Prince Vachagan, the only son of Queen Ashken and King Vacha, did exactly as he pleased. He never learned to read, write, or learn any skill whereby he could support himself. When he met the beautiful maiden, Anait, he was so smitten by her intelligence and wisdom that he asked for her hand in marriage. Anait declined, but said when he learned to read, write, and produce some handiwork, she would reconsider.
The prince returned to his home and got busy learning to read, write, and weave. After perfecting his skills, he sent Anait a beautiful carpet he had woven especially for her, along with a letter he wrote himself, asking her to marry him. She gladly accepted. Vachagan thought it was important for Anait to learn some new skills herself. For a wedding present he gave her a black stallion and a sword, and taught her to use them.
Several years, after Vachagan became king, he traveled to the east to investigate some trouble, and left his wife in charge of the kingdom during his absence. He was kidnapped and held captive by a dev, a terrible three-headed ogre. The only way he could spare his life was to prove himself useful, and he offered to weave a beautiful rug that would be worth a hundred pieces of gold. He told the dev that only the queen would recognize its value, and so a messenger was sent to present the carpet to the queen.
Anait recognized her husband�s handiwork immediately, arrested the dev�s lackey, and had him take her to Vachagan. Using the skills taught her by the king, she defeated the dev and his henchmen and saved her husband.
This Armenian folktale, beautifully interpreted by Robert D. San Souci, is a fable with a gently stated moral: �So they attained their heart�s desire, and may you likewise attain yours.� It has many elements of the folktale motif: magical creatures, transformations, and trickery. The beautifully woven rugs, elaborately colored dress, architecture, and terrain of the country are authentically depicted, both in text and illustrations. The story is told in language consistent with oral tradition, beginning in the spirit of �once upon a time� and ending with a moral.
The characters are supremely good or woefully bad. Prince Vachagan, although he was �handsome, bright, and good-hearted,� still had room for improvement. Both he and Anait grow in the story, learning new skills and benefiting from their relationship. The evil ogre meets the fate of every proper fairy tale monster � total and complete annihilation � this time at the hand of a woman. This departure from the knight in shining armor rescuing the damsel in distress is refreshing and timely for today�s audience of young readers.
Ra�l Col�n�s art, rendered in softly muted tones, is a perfect complement to this old world story. The rich colors and patterns in the rugs, palace, and garments look as if they have the patina of age. The scratchboard medium enhances the air of mystery the illustrations lend to the story. A writer for School Library Journal (March 1, 1998) sensed a �faint flavor of the 1930�s film style,� and felt that the frames around many of the pictures �are not weighted with detail but suggest the exotic.�
Young children will find the conclusion satisfying, but may be frightened by the drawings of the monster. For older children, they may well be their favorite part. The adventure and well-developed plot will appeal to all. �Drawn from many sources of Armenian folklore, the story weaves strong characters, an adventurous plot, and underlying wisdom into a fabric as beautiful as the carpet King Vachagan weaves to save his life.� (Booklist, March 15, 1998)
Nominations for A Weave of Words
Bluebonnet Award
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
Related Websites
Robert D. San Souci Website: http://www.rsansouci.com/
Ra�l Col�n Website: http://www.morgangaynin.com/colon/artists_thumbs.html
Source
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 20 September 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY