差分

カルケ山麓のアシュティシャットにあったヴァハグンの総本山は、ヴァハグンの子孫であるヴァヘヴニまたはヴァハヌニの貴族を祭司としていたため、しばしばヴァヘヴァネアまたはヴァヘヴァヘアン寺院と呼ばれた<ref>Katvalyan, 1985</ref>。ヴァハグンはアナヒット、アストギクと共に神殿に祀られていた<ref>Katvalyan, 1985</ref><ref>Petrosyan, 2007, pp6-7</ref><ref>Petrosyan, 2018, p207</ref>。アガサンゲロスによれば、4世紀初頭、ティリダテス３世がキリスト教に改宗した後、アルメニア教会の初代教主グレゴリウス・イルミネーターがアシュティシャットに行き、ヴァハグンの神殿を破壊したとのことである<ref>Russell, 1987, pp192-193</ref><ref>Katvalyan, 1985</ref>。破壊された神殿の跡地には教会が建てられ、アルメニア教会の最初の母教会となった<ref>Russell, 1987, pp192-193</ref><ref>Katvalyan, 1985</ref>。

[[Georges Dumézil]] noted that Vahagn seems closer to the Vedic Vŗtrahan Indra than the Avestan Verethragna, since the former is depicted as a dragon/serpent-slayer like Vahagn, while the latter is not.{{Sfn|Dumézil|1970|p=123}} Vahagn has frequently been regarded as a counterpart of Indra, but Armen Petrosyan considers the similarities between the two to be underlying Indo-European commonalities rather than the result of direct borrowing, since in that case the dissimilarity with Verethragna would be inexplicable.{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2007|p=6}}{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2018|pp=211-212}} Philologist [[Vyacheslav Ivanov (philologist)|Vyacheslav Ivanov]] considered the Song of Vahagn recorded by Khorenatsi to be "one of the striking examples of [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] poetry."{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2018|p=211}} In Ivanov's view, the myth of Vahagn contains several layers, including the later Iranian myth of Verethragna and an earlier Indo-European layer of a god persecuting the enemy.{{Sfn|Ivanov|2011|p=9}} Armen Petrosyan considers Vahagn to be a pre-Iranian Armenian god who took on an Iranian name, rather than a complete borrowing.{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2018|p=211}} Petrosyan has also drawn parallels between Vahagn and the Vedic fire deity [[Agni]], based on similarities in the accounts of their birth.{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2007|p=6}} Vahagn may have acquired his attribute of dragon-slayer from the Hurro-Urartian deity [[Teshub]].{{Sfn|Russell|1986}}

Vahagn was identified with [[Heracles]] during the [[Hellenistic period]].{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2018|p=207}} In the 5th-century Armenian translation of the Bible, Vahagn is used to translate Heracles in [[2 Maccabees]] 4:19, while Khorenatsi states that the song of Vahagn tells of heroic deeds reminiscent of Heracles.{{Sfn|Russell|1987|p=196}} More rarely, he was identified with the sun god [[Apollo]].{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2007|p=6}} [[John the Baptist]] has been called the "Christian heir of Vahagn's character," as a church dedicated to him was built near the demolished temple of Vahagn.{{Sfn|Petrosyan|2007|p=6}}

== Bibliography ==