The Indo-European and Ancient near Eastern Sources of the Armenian Epic: Myth and History

by Armen Petrosyan

The eminent Armen Y. Petrosyan of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences provides us with an immense wealth of information about the mythology of not only pre-Christian Armenia (pre AD 3001), but also of the many sister Indo-European speaking peoples with whom Armenians share a common linguistic heritage. While Petrosyan believes that proto-Armenian myth had its roots in what he sees as the (reconstructed) beliefs of the Proto-Indo-Europeans, he also traces the multitude of subsequent influences acquired from the myths of the highly diverse variety of peoples and cultures of neighboring Asia Minor and Mesopotamia with whom Armenians had contact over the course of time. The result is a treasure trove of data that is not only of extreme value to Indo-Europeanists but also to scholars and researchers interested in the ancient classical civilizations of the Middle East. Beyond that, it makes an intriguing and inspiring resource book that will be welcomed by mythologists around the world. INDO-EUROPEAN AND ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN MYTHOLOGICAL The Sasna Cŕer And the “Basic myth”; Covinar Inara, And *Ḥner; The Equine Myths; Bull and Cow as the Symbols of the Thunder And Storm Deities; The Sun God, Divine Twins, and Their Sister; The Early Twins and Triplets of the South of Armenia; Sanasar and Baldasar, Indra and Agni, Teššub and Tašmišu; Sanasar, Eruand, and Pirwa; Angel, Nergal, and Kur; The “Third God” Vahagn, Davit`, and Asag; The Indo-European “Dog Slayer”— Hayk, Davit` and David. EPONYMOUS PATRIARCHS, THUNDER GOD, AND “BLACK AND WHITE MYTH”: Aram, the “Black Hero”; Hayk and Aram; The Birth of The “Black Hero”; The “White Hero”; The Myth of the Black and White Cities. THE “DYING GOD” AND THE ADVERSARIES OF THE ARMENIAN Ara Gelec`ik, Mher, and Their Cousins; Adversaries of Heroes. ARMENIAN AND INDO‐EUROPEAN MYTHOLOGICAL Black and White, Boar and Dog; The Principal Genealogical Scheme of the Armenian

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002