into thevillage at the foot of the mountain. From this deed he named the villageTschiwtis-Tschapkis.[32] The village lies at the mouth of the Tschechurand is called Tschapkis to this day.
[32] Literally, "I will tear in pieces and scatter."
The brothers took David with them and moved on to Sassun. And after fourdays David died, and his brothers mourned for him. They went toChandud-Chanum to console her and wish her long life; but Chandud-Chanumsaid, "Ah, me, after David's death I am but the subject of your scorn."
And Tsch鰊tschchapokrik said: "Chandud-Chanum, weep not, weep not. Davidis dead, but my head is still whole."
Chandud-Chanum climbed the tower and threw herself down. Her head strucka stone and made a hole in it, and into this hole the men of Sassun pourmillet and grind as the people of M鰏r do; and every traveller from M鰏rstops there before the castle to see the stone.
The brothers came to see the body of Chandud-Chanum, and they pressed onher breasts and milk flowed therefrom. They said: "Surely she has achild! If there is a child it must be in Kachiswan."[33] And they set outfor Kachiswan and said to the governor: "A child of our brother andsister-in-law lives here. Where is it?"
[33] The small city of Kagisman, not far from Kars.
"It is not here."
"We have a sign. In the breast of our sister-in-law was milk."
Then the governor said: "She had a daughter, but it is dead."
"We have a test for that also--for our dead. The grave of one dead oneyear is one step long, of one dead two years, two steps long, and soon."
They went to the church-yard and found not a single grave which stoodtheir test.
Z鰊ow-Owan said: "Bind leather bands about me. I will cry out."
The truth was, they had dug a cellar for Mcher underground, and hid himthere and watched over him.
The brothers bound Z鰊ow-Owan about the body and he cried out. Mcherknew his voice and would have gone to him, but his grandmother said tohim: "That is not the voice of thy kinsman. It is the noise of childrenand the beating of drums."
When Mcher heard the voice for the third time he beat down the door andwent out. One door destroyed the other. By a blow of his fist he sentthe first door against the second, the second against the third, and soall seven doors were shattered.
Mcher saw his uncles from afar, but his father was not there. He asked,and his uncle told him the men of Chlat had slain his father. He fellupon his face and wept, and as he lay there his uncles wished to lifthim, but exert themselves as they would they could not move him.
The tears of Mcher furrowed the earth and flowed like a river. Afterthree days he arose, mounted his father's horse, and rode to Chlat. Hecircled the town and destroyed it--as it is even to this day. Then heascended the mountain Memrut[34] and saw the smoke of the ruins grow everdenser. Only one old woman remained alive. He seized her, and, bendingtwo trees down, bound her feet to the trees and let them loose. And thushe killed her. Since then no smoke ascends from Chlat.
[34] A high mountain not far from Chlat northwest of the Sea of Wan.Many interesting legends about it exist. Haik, the ancestor of theArmenian Nimrod, is said to be buried here.
Mcher permitted his uncles to return to their own dwelling-places andhimself rode toward Tosp.
Men say he is still there, and they show his house, and even now waterflows from the rocks for his horse.
On Ascension-night the door of Mcher's rock opens. But it is decreedthat he shall not go out: the floor holds him not, his feet sink intothe earth.
Once on Ascension-night a shepherd saw Mcher's door open, and theshepherd entered. Mcher asked him: "By what occupation do you live?"
"By brains," said the shepherd.
Then Mcher said: "We shall see what kind of brains you have! Take thenose-bag of my horse and hang it around his neck."
The shepherd tried with all his might, but could not lift the bag. Heled the horse to the bag, opened it, and put the straps around thehorse's neck. The horse raised his head and lifted the bag. The shepherdled him back to his place and said, "That is the sort of brains by whichwe live in the world."
Then the shepherd said, "Mcher, when will you leave this place?"
Mcher answered: "When plum-trees bear wheat and wild-rose bushes barley,it is appointed I shall leave this place."
And three apples fell down from heaven--one for the story-teller, onefor the hearer, and the other for the whole world.
THE END.
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