Part I. Legends Chapter I. The geography of Armenia. 5. Chapter II. Ancient historical legends. 10. Section 1. The legend, of Haic 2. The legend of Ara and Semiramis 3. Historical background of the legend of Ara and Semiramis 4. The legend of Vahakn 5. The historic background of the legend of Vahakn 6. The period of national integration 7. Legends of Artasches and Artavasd 8. Conclusions. Chapter III. Legends of the conversion to Christianity. 32. Section 1. Pre-Christian mythology and religion 2. Legends of Abgar, Thaddeus, and St. Bartholomew 3. Legends of Rhipsime and Gregory 4. The Armenian church as a social force. Chapter IV. Locality legends. 54. Section 1. Ararat 2. Khor-Virap and Erzerum. Chapter V. Interpretation and conclusions. 61. Part II. Festivals Chapter I. The Gregorian church. 66. Chapter II. Pagan folk festivals. 73. Section 1. Vartavar and the Festival of Mihr 2. The Day of the Dead and Vartan's Day 3. Fortune-Telling Day. Chapter III. Christian folk festivals. 89. Section 1. Christmas, Easter, and New Year 2. Special church ceremonies. Chapter IV. Private festival occasions. 105. Section 1. Baptism. 2. Betrothal 3. Marriage 4. Funeral. Chapter V. Summary. 121. Conclusions. 122.

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Excerpt from Armenian Legends and Festivals The author of the study which follows responded to the lure of his task for both theoretical and practical reasons. He seemed, because of his intimate personal relationship to Armenian life, to be peculiarly qualified to study and interpret a cross-section of that country's life. It is particularly urgent that we as Americans have authentic studies of Armenia and Armenian social life. Heretofore there has been a striking lack of such materials readily accessible in English. Because of the not inconsiderable immigration which reaches us from Armenia, and because also there has been a call for the United States to act as mandatory for this country under the peace treaty, we should penetrate more deeply into the Armenian heart than we have been able to do so far, if we are to carry through successfully our job either as assimilator or as friendly guardian. Moreover there is incumbent upon the United States in particular the duty of understanding a country like Armenia, since we have been foremost in proclaiming the doctrine of the rights of small nationalities. Those are the practical purposes from the standpoint of social politics which have given rise to and confer full warrant upon this study. Of no less importance, however, is the contribution which Mr. Boettiger's study makes to theoretical sociology. He has sketched out for us the picture of a refractory culture which refuses to amalgamate with or yield to or be permeated by rival cultures. The social history of this sturdy people offers us a very clear-cut example of what really makes a society or a nation. Not mountains, not dynasties, not blood, but common interests, common traditions, common beliefs; in short, mental community. The theoretical joins with the practical service of this study if it can strengthen our understanding that only as our own blood and that of our Armenian friends reach the place where they boil at the same temperature, or are cooled by the same application of reason, can we minister to each other or carry out the new partnership which may lie immediately ahead of us in the reestablishment of peace and reorganization of world comity. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The book containing 7 Armenian legends is the result of a study conducted by Louis A. Boettiger which have been selected from a larger mass of material. Of particular interest is the Legend of Haik or Hayk. In the account by Moses of Chorene, Hayk emigrated from Babylon to the region near Mount Ararat after Titanid Bel made himself king over all. Considering this occurred in circa 2500BC and that Hayk had an extended household of over 300, moving his hosehold a distance of 1,160km/720 miles is a significant undertaking. However, Titanid Bel did not like this snub and after refusing to return, sent an army to recapture or kill Hayk. The two armies, if Hayk’s force can be called an army, met on the shores of Lake Van. During the battle Hayk slew Bel with a nearly impossible shot using a long bow, sending the king's forces into disarray. Hayk named the site of the battle Hayots Dzor in current day Turkey. It is out of this victory that the nation of Armenia was born. Herein you will find the legends of: The Legend Of Haic, or Hayk, The Legend Of Ara And Semiramis, The Legend Of Vahakn, Legends Of Artasches And Artavasd, Legends Of The Conversion To Christianity, Legends Of Abgar, Thaddeus, And St. Bartholomew Legends Of Rhipsime And Gregory Also included is information on the localities of the legends, in particular - Ararat, Khor-Virap and Erzerum which has enable Boettiger to place each legend in the setting from which it originated. ============= TAGS: Armenia, folklore, legends, myths, Haic, Hayk, Ara And Semiramis, Vahakn, King, Artasches, Artavasd, Conversion To Christianity, Abgar, Thaddeus, St. Bartholomew, Rhipsime, Gregory, Titanid Bel, Lake Van, Mount Ararat, Moses of Chorene, Haykashen, Haykashen, Battle of Giants, Navasard, Julamerk, Dastakert, Gerezmank, martyr, Haykaberd, Haykashen, Taron

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