The Chronicle of Zuqnin from The vatican library

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It was very hard to find this passage, but the keyword “Arzanene” was the charm. The passage you seek is on p.312-3 of Amir Harrak’s translation of the “Chronicle of Zuqnin, parts III and IV (A.D. 488-775)”. Series: “Mediaeval sources in translation ; 36”. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies(1999). (ISBN 0-88844-286-6).

[link to www.roger-pearse.com (secure)]

Here’s the text:

Moreover, frightful and dreadful animals appeared after this pestilence. They did not fear anything, nor did they run away from or were scared of people, but killed a countless number of them. They looked somehow like wolves, although they were a bit different from wolves in that the muzzle of each one of them was narrow and long. They had big ears, like those of a horse, and the hair, long and raised skyward, that covered their dorsal ridge looked like pig’s hair.[3] They caused great harm to the people in Tur-‘Abdin. People said that they devoured more than one hundred men in one village, and in many others, twenty men in some, forty or fifty in others. People were not able to hurt any of them, /p.369/ nor did these flee from people. And if there were people who chased one of them with weapons, they were unable to do any harm to it. Nor did it run away from them but returned against them; and as their hands let loose their weapons, it jumped on them and tore them into pieces. They used to break into houses and courtyards, snatching children and leaving, and there was no one to oppose them. Some of them climbed up high roofs during the night, snatching children from their houses, and then came down, and there was no one to oppose them. Not even dogs barked at any one of them! Because of this, this region suffered a more cruel and harsh calamity than all the ones which it had experienced before. Two or three persons were not able to walk together. Nor were cattle seen anywhere, because they were devoured by one of the animals; for if one of them went among goats or sheep, it snatched some of them.

How can we explain this cruel scourge except to say that these animals were sent against us by God? It became clear to everyone that they received this power from God, because neither dogs nor people were able to do any of them any harm. It is said: I will gather evils against them. Behold the punishments of the merciless tribute and the flight from one place to another! Behold famine, pestilence and various diseases! Behold the rapine and plundering of each other and of one district by its neighbour! Not only did all the cattle of the country perish during this year, but the birds of prey tore apart the unburied human corpses everywhere. In addition to this, behold the rapacious animals! These animals crossed over to the land of Arzanene and caused great harm /p.370/ in one village, as well as in the region of Maipharqat and in the Sahia mountain. The damage in Amida was little.

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“Assyrian Monster Invasion – In A.D. 774 the Assyrian empire (spanning portions of present day Jordan, Syria, and Iraq) suffered a frightening invasion of man-eating creatures as yet unidentified. The events were recorded by Denys of Tell-Mahre, a leader of the Syrian Jacobites, in his Chronicles.

Before the reign of the Emperor Leo IV there raged a plague that was followed by the appearance of frightening and terrifying animals who feared nothing and no one. They fled from no man and, indeed, killed many people. A very little were they like wolves, but their face was small and long…and they had great ears. The skin on their spines resembled that of a pig. These mysterious animals committed great ravages on the people of the Abdin Rock region, near Hoh. In some villages they devoured more than one hundred people, and in many others from twenty, to forty or fifty. Nothing could be done to them because they were fearless of man. If a man did pursue them, in no ways did the monsters become scared or flee. Instead, they turned on the man. If men loosed their weapons on a monster, it leaped on the men and tore them to bits. These monsters entered houses and yards, and seized and kidnapped children and left, no one daring to offer resistance. They climbed in the night onto terraces, stole children from their beds and went off without opposition. When they appeared, dogs were afraid to bark. For these reasons, the country suffered a more terrible experience than it had ever known before. Two or three men were frightened to move around together. Cattle disappeared from the field because all of the livestock had been devoured by these dreadful monsters. Indeed, when one of these creatures attacked a heard of goats, or a flock of sheep, they took away several at a time. These monsters passed from the land and went into Arzanene [Southern Armenia] and ravaged every village there. They also aged the country of Maipherk and along Mt. Cahai and caused great damage at Amida.

It was very hard to find this passage, but the keyword “Arzanene” was the charm. The passage you seek is on p.312-3 of Amir Harrak’s translation of the “Chronicle of Zuqnin, parts III and IV (A.D. 488-775)”. Series: “Mediaeval sources in translation ; 36”. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies(1999). (ISBN 0-88844-286-6). [link to www.roger-pearse.com (secure)] Here’s the text: Moreover, frightful and dreadful animals appeared after this pestilence. They did not fear anything, nor did they run away from or were scared of people, but killed a countless number of them. They looked somehow like wolves, although they were a bit different from wolves in that the muzzle of each one of them was narrow and long. They had big ears, like those of a horse, and the hair, long and raised skyward, that covered their dorsal ridge looked like pig’s hair.[3] They caused great harm to the people in Tur-‘Abdin. People said that they devoured more than one hundred men in one village, and in many others, twenty men in some, forty or fifty in others. People were not able to hurt any of them, /p.369/ nor did these flee from people. And if there were people who chased one of them with weapons, they were unable to do any harm to it. Nor did it run away from them but returned against them; and as their hands let loose their weapons, it jumped on them and tore them into pieces. They used to break into houses and courtyards, snatching children and leaving, and there was no one to oppose them. Some of them climbed up high roofs during the night, snatching children from their houses, and then came down, and there was no one to oppose them. Not even dogs barked at any one of them! Because of this, this region suffered a more cruel and harsh calamity than all the ones which it had experienced before. Two or three persons were not able to walk together. Nor were cattle seen anywhere, because they were devoured by one of the animals; for if one of them went among goats or sheep, it snatched some of them. How can we explain this cruel scourge except to say that these animals were sent against us by God? It became clear to everyone that they received this power from God, because neither dogs nor people were able to do any of them any harm. It is said: I will gather evils against them. Behold the punishments of the merciless tribute and the flight from one place to another! Behold famine, pestilence and various diseases! Behold the rapine and plundering of each other and of one district by its neighbour! Not only did all the cattle of the country perish during this year, but the birds of prey tore apart the unburied human corpses everywhere. In addition to this, behold the rapacious animals! These animals crossed over to the land of Arzanene and caused great harm /p.370/ in one village, as well as in the region of Maipharqat and in the Sahia mountain. The damage in Amida was little. ... “Assyrian Monster Invasion – In A.D. 774 the Assyrian empire (spanning portions of present day Jordan, Syria, and Iraq) suffered a frightening invasion of man-eating creatures as yet unidentified. The events were recorded by Denys of Tell-Mahre, a leader of the Syrian Jacobites, in his Chronicles. Before the reign of the Emperor Leo IV there raged a plague that was followed by the appearance of frightening and terrifying animals who feared nothing and no one. They fled from no man and, indeed, killed many people. A very little were they like wolves, but their face was small and long…and they had great ears. The skin on their spines resembled that of a pig. These mysterious animals committed great ravages on the people of the Abdin Rock region, near Hoh. In some villages they devoured more than one hundred people, and in many others from twenty, to forty or fifty. Nothing could be done to them because they were fearless of man. If a man did pursue them, in no ways did the monsters become scared or flee. Instead, they turned on the man. If men loosed their weapons on a monster, it leaped on the men and tore them to bits. These monsters entered houses and yards, and seized and kidnapped children and left, no one daring to offer resistance. They climbed in the night onto terraces, stole children from their beds and went off without opposition. When they appeared, dogs were afraid to bark. For these reasons, the country suffered a more terrible experience than it had ever known before. Two or three men were frightened to move around together. Cattle disappeared from the field because all of the livestock had been devoured by these dreadful monsters. Indeed, when one of these creatures attacked a heard of goats, or a flock of sheep, they took away several at a time. These monsters passed from the land and went into Arzanene [Southern Armenia] and ravaged every village there. They also aged the country of Maipherk and along Mt. Cahai and caused great damage at Amida.

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