Blood feud in Sasun

I’d like to share some interesting information about this tradition which used to exist in Sasun and was still practiced by some people (Genocide survivors living in Talin) up until the 1960s. Usually blood feuding is associated with our neighbors Azeris, Kurds, other Islamic people and most Armenians did not practice it. But in some remote mountainous regions of Armenia like Sasun, it was a big deal.

Among all the other Armenians, the Armenians of Sasun were especially known for being hot headed. Deadly inter clan feuding could occur due to murder, or a grave insult such as bride kidnapping.

The following two cases occurred in Sasun in the late 19th century and give a good idea of how such events arose and were settled.

Case 1: The daughter of Apre from Shenik village was engaged to Ohan from the clan of Peto, the prince of Geligyuzan. Egho of Chicho’s clan from the neighboring village of Semal brings it upon himself to kidnap Ohan’s fiance. While Ohan’s fiance was collecting manna flowers she was kidnapped by Egho and his friends. In retribution, the Shenikians steal three pairs of oxen, starting a new stage in the fighting between the villages. Egho gains the sponsorship of Arey’s clan, the Princes of Kop village. The Shenikians, with around 40 fighters, decide to take back Ohan’s fiance by force. In response, the entire fighting body of Kop village rises up to meet Peto of Shenik’s men. A massive fight breaks out, many are killed. THE CASE IS NOT RESOLVED AND CONTINUES FOR PERHAPS GENERATIONS.

Case 2: In one other case, Vardan from Peto’s clan of Shenik kidnapped the prepubescent fiance of the son of Prince Tone of Shenik. Kidnapping the fiance of the prince’s daughter was seen as a very brave act, and an equally dishonorable one. The kidnappers were sponsored by a Kurdish Bek named Hoze. In accordance with the ancient custom, whenever someone took refuge in their home they were guaranteed safety from attack. Whenever they would leave, Prince Tone and his men constantly attacked and attempted to kill the kinsmen of Peto in response, the feuding continued at an extreme level for a while. In the end, with the help of a council elected by the community, a truce between the families is reached when Peto’s clan agreed to pay 40 pieces of gold, one dagger, and three fields to the Prince’s family, as well as the kidnapper agreeing to marry his cousin to the Prince’s son. THE CONFLICT REACHED A SETTLEMENT.

Sometimes, the victim family would take the money offered in a settlement, the so called blood price, but still enact revenge afterwards. Let’s say, one man killed another man, and the victim’s family accepted a blood price for reconciliation. The victim’s family members would then hunt down the killer and murder him, then throw the money (Usually some 40 pieces of gold) through the killer’s house window. This way their family knew that “blood had just been washed with blood”.

Often, the true reconciliation came when the two families would gather at church and in the presence of the community swear upon a Bible to not continue the feuding, that was an oath which nobody was willing to break.

These and many such other cases were extremely widespread in Sasun.