Vahagn (Armenian: Վահագն) was the Armenian god of fire, thunder, sun, and war, bravery and victory. He was known to be part of triad of deities, which he shared with the gods Aramazd and Anahit, and he was compared by the ancient Greeks with the hero and god Heracles. His wife is Astghik.
One of his epithets was Vahagn Vishapakagh (Վահագն Վիշապաքաղ), which translates into Vahagn the Dragon-Reaper, and he notably slew the dragon Vishap.
Etymology[]
The name Vahagn is derived from *Varhraγn, the Parthian name for the Iranian god Verethragna. These words are cognate with the Vedic Vŗtrahan, the usual epithet of the thunder god Indra.
Vahagn is a pre-Iranian Armenian god who took on an Iranian name, rather than a complete borrowing.
History[]
Vahagn was worshipped in two triads; In the first triad he is worshipped alongside the gods Aramazd and Anahit. The Armenian King Tiridates III announced to his people as such:
| “ | May health and prosperity come to you by the help of the gods, rich fullness from manly Aramazd, providence from Anahit the Lady, and bravery come to you from brave Vahagn. | ” |
The second triad he is worshipped alongside the gods Astghik, his wife and Anahit. This is evidenced by Vahagn's chief temple at Ashtishat on the slopes of Mount Karke. The temple was often called the Vahevanean or Vahevahean temple. Vahagn was worshipped jointly at the temple together with Anahit and Astghik. The priests there claimed descent from Vahagn.
After Armenia came under Hellenistic influence in antiquity, Vahagn was identified with the Hellenic deity Heracles, but also rarely with Apollo. In the 5th-century Armenian translation of the Bible, Vahagn is used to translate Heracles in 2 Maccabees 4:19.
Mythology[]
The Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi in his book the History of the Armenians. He tells that his father is Tigranes and records the following song about his birth:
Heaven was in labor, earth was in labor,
the purple sea was also in labor;
in the sea labor pangs also held
the little red reed.
Along the reed-pipe smoke ascended,
Along the reed-pipe flame ascended.
And from the flame
a red-headed young boy jumped out.
He had (celestial) fire for hair,
and had flame for beard,
and his eyes were suns.
Khorenatsi does not give the rest of the song, but states that it tells of how Vahagn fought and conquered vishaps. Additionally, the planet Mars was called Atraher ("fire-hair") by the ancient Armenians in reference to Vahagn's red hair.
The 7th-century Armenian author Anania Shirakatsi relates a myth where Vahagn steals some straw from Barsham (Baal Shamin) and drops it on his way back, creating the Milky Way. This is supposed to be the origin of one of the folk names of the Milky Way in Armenian, Hardagoghi chanaparh, literally "the way of the straw-thief."