Zoroastrianism Armenia

itll
c o n s u lt in g T ra ja n , who r e a c te d "by in v a d in g Л гпепіа in 1X3.
seem s t o be s c a n t J u s t i f i c a t i o n fo r su ch an e q u a tio n .
TSiere
A sxadar vas n o t
th e son o f A rta v a zd , o r even o f en Arm enian; as a h i s t o r i c a l f i g u r e , bo
i s u n im p ortan t; and th e tr a n sfo r m a tio n o f A sxadar t o S id a r i s n o t e a s i l y
e x p la in e d in A rm enian, w hich u s u a lly p r e s e r v e s th e I r a n ia n c o n so n a n ta l
c l u s t e r - x s - a s - s x - -
I t i s more l i k e l y th a t tb e name S id a r comes from P h i. U sedar (A v.
U x s y a t .e r e t a - ) , th e f i r s t S o sy a n t ( P h i ., 'S a v io u r ') o f t h r e e , b o m o f
th e s e e d o f Z a r a th u str a , who w i l l b a t t l e e v i l in th e f i n a l c e n t u r ie s b e -
V 6 l V ■*_
fo r e F r a s e g ir d . In th e age o f th e secon d S o sy a n t, Usedarmah (Av.
U x sy a t. nem ah-) , Az Danäg (A v. A zi Dahaka) w i l l b u r s t fr e e o f h is f e t t e r s
and le a v e h is m ountain p r is o n , t o be d e fe a t e d on ce and f o r a l l by th e
hero K arsäsp (A v. K eresa sp a -) and h is c o m r a d e s .^
I t i s p o s s ib le t h a t th e A rm enians, r e c o g n is in g a common elem en t
* s id a r in th e names o f th e f i r s t and secon d S S s y a n ts , p r o ceed ed t o con ­
fu s e th e secon d w ith th e a r c h -f ie n d w hose t e r r i b l e li b e r a t i o n i s th e
m ost im p ortan t e v e n t o f h i s r e ig n .
Or, C h r is tia n w r it e r s m ight have
so u g h t to d is c r e d it U sed a r, even as th e y had defam ed Ohrmazd.
The myth
th en was e x p la in e d by making S id a r th e 'son * o f A rtaw azd, w h ile A rtawazd
( l i k e A r ta x ia s ) was p r e s e n te d a s d is p le a s e d w ith h i s s o n , who i s d e­
p ic t e d as in s a n e and a c c u r se d (h e i s th r u s t from th e b r id g e , p erh aps b e ­
l i e v e d to s t r e t c h b etw een th e two p eak s o f A ra ra t— t h i s i s p ro b a b ly a
sym bol o f dam nation, a s we have se e n a b o v e ). S id a r m erely ta k e s th e
Q
p la c e o f A rtaw azd in th e le g e n d o f A rtawazd r eco rd ed by M ovses X orenac i ;
w h ile A rtaw azd in th e S id a r myth ta k e s on th e r o le o f A r ta s e s .
I t h as
been se e n t h a t Mihr (Arm. M her), c o n fin e d t o h i s cave a t Van, r e p r e -
63
s e n te d f o r Arm enians th e hope o f red em p tion a t th e end o f th e w o rld .
A s im ila r b e l i e f must have a tta c h e d t o Mount A rarat w ith i t s m a j e s tic
b e a u ty , y e t i t was a ls o th e p r is o n o f a dem ented k in g o f t h e k c aj 'b rave'
d y n a sty o f th e A r ta x ia d s , who was e q u a ted by th e w eavers o f e p ic son g
w ith Azdahak.
The myth o f redem ption and th e v is io n o f t h e r e le a s e o f
th e dragon and th e d e s t r u c tio n o f much o f th e w o rld p r e c e d in g i t s ren o v a ­
t io n w ere fu s e d to g e t h e r in a s i n g le le g e n d .
The a s s o c ia t io n o f a p o c a ly p t ic e v e n ts w ith b o th d e s t r u c t io n and r e ­
b ir t h le n d s t o o th e r t r a d i t io n s as w e ll a s th e Armenian an ambiguous app
r e h e n sio n th a t i s f e l t , f o r in s t a n c e , in th e poem 'The S econd Coming*