Origins of the Armenian peoples

[Anonymouse]

I knew quite a few theories on the ethnogenesis of Armenians, but I want to give you guys a chance to express what you know about Armenian origins.

You may begin.

[Artsakhtsi]

Re: Origins of the Armenian peoples

Originally posted by Anonymouse I knew quite a few theories on the ethnogenesis of Armenians, but I want to give you guys a chance to express what you know about Armenian origins.

You may begin.

well, i know that the name Armenian commes from 2 words, ar (arier) men (people)

[anileve]

Re: Origins of the Armenian peoples

Originally posted by Anonymouse
You may begin.

Why don't you begin since you are the one studying the Armenian History in school? You can clarify some uncertainties.

[Anonymouse]

Well lets see there are several theories of Armenian ethnogenesis.

There is the Armenian epic detailed my Movses Khorenatis of the legend of Hayk and Bel, in which Hayk fought Bel and protected the Armenian family and identity, a small people resisting a giant tyrant. Hayk is seen as the name giver of Armenians, who call themselves "Hay", Bel, or Baal is the Assyrian god, and later attributed to the Babylonians. This epic itself is what has permeated the Armenian cultural consciousness of a small people resisting the the giant tyrants. Hayk was seen as a descendent of Noah from the Bible and his Ark which is said to be on Ararat. It is interesting to note that many of the genologies described by Movses were indeed correct which then leaves in my mind, how much more accurate can the epic be? Is there any more truth to it? The epic is indeed the most interesting to me at least.

Then there is the theory in which Armenians were part of the Indo-European migrations who settled in what is now called the Armenian plateau. First attributed to Herodotus, he claimed that the Armenians came from Thrace, along with the Phrygians, and the Armenians spoke a similar language. Those that moved most eastward eventually became the Armenans.

Of course there is much contention on the origin of the term "Hay". Some say it was acquired by Armenians as they traveled through Asia Minor via the Hittite Empire, and the term "Hay" is really another term they adopted from the word Hittite, in Greek, Hati-yos, and it is said that the "t" is dropped.

Of course the first reference to "Armenians" comes to us under Darius I of the Achaemenian Empire in the form of "Armina" inscribed on the Behistun rock around 520 B.C.

The Assyrians referred to that entire regions as Urartu or Urashti, along with many variations. Some say that Armenians as they migrated towards present day Armenian plateau adopted many forms, customs, and names from the people they interacted with such as the Hittites, but mainly Urartu. That names such as Ararat, or Aram ( Urartian King known as Arame or Aramu ) are among us today show bear mark on the influence.

To put it in a nutshell, the "classical" hypothesis, states that Armenians migrated from Thrace, ala Herodotus, and adopted and adapted themselves to many customs of their neighboring peoples, namely Urartu, as is evident from the study of linguistics. So from Hati yos the Armenian word Hay is said to have developed.

The Armenian epic contends differently as Hayk is the name giver of Armenians. The current "revisionist" hypothesis is that the Armenians have always been native to that region, and as evidence scholars point to the region in the Armenian plateau known as Hayasa, from which Armenians adotped their name Hay. They contend that Armenians have always been native to that region. Basing their theory on not only linguistics, but also archaeology, they suggest that certain agricultural techniques were first developed in Armenia then spread from there. There is a whole school of revisionist liguistic and archaeological data on the theory that Armenians were in fact native to that region

However Urartean influence cannot be denied. In the case of the Armenian artsiv was a totemic animal of the Urartean Arstrunis. In the case of Ararat, which the Assyrians I believed referred to the Urartians. Ararat, Urartu, bear linguistic similarities, or the establishment of Erebuni, in what is no Erevan or Yerevan. Armenians place names such as Van, from the Urartian Baina, or Tosp from the Urartian Tushpa, or Erevan from Erebuni, and Garni from Giarniani, all bear mark to the influence and interaction.

That is pretty much the sum and substance of the basics of Armenian ethnogenesis.

[jahannam]

interesting read...

[disksoleil]

I have heard once that after Noah's arc landed on top of mount Ararat, people were searching for places to settle and there was someone called Hayk, who was the one to set up a tribe, which later was called Armenians?

I heard this from an Armenian in Turkey.

[Anonymouse]

Yes, something like that.

[dtox]

LOL, how come some people hate the Turks, and some people don't? It's kind of odd, seeing as what they did to our race.

[anileve]

Xisuthros was the hero of the Armenian Flood legend, recorded by Berosus, and his ark came to rest on Mount Ararat.

[Anonymouse]

That's very intruiiiging!

I know of a similar story of a guy named Noah with the same xxxx!

Could it be?