Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?
Before the modern period, Ararat was more widely known as the resting area of Noah's ark, and thus held more than just a "material" importance to Armenians. Armenians consider themselves descendents of Noah, and thus, Ararat was seen as the place of origin of the Armenian people.
During the resurgence of Armenian nationalism due to hostile, foreign overlords, Ararat, with its central position on the Armenian Highlands and its vertical domination of the surrounding area, naturally took its place as the symbol, or the epitome, of the immovable spirit of the Armenian people and their undying will to be independent on the land of their forefathers.
All symbols are nothing more than images. This fact doesn't reduce its value as a symbol, because symbols are only as good as what they represent to the people who look to those images for one reason or another. Trying to question Ararat's meaning to Armenians is like saying, Beethoven's compositions were not western masterpieces, they were just combinations of sounds... well, no sh*t. But with some basic insight and understanding, they become some of the most beautiful and soulful expressions of the human spirit.
Does Ararat's 'meaning' change because of my geographic distance? The underlying meanings of being our place of origin and the symbol of our nation do not change. The only thing that changes is that I have a yearning to return. This may or may not be shared by other people, but that is of no concern to me.
Ինծի համար աւելի պակաս հոգ մը այն է որ այս օտար կատուն ինչ կը կարծէ մեր ժողովուրդին մասին: Իր անկաց հետաքրքրութիւնը մեր ազգին հետ շատ բարձր կը խոսի իր անձնական մշակոյթին մասին:
Before the modern period, Ararat was more widely known as the resting area of Noah's ark, and thus held more than just a "material" importance to Armenians. Armenians consider themselves descendents of Noah, and thus, Ararat was seen as the place of origin of the Armenian people.
During the resurgence of Armenian nationalism due to hostile, foreign overlords, Ararat, with its central position on the Armenian Highlands and its vertical domination of the surrounding area, naturally took its place as the symbol, or the epitome, of the immovable spirit of the Armenian people and their undying will to be independent on the land of their forefathers.
All symbols are nothing more than images. This fact doesn't reduce its value as a symbol, because symbols are only as good as what they represent to the people who look to those images for one reason or another. Trying to question Ararat's meaning to Armenians is like saying, Beethoven's compositions were not western masterpieces, they were just combinations of sounds... well, no sh*t. But with some basic insight and understanding, they become some of the most beautiful and soulful expressions of the human spirit.
Does Ararat's 'meaning' change because of my geographic distance? The underlying meanings of being our place of origin and the symbol of our nation do not change. The only thing that changes is that I have a yearning to return. This may or may not be shared by other people, but that is of no concern to me.
Ինծի համար աւելի պակաս հոգ մը այն է որ այս օտար կատուն ինչ կը կարծէ մեր ժողովուրդին մասին: Իր անկաց հետաքրքրութիւնը մեր ազգին հետ շատ բարձր կը խոսի իր անձնական մշակոյթին մասին:
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