Vishapakar
A vishap
A vishapakar (Armenian: Վիշապաքար) also known as vishap stones, vishap stellas, "serpent-stones", "dragon stones", or simply as vishaps, are characteristic menhirs found in large quantities in Armenia. They are commonly carved into cigar-like shapes with fish heads or serpents.[1] Supposedly they are images of vishaps, mystical creatures. According to "Lonely Planet", Vishap stones are markers to show the location of water. The word vishap is Iranian in origin - its etymology is disputed, either meaning a poisonous water-living creature or a creature of prodigious size.[2]
See also
References
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- ↑ Historical Dictionary of Armenia
- ↑ James Russell, "Van and the Persistence of Memory", p47, in "Armenian Van/Vaspurakan", ed. Richard G. Hovannisian, 2000.
External links
- The Vishap Stones, Project Discovery! Newsletter, 2006
- The Vishap Stelae, Ed. Armen Petrosyan, Arsen Bobokhyan, Yerevan, 2015
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