The mythology of ancient Armenia is a rich blend of indigenous traditions with imported ideas

from neighbouring cultures and migrating peoples added over the centuries. The legends and
stories helped to explain natural phenomena, provide an explanation of the nation’s origins,
and commemorate key historical events such as wars and invasions.

The religion of Armenia’s first recorded state, Urartu, which was itself a confederation

of smaller kingdoms, flourished principally in ancient Armenia from the 9th to 6th
century BCE. The Urartu civilization was a unique mix of indigenous, Hurrian, and
Mesopotamian gods and symbolism. The pantheon was headed by the trinity of Haldi
(god of war), Teisheba (god of storms), and Shivini (the sun god), who were the
principal beneficiaries of sacrifices and temples built in their honour. There were others,
as attested by a 9th-century BCE inscription discovered in a niche in the mountains near
the capital Tushpa (Van). The list, inscribed in duplicate, mentions 79 gods.

There are elements in Armenian mythology similar to the Vedic tradition

of India and Egyptian ideas too, most clearly seen in Shivini, who was often
represented as a kneeling man holding a winged solar disk, and therefore likely
inspired by the Egyptian god of the same association, Ra. The close cultural relations
between Urartu and Assyria are also illustrated by the Urartian application of the
Assyrian ideograms for the gods Adad and Shamsh to their own gods Teisheba and
Shivini respectively. The Tree of Life (in Armeniantsarrn kenats), another motif from
Mesopotamian art, appears in various media, typically with a figure standing either
side of it and making offerings. The Biblical tradition was another source of inspiration
for ancient Armenians seeking to explain their surroundings and history.

As in many other ancient cultures, indigenous gods often represented such important
elements or prominent natural features as water, earth, the sun, mountains, caves, and
trees. Still other deities were related to ancient animalistic beliefs.