| Vahagn | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Other names | Vahagn Vishapakagh |
| Day | 27th day of each month in theArmenian calendar |
| Gender | male |
| Ethnic group | Armenian |
| Festivals | Navasard |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Aramazd |
| Siblings | Anahit,Nane andMihr |
| Consort | Astłik |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek | Heracles |
| Roman | Hercules |
Vahagn orVahakn (Armenian:Վահագն), also known asVahagn Vishapakagh (Վահագն Վիշապաքաղ,'Vahagn theDragon-reaper'), is a warrior god inArmenian mythology.[1] Scholars consider him to be either the thunder, or sun and fire god of the pre-Christian Armenian pantheon, as well as the god of war, bravery and victory.[2][3] He formed a triad withAramazd andAnahit.[4] Vahagn is etymologically derived fromVarhraγn, theParthian name for theIranian godVerethragna, although there are key differences between the two deities.[5]
Vahagn was worshipped at a tripartite temple complex together with his brideAstghik and the goddess Anahit in the district ofTaron, on the slopes of a mountain called Karke near the settlement ofAshtishat.[3][6][7] After Armenia came underHellenistic influence in antiquity, Vahagn was identified with theHellenic deityHeracles, but also rarely withApollo.[1]
Thetheonym Vahagn is cognate withVerethragna, the name of the Iranian god of victory mentioned inAvesta, as well as theVedicVŗtrahan, the usual epithet of the thunder godIndra.[1] It was borrowed into Armenian fromParthianVarhraγn and developed from the earlier formVarhagn.[8] In the oldArmenian calendar, the twenty-seventh day of the month was called Vahagn.[3] Additionally, the planetMars was calledAtraher ("fire-hair") by the ancient Armenians in reference to Vahagn.[3]
Vahagn is mentioned in a number of Classical Armenian written sources.[4] For example, in the history attributed toAgathangelos, Armenian kingTiridates III evokes the triad of Aramazd, Anahit and Vahagn in a greeting to his people: "May health and prosperity come to you by the help of the gods, rich fullness from manly Aramazd, providence from Anahit the Lady, and bravery come to you from brave Vahagn."[9]
HistorianMovses Khorenatsi refers to Vahagn as one of the sons ofTigranes (a mythologized composite figure of several Armenian kings in Khorenatsi's history) and records the following song about him:[10][8]
Երկնէր երկին, երկնէր երկիր,
երկնէր եւ ծովն ծիրանի.
երկն ի ծովուն ունէր եւ
զկարմրիկն եղեգնիկ.
ընդ եղեգան փող ծուխ ելանէր,
ընդ եղեգան փող բոց ելանէր.
եւ ի բոցոյն վազէր
խարտեաշ պատանեկիկ.
նա հուր հեր ունէր,
… բոց ունէր մօրուս,
եւ աչկունքն էին արեգակունք:
Erknēr erkin, erknēr erkir,
erknēr ew covn cirani.
erkn i covun unēr ew
zkarmrikn ełegnik.
ənd ełegan p῾oł cux elanēr,
ənd ełegan p῾oł boc῾ elanēr.
ew i boc῾oyn vazēr
xarteaš patanekik.
na hur her unēr,
... boc῾ unēr môrus,
ew ač῾kunk῾n ēin aregakunk῾:
Heaven was in labor, earth was in labor,
the purple sea was also in labor;
in the sea labor pangs also held
the little red reed.
Along the reed-pipe smoke ascended,
Along the reed-pipe flame ascended.
And from the flame
a red-headed young boy jumped out.
He had (celestial) fire for hair,
and had flame for beard,
and his eyes were suns.
Khorenatsi does not give the rest of the song, but states that it tells of how Vahagn fought and conqueredvishaps, which are thedragons of Armenian mythology.[10] This attribute of Vahagn is the reason for his titlevishapakagh, meaning "reaper ofvishaps" or "dragon-reaper".[1]
The 7th-century Armenian authorAnania Shirakatsi relates a myth where Vahagn steals some straw from Barsham (i.e.,Baalshamin) and drops it on his way back, creating theMilky Way. This is supposed to be the origin of one of the folk names of the Milky Way in Armenian,Hardagoghi chanaparh, literally "the way of the straw-thief".[12]
The chief temple of Vahagn atAshtishat on the slopes of Mount Karke was often called the Vahevanean or Vahevahean temple because its priests were members of theVahevuni or Vahnuni noble house, who claimed descent from Vahagn.[3] Vahagn was worshipped jointly at the temple together with Anahit and Astghik.[3][6][7] According to Agathangelos, after KingTiridates III's conversion to Christianity in the early fourth century, the first head of the Armenian ChurchGregory the Illuminator went to Ashtishat and destroyed the temple of Vahagn.[13][3] A church was constructed on the site of the destroyed temple, which became the first Mother See of theArmenian Church.[13][3]
Georges Dumézil said that Vahagn seems closer to the Vedic Vŗtrahan Indra than the Avestan Verethragna, since the former is depicted as a dragon/serpent-slayer like Vahagn, while the latter is not.[14] Vahagn has frequently been regarded as a counterpart of Indra, but Armen Petrosyan considers the similarities between the two to be underlying Indo-European commonalities rather than the result of direct borrowing, since in that case the dissimilarity with Verethragna would be inexplicable.[1][15] PhilologistVyacheslav Ivanov considered the Song of Vahagn recorded by Khorenatsi to be "one of the striking examples ofIndo-European poetry."[16] Ivanov says the myth of Vahagn contains several layers, including the later Iranian myth of Verethragna and an earlier Indo-European layer of a god persecuting the enemy.[17] Armen Petrosyan says Vahagn is a pre-Iranian Armenian god who took on an Iranian name, rather than a complete borrowing.[16] Petrosyan has also drawn parallels between Vahagn and the Vedic fire deityAgni, based on similarities in the accounts of their birth.[1] Vahagn may have acquired his attribute of dragon-slayer from the Hurro-Urartian deityTeshub.[18]
Vahagn was identified withHeracles during theHellenistic period.[7] In the 5th-century Armenian translation of the Bible, Vahagn is used to translate Heracles in2 Maccabees 4:19, while Khorenatsi states that the song of Vahagn tells of heroic deeds reminiscent of Heracles.[19] More rarely, he was identified with the sun godApollo.[1]John the Baptist has been called the "Christian heir of Vahagn's character," as a church dedicated to him was built near the demolished temple of Vahagn.[1]
Today,Vahagn (andVahag) are popular male given names among Armenians.[20][21]Vahan, another popular name,[22] may have originated from Vahagn.[23]
A village in the northern province ofLori was namedVahagni after him in 1947.[24][25] It has a monumental statue of Vahagn byGhukas Chubaryan andLiparit Sadoyan, erected in 1973, which also serves as a monument to the fallen soldiers of theGreat Patriotic War (World War II).[26][27]
There are several statues and sculptures of Vahagn in Yerevan dating from the Soviet period, including byAra Harutyunyan andRafayel Israyelian (1962/1965),[28][29][30]Karlen Nurijanyan (1964/1969),[31]Vahe Harutyunyan (1984/1985),[32][33]Artashes Hovsepyan (1988).[34][35]
He is also depicted in painting byLida Khanamiryan (1972)[36] and on a 1997 stamp along with theHercules constellation, which is named after him in Armenian.[37]
Վահագն անունը ՀՀ ընտրողների ցուցակներում հանդիպում է 5399 անգամ
Վահագ անունը ՀՀ ընտրողների ցուցակներում հանդիպում է 439 անգամ
Վահան անունը ՀՀ ընտրողների ցուցակներում հանդիպում է 7120 անգամ
Վահան < Վահագն անունից կրճատված (ըստ Andreas և Marquart) կամ վահան բառի՞ց (Հյուբշ)
«Վահագնի անունը եկել է նրանից, որ, ըստ առասպելի, գյուղի տարածքում է գտնվել Վահագն աստծո տաճարը», – ասաց Վահագնիի վարչական ղեկավար Սուրեն Վարդումյանը։
՛՛Վահագն Վիշապաքաղ՛՛: 1965
«Վահագն վիշապաքաղ» ուղենիշ — հուշարձանը գտնվում է Երևան – Սևան ավտոճանապարհին, կառուցվել է 1962 թվականին
Ճարտարապետ՝ Ռաֆայել Իսրայելյան, քանդակագործ՝ Արա Հարությունյան
Արձանը կերտվել է 1964 թ.: 1969 թ. տեղադրել են Լենինի /այժմ` Մաշտոցի/ պողոտայում
Կոփածո պղինձ, 1984թ.
Արտաշես Հովսեփյանը, առասպելական են նաեւ նրա գործերը՝ «Վահագնի» հարթաքանդակը Երեւանի կոնյակի գործարանի պատին
Vahagn, the Dragon-Slaer on the background of the Hercules constellations
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