Aralez (mythology)
Aralezs (plural: Aralezs or Aralezner, singular: Aralez) (in Armenian: Արալեզ) are dog-like creatures, or spirits, in Armenian cultural beliefs or in the Armenian mythology, who live in the sky, or on mount Massis (Mount Ararat), according to other imaginations. They were praised with Ara the Beautiful and Shamiram (Semiramis) in Old Armenia. Armenians believed that Aralezs descended from the sky to lick the wounds of dead heroes so they could relive or resurrect.[1][2][3]
According to Armenian historians, when Mushegh Mamikonyan died, his relatives placed his corpse on a tower, hoping that Aralezs would lick and revive him. Also, a similar event had taken place before this, when Aralezs had licked and revived Ara the Beautiful, although, in the Armenian history, is told that the last event was probably a sort of lie, uttered by Shamiram, Ara the Beautiful's lover, who had killed Ara accidentally during war, and had told Ara's people that his corpse was placed on mountains, where Aralezs would revive him. But she had chosen a man who looked like Ara, and had dressed him like Ara, and had lied to the people that this last was alive.
References
- ^ Eznik (Koghbatsʻi, Bishop of Bagrewand); Blanchard, Monica J. (1998). On God. Young, Robin Darling. Peeters Publishers. p. 92. ISBN 9789042900134.
- ^ Tashjian, Virginia A., ed. (2007). The Flower of Paradise and Other Armenian Tales. Translated by Bonnie C. Marshall. Libraries Unlimited. p. 27. ISBN 9781591583677.
- ^ Chahin, M. (2001). The Kingdom of Armenia: A History. Psychology Press. p. 74. ISBN 9780700714520.
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