The Armenian Gods

Characteristics of the Armenian Pantheon

Time to read: approximately 11 minutes. The post is a reference that can be skimmed. The passages on Mithra and Verethragna may be worth reading even to those not otherwise interested in the pantheon.

Armenian-Iranian Gods

The gods of the “Armenian pantheon” consist of those with Armenian forms, and those with Iranian forms, each historically worshiped by the corresponding people, though the latter somewhat worshiped by both peoples. Regardless, they exist as one pantheon and any of its gods may be worshiped by any initiated “Armenian Templist”.

Ancient Epithets

See The Germanic Gods regarding epithets.

Idols

Also included are the canonical idol representations of each god. These are timeless in nature. There is no reason not to represent the gods as wearing modern clothes, turning their weapons into analogous modern weapons, etc. But there is equally no problem with representing them in an archaic fashion. The Author suggests the former for the purpose of developing a distinct “Templist style”, but this is not necessary. A temple should choose one or the other style, and stick to it. 

If archaic elements, such as weapons, are translated into modern elements, they are still considered to be the exact same item, but transformed. This very modernization is traditional; the people of antiquity did not continue to represent their gods as beings of the copper age. 

Some non-initiated Templists may perceive modernizations to be “funny”. This should be a cause for reflection - why can they not take modern reality seriously? Why can something only be taken seriously by them if it is removed from everyday experience? Is reality necessarily unremarkable, in their worldview?

Primary Characteristic

Every god has a “primary characteristic”, which is designated by his or her name. This characteristic is stronger than other characteristics, and it may pervade the other characteristics.

Ar/Mithra/Mihr

The Sun (“Ar” means “sun”), Sunlight, Clouds, Storms, Justice, Judgement of the Wicked (in life), Honesty, Oaths, Purity, Victory of Just Causes, Protection, Invincibility, Protection of Travelers and Cargoes, Fortifications, Protection of Cities, Clairvoyance, Masculinity, Ostracism of Degenerates, Law Enforcement.

Ar is depicted as an attractive young man with a halo around his head, upon which sits a circular golden band. His hair, worn short, is brown, and his eyes are brown. He is clean shaven or has a short beard. He is tall, and somewhat thin, but not very thin. He carries an ornate spear, which may also be an ornate infantry rifle. His features are Armenian or Iranian.

Ar and Mithra are the same deity, where the former is the Armenian cultural form and the latter is the Iranian cultural form.

Roman Cult of Mithra

In late antiquity, Mithra was worshiped throughout Roman Europe for several hundred years as part of a mystery cult popular among the Roman Army. It eventually became more widely popular, to the extent that it challenged the then-burgeoning Christianity. Thus, Wotan and Mithra were in conflict. Wotan won in the end, causing his Christians to persecute the Mithraists. It is now evident that Mithra made the wrong bet. For, the Roman Empire was experiencing unrest, yet Mithra chose to attach his religion to the Roman Army, an appendage of the established order. Wotan, in his wisdom, bet that this order would not remain, but would be overturned by a new order. Hence, he chose to attach his religion to outcasts, poor people, vagrants, invalids, Jews, and eventually, his invading Germanians. Wotan had superior influence over these people than Mithra had over his followers. For, the followers of Mithra were also the followers of the state, but the followers of Jesus had only Jesus to follow. It is now widely known that social alienation is instrumental in ensuring the loyalty of cultists. Social alienation reduces the competition for social influence, and deranged cults cannot survive under competing influences.

Anahiti

Purity (“Anahiti” means this), Cleanliness, Virtue, Supremacy of the Virtuous, Patroness of Virtuous People, Freedom, Status, Reputation, Social Ostracism, Beauty (in art), Rumors, Deserved Wealth, Patroness of Heroes, Health (from biological disposition, not healing), Robustness and “Good Genes” of Male Gametes, Health and Function of the Womb, Eugenics, Patroness of Aryan traits in Iranians, Patroness of northern Iran (Mazandaran, Gilan, North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan).

Anahiti is depicted as a finely adorned early middle aged woman, with nice clothes and much jewelry, who is beautiful, though not sexually provocative. She has blue eyes, and blonde hair. Her features are Iranian, of the truly Aryan type.

Anahiti is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal. Usually, as an ordinary, highly virtuous woman, who becomes someone’s wife, and makes no special display of herself.

Astłik

Stars (“Astłik” means “star”), Constellations, Night, Navigation, Love, Female Beauty, Sex, Protection of Crops at Night (from insects and so on), Safe Childbirth, Water (its purity and safety), Rivers, Springs, Wells, Temperature Regulation (of homes).

Astłik is depicted as an old woman who was “once attractive”, though she is not ugly in being an old woman. Her hair is gray, and her eyes are blue. She wears modest practical dresses that do not befit her station as a once attractive goddess of female sex appeal. Her features are Armenian.

Ardvi Sura

Water and Liquids in General (“Ardvi Sura” means this), Crops (their sustenance), Herds (their sustenance), Food Production, Nutrition, Music, Knowledge, Learning Speech, Practical Art.

Ardvi Sura is depicted as a young woman wearing many necklaces who holds some type of instrument. She has brown hair, and brown eyes. Her features are Iranian.

Ayg

Dawn (“Ayg” means “dawn”), Lust, Sex, Seduction, Male Attractiveness (sexual, to women. Including also the non-physical qualities that women are sexually attracted to, such as fame), Wealth, Money, Kingship.

Ayg is depicted as a young sexually attractive woman who wears few if any clothes, and adorns herself with native flowers. Her hair is brown, and her eyes are brown. Her features are Armenian.

Ayg is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal. Usually, as a promiscuous woman who pursues highly virtuous men. She may also do this as a god.

Angeł

Judgement of the Dead, Death, Disease, Crops, Wealth (familial wealth), Inheritance, The Underworld (that is, the future that a reincarnation will find itself in - “Angeł” refers to this), War (the death toll thereof), Assassination, Power (political influence, resulting from capacity to inflict death), Law (for the same reason as previous).

Angeł is depicted as a tall, large, and strong late middle aged man with short hair and an intermediately large beard. He dresses in the ceremonial clothing of a judge or political functionary of death. He carries a heavy metal mace, which is practical rather than ceremonial. This mace is the threat of brutal death that confers influence and authority. It can be replaced by an equivalent modern object such as a nuclear launch briefcase, a rocket artillery vehicle, a rocket munition, accompaniment by secret police, and more of the same. His features and colors are variously Armenian, Turkish, Mesopotamian, Iranian, or Russian.

Angeł is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal.

Vanatur

King of the Gods, Hospitality (“Vanatur” means this), Judgement of the Dead, Judgement of the Living, Courage, Citizenship, Nationhood, Law and Order, Justice, Truth, Honesty, Integrity, Dispassionate Punishment of Rule-Breakers, Official Records, Patron of Armenian Refugees and Diaspora, Prosperity, Fertility, Rain, Time, The New Year, Hunting, Animals (as resources), Mountains.

Vanatur is depicted as an impressive, attractive, and well proportioned early adult. His long brown hair is worn short, he is clean shaven, and his eyes are blue. He is generally shirtless, wearing a necklace of native flowers. He has tattoos: ink forming the silhouette of a “small hand” within the top of each hand, connected to thick lines of ink extending up his arms to his shoulder, terminating in a circle around (that is, going under) each arm, which are connected by a thin oval of ink around the base of his neck (roughly, below the collarbone, proportional on the back). Equidistant from the midpoint of this oval, in the front, are two very thin intersecting lines that form an “X” shape upon the upper part of his chest. The lines of ink upon, and under, his arms and shoulders, have interspersed non-ink spots so as to form an irregular pattern of little circles, which are filled with a gold body paint. He carries a spear, which may also be a hunting rifle. His features are Armenian.

Nar

The Sea, Ships, Boats, Fishing, Aquatic Life, Lakes, Rivers, Water (bodies of water), Salt, Clouds and Storms (at sea), Fury, Anger, Marriage, Protection of Children, Patroness of Widows and Orphans.

Nar is depicted as a female sailor, ambiguously early middle aged or middle aged, with short brown hair and brown eyes. She is small and somewhat frail, yet looks to possess the strength of one hardened by the sea. She is not very attractive, and wears the clothes of an ordinary sailor. Her features are Armenian.

Spandaramet

Wine, Alcohol, Fertility (of crops), The Underworld (that is, the future that a reincarnation will find itself in - specifically, those futures that are bad), Pleasure, Enjoyment, Lust, Ecstasy, Entertainment, Wildness, Awe, Joy.

Spandaramet is depicted as an early adult woman, topless, wearing circular earrings and an elaborate headdress of some kind that is adorned with native flowers and plants. She holds a receptacle of wine and grape vines, possibly adorning herself with the grape vines rather than holding them. She has brown hair, and brown eyes. Her features are Armenian.

Spandaramet is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal, including animals.

Alternative form: Spandaramet-as-Satan.

Tir

Learning (“Tir” means “scribe”), Knowledge, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Humor, Writing, Language, Science, Messages, Allocation of Immaterial Souls (but not judgement, hence, offerings for this purpose are a “bribe”), Youth.

Tir is depicted as a thin and short young man who is engaged in writing and study, wearing the clothes of a dutiful scribe or student. He has short brown hair, brown eyes, and is clean shaven. His features are Armenian.

Vrthraghna/Verethragna/Vahagn

Overpowering and Overcoming (“Vrthraghna” means “destruction or overcoming of all resistance”), Victory, Strategy, Violence, Brutality, Conquest, Expansion, Ambition, Supreme Power, Glory, Heroism, Patron of Warriors, Patron of Vast Conquerors and Wide Rulers, Patron of Empires (for the sake of those who have an interest in maintaining them), Aggression, Domination, Male Virility, Complete Accomplishment of the Will, Psychological Magic, Patron of Aggressive Animals, Renown, Champion of Global Aryans (to the extent of disloyalty to and disregard for non-Aryan Iranians, which quality makes Vanatur, rather than him, the king of the Armenian pantheon).

Vrthraghna is depicted as a young man with much facial hair or a large mustache, and long blonde hair. His eyes are light blue. Depictions of him involve a combination of stately clothing, representing his supreme ambitions, with brutal violence for which such clothing may seem unsuitable, representing his supreme will to achieve his ambitions, overcoming even the “impracticality” of his attire. For example, he wears a military dress uniform or a suit, yet he rips somebody’s throat open with his bare hands. He often carries a spear and an ornate dagger, which may be represented as a rifle and an ornate revolver or pistol. His features are purely Aryan.

Vrthraghna is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal, and he does so frequently.

Alternative form: Verethragna-as-Satan.

Verethragna for All Aryans

Any Templist may worship Verethragna insofar as he is asking for something that relates to the fortunate destiny of the Aryan race. Only the Armenian Templist, though, may worship him otherwise. A proper European should not feel this to be a loss, since a European will naturally feel sickened by the lack of caution, self-awareness, and empathy that worship of Verethragna for personal gain would entail.

The reader must be reminded, again, that the well-being of the Aryan race should not be the primary focus of a Templist; the Aryan race is a less specific tribe of virtue, while more specific tribes of virtue exist within it. A Templist should be concerned, first, for more specific tribes, then for less specific tribes. It does not serve the interests of, for example, a German, to be concerned with Aryans before he is concerned with Germans.

Hermes

A reminder that I offer myself to, and am accepted by, all pantheons which lack a commerce deity suitable to modernity. The Armenian pantheon lacks such a deity.

Lesser Deities

Other pantheons often have the equivalent of “elves”; lesser beings of the race of gods that live among them. The Armenian pantheon, however, has no additional beings.

August 20, 2022