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Armenian fairy tales
© 2012 Publishing house "The Seventh Book". Translation, compilation and editing.
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Not even stones can tell this story of love and fidelity...
Today there is not a trace or even a name left of the brilliant capital, surrounded by greenery, Partava. The trading city was razed to the ground, and in its place another was built, called Barda. But that's a completely different story.
In the meantime, Partav, recently rebuilt by King Vache, proudly rises above the full-flowing Tartarus, surprising with its luxurious palaces and towers reaching into the heavens. Only gigantic plane trees and poplars can compete with them, behind the tops of which even the tallest buildings are sometimes not visible. On the terrace of one of them, in the early spring morning, the only son of King Vache, young Vachagan, stood, leaning on the railing, admiring the grove that, like a luxurious frame, surrounded the diamond of the Caucasus - the brilliant capital of the Agvans. The prince listened and it seemed to him that the songbirds of the whole world, as if by agreement, had flown to Partav to compete with each other. Some seemed to be playing the flute, others the duduk, but the loudest singer always won. This singer was the nightingale - the nightingale, the comforter of loving hearts. When he began to sing, immediately all the birds fell silent and listened attentively to his iridescent trills, some learned from him to chirp, others to whistle loudly, and others to trill, and at that moment all the bird voices merged into one inimitable melody.
But she did not please the young prince Vachagan. Heartache tormented him, and the singing of birds only intensified it. His mother, Queen Ashkhen, approached with silent steps and quietly asked:
“Son, I see that you have some kind of pain in your soul, but you are hiding it from us.” Tell me why are you sad?
“You’re right, mom,” the son answered, “I’m disappointed in life, honor and luxury no longer interest me.” I decided to retire from the bustle of the world and devote myself to God. They say that Vardapet Mesrop returned to the village of Khatsik and founded a monastery in the monastery he built. I want to go to him. Mom, you can’t even imagine what a wonderful place this is – Khatsik. The boys and even girls there are so witty and so beautiful! When you see them, you'll understand why I'm there with all my heart.
“So you’re rushing to Khatsik to see your witty Anahit as soon as possible?”
- Mom, but how do you know her name?
“The nightingales of our garden sang it to me.” But why, my dear Vachik, began to forget that he was the king’s son? And the son of a king should marry the daughter of a king or at least a grand duke, but certainly not a simple peasant woman. Look around, the Georgian king has three beautiful daughters growing up, you can choose any of them. The Gugark bdeshkha also has a prominent and worthy daughter. She is the sole heir to all his rich estates. The king of Syunik also has a marriageable daughter. Finally, why don’t you like the bride Varsenik, the daughter of our azarapet? She grew up before our eyes, raised in our family...
- Mom, I already said that I want to go to a monastery. But if you insist that I definitely marry, then know that I will only marry Anahit...” said Vachagan and, blushing deeply, hurriedly went out into the garden to hide his embarrassment from his mother.
Vachagan had recently turned twenty, he stood tall, like the poplars that grew in the royal grove, but he was a pampered, pale and even sickly young man. And now the only heir of the king of the Agvans wanted to take not the royal throne, but spiritual rank and become a preacher. This scared his father.
“Vachagan, my son,” his father told him many times, “you are my only hope and support.” You must keep the fire of our hearth, continue our family, and that means get married.
The prince listened to his father in silence, with his eyes downcast, and only blushed in response; he did not even want to think about the wedding. But my father was persistent and persistently returned to this conversation several times a week. The young man began to avoid painful meetings so as not to see his father, he sat for hours reading books and even went hunting, which he never liked, just so as not to hear his father’s instructions. At dawn he left the palace, wandered around the surrounding area, and only returned home late in the evening. Sometimes he wandered for three or four days, driving his parents to despair. He was not friends with his peers, and took with him only his devoted, brave servant Vaginak and his faithful dog Zangi. Those who met them on the mountain paths had no idea that in front of them was the king’s son and his servant, both were in simple hunting clothes, with identical quivers of arrows and wide daggers, and only a knapsack with supplies was carried by the broad-shouldered and strong Vaginak. They often visited mountain villages, and Vachagan watched with interest how ordinary people lived, became imbued with their worldly concerns and needs, and always noticed who was doing good and who was committing lawlessness. And then, unexpectedly for everyone, the bribe-taking judges were removed from the cases, and new, honest ones were appointed in their places; the thieves received their well-deserved punishment and ended up in prison, and the families of the poor suddenly received help from the king, although they did not ask for it. It was as if some unknown force saw everything and did good. And the people began to believe that their wise king Vache, like God, knew everything: what someone needed, and who was worthy of punishment, and who was worthy of reward. They say that in the kingdom of the Agvans there was no more theft and injustice, but no one knew that it was largely thanks to the young prince.
Traveling also did him good. He became healthier and stronger, as if he had gained strength from his native land, and increasingly began to think about his destiny, which was destined for him from above. Vachagan began to understand how much he could do for his people and no longer thought about entering a monastery. The parents began to notice how their son had matured and matured, and they understood that the flame of love was about to flare up in his heart; all that was needed for this was a reason, which soon presented itself.
Once, while hunting, Vachagan and Vaginak came to a distant village, lost in the mountains, and, tired, sat down to rest by a spring. It was a hot afternoon and peasant girls kept coming up to the source, they took turns filling their jugs and jars, the prince was unbearably thirsty. He asked for water, and one of the girls filled the jug and handed it to Vachagan, but the other snatched the jug from her hands and poured out the water. She filled the jug again and the other emptied it again. Vachagan’s mouth was dry, he was impatiently waiting for someone to give him something to drink. But the girl didn’t seem to care, as if she had started a strange game: she filled the jug and immediately poured out the water. And only after filling the jug for the sixth time did she give it to the stranger.
Having drunk and handed the jug to the servant, the prince spoke to this girl and asked why she didn’t give him the water right away; perhaps she wanted to play a trick on him, to make him angry. But she answered:
“I didn’t want to make fun of you, let alone make you angry.” It is not customary for us to offend travelers, especially when they ask for water. But I saw that you were tired from the heat and were so flushed in the scorching sun that I decided that cold water could harm you, so I delayed so that you could rest a little and cool down.
The girl’s smart answer surprised Vachagan, but her beauty struck him even more. Her large and dark eyes seemed bottomless, her eyebrows, lips and nose seemed to have been painted with the thin brush of a skilled artist, and her heavy braids sparkling in the sun flowed down her back. She was dressed in a long red silk dress that reached to her toes, and an embroidered sleeveless vest hugged her thin waist and high breasts. The pristine beauty of the stranger struck and bewitched the prince; she stood before him barefoot, without ribbons or decorations, and he could not take his eyes off her.
- What is your name? - asked the prince.
“Anahit,” answered the girl.
- Who is your father?
– My father is a shepherd in our village – Arai. But why do you ask what my name is and who my father is?
- Just. Is it a sin to ask?
“If it’s not a sin to ask, then I ask you to tell me who you are and where you come from?”
– Should I tell the truth or lie?
– What you consider worthy of yourself.
“Of course, I consider the truth worthy, but the truth is,” the prince lied, “I can’t tell you who I am now, but I promise that I will let you know in a few days.”
- Very good, give me back the jug. If you want, I'll bring some more water.
- No, thank you, you gave us good advice, we will always remember it, and we won’t forget you either.
When the hunters set off on their way back, Vachagan asked his faithful servant:
- Tell me, Vaginak, have you ever met a girl of such beauty?
“I somehow didn’t notice her special beauty,” the servant answered, “I clearly understood only one thing, that she is the daughter of a rural shepherd.”
Arev and Krag When the earth gave birth to people, darkness and cold ruled the world. Arev and Krag were just learning to walk. They lived with the tribe in one of the caves of the then young Ararat. Adult men hunted and often became victims of predators: they saw better than humans in the dark. Only the strong could get the beast, and he himself ate almost everything he caught. Therefore, golden-haired Arev and curly-haired Krag rarely feasted on juicy meat. I spent my childhood dreaming about food. One day, an unimaginable noise arose in the cave. Someone suggested hunting together. This did not please the strong hunters. But after long and fierce debates, a leader was elected, whose word was to become law...
Barekendan - MaslenitsaOnce upon a time there lived a husband and wife. And they didn’t really like each other. The husband called his wife a fool, and she called him a fool, so they always quarreled. One day my husband bought several pounds of rice and butter, loaded them onto a porter and dragged them home. The wife lost her temper: And you still get angry when they call you a fool! Why do we need so much oil and rice? Are you celebrating your father's funeral or your son's wedding? What a wake, what a wedding! What are you talking about, woman? Take it and hide it. This is for barekendan.
Armless girlA long time ago, many years ago, there lived a brother and sister. My sister was a very sweet blond girl with a kind heart. She was like a ray of sunshine, and her name was Lusik, which in Armenian means “ray of light.” Brother Lusik got married and brought his wife into the house. And the wife, seeing that everyone around her admired, respected and loved Lusik, harbored a fierce anger towards her. Black envy settled in her heart...
An Armenian folk tale about a magical rose bush, which was eaten by a worm every year when it bloomed... And every year the royal gardener fought with the worm.
A tale about actions and what the consequences may be...
download (5 Kb)Tales of the peoples of the worldpomegranate seed
Once upon a time there lived a king. This king had a son - his only heir. The king bought him a fiery sword for a lot of money.The prince did nothing all day long, just rode through the mountains and forests, hunted and feasted with his comrades.
Once the city boys started throwing tops. The prince began to launch his top with them, but his top fell off, jumped up and broke the jug of a poor old woman who was walking past and carrying water in a jug.
The old woman got angry with him, because now she had nothing to carry water in, and said:
Damn you, you slacker, may your heart be struck by love for a beauty named Pomegranate Seed.
download (5 Kb)Tales of the peoples of the worldTwo brothers Once upon a time there lived two brothers. One was smart and the other was a fool. The smart man managed things in such a way that the fool had to work not only for himself, but also for his brother...download (5 Kb)Tales of the peoples of the world
Children of the merchant Ambartsum
There once lived a man named Ambartsum. He was a very rich merchant: he had shops in the market and earned a lot of money. Ambartsum had a wife and two children - a son and a daughter, both unusually beautiful.The merchant Ambartsum also had a named brother, also a merchant, named Petros, who lived in Istanbul. Ambartsum lived happily with his family; traveled to Istanbul, traded, brought goods from there. He gave his children a good education and invited teachers to join them.
But it must be said that his children - brother and sister - loved each other so much that they could not live without the other for even an hour...
download (8 Kb)Tales of the peoples of the worldLazy Guri Once upon a time there lived a woman. She had one only daughter and her name was Guri. This Guri was such a lazy person, such a slacker and white-handed that she did nothing but do all day long...download (5 Kb)Tales of the peoples of the world
Why did onions become bitter?
In the old days, sweet Onion and bitter Watermelon lived next door. Then the onion was the size of a watermelon now. A watermelon is the same size as an onion today. As the Onion grew large and sweet, it was watered. He didn't have to take care of himself. Carefree Onion grew fat and heavy. One bad thing: he was bored...Oh, what a wonderful idea this is! It’s such a smart idea to travel to see the world! - the fox exclaimed in admiration. - The fact is that I also have the same dream. But I don’t have a friend with whom I could go on a journey. Can I go with you?
Meanwhile, the forest spirits danced wedding dances. When the fun was in full swing, the hunter noticed that one of the forest spirits was wearing a dress exactly like his wife’s dress. After the dancing, the forest spirits sat down at the tables, which were simply bursting with various dishes. Noticing the hunter, the forest spirits began to treat him. They gave him pilaf, fried ox rib and other dishes. The hunter accepted all the treats, but did not touch any of them.
Weavers, tailors and embroiderers set to work. Some of them quilted blankets with cotton wool and down, soft and warm, like the wool of a mountain goat; others wove blankets from sparkling silk threads, light as a cloud; still others, stretching velvet on a hoop, embroidered the finest patterns on it in gold and silver. They decorated the blankets with bright tassels, trimmed them with fur and lined them with brocade. But none of them could please the king.
One day, behind the fence, Onion heard a rustling sound. He knew that he was in no danger, but because he had nothing else to do, he began to listen. The rustling grew into rapid breathing. Onion wanted to see who showed up there, but he was too lazy. In the end, he couldn’t stand it and turned his heavy body. Behind the fence, from the hummocks, sweating profusely, a frail Plantain made its way into the light. The onion was well-watered, so no matter how much he tried, he did not dare to remain silent.
Come on little mouse, sing, dance and have fun! Your dream has come true, now you will enjoy the juicy pulp of a coconut and drink delicious milk. Come on baby, luck is on your side, it is smiling at you, let this holiday be yours. Pik-Pik ate all the coconut pulp, drank all the coconut milk, curled up inside the nut and fell asleep. And when he woke up, he again turned into a large and well-fed mouse.
After some time, he brought a large bale of cotton and asked Guri to knead it thoroughly, comb it and spin the yarn while he went about his merchant business. He told Guri that he would take the yarn that she spun with him to other countries and sell it there.
One day a customer came to a hat maker, brought a sheep skin and asked: Sew me a hat from this skin! Okay,” says the master, “I’ll sew it!” The customer came out from the master and thought: But the skin is big - maybe it will be possible to cut out two hats? He thought so, returned to the hatmaker and asked:
He put the khurjin on a stone, lay down and pretended to be asleep. At midnight a rustling sound was heard. Aslan looked through his eyelashes and saw: a girl of unearthly beauty was taking food out of his khurjin. She broke off some bread, washed it down with a sip of water and got ready to leave. The mountain in front of her opened up like a gate, and she was ready to disappear when Aslan jumped up and managed to grab the girl by the clothes.
Folklore best reflects the soul of the people, their national characteristics and traditions; this folk source nourishes many generations of representatives of literature and art.
A fairy tale devoid of any mysticism, but rather like a world in which the imagination freely transforms familiar pictures of simple folk life.
Anahit
The tale of the wise queen Anahit.
Download Armenian fairy tale Anahit
Arev and Krag
When the earth gave birth to people, darkness and cold ruled the world. Arev and Krag were just learning to walk. They lived with the tribe in one of the caves of the then young Ararat.
Adult men hunted and often became victims of predators: they saw better than humans in the dark. Only the strong could get the beast, and he himself ate almost everything he caught. Therefore, golden-haired Arev and curly-haired Krag rarely feasted on juicy meat. I spent my childhood dreaming about food.
One day, an unimaginable noise arose in the cave. Someone suggested hunting together. This did not please the strong hunters. But after long and fierce debates, a leader was elected, whose word was to become law...
Download Armenian fairy tale Arev and Krag
Barekendan - Maslenitsa
Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife. And they didn’t really like each other.
The husband called his wife a fool, and she called him a fool, so they always quarreled.
One day my husband bought several pounds of rice and butter, loaded them onto a porter and dragged them home.
The wife lost her temper:
And you still get angry when they call you a fool! Well, why do we need so much oil and rice! Are you celebrating your father's funeral or your son's wedding?
What a wake, what a wedding! What are you talking about, woman? Take it and hide it. This is for barekendan.
Download Armenian fairy tale Maslenitsa
Armless girl
A long time ago, many years ago, there lived a brother and sister.
My sister was a very sweet blond girl with a kind heart. She was like a ray of sunshine, and her name was Lusik, which in Armenian means “ray of light.”
Brother Lusik got married and brought his wife into the house. And the wife, seeing that everyone around her admired, respected and loved Lusik, harbored a fierce anger towards her. Black envy settled in her heart...
Download Armenian fairy tale Armless girl
Magic rose
An Armenian folk tale about a magical rose bush, which was eaten by a worm every year when it bloomed... And every year the royal gardener fought with the worm.
A tale about actions and what the consequences may be...
Download Armenian fairy tale Magic rose
pomegranate seed
Once upon a time there lived a king. This king had a son - his only heir. The king bought him a fiery sword for a lot of money.
The prince did nothing all day long, just rode through the mountains and forests, hunted and feasted with his comrades.
Once the city boys started throwing tops. The prince began to launch his top with them, but his top fell off, jumped up and broke the jug of a poor old woman who was walking past and carrying water in a jug.
The old woman got angry with him, because now she had nothing to carry water in, and said:
- Damn you, slacker, may your heart be struck by love for a beauty named Pomegranate Seed.
Download Armenian fairy tale Pomegranate Seed
Two brothers
Once upon a time there lived two brothers. One was smart and the other was a fool. The smart man managed things in such a way that the fool had to work not only for himself, but also for his brother...
Download Armenian fairy tale Two Brothers
Children of the merchant Ambartsum
There once lived a man named Ambartsum. He was a very rich merchant: he had shops in the market and earned a lot of money. Ambartsum had a wife and two children - a son and a daughter, both unusually beautiful.
The merchant Ambartsum also had a named brother, also a merchant, named Petros, who lived in Istanbul. Ambartsum lived happily with his family; traveled to Istanbul, traded, brought goods from there. He gave his children a good education and invited teachers to join them.
But it must be said that his children - brother and sister - loved each other so much that they could not live without the other for even an hour...
Download the Armenian fairy tale Children of the merchant Ambartsum
Daughter of King Zarzand
A tale of good and evil. About overcoming obstacles and achieving your goals.
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Customer and master
The story is about one greedy man who made eight hats from one skin...
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Lazy Guri
Once upon a time there lived a woman. She had one only daughter and her name was Guri. This Guri was such a lazy person, such a slacker and white-handed that she did nothing but do all day long...
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Wise Weaver
Here you will find two wonderful Armenian fairy tales, “The Wise Weaver” and “The Customer and the Master.”
Download Armenian fairy tale The Wise Weaver
Why did onions become bitter?
In the old days, sweet Onion and bitter Watermelon lived next door. Then the onion was the size of a watermelon now. A watermelon is the same size as an onion today. As the Onion grew large and sweet, it was watered. He didn't have to take care of himself. Carefree Onion grew fat and heavy. One bad thing: he was bored...
Download the Armenian fairy tale Why onions became bitter
Stretch your legs over your clothes
One day, the king summoned all the tailors of his country and ordered him to sew a blanket according to his height: not long and not short. None of the tailors could fulfill the king's wishes, and he ordered all of their heads to be cut off.
After that, another tailor came to him...
The tailor and the king
Armenian folk tale about a greedy and cruel king and his tailor...
Download Armenian fairy tale The Tailor and the Tsar
Mind and heart
One day, my mind and heart began to argue. His heart insisted that people lived for him, but his mind insisted on the opposite. They did not resort to the help of a judge, but decided to act alone and not interfere in each other’s affairs. They decided to try their agreement on one peasant...
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Wedding of forest spirits
One hunter wandered through the forest all night in search of prey, but all in vain. He was getting ready to go home when he suddenly heard the sounds of a drum and a lute coming from the thicket of the forest. He walked in the direction where the melody was coming from. He looks, and there, in the clearing, the forest spirits are playing a wedding. Just in case, holding his gun at the ready, the hunter got closer to the action and began to observe...
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Tales of the Rooster
Here are two Armenian fairy tales about a rooster: “The Invincible Rooster” and “The Travelers.”
