It play moreover which he performed fight with the brand new dragons, and you can overcame them; and several say that their valiant deeds was in fact like unto Hercules
Its really ancient towns and cities, Van, Armavir, have been foundations regarding Vannic leaders, when you’re recently it has been shared that the city of Hajk, the southern part of regarding Van, reveals a number of the familiar top features of an excellent Khaldean payment. But their best jesus in pre-Religious era was not Khaldis, although Persian Ormuzd, and this demonstrates new Persians exercised a much better influence.
Exactly how following you will definitely Semiramis previously have come to Van for the journey from an Armenian king, because appears that the brand new Scythians had already conquered Assyria in advance of the good influx from Armenian millions? Neither can it search the city of Van is actually established by the Assyrian king, into inscriptions generate zero mention of the this lady title. King Memas which, about view of Lynch, constructed the new famous canal, was in all opportunities mcdougal of one’s backyard urban area. The belief, according to Lynch, due to the fact already stated, is the fact so it legend is the Armenian sort of the old Hellenic misconception from Aphrodite and Adonis, taken over in the domination of one’s Seleucid dynasty and this adopted the latest conquest out of Alexander from the 325 B.C.fourteen
However, this is certainly unrealistic. That a myth would be absorbed by a topic some body and also the characters rechristened is easy to know, but the title of one of them can be applied for the old city is really not likely as you would expect. Also, the newest legend is sampling rather highly which have Persian voluptuousness, which can be not at all effective out of Greek delicacy and you will refinement. Neither is the fact that horde overran the country shortly after the destruction off Assyria by any means conclusive, to have in the event the there have been people intake after all, as there need certainly were, the brand new Khaldean culture and you may background was to one to the quantity the real possession of your own Armenians. Even intermarriage carry out perhaps feel a lot of, for just what Irishman that has been in the usa a couple of weeks does not talk about Benjamin Franklin and you may George Washington because the their ancestors? It is becoming noted along with that to this day the tunnel discussed is called “Shamiram-Su” or lake out-of Semiramis, from the all of the Armenians.fifteen In general it appears if you ask me definitive, for this reason, that legend out-of Semiramis and you can Ara has its own roots inside Armenian history, which will be not really a version of the newest Hellenic myth.
Area 4. The newest Legend out of Vahakn
The fresh new legend from Vahakn, king and you can jesus out-of Armenians, is really clearly owing to new Greek period, hence observed the newest Persian conquest around Xerxes. Vahakn are deified due to his high valor and made this new fire-goodness of your own Armenian individuals.sixteen He was entitled “Vishapakagh,” uprooter out-of dragons, once the he eliminated Armenia regarding monsters and you may spared it regarding worst influences. Their exploits had been identified throughout the house of one’s gods since the well as with Armenia. The most used ones are the thieves out-of corn of the barns of King Barsham away https://datingmentor.org/escort/inglewood/ from Assyria, away from whom the guy ran out and you can tried to cover-up when you look at the eden. From the ears the guy fell within his fast trip, around emerged the fresh Milky Means which is sometimes called within the Armenian the newest “tabs on the fresh corn stealer.”17
With these individual ears did i listen to such terms and conditions sung so you’re able to brand new musical accompaniment of the harp. Other people declare that he was a god, and that a picture of him endured throughout the home away from Georgia, where it absolutely was worshipped, with sacrifices.19
Brand new wife off Vahakn was Astghik, the newest goddess away from beauty, an effective personification of the moon, comparable to new Phoenician and you will Sidonian Astarte. This is certainly suggestive away from Greek dictate, getting Venus, the new Greek deity off beauty, was also brand new girlfriend from a flames-goodness, Vulcan.20
