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6 AUTHOR S PREFACE
naive production abounding in more or less inaccessible ma
terial of high value and in sometimes suggestive but more often
strange speculations. Manug Abeghian will rightly claim the
merit of having given to Armenian folk-lore a systematic form,
while A. Aharonian s thesis on the same subject is not devoid
of interest. Unfortunately Stackelberg s article, written in
Russian, was accessible to the author only in an Armenian
resume. Sandalgian s Histoire Documentore de VArmenle y
which appeared in 1917 but came to the author s notice only
recently, contains important chapters on ancient Armenian
religion and mythology. The part that interprets Urartian
inscriptions through ancient Greek and Armenian has not met
with general recognition among scholars. But his treatment of
the classic and mediaeval material is in substantial accord with
this book. The main divergences have been noted.
Grateful thanks are due to the editors as well as the publish
ers for their forbearance with the author s idiosyncrasies and
limitations. Also a hearty acknowledgement must be made here
to my revered teacher and colleague, Prof. Duncan B. Macdonald
of the Hartford Theological Seminary, to Prof. Lewis
Hodous of the Kennedy School of Missions, and to Dr. John
W. Chapman of the Case Memorial Library for many fertile
suggestions. Prof. Macdonald, himself an ardent and able
folk-lorist, and Prof. Hodous, a student of Chinese religions,
carefully read this work and made many helpful suggestions.
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,
April 23, 1922.
PUBLISHER S NOTE
M. H. ANANIKIAN
The death of Professor Ananikian occurred while this vol
ume was in preparation. He did not see the final proofs.