Eggsquisitely Mythical #26 : Armenia
- Dr. Fizza Younis
- Nov 3
- 6 min read
Hello, fellow eggs and mythology lovers!
For our next Eggsquisitely Mythical issue, we are doing a deep dive on the legends of Armenia.
Background
The Republic of Armenia is a landlocked country in Western Asia, bordered by Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan. It gained its independence in 1991, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Modern Armenia is a unitary, multi-party, democratic nation-state. It is a developing country and ranks 69th on the Human Development Index as of 2023. While Armenia is geographically located in the South Caucasus, Armenia views itself as part of Europe and is generally considered geopolitically European, and is a member of various European organizations.
It was the first in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion, an identity that has shaped its culture, architecture, and resilient national spirit for over 1,700 years.
One of the continuously inhabited regions, Armenia has a rich history, culture, and mythology that is influenced by indigenous and neighboring traditions.
Gods & Goddesses
Aramazd: Supreme god, father of all gods. Reins over sky, rain, fertility, and abundance. He is the Armenian equivalent of Zeus and Ahura Mazda; central in a powerful triad with Anahit and Vahagn.
Anahit: Mother goddess of fertility, healing, and wisdom. Highly revered, she is known as "the glory of our nation." Sick pilgrims visited her temples for healing.
Barsamin: God of sky and weather, derived from the Semitic god Baal Shamin.
Vahagn: God of fire, thunder, war, and courage. He is the legendary dragon-slayer in Armenian mythology. His birth is described in an ancient song as follows: born from a reed in the sea with fiery hair and eyes like suns.
Astghik: Goddess of love, beauty, water. She is the consort of Vahagn, and celebrated in the Vardavar festival (people pour water on each other), now a Christian holiday.
Mihr: God of the sun, heavenly light, and truth. He is associated with Mithra, and the month of February (Mehekan) is dedicated to him.
Nane: Goddess of war, motherhood, and wisdom. Compared to Greek Athena, she is often depicted with a spear and shield.
Tir: God of writing, science, wisdom, scribe to Aramazd, and interpreter of dreams. Patron of arts and letters, his temple was a seat of oracles.
Spandaramet: A daughter of Aramazd, and cthonic goddess of fertility, vineyards, and the underworld. Sometimes called Sandaramet or Santamaret, denoting a connection to the underworld unique to Armenian theology, even in Christian writings. Her kingdom is said to be inhabited by evil spirits called Santarametakans.
Key Myths & Legendary Heroes
Beyond the gods, Armenian mythology has many epic tales of heroes and legends that explain the origin of the nation.
Hayk and Bel: This is the Armenian national founding myth. Hayk, a legendary archer and descendant of Noah, rebelled against the tyrannical Babylonian king Bel. In a great battle, Hayk killed Bel with a mighty arrow, establishing his homeland around Mount Ararat. His descendants are the Armenian people, who call their country Hayastan in his honor.
Ara the Handsome and Queen Shamiram: The Assyrian queen Shamiram (Semiramis) fell deeply in love with the exceptionally handsome Armenian king, Ara. When he refused her advances, she marched her army against Armenia. Ara was killed in the ensuing battle, and in her grief, Shamiram tried to use divine magic to resurrect him. This story is often interpreted as a symbol of the eternal cycle of death and rebirth in nature.
Vahagn the Dragon-Slayer: Vahagn was famous for fighting and defeating dragons, known as Vishaps. These powerful, serpent-like creatures were believed to live in mountains, lakes, and clouds, and were capable of causing storms and floods. For this, Vahagn earned the title Vishapakagh, meaning "dragon reaper."
Sasna Tsrer: Also known as the Daredevils of Sassoun, the Sasna Tsrer are a group of legendary Armenian heroes featured in the Armenian national epic, "Daredevils of Sassoun." These heroes are celebrated for their strength, courage, and resistance against foreign invaders.
Gishervan Merer (Mothers of the Night): Armenian legend about nocturnal spirits who appear as old women clad in black. Their purpose is to capture the sun, and if they were ever to succeed, humanity would perish and the world would be plunged into endless darkness. These spirits are said to dwell in abandoned mills, dried wells, mountain crevices, and a hidden realm beneath the sea. At sunset, believing the sun retreats beneath the Earth, they chase after it. But by the time they reach the other side of the world, night has already fallen. Frustrated, they breathe out darkness that spreads across the land and brings misfortune to humankind. The legend was first recorded in the latter half of the nineteenth century in Van by Bishop Garegin Sruanjteanc’, and no other version of it has been found elsewhere in Armenia. Scholars suggest the Gishervan Merer may simply symbolize the coming of night.
Sanasar and Baghdasar: Two brothers who founded the town of Sason, ushering in the eponymous state. Sanasar was considered the ancestor of several generations of heroes of Sassoon. It is said that their mother was subject to a miraculous pregnancy by drinking water from a certain fountain.
Mythical Creatures & Spirits
Vishaps: Dragon-like beings, often seen as forces of chaos that heroes like Vahagn had to conquer. Ancient "Vishap stones" (dragon stones) with carvings have been found near water sources in Armenia.
Devs: Fearsome, demonic entities associated with chaos, destruction, and the underworld. They often serve as adversaries to the gods and heroes.
Aralezs: Among the oldest deities, depicted as dog-like creatures. They were believed to have the power to revive fallen warriors by licking their wounds.
Shahapet: A mythical creature in Armenian folklore, Shahapet is a dragon-like being that serves as a guardian of water sources. It is believed that Shahapet would protect water from contamination and ensure its purity.
Al: A dwarfish evil spirit that attacks pregnant women and steals newborn babies. Described as half-animal and half-man, its teeth are of iron and nails of brass or copper. It usually wears a pointed hat covered in bells and can become invisible.
Nhang: A river-dwelling serpent-monster with shape-shifting powers, often connected to the more conventional Armenian dragons. The creature could change into a seal or lure a man by transforming into a woman, then drag in and drown the victim to drink its blood. The word "Nhang" is sometimes used as a generic term for a sea-monster in ancient Armenian literature.
Piatek: A large mammalian creature similar to a wingless griffin.
Grogh: An ancient spirit who recorded the lives of individuals from their birth to their death. Its name translates to "writer" in the Armenian language. When a human being is born, Grogh would record the infant in the book of life and then begin to scribe their deeds, both good and bad. When the human being passes away, Grogh claims their soul and reads back their life to them during their final judgment, which is how the fate of the soul is decided. In certain myths, Grogh is identified with the god of writing and knowledge and the scribe of the gods named Tir.
Notes
Much of what we know about ancient Armenian mythology comes from oral traditions, fragments preserved in medieval chronicles, and folk practices that endured in rural areas long after Christianization. The Daredevils of Sassoun epic, for instance, was passed down orally for centuries before being written in the 19th century.
Many pagan festivals survived into Christian times, transformed into saints’ days or local celebrations. For example, Vardavar, once dedicated to Astghik and Vahagn, is now associated with the Transfiguration of Christ, yet the joyful water-pouring rituals remain a vibrant echo of its ancient roots.
Mount Ararat, Lake Van, and Mount Nemrut are not only landmarks but mythic symbols. Ararat, linked to both Noah’s Ark and Hayk’s victory over Bel, embodies themes of rebirth, endurance, and divine favor woven through Armenian lore.
Like the mythologies of Greece and Persia, the Armenian pantheon reflects the eternal struggle between light and darkness, fertility and decay, gods and monsters. Yet it stands apart in its deeply moral undertones and its enduring celebration of kinship, courage, and ancestral honor.
That concludes today's discussion about Armenian legends. We hope you enjoyed learning about them!
Check out these other articles written by former team members:
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