Armenian literature; Armenian literature -- History and criticism
Many images and shrines were dedicated to her under the names of “the
Golden Mother,” [23] “the Being of Golden Birth,” etc. Every
summer there was a festival in her honour. On that day, a dove and a
rose were offered to her golden image, whence the day was called
Vardavar, which means “the flaming of the Rose.” On the
introduction of Christianity, the temple of Anahit was destroyed and
her festival became the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ; it
falls in the last days of the year according to the ancient Armenian
calendar; but the name “Vardavar” still remains and doves are still
set flying on that day. This is also the Armenian “water-day,”
during which the people amuse themselves throwing water at each other.
[24]
Anahit was sought also in cases of great sickness.
The sister of Anahit was Astghik, [25] the goddess of beauty, a
personification of the moon, corresponding to the Phoenician and
Sidonian Astarte. Strange to say, the Persians had no goddess of
beauty, but the bright sky of Armenia, its numerous valleys, the
torrents running down from snow-capped mountains, the lakes, the
cultivated fields and meadows tended to strengthen the sense of beauty,
and, therefore, Armenia had a goddess of beauty, who was not to be
found in the pantheon of the neighbouring country.
The Armenians assigned Astghik a husband worthy of her. He was Vahagn,
deified on account of his valour. In ancient songs, he is credited with
a miraculous birth. The fires of heaven and earth, and the sea crimson
in the light of dawn, travailed to bring him into being. [26] As we
shall see later, Moses of Khorene has preserved portions of these
songs. Vahagn was called Vishapakagh (Uprooter of dragons), as he
cleared the Armenian land of monsters and saved it from evil
influences. His exploits were known not only in Armenia, but in the
abode of the gods. Having stolen corn from the barns of King Barsham of
Assyria, he ran away and tried to hide himself in heaven. From the ears
he dropped arose the Milky Way, which is called in Armenia the Track of
the Corn-stealer.
The third daughter of Aramazd was Nané or Nooné. She was the goddess
of contrivance. It was believed by the Armenians that contrivance was a
necessary power for a woman, because, in the management of the
household, she had to make big things out of small ones, and
circumstances were already against her on account of the vicissitudes
which Armenia was constantly undergoing.
Sandaramet, the wife of Aramazd, was an invisible goddess and a
personification of the earth. Aramazd sent rain upon her, which brought
forth the vegetation on the earth. She came to be a synonym of Hades
and was very frequently referred to as such in theological books and in
the hymnary of the Christian Church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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