Khachakoghi Hishadagarane (Raffi, 1982)
Name/Title
Khachakoghi Hishadagarane (Raffi, 1982)Secondary Title
Խաչագողի հիշատակարանըDescription
Khachʿagoghi Hishatakaranë (Armenian: Խաչագողի հիշատակարանը), commonly translated as Diary of a Cross-Stealer or Memoirs of a Cross-Stealer, is a realist novel by the Armenian writer Raffi (Hakob Melik-Hakobian), first published in serialized form in the newspaper Mshak in 1882–1883 and later as a book in the 1880s. The novel is based on material Raffi collected over many years, including an actual diary attributed to a khachʿagogh, a term used to describe itinerant Armenian rogues who often disguised themselves as clergy or monks in order to steal crosses, church valuables, and other sacred objects. The narrative centers on Murad, whose life of wandering, deception, and crime unfolds across various regions, providing a detailed portrayal of marginal existence, social stratification, and moral ambiguity in nineteenth-century Armenian society. Rather than presenting the protagonist as a purely criminal figure, Raffi situates his actions within conditions of poverty, social injustice, and dislocation, using the memoir-like structure to explore how environment and circumstance shape individual behavior. The work combines ethnographic observation with psychological insight and social critique, making it one of Raffi’s most distinctive novels and a significant example of Armenian realist prose. It has remained widely read, frequently republished, and adapted for the stage and film, and is regarded as an important literary document of its period.Category
Books