I love this iconic image of Sasunc‘i Davit‘, one of the main heroes of the Armenian epic Sasna Cṙer. The epic covers 4 generations from the Islamic conquests to the ʿAbbasids.

Here’s the link for the volume, shared via Levon Avdoyan (not on Twitter) @librarycongress: https://www.loc.gov/resource/amedscd.91970011/?st=gallery

Since we’re on the topic, I’ll share my fav passage: the infant Davit‘ was sent to Ismil Xat'un, the mother of the caliph Msra Melik‘, to nurse. This makes Davit‘ and Msra Melik‘ milk brothers. Then, one day, Davit‘ refuses to nurse.

Ismil Xat'un asks her son Melik‘ what to do. He says: His people are stubborn, Mother | He will cause us headaches. | He is Armenian, we are Arab | Do not give him your breast Էդա ազգ հաստակող են, մարե, | Էնի մեր գլխուն ցավ տ՛ըլնի։ | Էնի հայ է, մենք արաբ ենք, | Քո ծիծ մի տար էնոր

She instead sends Bughā, an actual ʿAbbasid general who served Mutawakkil. Bughā stands a real chance of derailing this thread bc accounts of his foray in Armenia are fascinating. Bughā brings back honey from Sasun for Davit‘. he is literally sustained by the sweetness of Sasun.

Once they’re grown, Ismil Xat'un chides her son and tells him Davit‘ was his brother. “Melik‘ said: ‘Mother, I am Arab, | Davit‘ is Armenian. So how could he be a brother to me?” (Մելիք ասաց․--Մարե, ես արաբ եմ, |Դավիթ՝ հայ է․ էն ո՞նց կըլնի ինձի աղբեր)

Ismil Xatun hits back: “Many, Arab and Armenian, become brothers. | They go to one another’s houses | And help each other a lot. Davit‘ is also the child we took care of and raised.”

(Շատեր՝ արաբ ու հայ, կ՛ըլնեն աղբեր․ | Մեկ-մեկի տուն կ՛էրթան | Ու իրար շատ կ՛օգնեն։ | Էն Դավիթն էլ մեր պահած-շահած տըղեն էր)

The wild thing is that in this version Davit‘ & Melik‘ are half-brothers, both sons of Mher. The appeal to kinship is always based on milk, not blood. doesn't stop the battle, tho it does stay Davit''s hand at first bc Ismil bared her breast to remind him of his milk bonds

the version linked & cited here are from what I call the “monster” version: it compiles a single story from dozens of variants. One day I’ll get through the variants re: Ismil Xat'un. Particularly in matters of gender and identity, the specific wording is all-important.

The variants were all recorded in the 19th-20th centuries, tho we have references to the story in Persian & Portuguese sources from the 16th cent. And some parallels to Wāqidī’s Futūḥ al-Shām, which was rewritten in 12-13th cc.

but the anxieties re: milk kinship btw Armenians & others appears in other medieval sources, such as Dawit' Ganjakec'i: "It is not proper for a Christian woman to feed the child of a Kurd at her breast, for that milk was made pure in the baptismal font."

Այլ քրիստոնեայ վասն կնոջ չէ պարտ քուրդի տղայ ի ստեանց իւրոց կերակրել, քանզի մաքուր է կաթն այն աւազանաւն։

also, the story of Ismil Xat'un and Davit' resonates in other contexts, too, as @RachelSchine has discussed infants who refused to nurse in Sīrat Dhāt al-Himma & popular stories of the prophets in this really interesting article: https://www.middleeastmedievalists.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/UW-27-Schine.pdf