THE EPIC AND HISTORICAL FORMS OF INTERRELATION BETWEEN HERO AND PEOPLE IN THE ARMENIAN IDENTITY

Abstract

Comparing Hero-People interrelationship in the Armenian Epic and Historical Life (from
XIX to the end of XX century), the article expresses an idea that there are obvious significant
similarities between them. But if the development of events in the epic is a “happy end” – the
heroes overcome the enemy, in the real world the same events may have and often have tragic
consequences for people. In fact, both in the Armenian epos and in the real world, there is a
tendency of break up, distrust and misunderstanding and opposing psychological stances
between the heroes (rebels) and the people (conformist-adaptive ones). The people, who are the
conformists, want to live freely, independently but they do not want to change their “secure”
slavery status at the expense of deprivations and sacrifices. They consider rebellion attempts
and liberation struggle meaningless. In their turn, the heroes are not really familiar with the
psychology and thinking of conformist people, the situation, the political intentions of the
external enemies, strength and weaknesses of the enemy, they do not meet the resistance of the
people, and without waiting for people’s participation, without serious calculations, start their
brave and crazy actions. Heroes and people live in non-negotiable worlds.