Statue depicting Vahagn slaying the dragon.
The mythology of Armenia originated as local ancient Indo-European traditions (called Proto-Armenian) that gradually incorporated other beliefs. The pantheon of pre-Christian Armenia changed over the centuries. Originally native Armenian in nature, the pantheon was modified through, Hurro-Urartian, Semitic, Iranian and Ancient Greek influences. One common motif that spanned many or all pagan Armenian pantheons was the belief in a ruling triad of supreme gods, usually comprising a chief, creator god, his thunder god son, and a mother goddess.
Depending on historical sources, Armenian mythology can be divided in 5 categories:
- Early Armenian — These gods are believed to have been native Armenian gods, worshipped during the earliest eras of Armenian history (Proto-Armenian). Many, if not all, of them are believed to have derived from Proto-Indo-European religion. There is also likely influence from the indigenous beliefs of the Armenian Highlands.
- Hayasan — While the exact relationship between the Bronze Age kingdom of Hayasa-Azzi and Armenians is uncertain, many scholars believe that there is a connection (compare Hayasa with the Armenian endonyms Hayastan and Hay). Not much is known about the Hayasan pantheon but some names survive via Hittite records.
- Urartian — The gods of the Urartian pantheon were mostly borrowed from Hittite and Luwian, Hurrian, Semitic, and possibly Armenian and combined Indo-Iranian religions.
- Iranian influence — Zoroastrian influences penetrated Armenian culture at the time of The Achaemenid Empire, though conversion was incomplete and syncretistic, and the Persians and Armenians never appeared to identify with each other as co-religionists despite both referring to themselves as "Mazda worshipers".
- Post-Alexandrian influences — Conquest of Alexander the Great bringing elements of ancient Greek culture and mythology.
Armenian Mythology provides examples of:
- Crossover Cosmology: As you probably learned from the above description, ancient Armenians had a local pantheon but also mixed in Hittite, Zoroastrian and lastly Hellenistic mythologies before the appearance of Islam and finally getting converted decidingly to Christianity after earning their country and people's independence which remains to the modern day.
- God of Thunder: Plenty, with many of them derived from other cultures' thunder gods. Prominent one is Vahagn (taken from Iranian Verethragna), who like most ancient Indo-European male thunder deities had to fight and kill a dragon.
- Semi-Divine: In pre-Christian sources, many demigod heroes seem to be derived from Proto-Indo-European mythologies and religious traditions. Examples include: Ara the Handsome, Aram, Hayk, Karapet, Nimrod, Sanasar and Baghdasar, Sargis, Shamiram, and lastly the twins Yervaz and Yervant.
- Top God: Varied heavily depending on the time period- Ar (Ara) UGUR, Haldi (Khaldi), Aramazd or Barsamin were all considered the supreme gods of the pantheon before Christianity was introduced.
