The spirits grow restless... in order to continue your journey to becoming a revered immortal, you must learn about the creatures who live in darkness.
This book is a collection of information revolving around creatures and well-known myths from Asi...
Armenia is a landlocked country located in the highlands of Western Asia. It is part of the Caucasus region between Asia and Europe. It is among the earliest Christian civilizations with numerous religious sites. The languages spoken in this country are Armenian, Russian, and English.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
•✦──────✧✦✧──────✦•
DEITIES
Before Christianity was formally adopted in the region, the Armenian pantheon changed multiple times over the centuries. It went through Anatolian, Hurro-Urartuab, Semitic, Iranian, and Greek influences.
Early Armenian Deities:
Areg (also Arev): god of the sun, the creator of all things.
Astłik: fertility goddess. The holiday of Vardavar was originally in her honour.
Ayg; goddess of the dawn.
Angeł: meaning "the invisible". God of the underworld.
Tork Angegh: "given by Angeł". A great-grandson of Hayk.
Amanor: "the bearer of new fruits". God of the new year.
Vanatur: "giving asylum". God of hospitality.
Nvard: the consort of Ara, was likely developed into Anahit later.
Tsovinar: "nar of the sea". Goddess of waters and the ocean. Perhaps also the goddess of lightning.
Hayasan Deities:
U.Gur: chief god of the Hayasan pantheon. The god's name is unknown and is represented by the ideogram U.GUR in the records.
Inanna: consort of the chief god. Her name has not survived as well, but she may have been an early version of Anahit.
Terittitunnis: early form of Vahagn (the god of fire, thunder, and war).
Taramu: sixth god of the Hayasan pantheon, perhaps connected to the weather god Tarhu.
Baltaik: a goddess possibly connected to Astarte/Ishtar.
Izzistanus: perhaps a counterpart of Estan, the companion of the weather god.
Urartian Deities:
Haldi: chief god of Urartu. Part of the ruling triad with his two sons.
Arubani: goddess of fertility and art. Wife of Haldi.
Bagvarti: wife of Haldi.
Teispas: god of storms. Son of Haldi. Part of the ruling triad with his father and brother.
Shivini: god of the sun. Son of Haldi. Part of the ruling triad with his father and brother.
Selardi: god/goddess of the moon.
Saris: possibly another name for Ishtar, a Mesopotamian goddess associated with love, beauty, sex, war, justice, and politics.
Huba: wife of Teispas.
Keura: god of the land.
Šebitu: little known god.
Deities with Iranian Influences:
Aramazd: head of the pantheon. Formed the ruling triad with Anahit and Vahagn.
Anadatus: the immortal deities emanating from Aramazd.
Anahit: goddess of fertility, birth. Either daughter or wife of Aramazd.
Mihr: god of sun and light. Son of Aramazd.
Spandaramet: goddess of fertility, vineyards, and the underworld. A daughter of Aramazd.
Tir: god of wisdom, written language, culture, science as well as the messenger of the gods and the guide to the afterlife.
Vahagn: god of the seas, storms and a weather god. Also known as a dragon slayer.
Deities with Post-Alexandrian Influences:
Barsamin: god of sky and weather.
Nane: goddess of motherhood, war, and wisdom. A daughter of Aramazd.
•✦──────✧✦✧──────✦•
CREATURES
Al: a dwarfish evil spirit that attacks pregnant women and steals newborn babies. It is half-human, half-animal with teeth made of iron and nails of brass or copper. It wears a pointed hat with bells and can turn invisible.
Aralez: dog-like creatures who have the ability to heal fallen warriors and resurrect the dead by licking their wounds.
Devs: air spirits sharing similarities with angels and demons. Live in stony places and ruins, prefer to keep to themselves.
Shahapet: friendly guardian spirits who appear in the form of serpents. They inhabit houses, fields, orchards, fields, forests, and graveyards among other places.
Nhang: a serpent-like monster that dwells in rivers and has shape-shifting powers. It could change into a seal or lure men by transforming into women, then drown them to drink their blood.
Piatek: large, mammalian creature.
Vishap: dragon associated with water. It is depicted as a winged snake or having different elements of different animals.
•✦──────✧✦✧──────✦•
LEGENDS, MYTHS, AND FOLKTALES
The Legend of Ara
WhenSemiramis saw Ara, the handsome Armenian King, she fell in love with him and asked him to marry her. Ara refused. Enraged, Semiramis gathered the armies of Assyria and marched against Armenia. She ordered that Ara be brought to her alive, but during the battle he was slain.
Semiramis wanted to avoid continuous warfare so she took Ara's body and prayed to the gods to raise him from the dead. When the Armenians advanced to avenge their fallen ruler, Semiramis disguised one warrior as Ara and convinced the Armenians that their King had been brought back from the dead. Thus further warfare was avoided.
In one version of the legend, Semiramis' prayers are successful and Ara returns to life following her prayers.
The Folktale of Hayk
Hayk was a mighty warrior who, along with his people, moved to the warmer lands near Babylon. There ruled a giant named Bel who tried to impose his tyranny upon these newcomers who refused to submit. After some time, Hayk migrated away into the land of Ararad. Bel sent one of his sons to entreat Hayk to return. When the latter refused, Bel raised an army against him, but Hayk had been forewarned and raised an army of his own. He told them that they could either defeat Bel or die trying.
Hayk and his men discovered the position of Bel and his army on the mountains. Hayk slew Bel with a nearly impossible shot using a longbow which sent the enemy in disarray. He used Bel's body to warn his wives and sons against following in his footsteps. After this, Hayk established a fortress at the battle site, naming it Hayk.
•✦──────✧✦✧──────✦•
Did you find this interesting? Please let us know in the comments!
