The bilingual “Armenian Peasant Songs” compiled by Father Ghevond Alishan was published in Venice in 1852. The collection of songs included about twenty folk songs from the medieval manuscripts in Venice, Vienna, Paris, London, and recorded oral tradition, which were widely circulated among Armenians as well as foreigners. The first song in the collection is an epic narrative about Leo I titled “To Leo, the son of Hethum I”, which tells about real historic events and heroes, such as King of Cilicia Hethum I (1215-1270) and his son Leo III (1236-1289). Paradoxical as may seem, songs with historic narrative are rare and have not reached our days through the thousand years of Armenia’s history. That is why Alishan’s publication of the song about King Leo has an exceptional value and importance. On 24 August 1266 in the gorge of Mari, near the Sev (Black) Mountains, the Mameluke army, comprised of some 30 thousand soldiers, collided with the 15-thousand Armenian troops. The clash is known in history as the battle of Mari. Thoros, Hethum’s son, died a hero’s death, while Prince Leo along with Vasil Tatar, the son of Smbat Sparapet (Constable), Leo’s uncle, were captivated by the Mamelukes and taken to Egypt, where they spent about two years in captivity. The folk songs about Leo’s captivity have reached our days in manuscripts and are classified as hayrens (15-syllable two-line hayren), which have been very popular and widely spread in the urban songs of the medieval gusans in the territory of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The song about Leo, published by Father Alishan, was later included in many more collections of songs. Years later, alternative versions of songs about King Leo were published by Bishop Trdat Palyan and A. Mnatsakanyan. King Leo III of Cilicia, who was revered as Leo the Metsagorts (the one who acted big), left a significant mark in history and in popular culture. His captivity, which shook the imagination of the minstrels of his time, was reflected in the medieval hayrens and one of the early poems (written in 1848) by Father Ghevond Alishan.