KOMITAS VARDAPET AND MUSIC-THERAPY IN MEDIEVAL ARMENIA
The positive influence of music upon human health has been discovered in most ancient times. These ideas are reflected in Indian Vedas, Greek treatises, Eastern medicine - particularly in Arabic medical tractates.
The traditional theories of music-therapy were derived in Armenian medieval science by the great philosopher of the 5th century - Davit Anhaght (David the Invincible), who adopted them from scholars of the Ionic School.
The great philosopher and healer, the founder of the Cilician medical school Mkhitar Heraci (12th century), has also dealt with music-therapy problems in his famous tractate “Jermanc mxitarutyun”.
The great Armenian composer, singer, conductor, ethnologist and musicologist Komitas Vardapet (Archimandrite) in his article “Music Therapy” aimed to attract attention to a medieval manuscript kept in the Library of Ejmiatsin (the Holy Center of all Armenians), which elucidates the relaxing and healing influence of spiritual music upon human soul and body. So Komitas is the first musicologist who studied Music-therapy described in the Armenian medieval manuscript.
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