mounted their horses and departed. Abamelik rode before them to point
out the way. When they were approaching the castle the King suddenly
turned his horse as if to ride back again, and said: "You have given
your castle a name and have purposely brought me here to try me."

[8] Probably the King's brother.

Abamelik said: "May your life be long, O master! Believe me, we have
given the castle no name. We have but built it and made it ready."

"Very well. It may be that you have given it no name, but as you have
set up rows of stone pillars let us call it Sausun or Sassun."[9]

[9] "Sassun" signifies "pillar upon pillar." This explains the origin of
the name of Sassun, a district of the old Armenian province Achznik,
south of the city of Musch. The residents of this district up to the
present day owe their independence to their inaccessible dwelling-place.

Here they remained several days. Uncle Toross was also married and
stayed at Sassun, but the King returned home.

And Abamelik was strong and became a mighty man. From the environs of
the Black Mountain and the Peak of Zetzinak, from Upper Musch as far as
Sechanssar and the Plains of Tschapachtschur,[10] he reigned, and built
a wall around his dominions. He made four gates. Often he shut his
doors, mounted his horse, and captured whatever came in his way, both
demons and beasts of prey. Once he penetrated into Mösr and ravaged it,
and he went in to the wife of the Lord of Mösr and lay with her. She
bore a son, and the King of Mösr knew that the boy was Abamelik's and
named him Mösramelik. But afterward Abamelik slew the King and took his