Hayk: Difference between revisions
Ian.thomson (talk | contribs) Undid revision by 75.51.164.182 - I do not think that word means what you think it means. |
i know what you are saying ok? so I leave it with Sun god, and not Son of God |
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==Comparative mythology== |
==Comparative mythology== |
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{{Further|culture hero}} |
{{Further|culture hero}} |
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The figure slain by Hayk's arrow is variously given as [[Belus (Assyrian)|Bel]] or [[Nimrod (Bible)|Nimrod]]. ''Hayk'' is also the name of the [[Orion constellation]] in the Armenian translation of the Bible. Just as Hayk fled from Babylon because of Bel, whom he eventually killed, so [[Zeus]] had escaped to the mountains of the Caucasus, later to return to Sicily and hurl fatal arrows into the bodies of his titanic foes. Some Armenians hold that the Greek stories of Hercules are based on Hayk.<ref>http://www.tacentral.com/astronomy.asp?story_no=6</ref> |
The figure slain by Hayk's arrow is variously given as [[Belus (Assyrian)|Bel]] or [[Nimrod (Bible)|Nimrod]]. ''Hayk'' is also the name of the [[Orion constellation]] in the Armenian translation of the Bible. He was identified with the [[Sun god]] [[Orion constellation|Orion]], who represents the light defeating the darkness. Just as Hayk fled from Babylon because of Bel, whom he eventually killed, so [[Zeus]] had escaped to the mountains of the Caucasus, later to return to Sicily and hurl fatal arrows into the bodies of his titanic foes. Some Armenians hold that the Greek stories of Hercules are based on Hayk.<ref>http://www.tacentral.com/astronomy.asp?story_no=6</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 03:17, 15 November 2012
| History of Armenia |
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| Timeline • Origins • Etymology |
Hayk (Template:Lang-hy) or Haik, Haig, also known as Hayk Nahapet (Հայկ Նահապետ, Hayk the Tribal Chief) is the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation. His story is told in the History of Armenia attributed to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi (410 to 490).
Etymology
The name of the patriarch, Հայկ Hayk is not exactly homophonous with the name for "Armenia", Հայք Hayk’. Հայք Hayk’ is the nominative plural in Classical Armenian of հայ (hay), the Armenian term for "Armenian."[1] Some claim that the etymology of Hayq' (Հայք) from Hayk (Հայկ) is impossible[1] and that origin of the term Hay ("Armenian") is verifiable.[1] Nevertheless, Hayk and Haig are usually[who?] connected to hay (հայ) and hayer (հայեր, the nominative plural in Modern Armenian), the self-designation of the Armenians.
Hayk would then be an aitiological founding figure, like e.g. Asshur for the Assyrians, Indra for the Indians, etc. One of Hayk's most famous scions, Aram, settled in Eastern Armenia from the Mitanni kingdom (Western Armenia), when Sargon II mentions a king of part of Armenia who bore the (Armenian-Indo-Iranian) name Bagatadi ("Theodore").[2]
A connection was made in Armenian historiography of the Soviet era, with Hayasa mentioned in Hittite inscriptions.[3]
The Armenian word haykakan or haigagan (Template:Lang-hy, meaning "that which pertains to Armenians") finds its stem in this progenitor.
Genealogy
Movses gave Hayk's genealogy as follows: Japhet, Gomer & Tiras, Torgom, Hayk, and his descendants as Armanak, Aramais, Amasya, Gegham, Harma, Aram and Ara Geghetsik.[4] Hayk was also the founder of the Haykazuni Dynasty. Some of the prominent Armenian royal houses such as the Bagratuni, Khorkhoruni, Bznuni, Syuni, Vahevuni, Manavazian, Arran among others, had traced their genealogy to Hayk Nahapet. According to Juansher Hayk "..was prince of the seven brothers and stood in service to the giant Nimrod (Nebrovt') who first ruled the entire world as king.[5]"
Folklore
Hayk and King Bel
In Movses Khorenatsi's account, Hayk son of Torgom had a child named Armanak while he was living in Babylon. After the arrogant Titanid Bel made himself king over all, Hayk emigrated to the region near Mount Ararat with an extended household of at least 300 and settled there, founding a village he named Haykashen. On the way he had left a detachment in another settlement with his grandson Kadmos. Bel sent one of his sons to entreat him to return, but was refused. Bel decided to march against him with a massive force, but Hayk was warned ahead of time by Kadmos of his pending approach. He assembled his own army along the shore of Lake Van and told them that they must defeat and kill Bel, or die trying to do so, rather than become his slaves. In his writings Movses states that:
Hayk was a handsome, friendly man, with curly hair, sparkling eyes, and strong arms. He was a man of giant stature, a mighty archer and fearless warrior. Hayk and his people, from the time of their forefathers Noah and Japheth, had migrated south toward the warmer lands near Babylon. In that land there ruled a wicked giant, Bel. Bel tried to impose his tyranny upon Hayk’s people. But proud Hayk refused to submit to Bel. As soon as his son Aramaneak was born, Hayk rose up, and led his people back to the land of his forefathers, the land of Ararat. At the foot of the mountains, he built his home, Haykashen.[6]
The Battle of Giants and Defeat of Bel
Hayk and his men soon discovered Bel's army positioned in a mountain pass (Moses of Chorene located the site as Dastakert), with the king in the vanguard.
At Dyutsaznamart (Template:Lang-hy, "Battle of Giants"), near Julamerk southeast of Lake Van, on August 11, 2492 BC[7] (according to the Armenian traditional chronology) or 2107 BC (according to "The Chronological table" of Mikael Chamchian), Hayk slew Bel with a nearly impossible shot using a long bow, sending the king's forces into disarray.
The hill where Bel with his warriors fell, Hayk named Gerezmank meaning "tombs".[8] He embalmed the corpse of Bel and ordered it to be taken to Hark where it was to be buried in a high place in the view of the wives and sons of the king.
Soon after, Hayk established the fortress of Haykaberd at the battle site and the town of Haykashen in the Armenian province of Taron (modern-day Turkey). He named the region of the battle Hayk, and the site of the battle Hayots Dzor[9]
Comparative mythology
The figure slain by Hayk's arrow is variously given as Bel or Nimrod. Hayk is also the name of the Orion constellation in the Armenian translation of the Bible. He was identified with the Sun god Orion, who represents the light defeating the darkness. Just as Hayk fled from Babylon because of Bel, whom he eventually killed, so Zeus had escaped to the mountains of the Caucasus, later to return to Sicily and hurl fatal arrows into the bodies of his titanic foes. Some Armenians hold that the Greek stories of Hercules are based on Hayk.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Template:Thomson 1978
- ^ International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; the ISBE uses the outdated terms "Aryan" for "Indo-European".
- ^ Eduard L. Danielian, "The Historical Background to the Armenian State Political Doctrine," 279–286 in Nicholas Wade, Armenian Perspectives (Surrey, UK, 1997) 279, citing E. Forrer, "Hajassa-Azzi," Caucasia, 9 (1931), and P. Kretschmer, "Der nationale Name der Armenier Haik," Anzeiger der Acad. der Wiss. in Wien, phil.-his. Klasse (1932), n. 1–7
- ^ History 1.5 [1]
- ^ The Georgian Chronicle
- ^ (Khorenatsi, History\\ I.10–12)
- ^ dated by Mikayel Chamchian; Razmik Panossian, The Armenians: From Kings And Priests to Merchants And Commissars, Columbia University Press (2006), ISBN 978-0-231-13926-7, p. 106.
- ^ Gerezmank: the nom. pl, Gerezmans being acc. pl., "tombs"
- ^ History 1.11; a district to the southeast of Lake Van, see Hubschmann, AON, p.343
- ^ http://www.tacentral.com/astronomy.asp?story_no=6
- P. Kretschmer. "Der nationale Name der Armenier Haik"
- Vahan Kurkjian, "History of Armenia," Michigan, 1968 [2]
