ArmHistory.com

 Ashot II Bagratuni, known to posterity as Ashot Yerkat (“the Iron”), occupies a distinguished place in medieval Armenian history as a sovereign who embodied martial resilience, political prudence, and cultural stewardship. Reigning from 914 to 928 CE during a period of severe external pressure and internal fragmentation, Ashot’s leadership was instrumental in preserving the territorial integrity and institutional continuity of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia . Crisis and Ascendancy: The Context of Ashot’s Rule The early 10th century was marked by volatile power dynamics in the South Caucasus. The Bagratid monarchy, restored under Ashot I in the previous century, faced renewed existential threats from Arab emirates, particularly the Sajid dynasty, which sought to reassert Abbasid suzerainty over Armenian lands. The execution of Ashot II’s father, King Smbat I , by the Sajid emir Yusuf Ibn Abi’l-Saj, and the installment of a rival pro-Sajid claimant, Ashot Shapuhyan, destabilized...

Among the many vivid figures of ancient Armenian mythology, none stands as boldly or burns as brightly as Vahagn , the god of fire, courage, and war. Revered as a heroic dragon slayer, Vahagn embodies the eternal struggle between light and darkness, chaos and order. His legend—passed down through generations of oral tradition and preserved in classical Armenian texts—reflects the strength and spirit of a people shaped by mountains, battles, and divine fire. Birth of a God: A Flame Born from the Cosmos One of the most enchanting elements of Vahagn’s myth is his fiery birth, recorded in a fragmentary yet powerful hymn preserved by Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi. The poem begins: "Fiery hair had he, flame his beard, His eyes were suns." According to the myth, Vahagn was born from the heart of the universe, emerging from a blazing reed, not as an infant but as a warrior already prepared for battle. His arrival was not gentle—it was a spectacle of divine force. The reed s...