Originally existed Ar, the Ararich (Creator, Heavenly Family). Ar had no beginning and was absolute. And out of time, He created the World. Therefore, the World had no beginning and also was absolute.
Ararich was one, but there were many gods. And every god was a child of Ar, every god was a radiant spirit, every god was a cosmic power, every God was an immortal power. And these gods affirmed the will of Ar throughout the World, controlled its every movement, attitude, sensation, will, thought, and love.
And Anahit was the Mother of the gods. Mother, the longed-for secret of creation, the whole world of fruiting, the praise of mercy, the liturgy of hope, the melody of love, the cache of longing, the aroma of happiness.
Anahit gave birth to children for Ar, the immortal gods, and fed and caressed them with her maternal warmth.
Ar was absolute, and His children were perfect. Vahagn was also perfect. But he was a troubled perfection, a fiery youth, the most formidable son of Ar, the most powerful god of the World.
In an infinite universe, Vahagn was the cosmic power, among all the Suns – a searing fire, among stars – a source of light, among all spirits – the most magnificent, among the gods – the God of Power.
And his birth was marked by a very strong cosmic concussion. And the gods rejoiced at the sight of Vahagn. Astghik imprinted a kiss of love on his forehead and tied a War Cross woven from the stars to his hand so that the power of Vahagn would be indestructible.
The craftsman Tir revealed to Vahagn the secret of creation so that it would guard him. And light-emitting Mher/Mithra gave Vahagn a mace forged from a thousand and one suns.
Vahagn really liked playing with the mace. None of the gods could compete with him in mace throwing. Vahagn would throw the mace and then look for it on distant planets.
And once, Vahagn as usual went to look for his mace. He visited many planets and eventually reached Earth. And there, he found his mace half-stuck in the ground. And right before the eyes of Vahagn, the mace increased in size and occupied a vast, elevated territory.
Then, it got covered with thick greenery from which the teeth of the mace shined like bare rocks facing the sky. It was a beautiful sight. Vahagn for a long time could not take his eyes off of it. Then, he turned to Earth:
“Your power can’t hold the mace of Almighty God on your chest as a decoration.”
And the earth answered:
“Oh, Almighty Vahagn, only Ar is above you, your ancestor and mine. By the will of Ar, this mace pierced my chest so that I, feeding on the power of a thousand and one suns, give birth to divine blessings and so that the immortal gods enjoy them.”
Vahagn liked the answer of the Earth and summoned all the gods. The gods were surprised and turned to the wise Tir so that he explained this phenomenon. And the perspicacious Tir said:
“All this happened according to the will of Ar. Father Ar will create a new god. And Mother Anahit will give birth to this god exactly here, on Earth. He will be Earth Hayg, the first Earthly god. And this place will be named Ararat and will become the cradle of the Earth god.”
And the gods decided to decorate the future cradle, give it a look worthy of the gods. Tir with his skillful fingers fashioned mountain ranges in the north and in the south to protect the newborn god from the winds blowing from the steppes. The queen of the waters Tsovinar on the western and eastern borders of the cradle created the sea, and the cradle itself was decorated with lakes and rivers.
Right above the cradle, Vahagn lit the Sun in the sky so that it would always be light and warm in the cradle. Loving Astghik scattered flowers and roses, filled the air with fragrance and bird chirping, and spread various animals so that the newborn god would live as befits a god in Ararat.
And the god of justice Mihr (Mithra, Mher) right in the middle of the cradle grew the Life-Giving Tree so that its leaves’ gentle rustling would always remind the new god of the divine life-giving covenant.
The gods created the cradle of the Earth god and themselves admired it. The cradle turned out to be so wonderful and beautiful that even Ar and Mother Anahit would not remain indifferent to its beauty and would sometimes go down to take a walk there.
The gods often visited Earth. They climbed the two-headed Masis, from where the entire Ararat was visible, and had fun there. And the craftsman Tir on the top of Mount Aragats erected a magnificent throne on which Father Ar would sometimes sit. The gods would visit him, receive a paternal blessing, and again fly to Masis to continue their games.
Excerpt from “Ararat mythology. The sacred traditions of Ararat”
Read more: Birth of Arius
