Argelan

[bellthecat]

Is Argelan a personal name in Armenian, in use either now or historically? And what does it mean, and what is its western equivalent?

 

I've been reading a French article about an Armenian monastery dedicated to a St. Argelan. The article also gives it the name "St. Etienne", which I thought might be the French equivalent. But is it? The name "Etienne" means "crowned one" and is the French form for Steven (which I didn't know!).

But I thought that Steven in Armenian was Stephanos or similar. Or is that just the Greek equivalent of Steven, and it is a name that just happens to be used in Armenia rather than being specifically Armenian.

 

I.E. is "Argelan" the Armenian equivalent of Steven? Or is it from another language?

 

Steve

Edited May 14, 2004 by bellthecat

[Sasun]

Never heard that name Steve.

 

Edit: there is a name Araqel though.

Edited May 14, 2004 by Sasun

[nairi]

Argelan means prison, from argelel "to forbid, not allow". I can't find anything about it being a personal (first) name, but I might not be looking in the right place.

 

As for Biblical names, yes, they were all taken either directly from Greek or based on Greek. Stepan(os) is the only Steven you'll find in Armenian.

[Arpa]

Argelan and argelanots are used alternately to mean prison, a place of prohibition as the word is based on "argel", obstacle which is rarely used in the original singular form, we know it more commonly as "argelq" as in "argilel" to forbid to prohibit. Argelan and argelanots have also been used to describe a monatery and convent, the connection is easy to see.

Nowadays argelan and argelanots are more often used as preserve as in nature preserve.

Khosrovi argelanots a nature preserve about 20 miles south east of Yerevan. See map.

http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/arme...argelanots.html

 

I wonder if the name Psak is the Armenian counterpart of Stephen. Psak is rarely used now but several clergy have had it as their clerical name.

 

As to St. Argelan, this is the first time I hear about it, however based on the above definitions it is not too unusual to see how a common descriptive noun can be confused for a proper name. Tbis is not to say that there really was not a monk known as St. Argelan, he may have adopted it as a nickname to describe himself as a prisoner/argelyal/argelan.

 

Steve, below is refernce to the St. Argelan from Virtual Ani.

http://mysite.freeserve.com/virtualani/adilcevaz/index.htm

 

http://www.virtualani.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm

 

The Date of Construction

The church has no surviving dedicatory inscriptions, though a graffiti inscription is dated 1720. However, design features can be used to give an estimate of the date of construction.

 

The use of triangles as a transition between the drum and roof has been mentioned earlier. This feature can be found in other late medieval churches in the Van region. These include the Saint Thomas monastery on the Deveboynu peninsula, which dates from 1671, and the Saint Argelan monastery near Muradiye (Berkri) which is from the end of the 17th century. It is a design feature that has probably been derived from Islamic kumbets - of which there are many examples in the Lake Van region.

[bellthecat]

Now that I have translated the article I see that Argelan seems to be not the name of the person, but the place. But "Etienne" is not a personal name that would be used in Armenia would it? Unless the writer has converted "Stephanos" to "Etienne". Zenophobic French!

 

 

Les couvents d'Argelan et de Saint-Étienne, fils de Ter Housik

(Argelanivank' et Ter Huskan ordi vank')

 

Le couvent supérieur ou d'Argelan se trouve au milieu d'un vaste alpage à environ 2100 m d'altitude; le couvent inférieur où Saint-Étienne est situe en contrebas, à 1950 m d'altitude, juste au pied de la falaise qui ceinture, à mi-hauteur, la montagne. On s'y rend assez facilement de Berkri en traversant à gué le Bendimahi çay et en s'élevant vivement sur les pentes rocheuses et herbeuses de l'Aksürek dag. On parvient en une heure au couvent inférieur et il faut encore presqu'autant pour atteindre le couvent supérieur.

 

Le couvent a été maintes fois visité, mais seul Ostanikian en a donné une description passable.

 

L'histoire des deux couvents est inséparable et ils furent, du reste, organiquement fusionnés. La date de fondation du couvent supérieur n'est pas connue, mais elle est certainement antérieure au XIIIe siècle, puisque saint Étienne, fils de Ter Housik y vint résider dans la première moitié de ce siècle 45. Comme il avait coutume de se recueillir dans une grotte en contrebas, il fut ensevelli, lors de sa mort en cet endroit et une modeste chapelle y fut édifiée. À partir de ce moment, le couvent (constitué donc par l'actuel monastère d'Argelan et par une petite chapelle funéraire) prit indifféremment le nom d'Argelanivank ou de Ter Houskan ordi vank. On y venait en pèlerinage pour accéder au tombeau du saint qui avait la réputation d'opérer de nombreux miracles.

 

And my translation

 

The convents of Argelan and Saint Etienne, son of Ter Housik

(Argelanivank' and Ter Huskan ordi vank')

 

The upper convent, or convent of Argelan, is located in the middle of a broad pasture at an altitude of about 2100 metres. The lower convent, or convent of Saint-Etienne, is situated lower down, at an altitude of 1950 metres, just at the foot of the cliff that encircles, at mid-height, the mountain. It can be reached easily enough from Berkri by crossing a ford on the Bendimahi çay and then rising quickly up the rocky and grassy slopes of the Aksürek dag. One arrives in one hour at the lower convent, and it takes nearly that much again to reach the upper convent.

 

The convent has been visited many times, but only Ostanikian has given us a reasonable description of it.

 

The histories of the two convents are inseparable and they were, moreover, organically merged. The date of the foundation of the upper convent is not known, but it is certainly earlier than the 13th century, since St. Etienne, son of Ter Housik came to reside there in the first half of that century 45. As he had a custom to meditate within a cave below the convent, after his death he was buried in that place and a modest chapel was built there. From that moment, the convent (then comprising the present monastery of Argelan and the small funerary chapel) became known alternatively as Argelanivank and Ter Houskan ordi vank. People came there in pilgrimage to reach the saint's tomb, which had the reputation of performing many miracles.

[bellthecat]

Edit: there is a name Araqel though.

Yes, it means "Apostle", doesn't it?

[bellthecat]

As to St. Argelan, this is the first time I hear about it, however based on the above definitions it is not too unusual to see how a common descriptive noun can be confused for a proper name. Tbis is not to say that there really was not a monk known as St. Argelan, he may have adopted it as a nickname to describe himself as a prisoner/argelyal/argelan.

Yes, that's possible, especially since he was a sort of hermit, living in a cave.

 

The article about the monastery is by J. M. Thierry, in Revue des Études Arméniennes, Volume XI – 1975. He doen't give any explanation for the origin of the name, which is strange. And thats is why I had thought that it might be derived from the name of the saint, whose first name is also not given except as "Etienne".

 

About the saint. The following isn't completely translated.

 

Footnote 45

 

Saint Étienne, the son of Ter Housik of Artamet, acquired a widespread reputation for healing both during his life and after his death. His legendary biography is well known: his father, a priest named Housik, on returning from a journey, was informed that his wife had been captured by Infidels. After patient research, he found her in Tabriz, a slave of Bibi Hatun, the wife of an emir. This woman, who was a Christian in secret, agreed to free the poor wretch only on the condition that if, on their reunion, a son was born, the couple would promise him to the ecclesiastical state and that his first Mass was told his intention. (don't understand what that bit means in French! - steve). Actually, the spouses quickly had a son who, when young, went again to the convent of Argelan and was ordained as a priest. At his first Mass, as he got ready to receive communion, he had a terrifying vision. Before him stretched a sea of blood and, in the middle of the heavy waves, Bibi Hatun struggled and called for help. He finished the holy sacrifice in a great anxiety and refused to say the Mass henceforth because he was not able to, he affirmed, bear to see the view of this bloody sea. He still led an edifying life of asceticism and work, almost always in Argelan, except for a stay of 12 years in Erernavank (cf. infra) at the time of Moslem incursions into the region of Berkri. He died in Argelan in 1251 and was buried there (cf. "The Synaxaire of Ter Israel", trans. G. Bayan, PO, volume XVIII, p. 173-178; ADCHARIAN, Dictionary, op. cit., volume IV, p. 620-621).

[Sasun]

Yes, it means "Apostle", doesn't it?

I believe so, Araqial/Araqel.