#Armenian mythology

[metamorphesque]

In Armenian, when we want to say “damn you” or “go to hell”, we use the expressions "գրողը քեզ տանի" [groxy qez tani] or "գնա գրողի ծոցը" [gna (kori) groxi tsocy], which translate to “may the writer take you away” or “go and get lost in the writer’s embrace” in English. You might wonder, “Who is this writer-person?” and “Why is it considered a curse?”

According to traditional Armenian belief, Grox (the writer) is a spirit who records a person's deeds during their lifetime, determining the purity of their soul. This concept may be linked to Tir, the god of writing and literature in Armenian mythology. In some interpretations, it was believed that anyone whose name Tir wrote in his notebook would die. This is where the curse "may the writer take you" originates.

During the Christian era, Grox was mistakenly represented as a Christian spirit who no longer recorded human deeds but instead determined each person's fate, inscribing it on their foreheads. Over time, Grox came to be depicted as an evil spirit, sometimes identified with Satan. Thus, the curse "get lost in Grox’s embrace," which originally signified death, took on a more negative connotation. However, this was not originally characteristic of Grox in Armenian traditional beliefs.

So, if you want to get creative with your curses, instead of saying “go to hell,” you can use the phrase “get lost in the writer’s embrace”.

[allmythologies]

armenian mythology: tsovinar

tsovinar is the goddess of the sea, rain, and water. she is a fierce goddess, who forces the rain to fall from the heavens with her fury.

[meryachkins]

i've made a game ...

so. i've been making a game for a uni project. and here it is !!

a side-scroller with combined 2d and 3d graphics, where you play as an armenian girl ditsui, searching for her little sister with the help of goddess spandaramet.

you can check it out for youself :))) feel free to play and leave feedback in the comments !!

Following Spandaramet by meryajan

[wanderingmind867]

I feel like i'd enjoy a book that's written in the style of percy jackson or one of rick riordan's other books, but whose purpose is to be a basic guidebook to all the old mythologies. Because i know it would take forever for rick riordan or anyone else to write books or publish books about every different mythology, but we could at least get a guidebook or something. That would be really fun for me to read. It'd also be the easiest way for me to learn about these old mythologies.

We could cover all the big ones, and probably some of the small ones. The book could cover aztec mythology, celtic mythology, mayan mythology, japanese mythology, polynesian mythology, etc. And maybe we could even get into the more obscure ones like Inuit mythology, Etruscan mythology, Armenian mythology, Yoruba mythology, Hittite mythology, etc. There's so many different mythologies out there, and they need more coverage. How am I supposed to know the gods of france vs the gods of korea? With a book to guide me, i could finally know.

[artaxata]

Ok so… I have this little altar to Anahit. I’m still grappling with my feelings about posting this, but I need to get it out somewhere (it’s not like anyone will notice or read a long post like this anyway lol). It’s not much, as I’m disguising it as a Knick-knack situation. I don’t even know how to go about any of this. I’m in my 30s, should I be praying to a goddess? I need hope and she gives me that, even if I have to do it in private. Thankfully my family is used to incense bc my mother burns it a lot for her Christian prayer, so I can just say I like the smell of it.

The description of it makes it sound nicer than it is imo: Armenian doll, obsidian from Armenia, a wooden pomegranate from Armenia, and a silver arevakhatch for the benefactress of all Armenians. Gold colored brass incense burners (one shaped like a peacock, which is one of Anahita’s sacred animals, so I associate it with Anahit as well), a gold colored bowl, a gold colored diadem, and my gold chain and pendant for the voskemayr. The two gold-ish glass votives: one contains coins and the other contains pebbles from the beach and evil eye jewelry. For a representation of her, I found a little print/sticker of John William Godward’s “Head of a girl (priestess)” and have put it in the center. I also have 2 pins I got from the Louvre when I went, I’ve decided to have Winged Victory (Nike) as a representation of Nane, and Venus de Milo as a representation of Astkhig. After all, if I had an alter I’d think it would be nice to give a little space for my sister who I love too. And for the wooden shelf, I just thought it was neat so I put pretty things that I’ve collected on it.

I sorta want a community of people to share all this with. I dunno.

[usergreenpixel]

Okay, so I know it’s bad to have multiple stories going on but I’ve had an idea about writing a fantasy story inspired by Armenian mythology for a few months now.

Context: One of my maternal great grandmothers was Armenian and she used to babysit me when I was a newborn. My honorary great aunt is Armenian too and I learned a few recipes from her so I did get exposed to bits and pieces of the culture growing up.

Unfortunately, since USSR happened, I don’t speak any ancestral languages that are in my family (save Ukrainian but that one is very very basic) so yeah. I don’t speak Armenian at all and I’m not sure it’s my place to write that kind of story considering the complicated family history and an ethnic cocktail involved.

That being said, I’m still very much into mythology and would love to write a story based around the theme of rediscovering roots and embracing one’s heritage…

Edit: Tackling Ukrainian mythology one day could be a nice idea, but I am a Russian by nationality and my country has been stomping out other cultures for centuries now so I don’t want to appropriate Ukrainian culture or outshine Ukrainian voices.

They don’t need yet another Russian doing that. Same with Armenia and their history of being on the receiving end of genocide.

Yes, it’s my heritage, but I don’t want to take away voices. (1/4 Ukranian for a reference)

[charliescreatures]

Another beastie from Librum Prodigiosum! A Vishap dragon, this evil flying serpent comes from Armenian mythology! It is said to cause storms and eclipses, but more ominously is it known to steal children in order to replace them with its own!

[ultimate-good-dog]

Preliminary round 13

Aralez art credit here

[briefbestiary]

Alongside storms, they either fly skyward from the earth or earthward from the sky.

[4dmc]

Greyfang Bjöorf

& Dante napping

Deviantart

[arthurdrakoni]

Residents of Proserpina Park is a fun and entertaining edutainment audio drama that teaches listeners about creatures from World Mythology and Folklore. This is my review.

Do you love mythology and folklore? Do you enjoy learning about mythical creatures in a fun and entertaining way? Do you like audio fiction? Well, then allow me to introduce you to @proserpinapark

Residents of Proserpina Park begins with a frame story. It begins with our unarmed narrator listening to some recordings that her brother gave her. They're made by a young woman named Alina, who is investigating rumors of a mysterious secret park, known as Proserpina Park. It's part of an assignment for journalism class. Alina found more than she bargained for. Turns out, Proserpina Park is a sanctuary for all the mythical creatures from across World Mythology and Folklore. Fortunately, she's not exploring the park alone. Alina meets a guy named Sam, who is something of a park resident himself. Each episode sees Alina learn more about the various creatures who call Proserpina Park their home.

I'd argue that, in many ways, Residents of Proserpina Park is an edutainment show. It sets out to tach listeners about different mythological creatures in a fun and entertaining way. Most episodes follow roughly same format; Alina will arrive at the park, meet Sam, and then Sam will tell her about a new creature, and explain the creature's origins and mythological significance. Usually, the recordings end right before Alina and Sam go to actually see the creature in question. Though, later episodes do shake up the format a bit. Alina starts exploring the park on her own, and bringing friends along, something Sam tells her she must never do. Some creatures, particularly the ones with human-level intelligence, do also make on-screen, for lack of a better way of putting it, appearances.

You get familiar creatures such as kappa or the Jersey Devil. However, you also get lesser known and more off the beating path creatures. For example, there’s the Aralez from Armenian Mythology. They're large dogs with feathery wings, and can heal people simply by licking them. There’s also the Bulgae. They're dogs from Korean Mythology who chase the sun and moon across the sky. When one of them bites the sun, it causes an eclipse.

Season 1 was absolutely fantastic. Episodes are typically about eleven or twelve minutes, so season one is easily bingeable. And I would strongly advise you to do so as quickly as possible if you haven't already.

Have to listened to Residents of Proserpina Park? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog as always:

https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-audio-file-residents-of-proserpina.html?m=1

[spiritualgoddess444]

I finally finished reading this book and I helped me so much to understand about Paganism. A lot of these things that I read really clicks with me and how I was more drawn to this than I am with Christianity. At the end of the book there was a quiz to give you an idea where you'll continue your journey and I found out my answers matched more to Heathenry which in my case it makes sense and I did more researches about the Armenian Paganism and found that it's also in the same category as Heathenism but it's Hetanism or Neopaganism. I highly recommend this book.

[meryachkins]

this is me again and my besties nane and anahit aka armenian goddesses of motherhood ( i have other arts of anahit and nane but these ones are for my project so i want to show them )

nane while being the goddess of motherhood is also goddess of war and wisdom. yes she is versatile ... and also she kinda look like athena

and anahit is basically The Golden Mother. she was one of the most revered deity in great armenia. and also the statue of her head is in the british museum in london. but it's too similar to aphrodite so i drew anahit differently

some historians say that nane and anahit ( and astghik but i would like to tell you about her later ) are one goddess but who knows ?

tbh i prefer to think that they are very different goddesses with very different characters

[adelethecrow]

Aralez - armenian mythical winged dog

MORE ARMENIA ON TUMBLR 💪

[sunnynwanda]

Part 2

The shackles drag across the floor, filling the space with the clanking of the metal against marble. The hall is dark but warm enough to make the chained creature shiver from thermal shock, numbness being replaced with pain as his white fingers start growing red. He fists his hands, pressing his trembling lips into a thin line to dissociate from the sensations rushing through his body.

Once they reach the middle of the hall, the guards step back, allowing his body to sag to the cold floor. It’s nothing compared to the snow that he was buried in.

Someone enters the room - he can hear the guard speaking but fails to discern words. His brain must be shutting down. He uses the last of his strength to lift his head when one of the guards nudges his shoulder.

The man in front of him is already staring at him, his expression nothing short of austerity. He looks to be in the second half of his life, grey streaks lining his temples and forehead, but his features have not yet lost their sharpness. There is a small scar on the underside of his chin, only visible under intent observation, and a much more noticeable crown on his head. Oh, no.

“What are you?” The King’s voice is tense. His hand rests on the pommel of his sword, never leaving, even when he reaches out to tilt the creature’s head up with his other one. The captive gulps, afraid to speak or meet the King’s intense gaze. “What is your purpose in my land? Answer.”

“I-” he tries, but his throat seizes, clumping in to try and swallow himself up. He coughs, facing the floor once again, lips coated in blood from a wound no doubt inflicted by the guards trying to detain him. The guard on his side steps back, scared of the dark crimson poision dripping down his chin. “I didn’t know I shouldn’t be here... I didn't know where I was.”

The King raises an eyebrow at that, not convinced by the act. His kingdom has lived in peace for over eight years - ever since he reached an agreement and outlawed vishaps from entering his land. In return, humans were banned from crossing into Vishap territory for fear of never returning, which was the least of all evil for the safety of his people and, most importantly, his family. The King sighs, rubbing his temples in slow circles.

“He was found half-buried under the snow right by the Edge,” the guard that captured the young creature informs. “He did not shift when attacked.”

This caught the King by surprise, which was written quite obviously in his features. He glanced at the guard before returning his attention to the young creature still slumped at his feet. It looked young - perhaps nine or ten years of age. Too young to be sent after him or be capable of inflicting significant harm. Vishaps did not tend to leave their younglings alone if they couldn't shift yet. Unless his parents were not in the picture, that is. “What is your name, child?”

“Vanki,” His voice comes out weaker than he intended, so with another cough, the creature repeats. “My name is Vanki.”

“Vanki,” the King repeats with a nod. He motions for one of the guards to lift the boy from the floor. The guard practically picks him up, supporting him as he stands, bone-weary from days of running and hiding in the woods with no proper food or rest. Vanki doesn’t know where they are taking him, but an unconscious fear settles in the pits of his empty stomach. He knows he is too weak to put up any fight. Damn, he was too weak to so much as move when the snow started falling, so all he did was roll to the side and hug himself to keep whatever warmth he had left in his sinking heart.

“I didn’t know,” Vanki claims, panic flashing in the depths of his dark eyes. His eyes dart to the King’s face, who looks at him quizzically. “I wasn’t aware I was trespassing.”

The guard hisses for him to be quiet, but Vanki shakes his head no. He has no strength to struggle against his chains or captors, but he won’t go down without a fight if it’s the last thing he does.

“I was lost.” It comes more pleading than he intended, but that can be attributed to the frailty of his voice. Or so he hopes.

“No.” The King’s answer is plain and straightforward, his voice void of emotion. It sends a chill down Vanki's spine.

“Please,” he hates himself for begging, but the prospect of being executed or, worse, thrown into a dungeon to be tortured for public entertainment gnaws at his side, threatening to rip his ribcage open and wrench his heart out. As it is meant to be.

“You weren’t lost, you were running from someone," the statement catches Vanki off guard. The King’s tone is even, but there is something in his eyes that the boy fails to decipher. “Other vishaps chased you out. Isn’t that right?”

Stunned into silence, Vanki struggles to answer right away, terrified of what his reply may entail. The King approaches him again, standing so close that the boy can see the small scar under his chin again. He wonders if it’s one of his kind that gave it to him.

“Well?” The King prompts, cupping the boy's jaw with a warm hand. His fingers are rough but his touch is featherlight, careful not to hurt. Vanki can only muster a short nod, his eyes getting watery at the contact. For a moment, he envisions his misfortune retreating. The King sighs, seeming satisfied with the answer. “Take him away.”

“I didn’t harm anyone.” Whatever was left of the boy's resolve shatters in an instant. Not paying him any mind, the King waves a hand, and that movement stirs something within Vanki - something feral, something animalistic, something dangerously close to his true nature. With a desperate cry, he hauls away from his captors, yanking at the chains until the shackles loosen around his wrists. “I didn't do anything! You can’t just kill me... you can't!”

“Kill you?” The King turns around with an incredulous look adorning his face. He almost chuckles at the suggestion, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Let me go, please,” Vanki can feel his eyes watering again, and his voice is a whisper by the end of the sentence. Misfortune grips his limbs with renewed vigour, marks the skin on his forehead with a sharp kiss that makes him hiss, baring his teeth. “Please.”

“You have nowhere to go,” the King notes, correctly so. He has nowhere and no one to go to - having escaped the Vishap territory and stepped into the land that considers him nothing but an animal, a monster, a god too vicious to trust. “But you can stay here.”

Vanki isn’t sure if he heard it right, but the King looks as stern as when he first came in, albeit with less hostility in his gaze. At a loss for words, he doesn't have a chance to object when the King speaks again. “So I can keep an eye on you,” he explains before waving the boy away and departing the room.

Vanki is still processing the situation at hand as he is led across the hall and along dimly lit corridors of the castle. It’s too early in the morning for anyone to be awake yet, so they meet no one on the way to the spacious room allocated to him.

The guard walks him in, only stopping to inform the boy that a servant has filled a warm bath for him and left food on his bedside table. He then bids him a good night and locks the door, leaving Vanki alone and utterly confused. He cannot comprehend why or when all of this was arranged for him, but none of that matters when he lowers his aching body into the warmth of the bath, his head lolling back at the sheer pleasure of his element enveloping him. It takes only fifteen minutes for it to soak his bones, healing all of the cuts and bruises littering his skin.

Vanki has no way of knowing what is going to happen in the morning or what the King intends to do to him. He doesn't know if he will be allowed to stay or handed back to his kind. He can't even tell if he is a prisoner or a guest. The only thing he does know is that he is safe, warm and sated. Even if only for a night.

Part 2

Lore: Vishaps are serpent-like dragons in Armenian mythology, closely linked to water. They were seen as guardians or spirits of water sources that lived for thousands of years. They lived in the mountains or beneath lakes and had shape-shifting abilities. Vishaps' blood was believed to be deadly poisonous.

Author's note: This is based on the beautiful request by @annablogsposts.

Thank you so much for this, I enjoyed it incredibly ♡ As I've mentioned in my first reply, it corresponds greatly with my WIP novel and I took the liberty of aligning it even more. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did but even if you don't, feedback is welcomed.

Masterlist

Taglist: @marvellousdaisy @alltimelowing @lateuplight @surplus-of-sarcasm @betwist @excusemeasibangmyheadonawall @enemies-to-idiots-to-lovers @miaowmelodie @thatonerandomauthor @hhabaddon @burningoutlikeicarus @daemonvatis @weepingcowboywolfbat @thelazywitchphotographer @kaiwewi @soul-of-a-local-bard @pigeonwhumps @aflyingsheepnamedrose  @thatneptune @ohwellthatslifesstuff @worldsfromhoney @thiefofthecrowns @crow-with-a-typewriter @qualityrabbitsoup @stargeode @villain-life @villainsblood @whumpifi @silviathebard @misskowe @ayeshaturnedtoashes4444

P.S. I know this isn't my usual content, so if you don't wanna be tagged in stories like this one, just let me know! Sunny xo