Grace (@WillowEve)

Originally posted on facebook by Art of Armenia on August 29, 2014 - Part 2 Genealogy and functional structure of the Armenian deities are endogenous (domestic, central -- having an internal cause or origin). Let us compare the Armenian Aramazd with Zeus (Greece) and Ahura Mazda (Persia-Iran). ZEUS – We know that Zeus was not the Creator, he was only the supreme deity. Moreover, with his brothers Poseidon and Hades they killed and ate their father Cronus (Time). It is known that Zeus was not monogamous – although he had an “official wife” – Hera, however, he also had many children from many other deities and even mortals. AHURAMAZDA - As is known, Ahuramazda was also not the Creator. He was born to Zurvana (Time) together with his antipode (direct opposite) – brother Ahriman, who was the embodiment of evil, against whom Ahura Mazda fought. ARAMAZD - The Armenian supreme god, unlike Zeus and Ahura Mazda, was the Creator and he did not have an antipode. There is no data on Aramazd’s “waggery”. Aramazd was identified with Zeus only under the influence of Hellenism. After the invasions of Alexander of Macedonia, late IV century BC -- (The Hellenistic period in Armenia lasted 6 centuries). The name of the Armenian Creator-God (Ara) might also have become Iranianized (Ahura (light) & mazda (wisdom), before Hellenism. However, neither "Iranization", nor the infiltration of Hellenistic Culture in Armenia, significantly changed the genealogy of the Armenian deities. The influence they bore on them was only superficial, formal and not substantive. Source: http://narinnamkn.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ArtofArmenia/posts/aramazd-%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%A6%D5%A4-aramazd-%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%A6%D5%A4-was-the-principal-deity-in-armenias-pre-christia/703830836377178/ @JakeEli357