Kachi – Myths and Legends of Armenia

Kachi link the natural chain between the Armenian dragon and the Armenian devs. In fact, they are identical with the widely known (not theological) devs. They are none other than European elves, kobolds, etc.

Their name means “brave”. The ancient euphemism (as the modern Armenian expression “our best” or the Scottish “good people”) was applied to the world of spirits in order to appease the imperious, irresponsible beings, whose intentions could never be trusted.

From the stories of their habits and deeds, one can clearly imagine how people linked them to dragons or even confused them. The sources of this are ancient and medieval authors.

According to David the Philosopher, unlike dragons, Kachi were undoubtedly incorporeal creatures, spirits, kind in their nature, but God often chose them for committing punishments. Like the devs, they were perfectly preserved in the rocky places with which they were always connected, and one of their favorite sanctuaries was Mount Masis.

Nevertheless, they can be found almost everywhere. There were many places in the country bearing their name – the Kachi stone, the town of Kachi, the village of Kachi, and the Kachi-Kachavar field (where the kachi hunted).

Like the dragons, the Kachi built their palaces in the highest places. An ancient song said that it was these spirits that carried the malicious Artavazd to Masis, where to this day, he remains a restless prisoner.

In addition, they held Alexander the Great in Rome and King Yervand in murky, foggy waters. They unleashed wars, which is a characteristic feature of the snake and elven communities.

They stole grain from the threshing floor and wine from right under the press. They often found pleasure in beating, dragging, tormenting people, and whipping their victims, just like their western sisters and brothers. People went crazy because of their pernicious influence.

In medieval Armenia, those who devoted themselves to the art of magic, like Faust and others, used to drive off to distant places and, having reached the foreign lands, laid the table in front of the insatiable kachi in order to gain knowledge from them.

And finally, the medieval kachi (and possibly their ancestors) were very musical. People often heard them singing, although we do not know if their singing was as enchanting as the singing of the western elves and the Greek sirens.

However, modern representatives of Kachi prefer the music played by people. According to Javanshir, a historian who wrote about the Iberians of Transcaucasia, the cunning Armenian king Yervand built a kachi temple in Dzunga near Akhalkalak in Iveria (Georgia).