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Armenian Mythology by Mardiros H. Ananikiam
CHAPTER IX.
NATURE WORSHIP AND NATURE MYTHS
IV. TREES, PLANTS, AND MOUNTAINS
WE HAVE old testimony to tree and plant worship in Armenia. There were first the poplars (sausi) of Armenia, by which a legendary saus (whose name and exist ence were probably derived from the venerated tree itself) divined. Then we have the words Haurut, Maurut, as names of flowers (Hyacmthus racemosus Dodonet). These, how ever, seem to be an echo of the Iranian Haurvatat and Ameretat (" health" and "immortality"), two Amesha-Spentas who were also the genii of plants and water. The oak and other trees are still held to be sacred, especially those near a spring, and upon these one may see hanging pieces of clothing from persons who wish to be cured of some disease. This practice is often explained as a substitution of a part for the whole, and it is very common also among the Semites in gen eral and the Mohammedans in particular. 1
Many mountains were sacred, while others, perhaps sacred by themselves in very ancient times, became the sites of famous temples. The towering Massis (Ararat) was called Azat (Yazata?), "venerable." It was a seat of dragons and fairies, but the main reason of its sacredness must be sought in its imposing grandeur, its volcanic character, or even its association with some deity like Marsyas-Masses, by the Phrygo-Armenians. 2 This Phrygian god Marsyas-Masses was famous for his skill with the flute but especially for his widely known interest in rivers. He was the son of Hyagnis, probably a lightning god, and like the Norwegian Agne was hung from a tree by Apollo, who skinned him alive (Apuleius). In fact Marsyas was no more than a tribal variety of Hyagnis, and Hyagnis can be nothing else but the Phrygian form of Vahagn.
Mount Npat (Ntars of Strabo), the source of the mighty Tigris, must have enjoyed some veneration as a deity, because the 26th day of each Armenian month was dedicated to it. It has been maintained that Npat was considered by Zoroastrians the seat of Apam-Napat, an important Indo-Iranian water deity.
Mt. Pashat or Palat was the seat of an Aramazd and Astxik temple and a centre of fire-worship. Another unidentified mountain in Sophene was called the Throne of Anahit.
One may safely assume that the Armenians thought in an animistic way, and saw in these natural objects of worship some god or spirit who in Christian times easily assumed the name and character of a saint.
NOTES
1. Abeghian, p. 59f.; Lehmann, " Religionsgeschichte aus Kaukasien und Armenien," in ARW , iii. [1900] 10 f.
2. The name Massis for this snow-capped giant of Armenia seems to have been unknown to the old Urartians. It may be an Armenian importation, if not a later Northern echo of the Massios, which was in Assyrian times the name of the great mountain in the plain of Diarbekir. According to Nicholas of Damascus (see Josephus, Ant. Jud. y I. iii. 6) this mountain was known also by the name of Baris, which Sandalgian compares with the Sacred mountain Hara-berezaiti of the Avesta.