The Vishap stones (Vishapakar), also known as Serpent-stones and Dragon stones

The Armenian dragon Vishap is closely related to European dragons. The Vishap is a dragon from Armenian mythology said to live on Ararat, or also in other mountain ranges such as the Azhdahak, and beneath lakes or in the clouds. It is closely associated with water, though in some interpretations it can breath fire. A Vishap could have a lifespan of thousands of years. Its blood was said to be so poisonous that any weapon dipped in its blood would kill instantly.

Vishaps were also said to have shape-shifting abilities. Vishaps caused thunderstorms when angry. The god Vahagn was said to slay Vishaps. Vishaps feature heavily in such folktales as “Zangi and Zarangi”, where a boy hero named Suren defeats three Vishaps who are holding a town imprisoned with his two dogs, Zangi and Zarangi. Legends of Vishaps prevailed even into Christian times.

The Vishap stones (Vishapakar), also known as Vishap stellas (“serpent-stones”, “dragon stones”), or simply as vishaps, are unique characteristic menhirs and monuments found in large quantities in Armenia, and are spread in many provinces of historical Armenia, as in Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn, Javakhk, Tayk, etc.

They are usually erected in the mountains, near the sources of natural and artificial lakes and springs. They were sometimes put inside kurgans (barrows) and dozens of such stones have been found on the north-eastern shore of Lake Sevan, often in association with water engineering and construction of big and small artificial lakes and a complex system of canals joining them.

The earliest višap “višap” stelae would be dated, probably, from the 18th-16th centuries BC; an Urartian inscription in a višap from Garni testifies that they were created in pre-Urartian times (before the 8th century BC).

They are commonly carved into huge cigar-like shapes (10-20 feet tall) with fish heads or serpents. Many of them are in the shape of fish; they have a bull’s skin (complete with head and feet) carved into them; there is also a stream of water flowing from the mouth of the bull’s skin and some vishaps have images of water birds carved below the bull’s head. Supposedly they are images of vishaps, mystical creatures. They may have been created in their honor.

A number of theories try to interpret the meaning of these stones. One theory holds that these monuments represented mythological dragons guarding the sources of the waters (B. Piotrovski). Another two trace back, respectively, to Astghik, the goddess of fertility and love (M. Abeghian) and Ara Geghecik ‘Ara the Handsome,’ the “dying and rising god” of Armenian tradition (G. Ghapantsyan).

Armen Petrosyan, Doctor in Philological Sciences, mentioned that he emphasizes survey of the stone monuments as there is little information on their etiology, besides, it is still not defenite to what period they belong to. To his mind “Vishap” stone monuments are unique and are in the Central and some Northern parts of Armenian highland. In his report presented during the conference held on issues of “Vishap” stone monuments in October 2013, A. Petrosyan tries to connect depictions of monument to Indo-European myth that is about the fight between dragon and God of thunder.