Sahakdukht[n 1] (Armenian:Սահակադուխտ,lit. 'daughter of Sahak';fl. early 8th century) was an Armenianhymnographer,poet andpedagogue who lived during the early 8th century.[2] She is the first known woman of Armenian literature and music. Along with her slightly later contemporaryKhosrovidukht, she is among the earliest woman composers inhistory.
Sahakdukht and her brotherStepanos Siunetsi [hy], who became a noted composer and music theorist, were educated inDvin. She then spent her life as anascetic, living in a cave (agrotto) of the Garni valley where she wrote and taught music. Though she is said to have written much Christian music, particularlyfor the Virgin Mary, only a singlesharakan (canonical hymn) survives, theacrostic "Srbuhi Mariam" ("Saint Mary"). The work shows considerable stylistic connections to contemporaneous Byzantinetheotokions andkanons. Though her piece did not join the generalsharakan liturgy, Sahakdukht'soeuvre as a whole is thought to have exerted considerable influence on subsequentsharakans; they introduced certain phrases into popular use and according to ethnomusicologistŞahan Arzruni they "helped to shape the development of the genre during subsequent centuries".[5]
Extremely little is known about the life of Sahakdukht,[4] also spelled as Sahakdoukht,[1] or Sahakduxt.[2] The information available is chiefly from an account of 13th-century historianStepanos Orbelian.[4] Active in the early 8th century, her brother was the composer and music theoristStepanos Siunetsi [hy],[2] known for hissharakans (canonicalhymns).[4] Both Sahakdukht and her brother were educated at acathedral school in the city ofDvin.[4] She then spent her life as anascetic, living in a cave (agrotto) of the Garni valley, near present-dayYerevan.[2][n 2] There she producedecclesiastical poems as well asliturgical chants.[2] Sahakdukht is said to have taught music to children and amateur adults from Garni.[5][7] Due to the conventions of her time, Sahakdukht gave such instruction while seated behind a curtain.[5] In 1909, the Armenian poet and writerSibil used Sahakdukht's role as a teacher to promote education for women,[8] saying in a speech that:
1200 years ago the Armenian took great interest in women's education. It may come as a surprise when I say that Stephan Siunetsi's sister, Sahakdukht, established a music school in eighth-century Armenia; today such schools, which are the mark of a civilized nation, do not exist.[9]
— Sibil, 1909
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| A brief introduction and reading of "Srbuhi Mariam" bySargis Najaryan [hy] | |
 "Srbuhi Mariam" |
Sahakdukht is recognized as the first known woman composer and poet of Armenia,[10] followed by her slightly later contemporaryKhosrovidukht.[1] She purportedly wrote many now-lost Christian religious compositions, includingktsurds (antiphons andanthems),sharakans and other melodies.[4] The poetry for such genres included bothrhyme andfixed verse.[1] Sources say that such works were oftenwritten for the Virgin Mary, making them roughly equivalent to the contemporaneousByzantine tradition oftheotokions.[5]
The only composition by Sahakdukht to survive is thesharakan "Srbuhi Mariam" ("Saint Mary"), an homage toMary.[11] It is a nine-stanzaacrostic verse, where the first letter of eachquatrain spells out 'Sahakdukht'.[4] This piece is aligned stylistically withsharakans of the 'Metzatsustse' (Magnificat) type.[4] In addition, "Srbuhi Mariam"—and presumably much of Sahakdukht's lostoeuvre—is modeled after the Byzantinekanon like the works of her brother.[10] This may be explained by the fact that Stepanos lived in Constantinople for many years, whereGermanus I, an important proponent of early kanons, was active.[10] SeeHovanessian & Margossian (1978, pp. 45–47) for an English translation of "Srbuhi Mariam". Some scholars, includingGhevont Alishan,Malachia Ormanian and Grigor Hakobian attribute Khosrovidukht'ssharakan "Zarmanali e indz" to Sahakdukht instead.[12]
Like the sole surviving work of Khosrovidukht, Sahakdukht'ssharakan has not garnered a position in the official collection ofsharakans.[7] It is not found among the apocryphalsharakans either.[7] Nevertheless, Sahakdukht'ssharakans are thought to have had a considerable impact on subsequent generations; ethnomusicologistŞahan Arzruni notes that they "helped to shape the development of the genre during subsequent centuries".[5] In addition, according to historianAgop Jack Hacikyan, phrases appearing in "Srbuhi Mariam" such as "incorruptible temple," "ray of divine light," and "tree of life" have since become standard and popular in Armenian religious poetry and music.[4]
| "Srbuhi Mariam" ("Սրբուհի՜ Մարիամ") Սըրբուհի՛ Մարիամ, |
| 8th century | |
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| 9th century | |
| 10th century | |
| 11th century | |
| 12th century | |
| 13th century | |
| 14th century | |
