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Index

Armenia

The Urartu Civilisation

Victory for Independence

Artashisian Dynasty on the Armenian Throne

Armenia caught between Rome and the Arsacids

The Acceptance of Christianity

Defending Christianity

Armenia Under the Bagratouni Dynasty

Cilicia - the New Armenia

Armenia Under Turanian Rule

The Renaissance or the Resurrection of Armenia

The Eastern Question

Russia in the Caucasus

The Armenian Question

Battle on Two Fronts

Tsarist Russia Against the Armenians

The Revolution of the Young Turks and the Armenian People on the Eve of World War I

The First World War

The Resurrection of Armenia

Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

- Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

Eastern Armenia

Western Armenia

"The Fateful Years" (1914-1917)

"Hopes and Emotions" (March-October, 1917)

The Bolshevik Revolution and Armenia

Transcaucasia Adrift (November, 1917

Dilemmas (March-April, 1918)

War and Independence (April-May, 1918)

The Republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia

The Suppliants (June-October, 1918)

In conclusion

Soviet Armenia

The Second Independent Republic of Armenia

Epilogue

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The Ancient Religion in Armenia

The early religions in Armenia are not that well known. According to De Morgan there are signs which indicate that the Armenians, as their other Aryan relatives, were initially nature worshipers and that this faith in time was transformed to the worship of national gods, of which many were the equivalents of the gods in the Roman, Greek and Persian cultures. The most important gods and goddess among these was Anahita, goddess of wisdom and creation, Astghik, goddess of love and Vahagn, the god of war.

In time, the influence of the Persian culture introduced the cult of Ahura Mazda to Armenia, but this could in no way convert the Armenians to Mazdeism. Ahura Mazda lost its Persian characters and was transformed into a god similar to Zeus or Jupiter, was renamed Aramazd and was raised to the status of king in the Armenian Olympia. 87 More information about the early faith of the Armenians and their gods can be found in the works of Alishan, Gelzer and Sandalgian. 90

Georg Brandes described the Armenian gods in his book: "When Armenia accepted Christianity, it was not only the temples which were destroyed, but also the songs and poems about the old gods and heroes that the people sang. We have only rare segments of these songs and poems, segments which bear witness of a great spiritual wealth and the power of creation of this people and these alone are sufficient reason enough for recreating the temples of the old Armenian gods. These gods were neither the Asian heavenly demons nor the precious and the delicate Greek gods, but something that reflected the characteristics of the Armenian people which they have been polishing through the ages, namely ambitious, wise and good-hearted." 91

The main temple of the Armenians was located in the city of Artashat (Acèsilène), in the Taron province (Moush). There, in the heart of the woods, the Armenians had built several temples among which the temple of Anahita was the most famous and the most important, the goddess who was the protector of Armenia and whose golden statue stood in a temple room. The Romans tell that when Marcus Antonius's army looted Armenia, the first soldier who stretched out his hand to touch the statue was blinded. 94

Around this temple the Armenians had created large gardens in which holy animals were kept, among others deer with golden necklaces, which lived and grazed there freely, something that "Lucullus adored and saw with his own eyes".

The great Armenian author Raffi 95 has in his historical novel, Samuel, described the great New Years Eve celebration (August 24) which was celebrated in this temple. "The Armenian king, together with the high priest and the nobility were present. First of them was the king who declared the ceremony open by sacrificing one hundred white cows by burning them. Thereafter the nobility copied the king. During the festival the Armenians prayed that their successes and the results of their deeds during the past year should be dedicated to their gods. They even arranged competitions. Poets sang their poems which they had written for that occasion, the warriors showed their muscles and the artists displayed their creations. The men's fights were followed by wrestling with bulls and other wild animals, running or riding and the victor received a crown of red roses which were the temple adornment of the Goddess Astghik. For that reason the festival was called the "festival of the red rose". The New Year brought new life. The old year had come to its end and one had to ask for forgiveness for past sins in order to be able to continue life with a clear conscience. In reality the festival was an occasion for forgiving and an opportunity for confession. The high priest poured water from the holy river of the Aratsani (Euphrates) with his golden ladle over the people who knelt down. Then the sky was suddenly filled with pigeons that the visitors had brought with them to celebrate the New Year."