Armenian mythology
Encyclopedia
Very little is known about pre-Christian Armenian
mythology, the oldest source being the legends of Xorenatsi's History of Armenia
.
Armenian mythology was strongly influenced by Zoroastrianism
, with deities such as Aramazd
, Mihr
or Anahit
, as well as Assyrian traditions, such as Barsamin
, but there are fragmentary traces of native traditions, such as Hayk or Vahagn
and Astghik
.
According to De Morgan there are signs which indicate that the Armenians
were initially nature worshipers and that this faith in time was transformed to the worship of national gods, of which many were the equivalents of the gods in the Roman
, Greek
and Persian
cultures.
tribes that, at the initial stage of their existence, inherited the essential elements of paganism from the Proto-Indo-European
tribes that inhabited the Armenian Plateau. Historians distinguish a significant body of Indo-European language used by Armenian pagans as sacred. Original cult worship is a kind of unfathomable higher power or intelligence called Ara, called the physical embodiment of the sun (Arev) worshiped by the ancient Armenians, who called themselves "the children of the sun". Since ancient times, the cult of sun worship occupied a special place in Armenian mythology. Also among the most ancient types of worship of Indo-European roots are the cults of eagles and lions, and the worship of heaven.
Over time, the Armenian pantheon was updated, and new deities of Armenia
n and not Aryan
origins appeared.
Furthermore, the supreme god of the Armenian pantheon, Vanatur, was later replaced by Aramazd
. The latter, though, has appeared under the influence of Zoroastrianism (see Ahura Mazda
), but with partially preserved traditional Armenian features. Similarly, the traditional Armenian goddess of fertility, Nar, was replaced by Anahit
.
In the Hellenistic age (third to first centuries BC), ancient Armenian deities identified with the ancient Greek deities: Aramazd
with Zeus
, Anahit
with Artemis
, Vahagn
with Hercules
, Astghik
with Aphrodite
, Nane
with Athena
, Mihr with Hephaestus
, Tir
with Apollo
.
After the formal adoption of Christianity
in Armenia
, new mythological images and stories were born as ancient myths and beliefs transformed. Biblical characters took over the functions of the archaic gods and spirits. For example, John the Baptist inherited certain features of Vahagn and Tyre, and the archangel Gabriel
that of Vahagn.
Basic information about Armenian pagan traditions were preserved in the works of ancient Greek authors such as Plato
, Herodotus
, Xenophon
and Strabo
, Byzantine scholar Procopius
of Caesarea, as well as medieval Armenian writers such as Moses of Chorene, Agathangelos
, Yeznik of Kolb, Sebeos
and Anania Shirakatsi
, not to mention oral folk traditions.
, and during the era of Hellenistic influence, he was identified with Zeus
.
Sacred mammals
Sacred birds.
, in the alleged letter of Diocletian
to Tiridates, bears witness to the Armenian veneration for the sun, moon and stars. However the oldest witness to this worship is Xenophon
, who notes that the Armenians
sacrificed horses to the sun, perhaps with some reference to his need of them in his daily course through the skies. The eighth month of the Armenian year and, what is more significant, the first day of every month, were consecrated to the sun and bore its name, while the twenty-fourth day in the Armenian month was consecrated to the moon. The Armenians, like the Persians and most of the sun-worshipping peoples of the East, prayed toward the rising sun, a tradition which the early Armenian Apostolic Church
adopted, so that to this day the Armenian churches are built and the Armenian dead are buried toward the east, the west being the dwelling of evil spirits.
As to the moon, Ohannes Mantaguni in the fifth century bears witness to the belief that the moon prospers the plants, and Anania of Shirak
says in his Demonstrations "The first fathers called her the nurse of the plants". At certain of its phases the moon caused illnesses, especially epilepsy, which was called the moon-disease, and Yeznik of Kolb tries to combat this superstition with the explanation that it is caused by demons whose activity is connected with the phases of the moon. The modem Armenians are still very much afraid of the threaten influence of the moon upon children and try to ward it off by magical ceremonies in the presence of the moon.
Ordinarily in contemporary myths the sun is thought to be a young man and the moon a young girl. But, on the other hand, the Germanic idea of a feminine sun and masculine moon is not foreign to Armenian thought. They are brother and sister, but sometimes also passionate lovers who are engaged in a weary hunt for each other through the trackless fields of the heavens. In such cases it is the youthful moon who is pining away for the sun-maid. The ancient Armenians, like the Latins, possessed two different names for the moon. One of these was Lusin, an obvious equivelant of Luna ( originally Lucna or Lucina ), and the other Ami(n)s, which now like the Latin mens, signifies "month." No doubt Lusin designated the moon as a female goddess, while Amins corresponded to the Phrygian men or Lunus.
Stars and planets and especially the signs of the Zodiac were bound up with human destiny upon which they exercised a crucial influence. According to Yeznik, the Armenians believed that these heavenly objects caused births and mortalities. Good and bad luck were dependent upon the entrance of certain stars into certain signs of the Zodiac. Yeznik mentions repeatedly that stars, constellations, and Zodiacal signs which bear names of animals like Sirius (dog), Arcturus (bear), were originally animals of those names that have been lifted up into the heavens.
. It was so deeply rooted that the Christian authors do not hesitate to call the pagan Armenians ash-worshippers. Fire was, for them, the substance of the sun and of the lightning. Fire gave heat and also light. Even today to put out a candle or a fire is not a simple matter, but requires some care and respect. Fire must not be desecrated by the presence of a dead body, by human breath, by spitting into it, or burning in it such unclean things as hair and parings of the finger nail. An impure fire must be rejected and a purer one kindled in its place, usually from a flint.
The people would swear by the hearth-fire just as they would swear by the sun. Fire was and still is the most potent means of driving the evil spirits away. Eastern Armenians who had to bathe in the night would scare away the evil occupants of the lake or pool by casting a fire-brand into it, and the man who was harassed by an obstinate evil spirit had no more strong method of getting rid of him than to strike fire out of a flint. Through the sparks that the latter apparently contains, it has become, along with iron, an important weapon against the powers of darkness. Not only evil spirits but also diseases, often ascribed to demoniac influences, could not endure the sight of fire. In Armenian there are two words for fire. One is hur, a cognate of the Greek pur, and the other krak, probably derived, like the other Armenian word jrag, "candle," "light," from the Persian cirag. Hur was more common in ancient Armenian, but we find also krak as far back as the Armenian literature reaches. While Vahagn is unmistakably a male deity, we find that the fire as a deity was female, like Hestia
or Vesta.
There is a tendency to present the development of Armenian mythology under the influence of Semitic, Iranian and other cultures. The opposite tendency and uniqueness of Armenian pagan gods are taken in the publications of the authors Ghevont Alishan, Hovik Nersisyan, and others”.
name="Armmyth">http://bulfinch.englishatheist.org/armenian/chapter11.htm
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
mythology, the oldest source being the legends of Xorenatsi's History of Armenia
History of Armenia (Moses of Chorene)
The History of Armenia attributed to Moses Khorenatsi is an early account of Armenia, covering the mythological origins of the Armenian people as well as Armenia's interaction with Sassanid, Byzantine and Arsacid empires down to the 5th century....
.
Armenian mythology was strongly influenced by Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
, with deities such as Aramazd
Aramazd
Aramazd is the principal deity in Armenia's pre-Christian pantheon. He was considered the father of all gods and goddesses, the creator of heaven and earth. Aramazd was the source of earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful. The celebration in his honor was called Amanor, or New Year,...
, Mihr
Mithra
Mithra is the Zoroastrian divinity of covenant and oath. In addition to being the divinity of contracts, Mithra is also a judicial figure, an all-seeing protector of Truth, and the guardian of cattle, the harvest and of The Waters....
or Anahit
Anahit
Anahit was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd.- Temples dedicated to Anahit :...
, as well as Assyrian traditions, such as Barsamin
Barsamin
Barsamin is a weather or sky god among the pre-Christian Armenians. He is probably derived from the Semitic god Baal Shamin....
, but there are fragmentary traces of native traditions, such as Hayk or Vahagn
Vahagn
Vahagn was a god worshiped anciently and historically in Armenia. Some time in his existence, he formed a "triad" with Aramazd and Anahit. Vahagn was identified with the Greek Heracles. The priests of Vahévahian temple, who claimed Vahagn as their own ancestor, placed a statue of the Greek hero...
and Astghik
Astghik
In the earliest prehistoric period Asdghig, commonly referred to as Asya, Astghik, or Astlik, had been worshipped as the Armenian pagan deity of fertility and love , later the skylight had been considered her personification, and she had been the wife or lover of Vahagn...
.
According to De Morgan there are signs which indicate that the Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
were initially nature worshipers and that this faith in time was transformed to the worship of national gods, of which many were the equivalents of the gods in the Roman
Religion in ancient Rome
Religion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities...
, Greek
Ancient Greek religion
Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. These different groups varied enough for it to be possible to speak of Greek religions or "cults" in the plural, though most of them shared...
and Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
cultures.
Georg Brandes described the Armenian gods in his book: “When Armenia accepted Christianity, it was not only the temples which were destroyed, but also the songs and poems about the old gods and heroes that the people sang. We have only rare segments of these songs and poems, segments which bear witness of a great spiritual wealth and the power of creation of this people and these alone are sufficient reason enough for recreating the temples of the old Armenian gods. These gods were neither the Asian heavenly demons nor the precious and the delicate Greek gods, but something that reflected the characteristics of the Armenian people which they have been polishing through the ages, namely ambitious, wise and good-hearted.”
Formation of Armenian mythology
The pantheon of Armenian gods (ditsov) formed during the nucleation of the Proto-ArmenianProto-Armenian language
The earliest testimony of the Armenian language dates to the 5th century AD . The earlier history of the language is unclear and the subject of much speculation....
tribes that, at the initial stage of their existence, inherited the essential elements of paganism from the Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-Europeans
The Proto-Indo-Europeans were the speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language , a reconstructed prehistoric language of Eurasia.Knowledge of them comes chiefly from the linguistic reconstruction, along with material evidence from archaeology and archaeogenetics...
tribes that inhabited the Armenian Plateau. Historians distinguish a significant body of Indo-European language used by Armenian pagans as sacred. Original cult worship is a kind of unfathomable higher power or intelligence called Ara, called the physical embodiment of the sun (Arev) worshiped by the ancient Armenians, who called themselves "the children of the sun". Since ancient times, the cult of sun worship occupied a special place in Armenian mythology. Also among the most ancient types of worship of Indo-European roots are the cults of eagles and lions, and the worship of heaven.
Over time, the Armenian pantheon was updated, and new deities of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n and not Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
origins appeared.
Furthermore, the supreme god of the Armenian pantheon, Vanatur, was later replaced by Aramazd
Aramazd
Aramazd is the principal deity in Armenia's pre-Christian pantheon. He was considered the father of all gods and goddesses, the creator of heaven and earth. Aramazd was the source of earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful. The celebration in his honor was called Amanor, or New Year,...
. The latter, though, has appeared under the influence of Zoroastrianism (see Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazdā is the Avestan name for a divinity of the Old Iranian religion who was proclaimed the uncreated God by Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism...
), but with partially preserved traditional Armenian features. Similarly, the traditional Armenian goddess of fertility, Nar, was replaced by Anahit
Anahit
Anahit was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd.- Temples dedicated to Anahit :...
.
In the Hellenistic age (third to first centuries BC), ancient Armenian deities identified with the ancient Greek deities: Aramazd
Aramazd
Aramazd is the principal deity in Armenia's pre-Christian pantheon. He was considered the father of all gods and goddesses, the creator of heaven and earth. Aramazd was the source of earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful. The celebration in his honor was called Amanor, or New Year,...
with Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
, Anahit
Anahit
Anahit was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd.- Temples dedicated to Anahit :...
with Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
, Vahagn
Vahagn
Vahagn was a god worshiped anciently and historically in Armenia. Some time in his existence, he formed a "triad" with Aramazd and Anahit. Vahagn was identified with the Greek Heracles. The priests of Vahévahian temple, who claimed Vahagn as their own ancestor, placed a statue of the Greek hero...
with Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
, Astghik
Astghik
In the earliest prehistoric period Asdghig, commonly referred to as Asya, Astghik, or Astlik, had been worshipped as the Armenian pagan deity of fertility and love , later the skylight had been considered her personification, and she had been the wife or lover of Vahagn...
with Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
, Nane
Nane (goddess)
Nane or the "Great Mother Goddess" was a pagan Armenian goddess of war, motherhood, and wisdom.- Nane’s relations to other Armenian pagan gods and goddesses :Nane was the daughter of the supreme god Aramazd...
with Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, Mihr with Hephaestus
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
, Tir
TIR
Tir, tir or TIR may mean:* The French term for Schützenfest, a target-shooting competition* Tir , the fourth month in the Iranian calendar* Occasional spelling of the Old Norse theonym Tyr...
with Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
.
After the formal adoption of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, new mythological images and stories were born as ancient myths and beliefs transformed. Biblical characters took over the functions of the archaic gods and spirits. For example, John the Baptist inherited certain features of Vahagn and Tyre, and the archangel Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
that of Vahagn.
Basic information about Armenian pagan traditions were preserved in the works of ancient Greek authors such as Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
and Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
, Byzantine scholar Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
of Caesarea, as well as medieval Armenian writers such as Moses of Chorene, Agathangelos
Agathangelos
Agathangelos , appropriately so named, was a supposed secretary of Tiridates III, King of Armenia, under whose name there has come down a life of the first apostle of Armenia, Gregory the Illuminator, who died about 332. It purports to exhibit the deeds and discourses of Gregory, and has reached us...
, Yeznik of Kolb, Sebeos
Sebeos
Sebeos was a 7th century Armenian bishop and historian who participated in the first Council of Dvin in 645.The history of Sebeos contains detailed descriptions from the period of Sassanid supremacy in Armenia up to the Islamic conquest in 661...
and Anania Shirakatsi
Anania Shirakatsi
Anania Shirakatsi was an Armenian mathematician, astronomer and geographer. He is commonly attributed to having written the Geography .-Life:Scholars are split on where exactly Anania was born...
, not to mention oral folk traditions.
Nature of beliefs
Beliefs of the ancient Armenians were associated with the worship of many cults, mainly the cult of ancestors, the worship of heavenly bodies (the cult of the Sun, the Moon cult, the cult of Heaven) and the worship of certain creatures (lions, eagles, bulls). The main cult, however, was the worship of gods of the Armenian pantheon. The supreme god was the common Indo-European god Ar (as the starting point) followed by Vanatur. Later, due to the influence of Armenian-Persian relations, God the Creator was identified as AramazdAramazd
Aramazd is the principal deity in Armenia's pre-Christian pantheon. He was considered the father of all gods and goddesses, the creator of heaven and earth. Aramazd was the source of earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful. The celebration in his honor was called Amanor, or New Year,...
, and during the era of Hellenistic influence, he was identified with Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
.
Totemism
In addition to the main worship of the eagle and the lion, there were other sacred animals: the bull (Ervand and Ervaz were born to a relationship of a woman and a bull), deer (from the Bronze Age, there are numerous pictures, statues and bas-reliefs associated with the cult of the mother goddess and, later, with the Christian Mother of God), bear, cat and dog (e.g. Aralez).Sacred mammals
- LionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
- HorseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
- OxOxAn ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
- Sheep
Sacred birds.
- Aragil or StorkStorkStorks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
- considered as the messenger of Ara the BeautifulAra the BeautifulAra the Beautiful is a legendary Armenian hero. He is notable in Armenian literature for the popular legend in which he was so handsome that the Assyrian queen Semiramis waged war against Armenia just to get him.He is sometimes associated with the historical king of Ararat known as Arame who...
, as well as the defender of fields. According to ancient mythological conceptions, two stork symbolize the sun. - EagleEagleEagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
- considered as the messenger of the gods in the epic of "David of SasunDavid of SasunDavid of Sasun or David of Sassoun is an Armenian epic hero from the Daredevils of Sassoun who drove Arab invaders out of Armenia.The Sasuntsi Davit is an Armenian national epic poem recounting David's exploits...
". - Akahi or RoosterRoosterA rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
- prophetic bird, the herald of morning light. It was believed that it had a very important function - it was supposed to revive people from the time of death - sleep and heal them from the spirits of disease. - CraneCrane (bird)Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
. - EagleEagleEagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
. - SwallowBarn SwallowThe Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
The sun, the moon and the stars
Several references are made by Moses of Chorene to the worship of the sun and moon in Armenia. In oaths the name of the sun was almost invariably brought up, and there were also altars and images of the sun and the moon. AgathangelosAgathangelos
Agathangelos , appropriately so named, was a supposed secretary of Tiridates III, King of Armenia, under whose name there has come down a life of the first apostle of Armenia, Gregory the Illuminator, who died about 332. It purports to exhibit the deeds and discourses of Gregory, and has reached us...
, in the alleged letter of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
to Tiridates, bears witness to the Armenian veneration for the sun, moon and stars. However the oldest witness to this worship is Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
, who notes that the Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
sacrificed horses to the sun, perhaps with some reference to his need of them in his daily course through the skies. The eighth month of the Armenian year and, what is more significant, the first day of every month, were consecrated to the sun and bore its name, while the twenty-fourth day in the Armenian month was consecrated to the moon. The Armenians, like the Persians and most of the sun-worshipping peoples of the East, prayed toward the rising sun, a tradition which the early Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
adopted, so that to this day the Armenian churches are built and the Armenian dead are buried toward the east, the west being the dwelling of evil spirits.
As to the moon, Ohannes Mantaguni in the fifth century bears witness to the belief that the moon prospers the plants, and Anania of Shirak
Anania Shirakatsi
Anania Shirakatsi was an Armenian mathematician, astronomer and geographer. He is commonly attributed to having written the Geography .-Life:Scholars are split on where exactly Anania was born...
says in his Demonstrations "The first fathers called her the nurse of the plants". At certain of its phases the moon caused illnesses, especially epilepsy, which was called the moon-disease, and Yeznik of Kolb tries to combat this superstition with the explanation that it is caused by demons whose activity is connected with the phases of the moon. The modem Armenians are still very much afraid of the threaten influence of the moon upon children and try to ward it off by magical ceremonies in the presence of the moon.
Ordinarily in contemporary myths the sun is thought to be a young man and the moon a young girl. But, on the other hand, the Germanic idea of a feminine sun and masculine moon is not foreign to Armenian thought. They are brother and sister, but sometimes also passionate lovers who are engaged in a weary hunt for each other through the trackless fields of the heavens. In such cases it is the youthful moon who is pining away for the sun-maid. The ancient Armenians, like the Latins, possessed two different names for the moon. One of these was Lusin, an obvious equivelant of Luna ( originally Lucna or Lucina ), and the other Ami(n)s, which now like the Latin mens, signifies "month." No doubt Lusin designated the moon as a female goddess, while Amins corresponded to the Phrygian men or Lunus.
Stars and planets and especially the signs of the Zodiac were bound up with human destiny upon which they exercised a crucial influence. According to Yeznik, the Armenians believed that these heavenly objects caused births and mortalities. Good and bad luck were dependent upon the entrance of certain stars into certain signs of the Zodiac. Yeznik mentions repeatedly that stars, constellations, and Zodiacal signs which bear names of animals like Sirius (dog), Arcturus (bear), were originally animals of those names that have been lifted up into the heavens.
Fire
The worship of fire was possessed by Armenians as a venerable heirloom long before they were influenced by ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
. It was so deeply rooted that the Christian authors do not hesitate to call the pagan Armenians ash-worshippers. Fire was, for them, the substance of the sun and of the lightning. Fire gave heat and also light. Even today to put out a candle or a fire is not a simple matter, but requires some care and respect. Fire must not be desecrated by the presence of a dead body, by human breath, by spitting into it, or burning in it such unclean things as hair and parings of the finger nail. An impure fire must be rejected and a purer one kindled in its place, usually from a flint.
The people would swear by the hearth-fire just as they would swear by the sun. Fire was and still is the most potent means of driving the evil spirits away. Eastern Armenians who had to bathe in the night would scare away the evil occupants of the lake or pool by casting a fire-brand into it, and the man who was harassed by an obstinate evil spirit had no more strong method of getting rid of him than to strike fire out of a flint. Through the sparks that the latter apparently contains, it has become, along with iron, an important weapon against the powers of darkness. Not only evil spirits but also diseases, often ascribed to demoniac influences, could not endure the sight of fire. In Armenian there are two words for fire. One is hur, a cognate of the Greek pur, and the other krak, probably derived, like the other Armenian word jrag, "candle," "light," from the Persian cirag. Hur was more common in ancient Armenian, but we find also krak as far back as the Armenian literature reaches. While Vahagn is unmistakably a male deity, we find that the fire as a deity was female, like Hestia
Hestia
In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...
or Vesta.
Pantheon
- The Pantheon of pagan Armenia
- AramazdAramazdAramazd is the principal deity in Armenia's pre-Christian pantheon. He was considered the father of all gods and goddesses, the creator of heaven and earth. Aramazd was the source of earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful. The celebration in his honor was called Amanor, or New Year,...
- The father of all the gods and goddesses, Aramazd created the heavens and the earth. The first two letters in his name, "AR", are the Armenian root for sun, light, and life. Worshiped as a sun-god, Aramazd was considered to be the source of earth’s fertility. His feast Am'nor, or New Year, was celebrated on March 21 in the old Armenian calendar. Aramazd's main sanctuary was one of the principal cult centers of Ancient Armenia.
- Aramazd
- AnahitAnahitAnahit was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd.- Temples dedicated to Anahit :...
- The goddess of fertility and birth, and daughter or wife of Aramazd, Anahit is identified with ArtemisArtemisArtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
and AphroditeAphroditeAphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
. "Great Lady Anahit", one of the most loved and honored Armenian goddesses, was often sculptured with a child in her hands, and with a particular hair style of Armenian women. Temples dedicated to Anahit were established in ArmavirArmavir, ArmeniaArmavir is a city located in western Armenia. The 1989 census reported that the city had a total population of 46,900, but this has declined considerably: the 2001 census counted 32,034; estimate for 2008 is 26,387. It is the capital of the Armavir province . The city of Armavir in Russia, founded...
, ArtashatArtashatArtashat , is a city on Araks River in the Ararat valley, 30 km southeast of Yerevan. Being one of the oldest cities of Armenia, Artashat is the capital of Ararat Province. Modern Artashat is situated on the Yerevan-Nakhichevan-Baku and Nakhichevan-Tabriz railway and on...
, AshtishatDerikDerik , is a district of the Mardin Province in the southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It has borders with Mazıdağı, Viranşehir and Kızıltepe. The Assyrian/Syriac People formed once a majority in this district....
. A mountain in the RomanRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
district of Sophene was thought to be Anahit's throne (Ator Anahta).
- VahagnVahagnVahagn was a god worshiped anciently and historically in Armenia. Some time in his existence, he formed a "triad" with Aramazd and Anahit. Vahagn was identified with the Greek Heracles. The priests of Vahévahian temple, who claimed Vahagn as their own ancestor, placed a statue of the Greek hero...
- The third god of the Armenian Pantheon, Vahagn is the god of thunder and lightning, and a herculean hero noted for slaying dragons. He was also worshiped as a sun-god and a god of courageCourageCourage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
. Vahagn's main sanctuary was located in the AshtishatDerikDerik , is a district of the Mardin Province in the southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It has borders with Mazıdağı, Viranşehir and Kızıltepe. The Assyrian/Syriac People formed once a majority in this district....
(a region in ancient Armenia). Vahagn was also a god of war to whom Armenian kings and warlords would pray before engaging in battle.
- AstghikAstghikIn the earliest prehistoric period Asdghig, commonly referred to as Asya, Astghik, or Astlik, had been worshipped as the Armenian pagan deity of fertility and love , later the skylight had been considered her personification, and she had been the wife or lover of Vahagn...
- Goddess of love, beauty and water, wife or lover of VahagnVahagnVahagn was a god worshiped anciently and historically in Armenia. Some time in his existence, he formed a "triad" with Aramazd and Anahit. Vahagn was identified with the Greek Heracles. The priests of Vahévahian temple, who claimed Vahagn as their own ancestor, placed a statue of the Greek hero...
and often sculptured without clothes. Her temple in AshtishatDerikDerik , is a district of the Mardin Province in the southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It has borders with Mazıdağı, Viranşehir and Kızıltepe. The Assyrian/Syriac People formed once a majority in this district....
was called "the room of Vahagn", where she met her lover. Astghik is still honored nowadays by ArmeniansArmeniansArmenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
worldwide by the VartavarVartavarVartavar is a festival in Armenia where people of all ages drench each other with water. Its name is a derivative from “vard” in Armenian, which stands for “rose” in English.-Origin:...
feast where people celebrate by Water fights.
- NaneNane (goddess)Nane or the "Great Mother Goddess" was a pagan Armenian goddess of war, motherhood, and wisdom.- Nane’s relations to other Armenian pagan gods and goddesses :Nane was the daughter of the supreme god Aramazd...
- The daughter of Aramazd, Nane was considered the goddess of war, motherhood and wisdom. Her cult was closely connected with that of AnahitAnahitAnahit was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd.- Temples dedicated to Anahit :...
, and her temple was located in GavarGavarGavar , is a city and the provincial capital of the Armenian province of Gegharkunik. It was known as Nor Bayezet or Novyi Bayazet until 1959, then Kamo until 1996...
, near Anahit's temple.
- Ara 'Ara the BeautifulAra the BeautifulAra the Beautiful is a legendary Armenian hero. He is notable in Armenian literature for the popular legend in which he was so handsome that the Assyrian queen Semiramis waged war against Armenia just to get him.He is sometimes associated with the historical king of Ararat known as Arame who...
’- the god of spring, flora, agriculture, sowing and water. He is associated with OsirisOsirisOsiris is an Egyptian god, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and...
, VishnuVishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and DionysusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
, as the symbol of new life.
- Mihr - The god of light, heaven and sun. He was the son of AramazdAramazdAramazd is the principal deity in Armenia's pre-Christian pantheon. He was considered the father of all gods and goddesses, the creator of heaven and earth. Aramazd was the source of earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful. The celebration in his honor was called Amanor, or New Year,...
, the brother of AnahitAnahitAnahit was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd.- Temples dedicated to Anahit :...
and NaneNane (goddess)Nane or the "Great Mother Goddess" was a pagan Armenian goddess of war, motherhood, and wisdom.- Nane’s relations to other Armenian pagan gods and goddesses :Nane was the daughter of the supreme god Aramazd...
. His center of worship was located in Bagaharich. The pagan temple of Garni was dedicated to him.
- TirTIRTir, tir or TIR may mean:* The French term for Schützenfest, a target-shooting competition* Tir , the fourth month in the Iranian calendar* Occasional spelling of the Old Norse theonym Tyr...
- God of wisdom, culture, science and studies, he also was an interpreter of dreams. He was the messenger of the gods and was associated with ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
. Tir's temple was located near ArtashatArtashatArtashat , is a city on Araks River in the Ararat valley, 30 km southeast of Yerevan. Being one of the oldest cities of Armenia, Artashat is the capital of Ararat Province. Modern Artashat is situated on the Yerevan-Nakhichevan-Baku and Nakhichevan-Tabriz railway and on...
.
- Amanor or Vanatur (same god with different names) - Amanor was the deity of Armenian new year. His feast, Navasard (New year), was held at the end of July. His temple was located in BhagavanDiyadinDiyadin is a district of Ağrı Province of Turkey, at the foot of Mount Tendürek, a high peak in the Aladağlar range that stands between Ağrı and the north shore of Lake Van...
.
- TsovinarTsovinar (goddess)Tsovinar or Nar was the Armenian goddess of water, sea, and rain. She was a fire creature, who forced the rain and hail to fall from the heavens with her fury.Her name Tsovinar means "Nar of the sea".-External links and references:*...
- Also called Nar, she was the goddess of rain, sea and water, though she was actually a fiery being who forced rain to fall.
- Spandaramet - The god of the dungeon and the kingdom of the dead, he was identified with the Greek god Hades.
- Hayk - Legendary archerArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
and forefather of the Armenian people, Haik slew the TitanTitan (mythology)In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Bel. Haik was identified with the Sun-god Orion.
- ArayArayAray is a war god worshipped by the pre-Christian Armenians. Some traditions suggest that he was also a dying-and-rising god....
- A little-known war god.
- BarsaminBarsaminBarsamin is a weather or sky god among the pre-Christian Armenians. He is probably derived from the Semitic god Baal Shamin....
- God of sky and weather, probably derived from the semitic god Baal Shamin.
There is a tendency to present the development of Armenian mythology under the influence of Semitic, Iranian and other cultures. The opposite tendency and uniqueness of Armenian pagan gods are taken in the publications of the authors Ghevont Alishan, Hovik Nersisyan, and others”.
Monsters and spirits
- Al - The Al is a dwarfish evil spirit that attacks pregnant women and steals newborn babies. Described as half-animal and half-man, its teeth are of iron and nails of brass or copper. It usually wears a pointed hat covered in bells, and can become invisible.
name="Armmyth">http://bulfinch.englishatheist.org/armenian/chapter11.htm
- AralezAralezAralez is a town in the Ararat Province of Armenia.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com*...
- Aralezner - The oldest gods in the Armenian pantheon, Aralez are dog-like creatures with powers to resuscitate fallen warriors and resurrect the dead by licking wounds clean.
- DevDevDev may refer to:People:* Dev Anand, a Indian Hindi movie actor* Dev, an Indian* Dev , Indian Bengali actor* Dev Patel, British actor, star of Slumdog Millionaire and Skins...
s - The Dev are air-composed spirit creatures originating from Zoroastrian mythology (the DaevaDaevaDaeva in Avestan language meaning "a being of shining light", is a term for a particular sort of supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics. Equivalents in Iranian languages include Pashto dêw , Baluchi dêw , Persian dīv , Kurdish dêw...
s), and share many similarities to angels. They reside in stony places and ruins, and usually kept to themselves.
- Sahapet - The Shahapet were usually friendly guardian spirits who typically appeared in the form of serpents. They inhabited houses, orchards, fields, forests and graveyards, among other places. The Shvaz type was more agriculturally oriented, while the Shvod was a guardian of the home. A Shvod who is well-treated may reward the home's inhabitants with gold, but if mistreated might cause strife and leave.
- Nhang - The Nhang (from the Persian word for "crocodile") was a river-dwelling serpent-monster with shape shifting powers, often connected to the more conventional Armenian dragons. The creature could change into a seal or lure a man by transforming into a woman, then drag in and drown the victim to drink its blood. The word "Nhang" is sometimes used as a generic term for a sea-monster in ancient Armenian literature.
- PiatekPiatekThe Piatek exists in Armenian folklore as a large mammal from very ancient times. This animal had a very large beak and strange hair which stood on end. This is all that remains today of any description of such a creature, as it can be found only in one Armenian tablet...
- The PiatekPiatekThe Piatek exists in Armenian folklore as a large mammal from very ancient times. This animal had a very large beak and strange hair which stood on end. This is all that remains today of any description of such a creature, as it can be found only in one Armenian tablet...
is a large mammalian creature similar to a wingless griffin.
Heroes and legendary monarchs
- Hayk - The legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation. In Moses of Chorene's account, Hayk, son of Torgoma (Armaneak). After the arrogant TitanTitan (mythology)In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
id BelBelus (Assyrian)Belus or Belos in classical Greek or classical Latin texts in an Assyrian context refers to one or another purportedly ancient and historically nonexistent Assyrian king, such king in part at least a euhemerization of the Babylonian god Bel Marduk.Belus most commonly appears as the father of...
asserts himself as king, Hayk left BabylonBabylonBabylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
to emigrate with his extended household of at least 300 to settle in the AraratMount AraratMount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...
region, founding a village he names Haykashen.
- Ara the BeautifulAra the BeautifulAra the Beautiful is a legendary Armenian hero. He is notable in Armenian literature for the popular legend in which he was so handsome that the Assyrian queen Semiramis waged war against Armenia just to get him.He is sometimes associated with the historical king of Ararat known as Arame who...
- (also Ara the Handsome or Ara the Fair; Ara Geghetsik) is a legendary Armenian hero. He is notable in Armenian literature for the popular legend in which he was so handsome that the AssyriaAssyriaAssyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n queen SemiramisSemiramisThe real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age....
, who coveted him, waged war against Armenia to capture and possess him. He is sometimes associated with the historical king of AraratUrartuUrartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
known as ArameAramuAramu or Arame was the first known king of Urartu.Living at the time of Shalmaneser III , Aram united the Nairi tribe against the threat of the Assyrian Empire...
who ruled in the 9th century BC.
- Yervant and Ervaz - or Eruand and Eruaz - Mythical twins born from a woman of the Arsacid Dynasty of ArmeniaArsacid Dynasty of ArmeniaThe Arsacid dynasty or Arshakuni dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 54 AD to 428 AD. Formerly a branch of the Iranian Parthian Arsacids, they became a distinctly Armenian dynasty. Arsacid Kings reigned intermittently throughout the chaotic years following the fall of the Artaxiad Dynasty...
, distinguished by enormous features and over-sensitivity.
- KarapetKarapetKarapet may be:*the Armenian for prodromos, referring to John the Baptist.*a church of the Noravank monastery*the 4th century Armenian monastery of St. Karapet at Glak*a church of the Khtzkonk monastery near Ani*an Armenian given name...
- a pre-Christian Armenian mythological character identified with John the BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
after the adoption of Christianity by the Armenians. Karapet is usually represented as a glittering long-haired thunder-god with a purple crown and a cross.
- NimrodNimrodNimrod means "Hunter"; was a Biblical Mesopotamian king mentioned in the Table of Nations; an eponym for the city of Nimrud.Nimrod can also refer to any of the following:*Nimród Antal, a director...
- Great-grandson of NoahNoahNoah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
and the king of ShinarShinarShinar was a geographical locale of uncertain boundaries in Mesopotamia. The name may be a corruption of Shene nahar , Shene or , or Sumer .It has been suggested that Shinar must have been confined to the northern part of Mesopotamia Shinar (Hebrew Šin`ar, Septuagint Σεννααρ Sennaar) was a...
, Nimrod is depicted in the Bible as both a man of power in the earth and a mighty hunter.
- Pahapan Hreshtak - Guardian Angels.
- Sanasar and Baghdasar - Two brothers founded the town of SassoonSasonSason is a district in the Batman Province of Turkey. It was formerly part of the sanjak of Siirt, which was in Diyarbakır vilayet until 1880 and in Bitlis vilayet in 1892. Later it became part of Muş sanjak in Bitlis vilayet, and remained part of Muş until 1927...
, ushering in the eponymous state. Sanasar was considered the ancestor of several generations of heroes of Sassoon. - SarkisSarkisSarkis Zabunyan, known as Sarkis, is a Turkish-born Armenian conceptual artist living in France....
- A hero, associated with pre-Christian myths, later identified with Christian saints who bore the same name. He is represented as a tall, slender, handsome knight mounted upon a white horse. Sarkis is able to raise the wind, storms and blizzards, and turn them against enemies.
- ShamiramSemiramisThe real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age....
- The legendary AssyriaAssyriaAssyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n queen that led a war against the Kingdom of ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
just to get Ara the BeautifulAra the BeautifulAra the Beautiful is a legendary Armenian hero. He is notable in Armenian literature for the popular legend in which he was so handsome that the Assyrian queen Semiramis waged war against Armenia just to get him.He is sometimes associated with the historical king of Ararat known as Arame who...
.
Fairy tales
- The Clever Weaver
- The Golden-Headed FishThe Golden-Headed FishThe Golden-Headed Fish is an Armenian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Olive Fairy Book.-Synopsis:A king was going blind. A traveller said that if a golden-headed fish, found in the Great Sea, was brought to him within a hundred days, he would prepare an ointment from its blood to save...
- He Wins Who Waits
- The Lady of Sparrow-Hawk
- The Steel Cane
- The Story of ZoulvisiaThe Story of ZoulvisiaThe Story of Zoulvisia is an Armenian fairy tale collected by Frédéric Macler in Contes Arméniens. Andrew Lang included it in The Olive Fairy Book...