Шамирам и Ара Гехецик (Շամիրամ և Արա Գեղեցիկ)

Abstract

The story about Shamiram and Ara Geghetsik, which is included in the “History of Armenia” of Movses Khorenatsi, was considered by researchers as an intermixture of narrative legends about Queen Shamiram (Semiramis) and death-rebirth deity Ara for a long time. But such perception didn’t allow to answer numerous questions related to the figure of Shamiram. The detailed study of the information about her, which reached us, showed that on the basis of Shamiram’s legend lies the figure of Goddess Shawushka-Shamam from Hurrian Pantheon, and the conflict between Shamiram and Ara Geghetsik represents the ritual of temporary king-gods following each other. Thus, Khorenatsi’s work gives a unique and complete information about that ancient rite.