Conversion of Epic Works into Media Texts: Animated Film “Daredevils of Sassoun”

This article explores the conversion of epic literature into media texts, focusing on the Armenian epic as a case study. It identifies the factors influencing the substantive, formal, and value-based transformations of the original text through the lens of the animated film "The Daredevils of Sassoun." This choice is motivated by the fact that the film is one of only two feature-length animated productions from Armenia and stands as one of the most renowned and cherished works of the Armenian people. The Armenian epic has also found expression in visual, monumental, and musical arts, having been adapted by Armenian writers. Through a comparative analysis of various versions of the epic and its screen adaptation, the authors conclude that the animated version constitutes an autonomous work that, in several respects, falls short of its folkloric counterparts. On one hand, the synthesis of economic and technological factors negatively impacts the screen representation of the original text, rendering the media text more static and banal. On the other hand, ideological aspects combined with academic approaches complicate the content of the media text. The animated adaptation of the epic, as a polycode text, integrates historical and mythological concepts within its frames, uniting archaic, pagan, and Christian worldviews.

Armenian animation, polycode text, epic adaptation, media, The Daredevils of Sassoun