Arpa Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 (edited) Lethal Legends Վտանգաւոր Վէպեր During our many outings we heard many legends. What with the legend of Khor Virap, the legend of Geghard, as to how St. Bartholomew brought the spearhead that pierced Jesus’ side to Armenia. We know that “geghard” means spearhead in Armenian and that that relic is kept at Ejmiatsin. Some legends were told with somewhat of a smirk by our highly trained tour guides who btw spoke perfect English, even if at times I was called on to translate. Some of the legends are hilarious if otherwise entertaining, and I was very much amused when our guide at the Erebuni museum, besides commenting about the origin of the name of the city, Ereban/Erevuni ( I deliberately jumbled the spelling to show the interchangeability of B and V, as in Vahram-Bahram) , she also told the, in my opinion, that inane story of how the city was named when that drunken idiot Noah exclaimed “yerevats!!!” . As long as some of these legends are told in their proper spirit, i.e. tongue in cheek as our guide did, there is no harm, it adds spice to the subject. However one of our guides, talking about the legend of Haik and Bel told us how Haik had COME from Babylon. I would not have minded if she also were to tell us the other, the true version as to how Haik was a long time resident of Haikastan and that Bel invaded Armenia and was readily defeated and repelled by Haik.88 Khorenatsi and others tell both versions, yet it seems we emphasize the Judaicized version to coincide with that of the saga of Abraham, as how he CAME. Haik DID NOT COME, he had always been there, in Haikland So, what is so lethal about that version of the legend? Why is it that we have and are still trying to persuade the world that we CAME from… you name it… What is so lethal about that version of the legend? That Haik was defeated by Bel and he was forced to leave, to escape? What else is new! That we are repeatedly defeated and forced to leave? Yet, the most lethal of that legend is that the Turks have said and are still saying that “you came, you saw, you conquered (veni vidi vici), you had your turn, now it is our turn”. Armenians and Haik DID NOT COME, not from Babylon, not from Phrygia, not from Macedonia, not from Russia or Kamchatka. Haik and Hyes have always lived in Hayastan, since the dawn of mankind even if at times alongside with the Hittites, Assyrians, Sumerians and Subartians and the Urartians (where are they?). Some legends may be delectable and amusing, adding spice to the subject but , please, please, let us be careful when those lavish legends pose a threat to our very national character and to our claim to the Land. **I did pull the lovely and extremely intelligent young lady aside at the end and urged her to please also study the other, the true version of the legend of Haik. She thanked me and promised to do so, and she also let me know that she enjoyed my comments and appreciated my sense of humor. Smart girl indeed. Edited June 14, 2006 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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