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Azhdahak (mythology)
Azhdahak (also spelled Ashdahak) is the Armenian name of the Avestan demon Azhi Dahaka. In Iranian mythology, he is imprisoned in Mount Damavand, but will at the end of time break out, to be ultimately defeated by Fereydun. In his ''History of Armenia'', the 5th-century Armenian writer Movses Khorenatsi identified Azhdahak with the Median king Astyages (). Astyages' name (which is the Greek transliteration of the Old Iranian ''*Aršti-vaiga'') was similar to that of Azhdahak, and the name ''Māda'' ("Mede") was pronounced in Armenian as ''Mār'', which means snake in Iranian languages. See also *List of dragons in mythology and folklore * Aži Dahāka *Vishap The Vishap (Վիշապ) is a dragon in Armenian mythology closely associated with water, similar to the Leviathan. It is usually depicted as a winged snake or with a combination of elements from different animals. Mount Ararat was the main home o ... References Sources * * Armenian legendary creatures Dragons Mytho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Armenian Language
Armenian ( classical: , reformed: , , ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is the official language of Armenia. Historically spoken in the Armenian Highlands, today Armenian is widely spoken throughout the Armenian diaspora. Armenian is written in its own writing system, the Armenian alphabet, introduced in 405 AD by the priest Mesrop Mashtots. The total number of Armenian speakers worldwide is estimated between 5 and 7 million. History Classification and origins Armenian is an independent branch of the Indo-European languages. It is of interest to linguists for its distinctive phonological changes within that family. Armenian exhibits more satemization than centumization, although it is not classified as belonging to either of these subgroups. Some linguists tentatively conclude that Armenian, Greek (and Phrygian) and Indo-Iranian were dialectally close to each other;''Handbook of Formal Languages'' (1997p. 6 wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astyages
Astyages (Median: ; Akkadian: ; Ancient Greek: grc, Αστυαγης, Astuagēs, , romanized: , , romanized: ; la, Astyages, , ; reigned 585–550 BC) was the last king of the Median Empire. The son of Cyaxares; he was dethroned in 550 BC by his grandson Cyrus the Great. Reign Astyages succeeded his father in 585 BCE, following the Battle of Halys, which ended a five-year war between the Lydians and the Medes. He inherited a large empire, ruled in alliance with his two brothers-in-law, Croesus of Lydia and Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whose wife, Amytis, Astyages' sister, was the queen for whom Nebuchadnezzar was said to have built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. However, due to recent evidence, the garden was likely built by the Assyrian King Sennacherib. Married to Aryenis, the sister of King Croesus of Lydia, to seal the treaty between the two empires, Astyages ascended to the Median throne upon his father's death later that year. The ancient sources report almost nothi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Armenian Legendary Creatures
Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the world * Armenian language, the Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people ** Armenian alphabet, the alphabetic script used to write Armenian ** Armenian (Unicode block) * Armenian Apostolic Church * Armenian Catholic Church People * Armenyan, or in Western Armenian, an Armenian surname **Haroutune Armenian (born 1942), Lebanon-born Armenian-American academic, physician, doctor of public health (1974), Professor, President of the American University of Armenia **Gohar Armenyan (born 1995), Armenian footballer **Raffi Armenian (born 1942), Armenian-Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher Others * SS ''Armenian'', a ship torpedoed in 1915 See also * * Armenia (other) * Lists of Armenians This is a list o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vishap
The Vishap (Վիշապ) is a dragon in Armenian mythology closely associated with water, similar to the Leviathan. It is usually depicted as a winged snake or with a combination of elements from different animals. Mount Ararat was the main home of the Vishap. The volcanic character of the Araratian peak and its earthquakes may have suggested its association with the Vishap. Sometimes with its children, the Vishap used to steal children or toddlers and put a small evil spirit of their own brood in their stead. According to ancient beliefs, the Vishap ascended to the sky or descended therefrom to earth, causing thunderous storms, whirlwinds, and absorption of the sun (causing an eclipse). The dragon was worshipped in a number of Eastern countries, symbolising the element of water, fertility and wealth, and later became a frightful symbol of power. According to ancient legends, the dragon fought Vahagn Vahagn or Vahakn ( hy, Վահագն), also known as Vahagn Vishapakagh ( hy, Վ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aži Dahāka
Zahhāk or Zahāk () ( fa, ضحّاک), also known as Zahhak the Snake Shoulder ( fa, ضحاک ماردوش, Zahhāk-e Mārdoush), is an evil figure in Persian mythology, evident in ancient Persian folklore as Azhi Dahāka ( fa, اژی دهاک), the name by which he also appears in the texts of the ''Avesta''. In Middle Persian he is called Dahāg ( fa, دهاگ) or Bēvar Asp ( fa, بیور اسپ) the latter meaning "he who has 10,000 horses". In Zoroastrianism, Zahhak (going under the name Aži Dahāka) is considered the son of Ahriman, the foe of Ahura Mazda. In the ''Shahnameh, Shāhnāmah'' of Ferdowsi, Zahhāk is the son of a ruler named Merdās. Etymology and derived words ''Aži'' (nominative ''ažiš'') is the Avestan word for "serpent" or "dragon". It is cognate to the Vedic Sanskrit word ''ahi'', "snake", and without a sinister implication. The original meaning of ''dahāka'' is uncertain. Among the meanings suggested are "stinging" (source uncertain), "burning" (cf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Dragons In Mythology And Folklore
This is a list of dragons in mythology and folklore. African dragons American dragons European dragons This is a list of European dragons. Northeast Asian dragons Oceanian dragons South Asian dragons Southeast Asian dragons West Asian dragons Common dragons with unknown origin * Azazel from the Abrahamic religions, is described as a dragon in the Apocalypse of Abraham. * Sea serpent, a water dragon found worldwide. *The unnamed five-headed dragon subdued by the Buddhist goddess Benzaiten at Enoshima in Japan in A.D. 552 * The unnamed dragon defeated by Saint George. *Cockatrice, a two-legged dragon or serpent-like creature with a rooster's head. *Basilisk, a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who can cause death with a single glance. Other serpentine creatures in mythology and folklore * Brnensky drak (The dragon of Brno, Czech), the dragon killed nearby Moravian city (legend) * The Ljubljana dragon, the protector dragon o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iranian Languages
The Iranian languages or Iranic languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau. The Iranian languages are grouped in three stages: Old Iranian (until 400 BCE), Middle Iranian (400 BCE–900 CE) and New Iranian (since 900 CE). The two directly-attested Old Iranian languages are Old Persian (from the Achaemenid Empire) and Old Avestan (the language of the Avesta). Of the Middle Iranian languages, the better understood and recorded ones are Middle Persian (from the Sasanian Empire), Parthian (from the Parthian Empire), and Bactrian (from the Kushan and Hephthalite empires). , there were an estimated 150–200 million native speakers of the Iranian languages. '' Ethnologue'' estimates that there are 86 languages in the group, with the largest among them being Persian (Farsi, Dari, and Tajik dialects), Pashto, Kurdish, Luri, and Balochi. Terminol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Old Iranian
The Iranian languages or Iranic languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian plateau, Iranian Plateau. The Iranian languages are grouped in three stages: Old Iranian (until 400 BCE), Middle Iranian (400 BCE–900 CE) and New Iranian (since 900 CE). The two directly-attested Old Iranian languages are Old Persian (from the Achaemenid Empire) and Avestan, Old Avestan (the language of the Avesta). Of the Middle Iranian languages, the better understood and recorded ones are Middle Persian (from the Sasanian Empire), Parthian language, Parthian (from the Parthian Empire), and Bactrian language, Bactrian (from the Kushan Empire, Kushan and Hephthalites, Hephthalite empires). , there were an estimated 150–200 million native speakers of the Iranian languages. ''Ethnologue'' estimates that there are 86 languages in the group, with the large ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medes
The Medes (Old Persian: ; Akkadian: , ; Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were an ancient Iranian people who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media between western and northern Iran. Around the 11th century BC, they occupied the mountainous region of northwestern Iran and the northeastern and eastern region of Mesopotamia located in the region of Hamadan (Ecbatana). Their consolidation in Iran is believed to have occurred during the 8th century BC. In the 7th century BC, all of western Iran and some other territories were under Median rule, but their precise geographic extent remains unknown. Although they are generally recognized as having an important place in the history of the ancient Near East, the Medes have left no written source to reconstruct their history, which is known only from foreign sources such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Armenians and Greeks, as well as a few Iranian archaeological sites, which are believed to have been occupied ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avesta
The Avesta () is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. The Avesta texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect, or by usage. The principal text in the liturgical group is the ''Yasna'', which takes its name from the Yasna ceremony, Zoroastrianism's primary act of worship, and at which the ''Yasna'' text is recited. The most important portion of the ''Yasna'' texts are the five Gathas, consisting of seventeen hymns attributed to Zoroaster himself. These hymns, together with five other short Old Avestan texts that are also part of the ''Yasna'', are in the Old (or 'Gathic') Avestan language. The remainder of the ''Yasna'''s texts are in Younger Avestan, which is not only from a later stage of the language, but also from a different geographic region. Extensions to the Yasna ceremony include the texts of the ''Vendidad'' and the ''Visperad''. The ''Visperad'' extensions consist mainly of addit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Movses Khorenatsi
Movses Khorenatsi (ca. 410–490s AD; hy, Մովսէս Խորենացի, , also written as ''Movses Xorenac‘i'' and Moses of Khoren, Moses of Chorene, and Moses Chorenensis in Latin sources) was a prominent Armenian historian from the late antique period and the author of the '' History of the Armenians.'' Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at a universal history of Armenia and remains the only known general account of early Armenian history. It traces Armenian history from its origins to the fifth century, during which Movses claimed to have lived. His history had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography and was used and quoted extensively by later medieval Armenian authors. He is called the "father of Armenian history" () in Armenian, and is sometimes referred to as the "Armenian Herodotus." Movses's history is also valued for its unique material on the old oral traditions in Armenia before its conversion to Christianity. Movses identified hims ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
History Of Armenia (book)
The ''History of Armenia'' ( hy, Պատմություն Հայոց, ''Patmut'yun Hayots'') attributed to Movses Khorenatsi is an early account of Armenia, covering the legendary origins of the Armenian people as well as Armenia's interaction with Sassanid, Byzantine and Arsacid empires down to the 5th century. It contains unique material on ancient Armenian legends, and such information on pagan (pre-Christian) Armenian as has survived. It also contains plentiful data on the history and culture of contiguous countries. The book had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography. In the text, the author self-identifies as a disciple of Saint Mesrop, and states that he composed his work at the request of Isaac (Sahak), the Bagratuni prince who fell in battle in 482. Authorship Scholars have generally accepted Movses's History as an authentic script. For example, Gibbon in his ''History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' (ch. 32) accepted the 5th century date of Movses ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
