Armenian Wheel of Eternity, Six Pointed Star, Svastika
November 29, 2012
nkar_4211
16 Votes
First of all, I would like to mention that my work is not meant to spread any form of racism. So, I would kindly ask not to post any racist remarks.
Swastikas, solar disks, sacred bulls and trees of life are common ancient symbols 1which were found in Armenian Highlands as well, some of them date back to more than 10,000 BC,
Originally they are known as Arevkhatch, Cross of the Sun (or Kerkhatch, “ker” meaning curved or turned and “khatch” meaning cross ). It represents time, recurrence, universe and the eternal motion of life. There are variations with 4,6,9, and 12 petals, but the most common is the use of the 8, representing eternity.
Swastica-on_the_tower_of_Ani 10 century
Hexagrams on the walls of 13th Century Noravank monastery
Sevan-Monastery 9th-century
Horomos monastery 12 century
As one of the most common and sacred symbols of Armenian culture, the Wheel of Eternity stemmed from worship of the sky and the sun. It shares a common origin with the swastika, known as the sun wheel or cross symbol. Absorbed into Christian culture, the symbol became as sacred as the Holy Spirit and was used on nearly every Armenian Christian design.
Constellation around 1 central object, encircled
with 11 stars (Geghama mountains, 3rd -2nd millen. BC).
The symbols could be seen everywhere in Armenia, from church murals, outside and inside decorations, tomb stones, holy scriptures, cross stones, carpets to everyday household pottery. The symbol is very popular in modern Armenia as well. It was engraved on the Memorial of Armenian Genocide, on flag of Yerevan (capitol of Armenia), Yerevan
“Map of Star Sky” in Sevsar height 6m² petroglyph. In the foreground the
“cluster” of 12 stars is the Zodiac (Vardenis mountains, 3rd -2nd millen. BC).
Cascade Obelisk, on Armenian Alphabet, on the buildings of Armenian theaters.
Geometric shapes on a tombstone at the Orbelian kings’
In Armenian language, the second portion of the word -swastika-, the ‘ast’ or also referred as ‘asd’ means power, which is also the root of the word ‘Astvats’ meaning God in Armenian.
Thus, the word Astvats could be translated as “all powerful” or “given of power”. In this context it would refer to physical and spiritual health, clarity of mind or perhaps even salvation.
Reliefs on the ruined 12th century Teghenyats Monastery, Armenia
It is known that in ancient times, the only being/s referred to as ‘all powerful’ or ‘brilliant’ was the Creator. Later these epithets got into the context of the current established religions as well in their references toward the creator God.
The examination of the Sanskrit roots of the word swastika brings us to their two archaic meanings of the word: ‘svar’ meaning brilliant/shinning and ‘asti’ meaning powerful/god.
Thus we can adopt that the meaning of the word swastika is: The All powerful/shining God.
The Sun has been our only source of magnificent brilliance for millennia, itself being located deep in the space.
As a result, the ancients considered the Sun to be their God- they were worshipping to.
Armenian medieval soldier
Flag of Artashesyan Dynasty, (190 B.C
Flag of the Arsacid Dynasty, 54–428
Therefore, the sun has been always symbolized by the swastika for what it stands for.
The seventh sacred letter as the shinning Wheel of Eternity was placed on the sacred cathedral by the master builders along with atom/hydrogen along with the seven branched solar lotus/sunburst, vulva/wombs/eyes, penta-rings and the symbol of macrocosmos (fire+water)
People of the past, including the mighty Armenids of the Armenian Highland and Mesopotamia has been referred to as: “the children of the light”. This concept is found within the essence of the word “Ar-men”, where “Ar” stood for the Armenian sun-god known as Ar (or Ra-Amon by Egyptians) and “men” theoretically would stand for the people or worshippers of the sun-god, thus we get
Marble tombstone of the Armenian Grand Prince Vahtangian (1214-1261)
“Ar-men” and “Ar-men-ia”, where the ending of the word Armenia, the ‘ia’ will theoretically stand for the location, thus we get Armenia, meaning “the land of the sun-worshippers” or “the land of the children of light”.
In general, after careful examination of the Armenian alphabet, one would find that half a dozen of its letters are nothing more than modified versions of the famous
Lower cover leather binding, 1577 AD, (binder: Grigor Khach’ets’), Venice, San Lazzaro, Library of the Mekhitarists
swastika symbol. Armenian letters prounounced as -Ke-; -Kea-; -Xe-; -Pea-; -Fe-; and -Ea- have their origins in the ancient proto-Armenian petroglyphical
writings found through out the Armenian Highland.
The Armenian Wheel Of Eternity shares its origin with swastika symbol, solar symbols.
Khorakert Monastery (12th c. AD), Armenia
Some of the earliest Solar Discs found in Armenia +(-)10000 BC were in Geghama Mountains, Ughtasar, Urtsadzor, Aragats Mountains, Shengovit and on many monasteries and buildings (see pictures with discriptions).
Vishapagorg
As one can notice on the pictures above some of symbols of Wheel of Eternity were engraved in 6 pointed star.
Most people today associate the six pointed star (hexagram) with the Jewish Star of David (Magen David), as it is the modern symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism but its usage as a symbol of the Jewish community dates to the 17th century unlike
Decorative reliefs from the Gagkashen Cathedral, 10 century
Armenian 6 pointed stars were engraved long before and its usage in Armenian science, art, architecture, decorations and even for religious purposes has been extensive throughout the history.
Ughtasar petroglyphs V-II millenium B.C.
Armenians were skilled mathematicians, architects and craftsmen. In ancient times Armenians had a refined knowledge of astronomy and were able to predict astral events. observatory at Metsamor allowed Ancestral Armenians to develop geometry to such a level they could measure distances, latitudes and longitudes, envision the world as round, and were predicting solar and lunar eclipses about 1000 years before the Egyptians began doing the same.
Surb Nshan Basilica, Yeghvard , ancient village with the small, two-story St.Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin) church (1301)
Armenian architecture is often geometrically sound with straight lines connecting columns and mathematical precision. The geometry of the Armenian architecture has stood the test of time by preserving many ancient buildings in a region dominated by war, poverty and natural disasters.
The fortress cities and temples that have been excavated in Armenia (some going back as far as 7000 years) show a remarkable
Gandzasar Monastery 10-13 cc
awareness of using geometry in constructing sacred buildings, using a complex system of squares, rectangles, circles, polygons with intersecting patterns.
Among many symbols Armenians used the six pointed star for architectural purposes.
Inside-Geghard Monastery, (groundbreaking 4th c. chapel build in 1215 AD).
Early Armenians believed the symbol had magical powers and incorporated it in architecture, astronomy and sacred art. Attesting to that there are numerous Armenian churches constructed in the shape of a six pointed star, they also use hexagrams to support the dome or simply as sacred decoration protecting the Church like magic charms.
excavated in Ashtarak (Nerkin Naver) burial (3rd millenium BC., Armenia)
The oldest known depiction of a six pointed star (dating back to the 3rd millennium BC.) was excavated in the Ashtarak burial mound in “Nerkin Naver” (in Armenia). This was confirmed by a series of radiocarbon analysis of artifacts, conducted in laboratories in Germany and in the USA. The handle of a dagger depicts the worlds earliest decoration of a six-pointed star buried in a burial mound containing over 500 graves.
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Tigran II the Great, 95-56 BC
Medieval Xachqar (Cross stone)
Horomos Monastery 12 century
Gandzasar Monastery 10-13 cc
Horomos Monastery 12 century
Floor plan of a Medieval Armenian Church of the Shepherd
Goshavank monastery XII-XIII
The first Sanctuary of Seven Deities in Metsamor.
Not far from the sanctuary, in accord with petroglyphs of telescopic
Small Hillock and astronomical calculations, 2800-2600yy., BC.
from this point the origin of Sirius has been observed,
which that time coincided with Navasard- New Year (August 11).
The Rafted Sun (later “morning’’ ideogram) on the head of the Priest? standing near the Lightning-Goat (Geghama Mountains 2nd-1st millen. BC).
Rafted Deity on the shoulders of worshippers (mount Aragats).
Solar seven-sided
and fire-centre system on three-
ayered earth -as per predecessors
(Bronze tin, Sevan basin,
2nd millen. BC).
Geometry in particular has a long history in Armenian arts, religion and sciences so not only the usage of hexagrams but also many other geometrical shapes and symbols exist throughout the course of Armenian history.
SOURCES
http://www.hayary.org/wph/?p=186&lang=en
http://www.tacentral.com/history/metsamor2.htm
http://arevordi.blogspot.be/2005/12/pantheon-of-armenian-gods-and.html
Helen Greaves – The Wheel of Eternity
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%85%D0%B0%D1%87
http://peopleofar.wordpress.com/tag/armenian-six-pointed-star/
http://www.iatp.am/vahanyan/articles/proisxozhdenie/tables.htm
