- Mythology, Folklore, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Indo-European Linguistics, Religion, Comparative mythology, and 40 moreArmenian Studies, Urartu, Early history of Armenia and Georgia, Armenian Mythology, Origins of Armenians, Hittite, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Armenian History, Ancient Near East, Armenian Culture, Urartian Archaeology, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Urartology, Anatolian Studies, Anatolian Languages, Hurrian, Urartian Studies, Urartian language, Urartian Kingdom, Ethnohistory, Ethnoarchaeology, Mythology And Folklore, Folklore (Literature), Epic poetry, Greek Epic, Children's Folklore, Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of Religion, Cultural Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, Armenian Language, Armenian Genocide, Toponymy, Historical Linguistics, Classical Mythology, Indoeuropean Studies, Onomastics, and Proto Indo-Europeanedit
The name of the third great god of Urartu Šiuini (to read: Siwini) could have been borrowed from a Hittite dialect, cf. Hitt. šiu- (šiuni, šiuanni, šiuna-) “god”, earlier: “sun god”, cf. šiuatt- “daytime” < *dyeu-, from the Indo-European... more
The name of the third great god of Urartu Šiuini (to read: Siwini) could have been borrowed from a Hittite dialect, cf. Hitt. šiu- (šiuni, šiuanni, šiuna-) “god”, earlier: “sun god”, cf. šiuatt- “daytime” < *dyeu-, from the Indo-European name of the god of daylight sky. The capital of Urartu Tušpa was the worship centre of this god. It may be thought that in earliest times this region was inhabited by a Hittite speaking people. Šiuini is comparable to the name of the Armenian province of Siwnik‘, where traces of ancient cult of the sun god have survived. Probably, the people of the region of Tušpa moved to Siwnik‘ at around in the beginning of the first millennium BC, under pressure of the Urartians.
Research Interests:
Վերջին տարիներին գիտութեան զարգացումը հնարաւոր դարձրեց հնագոյն մարդկանց կմախքի քունքոսկրի՝ ականջի ետեւի վիմային մասից (լատին. pars petrosa) առանձնացնել եւ ուսումնասիրել հազարամեակներ պահպանուած ծինային նիւթը, ինչը նոր լիցք տուեց... more
Վերջին տարիներին գիտութեան զարգացումը հնարաւոր դարձրեց հնագոյն մարդկանց կմախքի քունքոսկրի՝ ականջի ետեւի վիմային մասից (լատին. pars petrosa) առանձնացնել եւ ուսումնասիրել հազարամեակներ պահպանուած ծինային նիւթը, ինչը նոր լիցք տուեց հնագենետիկական (paleogenetic, archaeogenetic) ուսումնասիրութիւններին: Եւ, ներկայումս հնդեւրոպաբանութեան մէջ, լեզուաբանութեանը եւ հնագիտութեանը հաւասար, սկսել են էական դեր կատարել նաեւ այդ ուսումնասիրութիւնները, որոնք, կարելի է ասել, նոր էջ են բացում հին ժողովուրդների, նրանց նախահայրենիքի, գաղթերի եւ տարաբնակութեան հարցերում: Այդ ուսումնասիրութիւնները էական նիւթ են տալիս նաեւ հնագոյն հայերի նոյնացման եւ այսպիսով՝ հայոց ազգածագման առաւել դժուար խնդրի լուծման գործում ճշտում եւ լրացնում են որոշ տեսակէտեր եւ բացառում միւսները: Ստորեւ, առավելապես կենտրոնանալով խնդրի բանասիրական և պատմական տեսանկյուններին, սփիւռքահայ լսարանի համար համառօտակի կը ներկայացուեն արդյունքներն եւ եզրակացութիւնները:
Research Interests:
Վերջին տարիներին հնդեվրոպաբանության մեջ, լեզվաբանությանը և հնագիտությանը հավասար, սկսում են էական դեր կատարել հնագենետիկական ուսումնասիրությունները, որոնք, կարելի է ասել, նոր էջ են բացում հնդեվրոպական հին ժողովուրդների, նրանց... more
Վերջին տարիներին հնդեվրոպաբանության մեջ, լեզվաբանությանը և հնագիտությանը հավասար, սկսում են էական դեր կատարել հնագենետիկական ուսումնասիրությունները, որոնք, կարելի է ասել, նոր էջ են բացում հնդեվրոպական հին ժողովուրդների, նրանց նախահայրենիքի, միգրացիաների և տարաբնակման հարցերում: Այդ ուսումնասիրությունները էական նյութ են տալիս նաև վաղնջահայերենի կրողների նույնացման և այսպիսով՝ հայոց ազգածագման առավել դժվար խնդրի լուծման գործում՝ ճշտում և լրացնում են որոշ տեսակետներ և բացառում մյուսները: Ստորև ներկայացվում են գիտության նորագույն տվյալներ, որոնց հիման վրա քննարկվում է մեր երկրի նախապատմության և վաղ պատմության կարևորագույն խնդիրը՝ հայ ժողովրդի ծագման և ձևավորման ընթացքը:
Research Interests:
THE PROBLEM OF ARMENIAN ORIGINS IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT ARCHAEOGENETIC DATA Armen Petrosyan, Aram Palyan The article presents the latest archaeօgenetic data, by comparing linguistic and archaeological evidences, on the basis of which... more
THE PROBLEM OF ARMENIAN ORIGINS IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT ARCHAEOGENETIC DATA
Armen Petrosyan, Aram Palyan
The article presents the latest archaeօgenetic data, by comparing linguistic and archaeological evidences, on the basis of which one of the most important problems of the prehistory and early history of Armenia – the origin and formation of the Armenian people – Is examined. According to those data, the Urheimat of the Indo-Hittite or Indo-Anatolian community was localized in the Armenian Highland and adjacent territories. From here, some of them crossed the Caucasus to the north and settled in the Eastern European steppe and forest-steppe regions, from the Volga to the Dniester. Since the beginning of the 5th millennium B.C., Eastern European Steppe populations had an increasing genetic contribution from the territories south of the Caucasus. And the people of the subsequent Yamnaya culture there had half of their gene pool of southern origin.
It was there that the Indo-European homeland formed, from where all the currently spoken Indo-European languages originated (while the Anatolian languages of Asia Minor disappeared more than two thousand years ago). Archaeogenetic data convincingly prove the reverse migration of people across the Caucasus from the Eastern European steppes to Transcaucasia and the Armenian Highland since the middle of 3th millennium B.C. They and their descendants created the Early Kurgans, Trialeti-Vanadzor, Sevan-Artsakh, Karmirvank, Karmirberd and Lchashen-Metsamor cultures of the Middle and Late Bronze Age. Even at the end of Urartu the local population in Republic of Armenia territory still had a significant Steppe
patrilineal DNA (75%). The Armenian had to be the language of the creators of these cultures, and genetic data makes the Etiuni hypothesis of Armenian origins more likely. Modern Armenians gene pool is similar to Neolithic farmers of the region, but it has also a significant patrilineal ancestry inherited from the Steppe homeland (c. 30%).
Armen Petrosyan, Aram Palyan
The article presents the latest archaeօgenetic data, by comparing linguistic and archaeological evidences, on the basis of which one of the most important problems of the prehistory and early history of Armenia – the origin and formation of the Armenian people – Is examined. According to those data, the Urheimat of the Indo-Hittite or Indo-Anatolian community was localized in the Armenian Highland and adjacent territories. From here, some of them crossed the Caucasus to the north and settled in the Eastern European steppe and forest-steppe regions, from the Volga to the Dniester. Since the beginning of the 5th millennium B.C., Eastern European Steppe populations had an increasing genetic contribution from the territories south of the Caucasus. And the people of the subsequent Yamnaya culture there had half of their gene pool of southern origin.
It was there that the Indo-European homeland formed, from where all the currently spoken Indo-European languages originated (while the Anatolian languages of Asia Minor disappeared more than two thousand years ago). Archaeogenetic data convincingly prove the reverse migration of people across the Caucasus from the Eastern European steppes to Transcaucasia and the Armenian Highland since the middle of 3th millennium B.C. They and their descendants created the Early Kurgans, Trialeti-Vanadzor, Sevan-Artsakh, Karmirvank, Karmirberd and Lchashen-Metsamor cultures of the Middle and Late Bronze Age. Even at the end of Urartu the local population in Republic of Armenia territory still had a significant Steppe
patrilineal DNA (75%). The Armenian had to be the language of the creators of these cultures, and genetic data makes the Etiuni hypothesis of Armenian origins more likely. Modern Armenians gene pool is similar to Neolithic farmers of the region, but it has also a significant patrilineal ancestry inherited from the Steppe homeland (c. 30%).
Research Interests: Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Anatolian Languages, Hittite, and 9 moreArchaeogenetics, Armenian History, Ancient Near East, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Armenia, Proto Indo-European, Ancient Near Eastern History, and Indo European Migrations
THE EARLIEST ARMENIAN THUNDER GOD, HURRO-URARTIAN TEŠŠUB/TEIŠEBA AND THE GREEK THESEUS: IMAGE AND NAME The most outstanding monuments of ancient Armenia are the huge stone steles vishaps (“dragons”), the fi rst samples of which date... more
THE EARLIEST ARMENIAN THUNDER GOD, HURRO-URARTIAN TEŠŠUB/TEIŠEBA AND THE GREEK THESEUS:
IMAGE AND NAME
The most outstanding monuments of ancient Armenia are the huge stone steles vishaps (“dragons”), the fi rst samples of which date back to the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age (24th c. BC). A detailed analysis shows that the vishaps were attributes of the cult of the Indo-European thunder god, and before the Iranian word višap was borrowed, they were called
by an Indo-European name of the mythological Serpent (geɫ < *wel-), the adversary of the god. Echoes of this Indo-European myth are also found in other archaeological artifacts of pre-Urartian Armenia. The most interesting of them, the so-called axe-bull, a bronze object with something resembling both a bull’s head and an axe in the center, surrounded by two or three
open or closed concentric circles. According to L. Abrahamyan, this composition can be best explained by the Greek mythologeme “Minotaur in the Labyrinth.” The Indo-European thunder god represented the military function and thus embodied the image of an archaic warrior. His
weapon was a hammer or an axe, and his symbol was a bull. The name of the Hurro-Urartian (Hurr. Teššub, Urart. Teišeba /= Theišewa/) has no acceptable etymology in these languages. Its attributes, symbol, and myths (axe, bull, victory over a stone monster) resemble the image of the Indo-European thunderer. The article proposes an Armenian etymology for
this theonym from the Indo-European *tek’s- + *h1ep- ‘axe holder.’ His image, Grecized as Theseus, was borrowed by the Greeks (apparently, through the Cilician Achaeans of the end of the 2nd millennium BC) becoming one of the key figures of the Cretan cycle.
K e y w o r d s: Indo-European linguistics; Indo-European mythology; thunder god; Hurrian mythology; Teššub/Teišeba; Theseus.
IMAGE AND NAME
The most outstanding monuments of ancient Armenia are the huge stone steles vishaps (“dragons”), the fi rst samples of which date back to the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age (24th c. BC). A detailed analysis shows that the vishaps were attributes of the cult of the Indo-European thunder god, and before the Iranian word višap was borrowed, they were called
by an Indo-European name of the mythological Serpent (geɫ < *wel-), the adversary of the god. Echoes of this Indo-European myth are also found in other archaeological artifacts of pre-Urartian Armenia. The most interesting of them, the so-called axe-bull, a bronze object with something resembling both a bull’s head and an axe in the center, surrounded by two or three
open or closed concentric circles. According to L. Abrahamyan, this composition can be best explained by the Greek mythologeme “Minotaur in the Labyrinth.” The Indo-European thunder god represented the military function and thus embodied the image of an archaic warrior. His
weapon was a hammer or an axe, and his symbol was a bull. The name of the Hurro-Urartian (Hurr. Teššub, Urart. Teišeba /= Theišewa/) has no acceptable etymology in these languages. Its attributes, symbol, and myths (axe, bull, victory over a stone monster) resemble the image of the Indo-European thunderer. The article proposes an Armenian etymology for
this theonym from the Indo-European *tek’s- + *h1ep- ‘axe holder.’ His image, Grecized as Theseus, was borrowed by the Greeks (apparently, through the Cilician Achaeans of the end of the 2nd millennium BC) becoming one of the key figures of the Cretan cycle.
K e y w o r d s: Indo-European linguistics; Indo-European mythology; thunder god; Hurrian mythology; Teššub/Teišeba; Theseus.
Research Interests: Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, and 8 moreComparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Urartology, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Urartu, and Comparative Indo-European Linguistics
Aragats is one of the mountains surrounding Ararat Valley, the center of historical Greater Armenia. The nearby mountain and the valley itself were named after Ara the Handsome, the "dying and resurrecting" god of Armenian mythology,... more
Aragats is one of the mountains surrounding Ararat Valley, the center of
historical Greater Armenia. The nearby mountain and the valley itself were named after Ara the Handsome, the "dying and resurrecting" god of Armenian mythology, who in ethnogonic tradition figures as one of the ethnarchs of Armenia. In Christian tradition his heir was St. Gregory the Illuminator, the propagator of Christianity in Armenia. In this paper a new etymology for Aragats is proposed – the name of the god Ara + gac (from the Indo-European *weh2g̑- "smash"). This root used to name vajra, the lightning weapon of the ancient Indian god Indra, and vazra, the mace of the Iranian god Mithra. Our analysis of the myths and legends of Ara the Handsome, St. Gregory, the mountains comes to confirm the proposed etymology.
Key words: Aragats, Ara the Handsome, Mountain of Ara, Field of Ara, Gregory the Illuminator, Indo-European linguistics, comparative mythology.
historical Greater Armenia. The nearby mountain and the valley itself were named after Ara the Handsome, the "dying and resurrecting" god of Armenian mythology, who in ethnogonic tradition figures as one of the ethnarchs of Armenia. In Christian tradition his heir was St. Gregory the Illuminator, the propagator of Christianity in Armenia. In this paper a new etymology for Aragats is proposed – the name of the god Ara + gac (from the Indo-European *weh2g̑- "smash"). This root used to name vajra, the lightning weapon of the ancient Indian god Indra, and vazra, the mace of the Iranian god Mithra. Our analysis of the myths and legends of Ara the Handsome, St. Gregory, the mountains comes to confirm the proposed etymology.
Key words: Aragats, Ara the Handsome, Mountain of Ara, Field of Ara, Gregory the Illuminator, Indo-European linguistics, comparative mythology.
Research Interests:
In the Greek myth on Argonauts the images of King Aeetes and his daughter Medea are comparable with the images of Yayati and his daughter Madhavi of Indian and Eochaid and his daughter Medb of Irish mythologies, studied in details in the... more
In the Greek myth on Argonauts the images of King Aeetes and his daughter Medea are comparable with the images of Yayati and his daughter Madhavi of Indian and Eochaid and his daughter Medb of Irish mythologies, studied in details in the context of IndoEuropean mythology by Georges Dumézil. Aia, the country where the Argonauts sail, is obviously a mythological magical kingdom, a blissful otherworld, later identified with Colchis. Ancient Colchis was located in the south-west of the later Colchis, in the territories, where in the 14th-13th centuries BC the kingdom of Hayasa of Hittite sources was located. This gives reason to believe that the mythical Aia was identified with the historical Hayasa.
Key words – Indo-European mythology, prehistory of Armenia, the Argonaut myth, Aia, Kolchis, Ayetes, Medea.
Key words – Indo-European mythology, prehistory of Armenia, the Argonaut myth, Aia, Kolchis, Ayetes, Medea.
Research Interests: Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, and 7 moreGreek Myth, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Ancient Greek Mythology, Comparative Indo-European Linguistics, Proto-Indo-European Mythology, and Indo-European Etymology
The land of U(e)duri Etiuni, mentioned in the Urartian sources, is localized on the southern shore of Lake Sevan, mainly on the territory of Sot’k district of Syunik province of Greater Armenia. The hypothesis of S.Yeremyan according to... more
The land of U(e)duri Etiuni, mentioned in the Urartian sources, is localized on the southern shore of Lake Sevan, mainly on the territory of Sot’k district of Syunik province of Greater Armenia. The hypothesis of S.Yeremyan according to which the first component of this toponym is associated with the Thracian word βέδυ “water” is not confirmed. In fact, this word is not Thracian, but Phrygian, while “Uduri” more resembles the Ancient Greek ὕδωρ, “water”. This country was an integral part of the large and powerful Etiuni confederation, occupying the central and northern regions of the Armenian Highland. According to our hypothesis, it was the cradle of Armenians, “Primary Armenia”. The most characteristic monuments of the ancient Etiuni culture were the stone vishap “dragon” stelae, which are found in the highest density in the area of Lake Sevan. These stelae, before borrowing the Iranian word vishap, were called *geł, after the mythological serpent of Indo-European mythology *wel. To the southwest of Lake Sevan, in the territory of the former U(e)duri Etiuni there was a swampy lake Gilly, in which, according to a legend, a dragon lived. This toponym probably derives from the ancient *Gełi, which turned into Gilly within a Turkish environment.
Keywords: Urartian onomastics, Etiuni, Uduri Etiuni, IndoEuropean mythology, mythological serpent, vishap stelae.
Keywords: Urartian onomastics, Etiuni, Uduri Etiuni, IndoEuropean mythology, mythological serpent, vishap stelae.
Research Interests: Near Eastern Archaeology, Near Eastern Studies, Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, and 10 moreArmenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Urartian Archaeology, Ancient Near Eastern History, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Urartu, and Urartian Studies
1. Arm. drawš "statue of a god" is compared with Urart. diruši, apparently denoting the statue of the supreme god Haldi. 2. Arm. kot‘oɫ “monument, tower” corresponds to Urart. qudula-ni "temple, tower", which denoted the specific... more
1. Arm. drawš "statue of a god" is compared with Urart. diruši, apparently denoting the statue of the supreme god Haldi.
2. Arm. kot‘oɫ “monument, tower” corresponds to Urart. qudula-ni "temple,
tower", which denoted the specific tower temples of Haldi.
3. Urart. personal name Lubšuṣini is etymologized as Arm. lousacin "luminous" / "born of light"
2. Arm. kot‘oɫ “monument, tower” corresponds to Urart. qudula-ni "temple,
tower", which denoted the specific tower temples of Haldi.
3. Urart. personal name Lubšuṣini is etymologized as Arm. lousacin "luminous" / "born of light"
Research Interests:
Hurro-Urartian Tešub / Teisheba and Greek Theseus Annotation: The name of the Hurrian-Urartian thunder god (Hurr. Teššub, Urart. Teišeba) has no acceptable etymology in these languages. The origins of his mythological image (a god with... more
Hurro-Urartian Tešub / Teisheba and Greek Theseus
Annotation: The name of the Hurrian-Urartian thunder god (Hurr. Teššub, Urart. Teišeba) has no acceptable etymology in these languages. The origins of his mythological image (a god with the symbols of a bull and an ax) can be found in rock paintings, images on stone steles of vishaps and archaeological artifacts of Armenia starting from the second half of the third millennium BC. Based on these data, the Armenian etymology of this theonym from the Indo-European *tek’s- + *h1ep- / *h1op- «axe holder» is proposed. The same name, in the form of Theseus, apparently, through Cilicia and the Levant, got into Greek mythology, becoming one of the key figures of the Cretan cycle.
Key words: Indo-European linguistics, Indo-European mythology, Hurrian mythology, Teshub, Teisheba, thunder god, Theseus
Annotation: The name of the Hurrian-Urartian thunder god (Hurr. Teššub, Urart. Teišeba) has no acceptable etymology in these languages. The origins of his mythological image (a god with the symbols of a bull and an ax) can be found in rock paintings, images on stone steles of vishaps and archaeological artifacts of Armenia starting from the second half of the third millennium BC. Based on these data, the Armenian etymology of this theonym from the Indo-European *tek’s- + *h1ep- / *h1op- «axe holder» is proposed. The same name, in the form of Theseus, apparently, through Cilicia and the Levant, got into Greek mythology, becoming one of the key figures of the Cretan cycle.
Key words: Indo-European linguistics, Indo-European mythology, Hurrian mythology, Teshub, Teisheba, thunder god, Theseus
Research Interests:
The purpose of this article is to show the downward evolution of the epic heroes, from the gods to the heroes of joke. The great heroes of the first Armenian epic – ethnogonic tradition, Hayk, Aram and Ara, are obviously epicised... more
The purpose of this article is to show the downward evolution of
the epic heroes, from the gods to the heroes of joke. The great heroes
of the first Armenian epic – ethnogonic tradition, Hayk, Aram and Ara,
are obviously epicised images of ancient native gods, who, after changing
the religious system of people – the introduction of Iranian pantheon,
moved to a lower level of epic heroes. The same phenomenon is observed
after the adoption of Christianity: the god Vahagn in the second ancient
epic “Vipasank” appears as the son of King Tigranes, and a variant of
the name of the god Mihr (Mher) are worn by two heroes of the third
epic “Daredevils of Sasun” (“David of Sasun”). Some gods and heroes,
especially after Christianisation, were demonised, and some passed into
a fairy tale. In the Hellenistic era, in Armenia, as in some other countries,
kings were deified: e.g., Tigranes the Great was deified as Vahagn.
Strangely enough, this phenomenon was repeated in the USSR: Lenin
and Stalin, one might say, were deified. Аt the same time, they became
the heroes of epic works and fairy tales. However, the era of Khrushchev
and the condemnation of Stalin’s “cult of personality” put an end to
the Soviet heroic epic: Stalin was demonised and then another genre of
folklore became relevant – political joke (anecdote). The new leaders
of the USSR were its main target, but Lenin and Stalin continued to stay
as important characters.
Keywords: myth, epic, fairy tale, political joke, gods, epic heroes, evolution
of folklore images
the epic heroes, from the gods to the heroes of joke. The great heroes
of the first Armenian epic – ethnogonic tradition, Hayk, Aram and Ara,
are obviously epicised images of ancient native gods, who, after changing
the religious system of people – the introduction of Iranian pantheon,
moved to a lower level of epic heroes. The same phenomenon is observed
after the adoption of Christianity: the god Vahagn in the second ancient
epic “Vipasank” appears as the son of King Tigranes, and a variant of
the name of the god Mihr (Mher) are worn by two heroes of the third
epic “Daredevils of Sasun” (“David of Sasun”). Some gods and heroes,
especially after Christianisation, were demonised, and some passed into
a fairy tale. In the Hellenistic era, in Armenia, as in some other countries,
kings were deified: e.g., Tigranes the Great was deified as Vahagn.
Strangely enough, this phenomenon was repeated in the USSR: Lenin
and Stalin, one might say, were deified. Аt the same time, they became
the heroes of epic works and fairy tales. However, the era of Khrushchev
and the condemnation of Stalin’s “cult of personality” put an end to
the Soviet heroic epic: Stalin was demonised and then another genre of
folklore became relevant – political joke (anecdote). The new leaders
of the USSR were its main target, but Lenin and Stalin continued to stay
as important characters.
Keywords: myth, epic, fairy tale, political joke, gods, epic heroes, evolution
of folklore images
Research Interests:
Among the attested personal names in the Hayasa onomastics, there are some of the probable Aryan origin. Three of them are associated with the religion (Akni, Š(a)ummatar, takšanna) and one, with the ruling elite of the kingdom (Mariya).... more
Among the attested personal names in the Hayasa onomastics, there are some of the probable Aryan origin. Three of them are associated with the religion (Akni, Š(a)ummatar, takšanna) and one, with the ruling elite of the kingdom (Mariya). If this is correct, it can be assumed that the Aryans could constitute a considerable part of the population of Hayasa.
SOME ASTRONOMICAL NOTIONS OF ANCIENT ARMENIANS Key words: Armenian mythology, ethnogonic tradition, Hayk, Orion, Vahagn, Aram, Ara the Handsome. The article deals with the ancient Armenian names of some celestial objects connected... more
SOME ASTRONOMICAL NOTIONS OF ANCIENT ARMENIANS
Key words: Armenian mythology, ethnogonic tradition, Hayk, Orion, Vahagn, Aram, Ara the Handsome.
The article deals with the ancient Armenian names of some celestial objects connected with the names of the main heroes of ethnogonic tradition. Thus, the name of the eponymous forefather and first Armenian eponym Hayk was given to the constellation Orion, and of the last mythological patriarch Ara the Handsome – to a star, probably, one of the planets, as it is compared with Venus. And the Milky Way, the "Straw Trace," was thought to have been formed from the straw stolen by the god Vahagn from Barsham, the ancestor of the Assyrians. Moreover, in the legend, Vahagn is represented as the ancestor of the Armenians, i.e., he replaced the patriarch Aram, second mythological eponym of Armenians, adversary of Barsham. This reveals a fragment of the mythological picture of the starry sky, named and systematized by a single mythological cycle – the ethnogonic tradition.
Key words: Armenian mythology, ethnogonic tradition, Hayk, Orion, Vahagn, Aram, Ara the Handsome.
The article deals with the ancient Armenian names of some celestial objects connected with the names of the main heroes of ethnogonic tradition. Thus, the name of the eponymous forefather and first Armenian eponym Hayk was given to the constellation Orion, and of the last mythological patriarch Ara the Handsome – to a star, probably, one of the planets, as it is compared with Venus. And the Milky Way, the "Straw Trace," was thought to have been formed from the straw stolen by the god Vahagn from Barsham, the ancestor of the Assyrians. Moreover, in the legend, Vahagn is represented as the ancestor of the Armenians, i.e., he replaced the patriarch Aram, second mythological eponym of Armenians, adversary of Barsham. This reveals a fragment of the mythological picture of the starry sky, named and systematized by a single mythological cycle – the ethnogonic tradition.
Research Interests:
PROBLEMS OF ARMENIAN ETHNOGENESIS IN THE LIGHT OF CONSIDERATION OF TRADITIONAL DATA In the ethnogonic legends the two eponyms of Armenia Hayk and Aram figure as the leaders of adult men and hunting youths respectively. The troop of... more
PROBLEMS OF ARMENIAN ETHNOGENESIS IN THE LIGHT OF
CONSIDERATION OF TRADITIONAL DATA
In the ethnogonic legends the two eponyms of Armenia Hayk and Aram figure as the leaders of adult men and hunting youths respectively. The troop of Aram represents the early Indo-European institution of Männerbund, the hunter-warrior society of unmarried young men. The members of the earliest Armenian Männerbund would have been called t'ux manuk 'dark (< baked/burnt) youth'. Some legends stress the association of the Armenian ethnogonic patriarchs with the fire. In this context, the name Hayk may be considered in connection with Indo-European *Hā- 'burn', which was confounded with *poti- 'lord' later. The name of Aram (cf. Indo-European *rēmo- 'dark, black') may be explained as 'burnt'. These interpretations are juxtaposed with some ancient names of the Armenian Highland and surroundings (Sumerian HA.A, Hittite Hayasa, Semitic "Mountain of darkness", etc.).
CONSIDERATION OF TRADITIONAL DATA
In the ethnogonic legends the two eponyms of Armenia Hayk and Aram figure as the leaders of adult men and hunting youths respectively. The troop of Aram represents the early Indo-European institution of Männerbund, the hunter-warrior society of unmarried young men. The members of the earliest Armenian Männerbund would have been called t'ux manuk 'dark (< baked/burnt) youth'. Some legends stress the association of the Armenian ethnogonic patriarchs with the fire. In this context, the name Hayk may be considered in connection with Indo-European *Hā- 'burn', which was confounded with *poti- 'lord' later. The name of Aram (cf. Indo-European *rēmo- 'dark, black') may be explained as 'burnt'. These interpretations are juxtaposed with some ancient names of the Armenian Highland and surroundings (Sumerian HA.A, Hittite Hayasa, Semitic "Mountain of darkness", etc.).
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Mythology And Folklore, Near Eastern Archaeology, Mythology, and 15 moreNear Eastern Studies, Armenian Studies, History of Religion, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Comparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, Ancient Near Eastern History, Comparative Religions, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Urartu, and Proto-Indo-European Mythology
The names of gods of Armenian Pre-Christian pantheon are in majority of Iranian origin. Nevertheless, the figures of the gods and their cults have ancient roots in Armenia. The supreme god Aramazd, whose cult center was located in the... more
The names of gods of Armenian Pre-Christian pantheon are in majority of Iranian origin. Nevertheless, the figures of the gods and their cults have ancient roots in Armenia. The supreme god Aramazd, whose cult center was located in the village of Ani-Kamax (= Hittite Kummaha), is inseparable from the ancient local thunder and storm god Tešub/ Teišeba, whose centers bore similar names – Kumme, Kummanni (= classic Komana). The goddess Anahit was identical with the goddess of Komana (in antiquity – wife of Tešub). The figure of Mher, epicized version of the god Mihr, is derived from the Urartian god Haldi (I.M. Diakonoff). The cults of the majority of gods were located in a small area to the northwest of historic Armenia and are to be traced back to ancient local tradition – the gods of Hayasa.
Research Interests: Comparative Religion, Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Near Eastern Studies, Armenian Studies, and 10 moreHistory of Religion, Iranian Studies, Indo-European Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Ancient Iranian Religion, Armenian Language, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, and Urartu
Šiuini – the name of the third great god of Urartu, should have been borrowed from a Hittite dialect, cf. Hitt. šiu- (šiuni, šiuanni, šiuna-) ‘god’, earlier: ‘sun god’, šiuatt- ‘daytime’ < *dyeu-, from the Indo-European name of the god of... more
Šiuini – the name of the third great god of Urartu, should have been borrowed from a Hittite dialect, cf. Hitt. šiu- (šiuni, šiuanni, šiuna-) ‘god’, earlier: ‘sun god’, šiuatt- ‘daytime’ < *dyeu-, from the Indo-European name of the god of daylight sky. The consideration of this theonym as the Urartian parallel of the Hurrian sun god Šimigi is linguistically impossible (I. M. Diakonoff, V. V. Ivanov). The capital of Urartu Tušpa was the worship center of this god. The Armenian name of this city, Van, is derived from the declension form Bia(i)na of cuneiform Biainili, the name of royal domain and central land of the kingdom, where -ni is an Urartian suffix and -li a plural formant). It may be thought that in earliest times this region was inhabited by a Hittite speaking people.
Šiuini (to read: Siwini) is comparable to the name of the Armenian province
of Siwnik‘ (< Siwini-yā, with Arm. plural formant k‘), where the largest concentration of toponyms derived from Arm. arew/areg ‘sun’ and traces of
ancient cult of the sun god have survived. The local districts Vayoc‘ jor and
Vaykunik‘ (Vay-ik-uni-k‘) are probably associated with the ethnonym of the ancient inhabitants of the East of the Lake Van, the Biai people (to read: Vyāy/Vǣy, which in Armenian reflected as Vay). This people of the Van region probably moved to Siwnik‘ in the beginning of the first millennium BC, under pressure of the Urartians.
Key words – Biainili, Van, Urartu, Etiuni, Siwnik‘, Vayoc‘
jor, Vaykunik‘, Hittite language, Šiuini.
Šiuini (to read: Siwini) is comparable to the name of the Armenian province
of Siwnik‘ (< Siwini-yā, with Arm. plural formant k‘), where the largest concentration of toponyms derived from Arm. arew/areg ‘sun’ and traces of
ancient cult of the sun god have survived. The local districts Vayoc‘ jor and
Vaykunik‘ (Vay-ik-uni-k‘) are probably associated with the ethnonym of the ancient inhabitants of the East of the Lake Van, the Biai people (to read: Vyāy/Vǣy, which in Armenian reflected as Vay). This people of the Van region probably moved to Siwnik‘ in the beginning of the first millennium BC, under pressure of the Urartians.
Key words – Biainili, Van, Urartu, Etiuni, Siwnik‘, Vayoc‘
jor, Vaykunik‘, Hittite language, Šiuini.
Research Interests: Armenian Studies, Anatolian Languages, Hittite, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, and 10 moreAncient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Ancient Near Eastern History, Hittite Religion, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Armenian Linguistics, The Hittites, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Urartu
Keywords: Indo-European mythology, Armenian mythology, “The Song of Vahagn”, the Armenian epic, national legends, “Vipasank”, “Daredevils of Sassoun”. Multiple recurrences of the sound combination erk- in the ancient Armenian hymn on... more
Keywords: Indo-European mythology, Armenian mythology, “The Song of
Vahagn”, the Armenian epic, national legends, “Vipasank”, “Daredevils of
Sassoun”.
Multiple recurrences of the sound combination erk- in the ancient Armenian
hymn on the birth of Vahagn, the god of thunder and war, can be considered an anagram of the word erku (two) with an allusion to twins. Moreover, in the
expression cov cirani (purple sea) one can see an anagram of Covinar, the name of the mother of the epic twins Sanasar and Baghdasar, first heroes of the epic "Daredevils of Sassoun". In this context it becomes obvious that the image of Sanasar, the elder of the twins, founder of the dynasty of heroes, directly goes back to Vahagn. The same picture of the birth of mythological twins occurs in the ancient epic “Vipasank”. A detailed analysis shows that the folk epics of ancient Armenia – the ethnogonic tradition, “Vipasank” and “Daredevils of Sassoun” – have derived from one source, the myth of the thunder god and his followers, members of the young warriors’ fraternity․
Vahagn”, the Armenian epic, national legends, “Vipasank”, “Daredevils of
Sassoun”.
Multiple recurrences of the sound combination erk- in the ancient Armenian
hymn on the birth of Vahagn, the god of thunder and war, can be considered an anagram of the word erku (two) with an allusion to twins. Moreover, in the
expression cov cirani (purple sea) one can see an anagram of Covinar, the name of the mother of the epic twins Sanasar and Baghdasar, first heroes of the epic "Daredevils of Sassoun". In this context it becomes obvious that the image of Sanasar, the elder of the twins, founder of the dynasty of heroes, directly goes back to Vahagn. The same picture of the birth of mythological twins occurs in the ancient epic “Vipasank”. A detailed analysis shows that the folk epics of ancient Armenia – the ethnogonic tradition, “Vipasank” and “Daredevils of Sassoun” – have derived from one source, the myth of the thunder god and his followers, members of the young warriors’ fraternity․
Research Interests: Religion, Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Armenian Studies, History of Religion, and 9 moreAncient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Epic poetry, Comparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, and Proto-Indo-European Mythology
REFLEXES OF A HURRIAN WORD IN ARMENIAN:A THEONYM, A DENDRONYM, AN ANTHROPONYM In Old Armenian, saws means ‘proud, luxurious, great,’ ‘some (bright) color,’ and saws and sawsi mean ‘oriental plane tree’. The word has no etymology.... more
REFLEXES OF A HURRIAN WORD IN ARMENIAN:A THEONYM, A DENDRONYM, AN ANTHROPONYM
In Old Armenian, saws means ‘proud, luxurious, great,’ ‘some (bright) color,’ and saws
and sawsi mean ‘oriental plane tree’. The word has no etymology. Hurrian has the word
šauša [sausa] ‘big, great’ and the theonym Šauša / Šauška for the local version of the great goddess Ištar. The article undertakes to find a single etymon looking for the clue in comparative mythology. It is known that Anušavan, one of the ancient Armenian mythical patriarchs, was referred to as Sawsanuēr which can be interpreted as “The gift of plane trees” (with a reference to the cult of the plane trees of Armawir, the earliest capital of Armenia). According to mythology, Anushavan’s father and grandfather were related to Šamiram (Greek Semiramis), the queen of the city of Nineveh (capital of Assyria) that is seen as a historicized version of the local goddess Šauš(k)a otherwise called “Ishtar of Nineveh”. The Armenian saws ‘great, magnificent’ quite correlates with this name as a loan from the Hurrian šauša ‘great,’ with a regular apocope. The plane trees were probably symbols of the goddess. Thus, it is natural to assume that the dendronym saws / sawsi (the second form with the Indo-European suffix *-iyā, characteristicof Armenian dendronyms, cf. the genitive plural form sawseac‘) is of Hurrian origin. The first meaning of the Hurrian word ‘great, magnificent’ subsequently turned into theonym and then to the Armenian dendronym, the name of the largest and most luxurious tree in the Armenian Highland and adjacent territories.
Keywords: Armenian mythology, ethnogonic legends, goddess Ishtar, Shamiram /Semiramis, Armenian language, dendronym, theonym, etymology
In Old Armenian, saws means ‘proud, luxurious, great,’ ‘some (bright) color,’ and saws
and sawsi mean ‘oriental plane tree’. The word has no etymology. Hurrian has the word
šauša [sausa] ‘big, great’ and the theonym Šauša / Šauška for the local version of the great goddess Ištar. The article undertakes to find a single etymon looking for the clue in comparative mythology. It is known that Anušavan, one of the ancient Armenian mythical patriarchs, was referred to as Sawsanuēr which can be interpreted as “The gift of plane trees” (with a reference to the cult of the plane trees of Armawir, the earliest capital of Armenia). According to mythology, Anushavan’s father and grandfather were related to Šamiram (Greek Semiramis), the queen of the city of Nineveh (capital of Assyria) that is seen as a historicized version of the local goddess Šauš(k)a otherwise called “Ishtar of Nineveh”. The Armenian saws ‘great, magnificent’ quite correlates with this name as a loan from the Hurrian šauša ‘great,’ with a regular apocope. The plane trees were probably symbols of the goddess. Thus, it is natural to assume that the dendronym saws / sawsi (the second form with the Indo-European suffix *-iyā, characteristicof Armenian dendronyms, cf. the genitive plural form sawseac‘) is of Hurrian origin. The first meaning of the Hurrian word ‘great, magnificent’ subsequently turned into theonym and then to the Armenian dendronym, the name of the largest and most luxurious tree in the Armenian Highland and adjacent territories.
Keywords: Armenian mythology, ethnogonic legends, goddess Ishtar, Shamiram /Semiramis, Armenian language, dendronym, theonym, etymology
Research Interests: Mythology And Folklore, Armenian Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, and 8 moreAncient Near Eastern Languages, Hurrian, Comparative mythology, Ancient Near Eastern History, Armenian Linguistics, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
The article attempts to present the ethnic composition of the central regions of the Armenian Highland in the 2nd-1st millennia BC, based on the data from Armenian ethnogonic tradition and onomastic material of the ancient written... more
The article attempts to present the ethnic composition of the central regions of the Armenian Highland in the 2nd-1st millennia BC, based on the data from Armenian ethnogonic tradition and onomastic material of the ancient written sources. On the basis of those data, the presence of the following ethno-linguistic groups are revealed: Armenian, Hurro-Urartian, Hattic, Anatolian, and some details of their localization are revealed.
Research Interests:
The article attempts tp interpret the structure of a Middle Bronze Age cinerary urn from the first half of the second millennium BC. The urn presumably presents an example of an interesting ritual of cremation. The holes on the urn are... more
The article attempts tp interpret the structure of a Middle Bronze Age cinerary urn from the first half of the second millennium BC. The urn presumably presents an example of an interesting ritual of cremation. The holes on the urn are interpreted as the ways of providing contact of the soul of the deceased with the different parts of the universe (nether word, upper word, nord, south, east and west).
Research Interests:
The country of the Armenians in the beginning of the first millennium BC. According to our hypothesis, the Armenian self-appellation hay is connected with the ethno-toponym Etiu-ni/ḫi of the Urartian sources of the 9th–7th centuries BC.... more
The country of the Armenians in the beginning of the first millennium BC.
According to our hypothesis, the Armenian self-appellation hay is connected with the ethno-toponym Etiu-ni/ḫi of the Urartian sources of the 9th–7th centuries BC. One of the possible protoforms for hay could have been *hatiyo- (probably from Indo-European *poti-yo-, cf. *poti- ‘master, lord, husband’) that in Urartian cuneiform script could be transcribed as etiu-. The territory of this country corresponds with that of the Ayrarat
province of Greater Armenia. Ayrarat was the central region, domain of the kings and political, religious, and cultural center of the country. In the ethnogonic myth the forefather of Armenia Hayk settles in the north of the Van lake, but his eldest son Aramaneak moves to Ayrarat, the Ararat valley, where Armenia (“Armenian universe”) is formed after Hayk. To the present day Ayrarat remains the center of Armenia: almost all of the Armenian capitals were built here (Armavir, Artashat, Dvin, Yerevan, etc.).
In support of this hypothesis, the following arguments may be
adduced:
a) Spatial and temporal correspondence with the ethnogonic myth, where Ayrarat and the Ararat valley become the center of Armenia immediately after the forefather Hayk.
b) Identification of the Armenians as one of the main peoples of the Armenian highland in Urartian times, in contrast to other hypotheses, according to which the Armenians are inexplicably not detected in the extensive list of tribes of the Urartian inscriptions.
c) Clear historical interpretation of the Urartu-Armenia transition as the move of the dominant ethno-political center of the highland: geographically — from the south to the north, ethnically — from the ruling elite of Urartu to the Armenians.
d) Obvious Armenian etymologies of several names of Etiuni.
Key words: Armenian highland, Urartu, Etiuni, Armenian ethnogeny, prehistory of Armenia, Armenian language.
According to our hypothesis, the Armenian self-appellation hay is connected with the ethno-toponym Etiu-ni/ḫi of the Urartian sources of the 9th–7th centuries BC. One of the possible protoforms for hay could have been *hatiyo- (probably from Indo-European *poti-yo-, cf. *poti- ‘master, lord, husband’) that in Urartian cuneiform script could be transcribed as etiu-. The territory of this country corresponds with that of the Ayrarat
province of Greater Armenia. Ayrarat was the central region, domain of the kings and political, religious, and cultural center of the country. In the ethnogonic myth the forefather of Armenia Hayk settles in the north of the Van lake, but his eldest son Aramaneak moves to Ayrarat, the Ararat valley, where Armenia (“Armenian universe”) is formed after Hayk. To the present day Ayrarat remains the center of Armenia: almost all of the Armenian capitals were built here (Armavir, Artashat, Dvin, Yerevan, etc.).
In support of this hypothesis, the following arguments may be
adduced:
a) Spatial and temporal correspondence with the ethnogonic myth, where Ayrarat and the Ararat valley become the center of Armenia immediately after the forefather Hayk.
b) Identification of the Armenians as one of the main peoples of the Armenian highland in Urartian times, in contrast to other hypotheses, according to which the Armenians are inexplicably not detected in the extensive list of tribes of the Urartian inscriptions.
c) Clear historical interpretation of the Urartu-Armenia transition as the move of the dominant ethno-political center of the highland: geographically — from the south to the north, ethnically — from the ruling elite of Urartu to the Armenians.
d) Obvious Armenian etymologies of several names of Etiuni.
Key words: Armenian highland, Urartu, Etiuni, Armenian ethnogeny, prehistory of Armenia, Armenian language.
Research Interests: Mythology And Folklore, Folklore, Near Eastern Studies, Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, and 13 moreIndo-European Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Scythian archaeology, Indo-European Linguistics, Ancient Near Eastern History, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Urartu, Scythians, Scythian History, and Indo European Migrations
ETHNOGONIC TRADITION AS A SOURCE FOR ARMENIAN PREHISTORY Armenian literature has preserved the ethnogonic tradition of the Armenians (ethnogonic myth). It goes back to the popular source, although it came to us in the works of Movses... more
ETHNOGONIC TRADITION AS A SOURCE FOR ARMENIAN PREHISTORY
Armenian literature has preserved the ethnogonic tradition of the Armenians (ethnogonic myth). It goes back to the popular source, although it came to us in the works of Movses Khorenatsi (5th century) and Sebeos (7th century). The article considers the legend as a source for mythological, ethnographic, linguistic and historical research. The heroes of the tradition, the legendary ethnarchs-eponyms of Armenia, are obvious mythological characters. Ethnogony duplicates cosmogony, and the images of the first ethnarchs represent the epicized transformations of the ancient gods (stars, constellations, lands, tribes are called by their names, and their rivals are the gods of the southern neighbors of Armenia, e.g., Bel, Baalshamin). The great patriarchal family of the forefather Hayk (300 men and their families) reflects the structure of the patriarchal family of the earliest Armenians. In the tradition, the self-appellation of Armenianshayis derived from the name Hayk; the ethnonym coincides with the common dialectal word hay“husband, lord, head of the family” (cf. the expression mer hayə“our hay” used by old women for their husbands), which, obviously, can be etymologized in connection with Indo-European *poti- “husband, lord, head of the family.” The characteristics of other ethnarchs-eponoms, descendants of Hayk, also provide keys for etymologization of corresponding ethnonyms. Also, there is historicity in the tradition — the movement of the first ethnarchs in the Armenian Highland reflects the historical movements of the Armenian tribal groups (e.g., Hayk’s settlement in the Lake Van region and his elder son’s passage to the north, the Ararat valley).
Armenian literature has preserved the ethnogonic tradition of the Armenians (ethnogonic myth). It goes back to the popular source, although it came to us in the works of Movses Khorenatsi (5th century) and Sebeos (7th century). The article considers the legend as a source for mythological, ethnographic, linguistic and historical research. The heroes of the tradition, the legendary ethnarchs-eponyms of Armenia, are obvious mythological characters. Ethnogony duplicates cosmogony, and the images of the first ethnarchs represent the epicized transformations of the ancient gods (stars, constellations, lands, tribes are called by their names, and their rivals are the gods of the southern neighbors of Armenia, e.g., Bel, Baalshamin). The great patriarchal family of the forefather Hayk (300 men and their families) reflects the structure of the patriarchal family of the earliest Armenians. In the tradition, the self-appellation of Armenianshayis derived from the name Hayk; the ethnonym coincides with the common dialectal word hay“husband, lord, head of the family” (cf. the expression mer hayə“our hay” used by old women for their husbands), which, obviously, can be etymologized in connection with Indo-European *poti- “husband, lord, head of the family.” The characteristics of other ethnarchs-eponoms, descendants of Hayk, also provide keys for etymologization of corresponding ethnonyms. Also, there is historicity in the tradition — the movement of the first ethnarchs in the Armenian Highland reflects the historical movements of the Armenian tribal groups (e.g., Hayk’s settlement in the Lake Van region and his elder son’s passage to the north, the Ararat valley).
Research Interests:
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ON THE ANAGRAMS OF THE “SONG OF VAHAGN” Ferdinand de Saussure, while studying the special nature of the Indo-European poetic language, discovered that it acted in accordance with a principle: the name of the god or hero is referred to in... more
ON THE ANAGRAMS OF THE “SONG OF VAHAGN”
Ferdinand de Saussure, while studying the special nature of the Indo-European poetic language, discovered that it acted in accordance with a principle: the name of the god or hero is referred to in the text by repeating its sounds and sound combinations. In this context, in ancient Armenian poetry the hymn on the birth of the god Vahagn, the “song of Vahagn” was especially studied (V.V. Ivanov, V.N. Toporov, S. B. Harutyunyan, et al.). This article proposes that the repeated sound combination erk is to be considered an anagram of the word erku “two” with an allusion to twinnes, and in the words cov cirani “purple sea” may be seen an anagram of the name of Covinar, the mythological personification of the heavenly purple sea and the mother of the first twin heroes of the epic "Daredevils of Sasun".
Ferdinand de Saussure, while studying the special nature of the Indo-European poetic language, discovered that it acted in accordance with a principle: the name of the god or hero is referred to in the text by repeating its sounds and sound combinations. In this context, in ancient Armenian poetry the hymn on the birth of the god Vahagn, the “song of Vahagn” was especially studied (V.V. Ivanov, V.N. Toporov, S. B. Harutyunyan, et al.). This article proposes that the repeated sound combination erk is to be considered an anagram of the word erku “two” with an allusion to twinnes, and in the words cov cirani “purple sea” may be seen an anagram of the name of Covinar, the mythological personification of the heavenly purple sea and the mother of the first twin heroes of the epic "Daredevils of Sasun".
Research Interests:
MASIS/ARARAT: THE ARMENIAN OLYMPUS AND ITS MYTHS Armen Petrosyan Abstract Mount Masis-Ararat is the highest, most beautiful and sacred mountain of the Armenian Highland, in the mythological notions of Armenians appears as a... more
MASIS/ARARAT: THE ARMENIAN OLYMPUS AND ITS MYTHS
Armen Petrosyan
Abstract
Mount Masis-Ararat is the highest, most beautiful and sacred mountain of the Armenian Highland, in the mythological notions of Armenians appears as a mythical “cosmic mountain”, located in the “center of the world”. Ancient myths about Masis have come down to us in the epicised versions from the epic "Vipasank" known from the history of Khorenatsi. Based on the available data, some fragments of ancient myths can be reconstructed. Thus, on Masis, the birth of the ancient thunder god was localized, while under the mountain and its foot were the abodes of his adversary the Serpent-Vishap and its followers, the "dragonids". Lately, in the process of myth’s historicization and epicization, the Serpent-Vishap was identified with the historical king Artavazd II. It can be assumed that Masis in ancient times was the Armenian Olympus, a significant center not only for the cult of the thunder god, but also for other pagan gods.
Subsequently, from the 12th-13th centuries, Masis was finally identified with the biblical Ararat, the mountain of Noah’s salvation.
Key words – Masis-Ararat, Armenian mythology, thunder god myth, my-
thological serpent, Armenian epic, “Vipasank”, “Song of Vahagn”.
Armen Petrosyan
Abstract
Mount Masis-Ararat is the highest, most beautiful and sacred mountain of the Armenian Highland, in the mythological notions of Armenians appears as a mythical “cosmic mountain”, located in the “center of the world”. Ancient myths about Masis have come down to us in the epicised versions from the epic "Vipasank" known from the history of Khorenatsi. Based on the available data, some fragments of ancient myths can be reconstructed. Thus, on Masis, the birth of the ancient thunder god was localized, while under the mountain and its foot were the abodes of his adversary the Serpent-Vishap and its followers, the "dragonids". Lately, in the process of myth’s historicization and epicization, the Serpent-Vishap was identified with the historical king Artavazd II. It can be assumed that Masis in ancient times was the Armenian Olympus, a significant center not only for the cult of the thunder god, but also for other pagan gods.
Subsequently, from the 12th-13th centuries, Masis was finally identified with the biblical Ararat, the mountain of Noah’s salvation.
Key words – Masis-Ararat, Armenian mythology, thunder god myth, my-
thological serpent, Armenian epic, “Vipasank”, “Song of Vahagn”.
Research Interests:
KING ARTAVASDES AND THE ANAGRAM OF HIS NAME IN THE ANCIENT ARMENIAN EPIC The paper deals with the ancient Armenian epic Vipasank known from the book of the 5th century historian Movses Khorenatsi (Moses Chorenensis). The author... more
KING ARTAVASDES AND THE ANAGRAM OF HIS NAME IN THE ANCIENT ARMENIAN EPIC
The paper deals with the ancient Armenian epic Vipasank known from the book of the 5th century historian Movses Khorenatsi (Moses Chorenensis). The author considers its plot both contextually, against the backdrop of Caucasian peoples’ mythology, and historically, by drawing parallels with real-life fi gures that might have served as prototypes for the legendary epic kings and heroes. It is noted that obvious character analogies and linguistic similarities do not suggest any genetic relatedness between the Armenian and the neighbouring Caucasion
traditions but are a result of cultural borrowings and language contacts. The author points out the culture-driven evolution of traditional beliefs that caused changes in the original epic plot. The story of Artavasdes, the son and the successor of the legendary king Artaxias who defeated
the Alan army and stole the Alan princess Satenik, serves as an example of this development. The entire logic of the epic suggests that in its archaic version, Artavasdes was the son of Argavan, head of the vishapazuns (“dragonids”), which is proved by multiple text allusions
and the plot development. Based on the peculiarities of Indo-European poetic language, first noted by Ferdinand de Saussure, the paper highlights its tendency to encrypt the names of gods or heroes by repeating sounds and sound combinations. The author gives a close analysis of one obscure passage of the Vipasank epic and draws a hypothesis that it contains an anagram of the name of Artavasdes, which, after the adoption of Christianity, must have alluded to the secret relation between Satenik and Argavan. This, in turn, enables the author to trace back the evolution of the image of Artavasdes in epic tradition and to explain its ambivalence.
K e y w o r d s: anthroponymy, Movses Khorenatsi, ancient Armenian storytellers, king Artavasdes II, Saussurean anagram, Indo-European poetry, Armenian mythology, ancient Armenian epic.
The paper deals with the ancient Armenian epic Vipasank known from the book of the 5th century historian Movses Khorenatsi (Moses Chorenensis). The author considers its plot both contextually, against the backdrop of Caucasian peoples’ mythology, and historically, by drawing parallels with real-life fi gures that might have served as prototypes for the legendary epic kings and heroes. It is noted that obvious character analogies and linguistic similarities do not suggest any genetic relatedness between the Armenian and the neighbouring Caucasion
traditions but are a result of cultural borrowings and language contacts. The author points out the culture-driven evolution of traditional beliefs that caused changes in the original epic plot. The story of Artavasdes, the son and the successor of the legendary king Artaxias who defeated
the Alan army and stole the Alan princess Satenik, serves as an example of this development. The entire logic of the epic suggests that in its archaic version, Artavasdes was the son of Argavan, head of the vishapazuns (“dragonids”), which is proved by multiple text allusions
and the plot development. Based on the peculiarities of Indo-European poetic language, first noted by Ferdinand de Saussure, the paper highlights its tendency to encrypt the names of gods or heroes by repeating sounds and sound combinations. The author gives a close analysis of one obscure passage of the Vipasank epic and draws a hypothesis that it contains an anagram of the name of Artavasdes, which, after the adoption of Christianity, must have alluded to the secret relation between Satenik and Argavan. This, in turn, enables the author to trace back the evolution of the image of Artavasdes in epic tradition and to explain its ambivalence.
K e y w o r d s: anthroponymy, Movses Khorenatsi, ancient Armenian storytellers, king Artavasdes II, Saussurean anagram, Indo-European poetry, Armenian mythology, ancient Armenian epic.
Research Interests:
The saussurean anagrams of the «Song of Vahagn» Ferdinand de Saussure, while studying the characteristic features of the Indo-European poetic language, discovered that there was a principle according to which in the verses the key... more
The saussurean anagrams of the «Song of Vahagn»
Ferdinand de Saussure, while studying the characteristic features of the
Indo-European poetic language, discovered that there was a principle
according to which in the verses the key words or the names of gods/heroes
could be transmitted by repeating sounds and sound combinations that
conitute them. Within the ancient Armenian poetry, the hymn on the birth
of the god Vahagn — «song of Vahagn» — became a matter of thorough
studied in this context (V.V. Ivanov, V. N. Toporov, S. B. Harutyunyan, et
al.). This article proposes that the repeated sound combination erk is to be
considered an anagram of the word erku ‘two’ with an allusion to twins,
and that an anagram of the name of Covinar may be seen in the words cov
cirani ‘purple sea’, thus referring to the mythological personification of the
heavenly ‘purple sea’ and the mother of the first twin heroes of the epic
«Daredevils of Sasun». It is also possible that this hymn contains some
traces of other names and terms of the Indo-European myth about the
thunder god.
Keywords: Armenian poetry, «song of Vahagn», anagrams, the name
of Covinar.
Ferdinand de Saussure, while studying the characteristic features of the
Indo-European poetic language, discovered that there was a principle
according to which in the verses the key words or the names of gods/heroes
could be transmitted by repeating sounds and sound combinations that
conitute them. Within the ancient Armenian poetry, the hymn on the birth
of the god Vahagn — «song of Vahagn» — became a matter of thorough
studied in this context (V.V. Ivanov, V. N. Toporov, S. B. Harutyunyan, et
al.). This article proposes that the repeated sound combination erk is to be
considered an anagram of the word erku ‘two’ with an allusion to twins,
and that an anagram of the name of Covinar may be seen in the words cov
cirani ‘purple sea’, thus referring to the mythological personification of the
heavenly ‘purple sea’ and the mother of the first twin heroes of the epic
«Daredevils of Sasun». It is also possible that this hymn contains some
traces of other names and terms of the Indo-European myth about the
thunder god.
Keywords: Armenian poetry, «song of Vahagn», anagrams, the name
of Covinar.
Research Interests: Mythology And Folklore, Comparative Literature, Mythology, Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, and 14 moreIndo-European Studies, Comparative Linguistics, Classical Armenian, Armenian Culture, Contemporary Poetry, Comparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Language Poetry, Ferdinand de Saussure, Armenian Linguistics, Indo-European, Proto-Indo-European Mythology, and Myth and Literature
Khorenatsi, following his source Mar Abas, attributes the Bagratid princely family a descent from a certain Shambat, a Jewish captive of the king Nabuchodonosor. Moreover, he writes to his philanthropist, Sahak Bagratuni, that one should... more
Khorenatsi, following his source Mar Abas, attributes the Bagratid princely family a descent from a certain Shambat, a Jewish captive of the king Nabuchodonosor. Moreover, he writes to his philanthropist, Sahak Bagratuni, that one should not believe those who ascribe to his family descent from the legendary forefather of Armenia Hayk. This second genealogy of the Bagratids is known from the first chapter of the book of Sebeos. The article argues that the Jewish genealogy was probably invented by Christian authors to raise the prestige of the family (the Bagratids allegedly believed in the Abrahamic god since earliest times, and some of them died because of this belief), while the Haykid origin, in spite of its mythological character, goes back to earlier times.
Research Interests: Comparative Religion, Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Near Eastern Studies, Medieval History, and 10 moreArmenian Studies, Genealogy, Medieval Studies, Indo-European Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient myth and religion, Comparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, and Genealogy-Family History
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Abstract: The consideration of mythological and historical data provides an opportunity to represent the predecessor of the ‘Iliad’ (‘Proto-Iliad’) as an epic transformation of the Indo-European serpent-slaying myth rhapsodizing the... more
Abstract: The consideration of mythological and historical data provides an opportunity to represent the predecessor of the ‘Iliad’ (‘Proto-Iliad’) as an epic transformation of the Indo-European serpent-slaying myth rhapsodizing the historical Trojan king Alaksandu.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Greek Literature, Homer, Near Eastern Studies, Greek Language, and 15 moreAncient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Greek Epic, Ancient Near East, Ancient Greek Religion, Ancient myth and religion, Greek Myth, Epic poetry, Ancient Greek History, Comparative mythology, Indian Mythology, Greek mythology, Ancient Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek Literature, and Iliad
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The ethnogonic myth provides us with an exceptional opportunity to unravel the origins of ethnonyms. Given the sparsity of other data, the characteristics of the mythological eponymous forefathers can help reveal the etymologies of their... more
The ethnogonic myth provides us with an exceptional opportunity to unravel the origins of ethnonyms. Given the sparsity of other data, the characteristics of the mythological eponymous forefathers can help reveal the etymologies of their names, and thus of the corresponding ethnonyms. In the ethnogonic tradition the endonym Hay ‘Armenian’ is derived from the name of the mythic forefather of Armenia Hayk, who is represented as the head of a huge patriarchal family. Arguments are presented for the corroboration of its origin from Indo-European *poti- ‘master, husband, head of family’. The ending of his name is to be derived from the Indo-European complex suffix *-kon (*-ko-n), which was conflated with the diminutive suffix -ik (< Iran.): Hayik > Hayk. Notably, the name of Hayk’s adversary Bel, who is considered to be the negative mirror image of Hayk, is connected with the Semitic b’l ‘lord, master.’ In the tradition, the ethnonym Armen is derived from the name of the patriarchs Aram or Aramaneak/Armenak. In Indo-European mythology, the obvious parallels of Aram are the Indian heroes named Rāma (*rē-mo-/*rō- mo- ‘black, dark’). Aramaneak/Armenak seems to be related to Indic theonym Aryaman (*aryomen-), altered under the influence of the name Aram. The ethnonym Gełni(k) ‘Armenian’ (*welniyo-) seems to be inseparable from the Indo-European ethnonyms etymologized from the different meanings of the homophonic roots *wel-. Since in the folk tradition the ethnonyms Hay and Armen were connected to the names of the patriarchs of the ethnogonic myth, it is reasonable to assume that the ethnonym Gełni(k) would have been linked with the consonant names of that myth – Gełam and/or Ara Gełec‘ik (Ara the Handsome). The latter is derived from *wel- ‘to see’ in the sense of ‘having good look.’
Согласно этногоническому преданию армян, известному из книг
раннесредневековых авторов Хоренаци и Себеоса, самоназвание
армян hay ‘армянин’ восходит к имени патриарха Гайка, мифологи-
ческого праотца армян, а этноним armen, которым другие народы
называют армян, связывается с именами потомков Гайка – Арама или Араманеака/Арменака. Можно предположить, что и этноним gełni ‘армянин’ имел эпонима в мифе, и сопоставить его с именами
потомков Гайка, патриархов Gełam и Ara Gełec‘ik (Ара Прекрасный).
При отсутствии других сведений характеристика мифологических
героев-эпонимов может помочь этимологизации соответствующих
этнонимов. В статье предпринимается попытка этимологизации имен мифологических этнархов и соответствующих этнонимов армян с использованием данных индоевропейской ономастики и сравнительной мифологии: Hayk < *poti- ‘муж, патриарх, глава семьи’, Aram < *h2reh1mo- ‘черный’, Ar(a)maneak/Armenak (искаженная форма под воздействием имени Арам) < *aryomen-, Gełam и Ara Gełec‘ik < *wel- ‘видный (имеющий хороший вид)’. На этих основах можно этимологизировать и соответствующие этнонимы.
Согласно этногоническому преданию армян, известному из книг
раннесредневековых авторов Хоренаци и Себеоса, самоназвание
армян hay ‘армянин’ восходит к имени патриарха Гайка, мифологи-
ческого праотца армян, а этноним armen, которым другие народы
называют армян, связывается с именами потомков Гайка – Арама или Араманеака/Арменака. Можно предположить, что и этноним gełni ‘армянин’ имел эпонима в мифе, и сопоставить его с именами
потомков Гайка, патриархов Gełam и Ara Gełec‘ik (Ара Прекрасный).
При отсутствии других сведений характеристика мифологических
героев-эпонимов может помочь этимологизации соответствующих
этнонимов. В статье предпринимается попытка этимологизации имен мифологических этнархов и соответствующих этнонимов армян с использованием данных индоевропейской ономастики и сравнительной мифологии: Hayk < *poti- ‘муж, патриарх, глава семьи’, Aram < *h2reh1mo- ‘черный’, Ar(a)maneak/Armenak (искаженная форма под воздействием имени Арам) < *aryomen-, Gełam и Ara Gełec‘ik < *wel- ‘видный (имеющий хороший вид)’. На этих основах можно этимологизировать и соответствующие этнонимы.
Research Interests:
To get an idea of how the Armenians could call the rainbow, one can consider its dialectal names. They unite into three main groups: a) “belt”, “god’s belt”, “heaven’s belt”, “belt of a divine personage” etc.; b) “bow”, “bow of god”,... more
To get an idea of how the Armenians could call the rainbow, one can consider its dialectal names. They unite into three main groups: a) “belt”, “god’s belt”, “heaven’s belt”, “belt of a divine personage” etc.; b) “bow”, “bow of god”, “bow of divine personage” etc. ; c) “green-red”, sometimes as an addition to the words "belt" or "bow". On this basis, a new etymology is proposed for Old Arm. ciacan “rainbow”. The second part of it, obviously, is comparable with Old Arm. acanim “to embrace, to tie back”, from the verb acem (I-E. *h2eg’-/*ag’-). If so, then the first part of the word may be associated with the sky or the name of a heavenly deity. Accordingly, it can be derived from I.-E. *dyē-/*dye(u)- “sky, god of the sky”, *deiwo-, *dyeu- ph2ter- “god, father god of the sky” (from *dei- “to shine”), which in Old Armenian yielded tiw and ti “day”. The initial c (instead of t) can be explained as a reflex of I-E *dyē- (> Arm. ci-/či) and/or the t-/č- > c- change as a result of regressive assimilation: ti-/ci/či + acan > ciacan “belt/girdle of the sky (god)”. One should also take into account the probable factor of tabooization of the theonyms, which could change the primary form of the word. The word ciacan thus goes back to the earliest times, when the name of the Indo-European father god of the sky was still relevant in the Armenian tradition.
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Pre-Christian gods of Armenians, known from the works of ancient Greek and Armenian authors, appear under Iranian and Greek names. But same as other peoples, Armenians had to have their own gods with original names in the earliest times... more
Pre-Christian gods of Armenians, known from the works of ancient Greek and Armenian authors, appear under Iranian and Greek names. But same as other peoples, Armenians had to have their own gods with original names in the earliest times of their history. So could the an-
cient Armenian literary tradition give us the clues about the forgotten gods of the pre-Iranian and pre-Hellenistic period? And is it possible to deliver a scientifi c reconstruction of mytho-logical characters of such distant times? The article attempts to restore the name and image
of one great god of the earliest Armenian pantheon on the evidence from the early medieval Armenian literature. In the ancient Armenian translation of the Bible, the Mesopotamian god of the afterlife and war, named Nergal, is replaced by Angeł. The same name is cited in two
legends from the books of Khorenatsi and Sebeos. This name is interpreted as ‘ugly,’ which seems rather inappropriate for a theonym. However, in the Assyrian myth, Nergal is invisible to the vizier of the goddess of the underworld. Hence the opportunity to etymologize Angeł
not as an-geł, i.-e. *ṇ-wel- ‘not having a (good) look,’ i.e., ‘ugly,’ but literally — ‘having no look,’ i.e. ‘invisible’. In Indo-European context, the closest cognate of the Armenian language is Greek, and thus Angeł would correspond well with the Greek name for the underworld and its god Hades: Ἀΐδης, literally, ‘the Unseen’ < *ṇ-wid-. Supreme gods could be the masters of “three worlds” — heaven, earth, and the underworld, and the Greek Hades, known as “Zeus of the underworld,” was thus one of the incarnations of Zeus. In ancient Armenian tradition, these functions would be attributed to Angeł. Notably, the supreme gods of some other ancient states of the region were also conceived to be invisible.
K e y w o r d s: Armenian language, etymology, theonymy, Armenian mythology, earliest Armenian pantheon, comparative mythology, Greek myth, Zeus, Hades.
cient Armenian literary tradition give us the clues about the forgotten gods of the pre-Iranian and pre-Hellenistic period? And is it possible to deliver a scientifi c reconstruction of mytho-logical characters of such distant times? The article attempts to restore the name and image
of one great god of the earliest Armenian pantheon on the evidence from the early medieval Armenian literature. In the ancient Armenian translation of the Bible, the Mesopotamian god of the afterlife and war, named Nergal, is replaced by Angeł. The same name is cited in two
legends from the books of Khorenatsi and Sebeos. This name is interpreted as ‘ugly,’ which seems rather inappropriate for a theonym. However, in the Assyrian myth, Nergal is invisible to the vizier of the goddess of the underworld. Hence the opportunity to etymologize Angeł
not as an-geł, i.-e. *ṇ-wel- ‘not having a (good) look,’ i.e., ‘ugly,’ but literally — ‘having no look,’ i.e. ‘invisible’. In Indo-European context, the closest cognate of the Armenian language is Greek, and thus Angeł would correspond well with the Greek name for the underworld and its god Hades: Ἀΐδης, literally, ‘the Unseen’ < *ṇ-wid-. Supreme gods could be the masters of “three worlds” — heaven, earth, and the underworld, and the Greek Hades, known as “Zeus of the underworld,” was thus one of the incarnations of Zeus. In ancient Armenian tradition, these functions would be attributed to Angeł. Notably, the supreme gods of some other ancient states of the region were also conceived to be invisible.
K e y w o r d s: Armenian language, etymology, theonymy, Armenian mythology, earliest Armenian pantheon, comparative mythology, Greek myth, Zeus, Hades.
Research Interests: Comparative Religion, Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Near Eastern Studies, Armenian Studies, and 15 moreAncient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Comparative Linguistics, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Ancient myth and religion, Greek Myth, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Comparative mythology, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, and Indo-European Etymology
In Caucasian epics there are traces of influence of Armenian mythology and epic: e.g., the characters of the kadzis, Artawyz and Argwana in Ossetian and Western Caucasian traditions are derived from Armenian prototypes. The name of... more
In Caucasian epics there are traces of influence of Armenian mythology and epic: e.g., the characters of the kadzis, Artawyz and Argwana in Ossetian and Western Caucasian traditions are derived from Armenian prototypes. The name of Satana/Sataney is not etymologized on the basis of Ossetic or Caucasian languages and does not have an accepted etymology. Meanwhile, Satenik/ Satinik has transparent Armenian etymology from the root sat‘ ‘jet, amber’
with the suffix -eni(k), cf. similar female names Nazinik, Arpenik and Varsenik (H. Acharyan, T. Dalalyan). The study of all data shows that the name of Satana/ Sataney, along with the mentioned names of Caucasian epics, dates back to the Armenian tradition.
with the suffix -eni(k), cf. similar female names Nazinik, Arpenik and Varsenik (H. Acharyan, T. Dalalyan). The study of all data shows that the name of Satana/ Sataney, along with the mentioned names of Caucasian epics, dates back to the Armenian tradition.
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According to the tradition, one of the ancient Armenian mythic patriarchs was Anushavan Sawsanuer, whose epithet is interpreted as ‘Gift of the sawsi trees’ or ‘Given by the sawsi trees’. Mythological context shows that the sawsi trees... more
According to the tradition, one of the ancient Armenian mythic patriarchs was Anushavan Sawsanuer, whose epithet is interpreted as ‘Gift of the sawsi trees’ or ‘Given by the sawsi trees’. Mythological context shows that the sawsi trees were connected with the myth of the grandfather of Anushavan, the dying and resurrecting hero Ara the Handsome and his consort, the Assyrian queen Shamiram (Greek Semiramis). She in the myth is represented as the queen of the city of Nineveh and was an epicized version of the local goddess – Saus(k)a or Ishtar of Nineveh. Her ancient Hurrian name, Sausa ‘Great/gorgeous’, coincides with Arm. saws ‘magnificent, great’ (with a regular apocope). And the plane and/or poplar trees were the symbols of her myth.
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Hayasa, the biggest state of the Armenian Highlands in the XIV-XIII cc. BC, was the center of worship of the god whose name is rendered by the logogram U.GUR. This god was sometimes identified as Akni (cf. the name of the Indian fire god... more
Hayasa, the biggest state of the Armenian Highlands in the XIV-XIII cc. BC, was the center of worship of the god whose name is rendered by the logogram U.GUR. This god was sometimes identified as Akni (cf. the name of the Indian fire god Agni) and had the epithets š(a)ummatari
and šummatani, both having been of the probable Aryan origin. The title Mariya of the Hayasaen kings may also be Aryan. Thus, Aryans could once constitute a part of the population
of Hayasa.
Keywords: Hayasa, Aryan Names
and šummatani, both having been of the probable Aryan origin. The title Mariya of the Hayasaen kings may also be Aryan. Thus, Aryans could once constitute a part of the population
of Hayasa.
Keywords: Hayasa, Aryan Names
Research Interests: Near Eastern Studies, Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, and 9 moreAncient Near East, Indo-Aryan Linguistics, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Ancient Near Eastern History, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Aryan
ON THE PRE -HISTORY OF THE “ILIAD” The images of Paris and Achilles are respectively comparable with those of the serpent-slayer Indra and serpent Vṛtra of Vedic mythology. The name of Achilles itself is derived from a dialectal variant... more
ON THE PRE -HISTORY OF THE “ILIAD”
The images of Paris and Achilles are respectively comparable with those of the serpent-slayer Indra and serpent Vṛtra of Vedic mythology. The name of Achilles itself is derived from a dialectal variant of the Indo-European stem for ‘serpent’ (V. N. Toporov). Paris, whose second name was Alexandros, has a historical prototype in the person of King Alaksandu of Wilusa-Troy (first half of the 13th century). The consideration of mythological and historical data provides an opportunity to represent the predecessor of the “Iliad” (“Proto-Iliad”) as an epic transformation of the Indo-European serpent-slaying myth
rhapsodizing King Alaksandu.
Keywords: Indo-European mythology, serpent-slaying myth, mythology of India, the Iliad, Greek mythology, the Trojan war, Alaksandu, Paris, Achilles, Apollo.
The images of Paris and Achilles are respectively comparable with those of the serpent-slayer Indra and serpent Vṛtra of Vedic mythology. The name of Achilles itself is derived from a dialectal variant of the Indo-European stem for ‘serpent’ (V. N. Toporov). Paris, whose second name was Alexandros, has a historical prototype in the person of King Alaksandu of Wilusa-Troy (first half of the 13th century). The consideration of mythological and historical data provides an opportunity to represent the predecessor of the “Iliad” (“Proto-Iliad”) as an epic transformation of the Indo-European serpent-slaying myth
rhapsodizing King Alaksandu.
Keywords: Indo-European mythology, serpent-slaying myth, mythology of India, the Iliad, Greek mythology, the Trojan war, Alaksandu, Paris, Achilles, Apollo.
Research Interests: Mythology, Armenian Studies, Greek Language, Indo-European Studies, Epic Literature, and 15 moreGreek Epic, Ancient Greek Religion, Greek Myth, Epic poetry, Comparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Hittite Religion, Hindu Mythology, Ancient Greek Mythology, Iliad, Comparative Indo-European Linguistics, Vedic Studies, Myth and Literature, and Homeric epic
When there is no writing and written history, people record their history through epic compositions. However, after the emergence of writing, the Armenian mind continued developing epics presenting historical eras. It might be said that... more
When there is no writing and written history, people record their history through epic compositions. However, after the emergence of writing, the Armenian mind continued developing epics presenting historical eras. It might be said that the whole history of Armenia was codified through successive epics. In this article, it is argued that the Armenian folk heroic epic should include the following compositions: 1) Ethnogonic traditions; 2) “Vipasank”; 3) “War of Persia”; 4) “War of Taron”; 5) “Daredevils of Sasun”; 6) Kyoroghli. The pseudo-folk poems about Soviet leaders might also be considered in this context. The archaic epics were created according to a particular scheme – a genealogical line of archetypal heroes: 1) a divine image or its symbol; 2) divine twins, and 3) “dying (and rising)” hero. The mythic and historical heroes were superposed on these mythological archetypes.
Key words: Armenian folk epic, Armenian folklore, ancient Armenian literature, Armenian mythology.
Key words: Armenian folk epic, Armenian folklore, ancient Armenian literature, Armenian mythology.
Research Interests:
The article discusses the legends about the origins of some ancient Armenian royal and princely families: the Eruandunis, the Bagratunis, the Artsrunis and the Slkunis. The Bagratunis originate from the god Angeł, while the Artsrunis from... more
The article discusses the legends about the origins of some ancient Armenian royal and princely families: the Eruandunis, the Bagratunis, the Artsrunis and the Slkunis. The Bagratunis originate from the god Angeł, while the Artsrunis from the King Sennacherib of Assyria, who, being the second eponym of the city of Angeł, may be regarded as the epic version of the god Angeł. The legendary eponyms of the Eruanduni and Slkuni families are described by the word džneay ‘fierce’ (referring to the glance), which in myths is presented as a characteristic of the god Angeł. This shows that they also share the same origin. It is likely that all these princely houses constituted the branches of the royal Eruanduni dynasty (C. Tumanoff). Accordingly, the origin from the god Angeł was, in all probability, initially attributed to the Eruandunis.
Research Interests: Mythology, Medieval Literature, Near Eastern Studies, Medieval History, Armenian Studies, and 14 moreMedieval Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Early Medieval History, Late Antiquity, Armenian History, Classical Armenian, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Comparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Antiquity, and Ancient Near Eastern History
Research Interests: Near Eastern Studies, Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, Indo-European Studies, Armenian History, and 13 moreArmenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Armenia, Ancient Near Eastern History, Armenian Linguistics, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Urartu, Comparative Indo-European Linguistics, and Indo-European Etymology
Գիրքը էսսեների ժողովածու է, որտեղ երբեմն լուրջ, երբեմն հումորով քննարկվում է հայաստանցի հայի կերպարը, նրա հարաբերություններն ազգակիցների, օտարների և ողջ տիեզերքի հետ, անցյալի ու ներկայի նկատմամբ ունեցած վերաբերմունքը և ապագայի իրատեսական... more
Գիրքը էսսեների ժողովածու է, որտեղ երբեմն լուրջ, երբեմն հումորով քննարկվում է հայաստանցի հայի կերպարը, նրա հարաբերություններն ազգակիցների, օտարների և ողջ տիեզերքի հետ, անցյալի ու ներկայի նկատմամբ ունեցած վերաբերմունքը և ապագայի իրատեսական կամ ֆանտաստիկ հնարավորությունները: Նախատեսվում է ընթերցող լայն շրջանների համար:
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Petrosyan examines the amalgam of linguistic, archaeological, mythological and historical evidence that bears on the origins of the Armenian people. He surveys and deconstructs the foundation myths of the Armenian people and their... more
Petrosyan examines the amalgam of linguistic, archaeological, mythological and historical evidence that bears on the origins of the Armenian people. He surveys and deconstructs the foundation myths of the Armenian people and their neighbors. He examines the written evidence of the various peoples who occupied the Armenian highlands and discusses the conflicting evidence for a traditional center in the Ayrarat region while the main cult centers appear to have been in Upper Armenia. He locates the Armenians in the overall network of ethnic and linguistic entities that flourished in the multi-ethnic Urartian empire. Finally the author surveys and assesses the variety of solutions to solve the problem of Armenian origins.
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Ethnic Studies, Armenian Studies, Ancient Indo-European Languages, and 15 moreIndo-European Studies, Oral history, Armenian History, Ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Ethnicity, Indo-European Linguistics, Armenian Language, Prehistory, Ancient Near Eastern History, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Urartu, Ethnogenesis, Ethnicity and National Identity, and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Petrosyan examines the amalgam of linguistic, archaeological, mythological and historical evidence that bears on the origins of the Armenian people. He surveys and deconstructs the foundation myths of the Armenian people and their... more
Petrosyan examines the amalgam of linguistic, archaeological, mythological and historical evidence that bears on the origins of the Armenian people. He surveys and deconstructs the foundation myths of the Armenian people and their neighbors. He examines the written evidence of the various peoples who occupied the Armenian highlands and discusses the conflicting evidence for a traditional center in the Ayrarat region while the main cult centers appear to have been in Upper Armenia. He locates the Armenians in the overall network of ethnic and linguistic entities that flourished in the multi-ethnic Urartian empire. Finally the author surveys and assesses the variety of solutions to solve the problem of Armenian origins.
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Գիրքը հեղինակի՝ հայկական վիպական բանահյուսության վերաբերյալ մի շարք ուսումնասիրությունների ամբողջություն է, որը կարող է որոշակիորեն նոր պատկեր ստեղծել նյութի վերաբերյալ։ Քննվում են էպոսների հնագույն՝ առասպելաբանական շերտերը, նրանց հիման... more
Գիրքը հեղինակի՝ հայկական վիպական բանահյուսության վերաբերյալ մի շարք ուսումնասիրությունների ամբողջություն է, որը կարող է որոշակիորեն նոր պատկեր ստեղծել նյութի վերաբերյալ։ Քննվում են էպոսների հնագույն՝ առասպելաբանական շերտերը, նրանց հիման վրա էպոսի ձևավորման և զարգացման խնդիրները։ Ներկայացվում են բազում նոր հնդեվրոպական, հնագույն մերձարևելյան և կովկասյան կապեր, ցույց է տրվում հայկական էպոսների ծագումը միևնույն առասպելաբանական հիմքից, նոր հայացքով է դիտվում ողջ հայ վիպական բանահյուսությունը՝ ազգածին ավանդությունից մինչև խորհրդային «էպոս» և վիպական կերպարների ծագումն ու զարգացումը։ Նախատեսվում է մասնագետների, ուսանողների և ընթերցողների լայն շրջանակների համար։
Research Interests: Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Languages and Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Near Eastern Studies, and 10 moreArmenian Studies, Indo-European Studies, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, Epic poetry, Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Comparative mythology, Indo-European Linguistics, Indo-European, and Indo-European Languages
Ժամանակակից իրականության առասպելաբանական ընկալումը՝ ժամանակակից առասպելաբանությունն ու նրա հերոսները, կարելի է ասել, դուրս են մնացել հայաստանյան հետազոտողների տեսադաշտից: Այս գրքում ընթերցողը կարող է ծանոթանալ հին առասպելների,... more
Ժամանակակից իրականության առասպելաբանական ընկալումը՝ ժամանակակից առասպելաբանությունն ու նրա հերոսները, կարելի է ասել, դուրս են մնացել հայաստանյան հետազոտողների տեսադաշտից: Այս գրքում ընթերցողը կարող է ծանոթանալ հին առասպելների, առասպելաբանական վերակազմությունների ու կերպարների, առասպելաբանական մտածողության առանձնահատկությունների հետ և տեսնել նրանց դրսևորումները մեր ժամանակներում: Նախատեսվում է մասնագետների և ընթերցող լայն շրջանների համար։
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Գիրքը նվիրված է Ուրարտուի՝ մեր երկրի հնագույն պետության կրոնի, դիցարանի և պաշտամունքի ուսումնասիրությանը։ Նրանում ժամանակակից գիտության ամենաբարձր մակարդակով ներկայացվում և քննարկվում են երկրի հոգևոր մշակույթի այդ ոլորտների վերաբերյալ հին... more
Գիրքը նվիրված է Ուրարտուի՝ մեր երկրի հնագույն պետության կրոնի, դիցարանի և պաշտամունքի ուսումնասիրությանը։ Նրանում ժամանակակից գիտության ամենաբարձր մակարդակով ներկայացվում և քննարկվում են երկրի հոգևոր մշակույթի այդ ոլորտների վերաբերյալ հին աղբյուրների տեղեկությունները և հնագիտական նյութը։ Ցույց է տրվում հնագույն աստվածների կերպարների ժառանգորդությունը հայոց հեթանոսական կրոնում և էպոսում։ Նախատեսվում է մասնագետների, ուսանողների և ընթերցող լայն շրջանակների համար։
Research Interests: Mythology, Armenian Studies, Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Ancient Near East, and 8 moreComparative mythology, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Urartian Archaeology, Ancient Near Eastern History, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Urartu
This book is devoted to the study of various aspects of history and culture of Armenia from the earliest times to the present. Its articles are unified by the same theme: folklore, from Indo-European and Middle Eastern myths to the... more
This book is devoted to the study of various aspects of history and
culture of Armenia from the earliest times to the present. Its articles are
unified by the same theme: folklore, from Indo-European and Middle
Eastern myths to the ancient and medieval epics and contemporary
children’s counting rhymes.
The book is intended for the specialists in history and culture of
Armenia, folklorists and linguists, as well as for all those interested
in mythology, epic and history of Armenia and adjacent countries.
Книга посвящена изучению разных аспектов истории и культу-
ры Армении, от древнейших времен до современности. Ее статьи
объединяет единая тематика – фольклор, от индоевропейских и
ближневосточных мифов до древнего и средневекового эпоса и
современной детской считалки.
Книга расчитана на специалистов по истории и культуры
Армении, фольклористов и лингвистов, а также на всех, кто ин-
тересуется мифологией, эпосом и историей Армении и сопредель-
ных стран.
culture of Armenia from the earliest times to the present. Its articles are
unified by the same theme: folklore, from Indo-European and Middle
Eastern myths to the ancient and medieval epics and contemporary
children’s counting rhymes.
The book is intended for the specialists in history and culture of
Armenia, folklorists and linguists, as well as for all those interested
in mythology, epic and history of Armenia and adjacent countries.
Книга посвящена изучению разных аспектов истории и культу-
ры Армении, от древнейших времен до современности. Ее статьи
объединяет единая тематика – фольклор, от индоевропейских и
ближневосточных мифов до древнего и средневекового эпоса и
современной детской считалки.
Книга расчитана на специалистов по истории и культуры
Армении, фольклористов и лингвистов, а также на всех, кто ин-
тересуется мифологией, эпосом и историей Армении и сопредель-
ных стран.
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Studies in honour of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Boris piotrovsky
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Popular science article
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Абсолютно уникальное явление, которое встречается только на территории исторической Армении, до сих пор так и не получило однозначной трактовки. Каменные стелы, выполненные в форме рыбы, могут значить намного больше, чем то, что мы о них... more
Абсолютно уникальное явление, которое встречается только на территории исторической Армении, до сих пор так и не получило однозначной трактовки. Каменные стелы, выполненные в форме рыбы, могут значить намного больше, чем то, что мы о них знаем…
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Research Interests:
«Հայը և աշխարհը»: Սա բանասիրական գիտությունների դոկտոր, ՀՀ ԳԱ Հնագիտության և ազգագրության ինստիտուտի գիտաշխատող Արմեն Պետրոսյանի նոր գրքի վերնագիրն է: Այն գիտական փաստերի վրա հիմնված էսսեների ժողովածու է՝ գրված, ինչպես հեղինակն է ասում,... more
«Հայը և աշխարհը»: Սա բանասիրական գիտությունների դոկտոր, ՀՀ ԳԱ Հնագիտության և ազգագրության ինստիտուտի գիտաշխատող Արմեն Պետրոսյանի նոր գրքի վերնագիրն է: Այն գիտական փաստերի վրա հիմնված էսսեների ժողովածու է՝ գրված, ինչպես հեղինակն է ասում, կիսահումորիստական ոճով: Այսօրվա հայաստանցի հայի կերպարը ներկայացվում է հետևյալ գլուխներում՝ «հայի բախտ», «հայը և սերը», «հայը և հայը», «հայը և ոչ հայը», հայը և անցյալը», «հայը և ապագան»:-Մտածեցի գրել մի բան, որ ինձ հոգեհարազատ է, բայց հումորով: Ընդհանուր առմամբ, ցանկանում էի ուրախացնել մարդկանց: Նույնիսկ անհույս իրավիճակներում կարելի է գրել ուրախ ոճով: Եվ այսպես գիրքը ստեղծվեց: Էմիր Կուստորիցան ասել է՝ կյանքն այնքան նողկալի մի բան է, որ եթե հումոր չմտցնես նրա արտացոլման՝ ստեղծագործության մեջ, այն չափազանց ողբերգական կլինի: Հումորը մարդուն միշտ օգնում է ապրել: Եվ մտածեցի որոշ տեղեկություններ հումորի ալիքով հասցնել մարդկանց: Հումորից խուսափել կամ համարյա խուսափել եմ «Հայը և անցյալը» գլխում, որտեղ քննադատվում են ավելորդ ազգապանծացման տեսությունները: Իսկ հումորից խուսափել եմ, որպեսզի չնեղացնեմ մարդկանց, որոնք, իրենց կարծիքով, օգտակար բան են անում, ստեղծելով ազգապանծացման, ավելի շուտ՝ «ազգահնացման», ըստ իս, անիմամաստ տեսություններ: Մեզանում այսպիսի մտայնություն կա, որ ժողովրդի պատմությունը կոնյակի պես մի բան է, որքան հին, այնքան լավ, կարծես ավելի թանկ պետք է գնահատվի ու վաճառվի:-Գրքում անդրադարձել եք հայերի անցյալապաշտ լինելուն: Բավական քննադատաբար եք խոսել, որ այսօր հայն ավելի շատ ապրում է անցյալով, քան ներկայով: Ինչո՞ւ ենք սիրում ավելի շատ անցյալով ապրել: Անցյալը պաշտամունքային բնույթ է ձեռք բերել մեզ մոտ: Հին պատմություն ունենք, իսկ մեր նոր պատմությունը, այսպես ասեմ՝ փառավոր չէ: Մեր մեծ փառքը եղել է շատ վաղուց՝ 2000 տարի առաջ, Տիգրան Մեծի ժամանակներում, թեև հետո նույնպես ունեցել ենք որոշակի փառավոր ժամանակներ: Ընդհանրապես մեր ժողովրդի հայացքն ուղղված է դեպի անցյալը: Մեր իրականությունը չափազանց առասպելականացած է: Մենք կարծես ապրում ենք ոչ թե ռեալ իրականության, այլ առասպելի մեջ: Առասպելաբանական հայացքն ամեն ինչ գնահատում է ոչ թե ըստ իրերի տրամաբանական ընթացքի, այլ ըստ նախադեպի: Իսկ նախադեպը, պարզ է, որ անցյալ է, որը պետք է ձեռք է բերում որոշակի պաշտամունքային բնույթ: Այն ավելի էական դեր է կատարում հին ժողովուրդների մոտ: 18-րդ և հատկապես 19-րդ դարերում մեր ազգի սերուցքը՝գիտուններ, գաղափարախոսներ, գրողներ, Րաֆֆին և նրա նմանները, փորձում էին նոր հատկանիշներ պատվաստել մեր