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Armenian Eternity Sign - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Armenian Eternity Sign - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Contents
3 Gallery
4 References
5 External links
6 See also
[4]
In medieval Armenian culture, the eternity sign symbolized the concept of everlasting, celestial life. Since the 5th
[5]
century, it appeared on Armenian steles, later it becomes part of khachkar symbolism. Around the 8th century the
[6]
use of the Armenian symbol of eternity had become a long established national iconographical practice, and it
[7] [8]
keeps its meaning until the modern times. Besides being one of the main components of khachkars, it can be
[9][10][11] [12][13][14][15][16]
found on church walls, tomb stones and other architectural monuments. Notable
[17] [18]
churches with the eternity sign include the Mashtots Hayrapet Church of Garni, Horomayr Monastery, Nor
[19] [20]
Varagavank , Tsitsernavank Monastery. It can also be found on Armenian manuscripts.
[21]
The eternity sign is used on the logos of government agencies and on commemorative coins, as well as non-‐
[22]
government organizations and institutionsin Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.
The symbol is also used by Armenian neo-‐pagan organizations and their followers. It is called by them
[23]
"Arevakhach" (Armenian: Արևախաչ, sun cross).
Font glyphs
Gallery
References
Support Council of the Government Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (http://www.ada.am/arm/secretariats /
From page Prehistory of the Armenian Dram and Armenian eternity signs (http://www.sarm.am/am/news/amd_eternity ) of
The appearance of the Sign resembles both clockwise and anti-‐clockwise rotating ornament, which is composed
The appearance of the Sign resembles both clockwise and anti-‐clockwise rotating ornament, which is composed
Armenian
EAs
ternity
a rulesthe
ign
Sign
-‐
Wikipedia,
should have the
eight free
curves,
encyclopedia
as this number stands for revival , rebirth and recurrence . 5
2. ^ Jacob G. Ghazarian (2006), The Mediterraneanlegacy in early Celtic Christianity: a journey from Armenia to Ireland (http://
However, the symbol may be represented with four and more curves as well.
Right and left rotations have accordingly active and passive meanings, as in case of Swastika, and are used in
order to accentuate these meanings.
books.google.com/books?id=cKHYAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Armenian+symbol+of+eternity%22&redir_esc=y), Bennett & Bloom, pp. 263,
For example , a cradle for а boy is decorated with the right whirling eternity sign and a cradle for а girl with the
left whirling eternity sign.
Armenian Symbol of Eternity is the direct descendent of the pre-‐historic Swastika and has clear Armenian
interpretation .
throughout Armenian cultural tradition, is the round clockwise (occasionally counter-‐clockwise) whirling sun-‐like spiral iixed
It symbolizes the identity of Armenian nation suchlike a David’s star for Hebrews .
The earliest roots of round whirling sun-‐like symbols in the Armenian Highland are rock inscriptions from the
Stone Age.
at a centre — the Armenian symbol of eternity ."
In Armenia the eternity sign can be found everywhere , in architecture ; on doors, walls and etc.
The sign of Eternal Life, or turning wheel, was carved on numerous Khatchqar (Cross-‐Stones) and church walls
in ancient Armenia .
3. ^ K. B. Mehr, M. Markow, Mormon Missionaries enter Eastern Europe, Brigham Young University Press, 2002, pp. 399, p. 252 "...
Besides the meaning that “Everything Armenian starts from the eternity sign”, this sign has a punctuation
function also: it is applied to divide a text into parts (chapters), as well as to design a text or a poem or to make
references like an asterisk sign (*).
She viewed a tall building with spires and circular windows along the top of the walls. It was engraved with sun stones, a
Armenia today, is arguably the only nation on earth where the Symbol of Eternity is a prominent and integral
4. ^ Bauer-‐Manndorff, Elisabeth (1981). Armenia: Past and Present. Reich Verlag. p. 89. "The circle, as a line returning upon itself,
represented perfection. Having neither beginning , nor end, it was the symbol of eternity . The architects expressed the
concept of everlasting , celestial life in the knowledge of the presence and effect of the divine power by sphere."
Bloom, pp. 263, p. 186 "The eighth, or ninth, century date of this two examples of Irish stone crosses places them
chronologically well after the carving of stone crosses in Armenia and the use of the Armenian symbol of eternity had become
[Iconographical Problems Concerning Symbols of Khatchkars and Cult of Mithra]" (http://hpj.asj-‐oa.am/5140/). Patma-‐
BanasirakanHandes(Yerevan : Armenian National Academy of Sciences) (1): 202–219. ISSN 0135-‐0536 (//
www.worldcat.org/issn/0135-‐0536).
8. ^ The governemnt of Armenia , The list of non-‐material cultural heritage of Armenia (https://www.e-‐gov.am/u_iiles/iile/
decrees/kar/2010/03/10_0310.pdf), 2010, p. 15
10. ^ Hayden Herrera (2005), Arshile Gorky: His Life and Work , Macmillan, pp. 784
12. ^ Nicolas Holding (2011), Armenia, Bradt Travel Guides, pp 312, p. 130, 148
14. ^ R. L. Khachatryan , Russian academy of Art, Rudolg Khachatryan: high-‐dimensionalobjects, Galart , 2002, p. 13
16. ^ G. Karakhanyan , «Medieval domesstic reliefs of Armenia » (http://lraber .asj-‐oa.am/5485/1/31.pdf), The journal of social
18. ^ Manoucharian, A. A. (1979). "The Upper Complex of the Horomayr Monument" (http://hpj.asj-‐oa.am/3204/). Patma-‐
BanasirakanHandes(in Armenian ) (Yerevan : Armenian National Academy of Sciences) (4): p. 268. "Երկու զարդեր են քանդակված
կամարների ներսի կողմի վերնամասում։ Մեկը պատկերում Է հավերժության նշան, կազմված գնդաձև ուռուցիկ մակերեսին սփռված ելունդավոր
գծերով։"
Handes(in Armenian ) (Yerevan : Armenian National Academy of Sciences) (7): p. 65. ISSN 0320-‐8117 (//www.worldcat.org/
issn/0320-‐8117). "Պսակ-‐գոտու անմիջապես վերևով անցնում է եզան և կտցահարող թռչունների, նռնենու տեսքով կենաց ծառի, զամբյուղների,
վարդյակի և հավերժության նշանի պատկերներով քանդակաշարք, որն ունի գաղափարական որոշակի իմաստ:"
"Մամլո հաղորդագրություն -‐ "Շուշիի ազատագրման 20-‐ամյակ" (ոսկի) [News release -‐ A golden coin dedicated o the 20th
20coins%2024.01.2012.pdf). Central Bank of Armenia . 24 January 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2013. see the image of
the coin
"Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Կառավարության 2002 Թվականի Հունվարի 7-‐ի N 6 Որոշման Մեջ Փոփոխություններ Կատարելու
2012. Retrieved 4 October 2013., see the logo of the Customs Service of the Republic of Armenia
The Council of the city Yerevan , the seal of Yerevan (http://www.yerevan .am/ediiles/iiles/avagani %2012.04.2010/
23. ^ (Armenian) "Հայկական արիական հիմնական նշանների (սիմվոլների) խորհուրդը եւ չափային շղթաները" (http://www.hayary.org/wph/?
DocID=34309), 2007, see the image of the coin
External links
Hayastan All Armenian Fund. Telethon 2010 -‐ Water is Life. (http://www.himnadram.org/index.php?
id=23543) "Water is Life indeed and as you can see in the design, the water turns into the Armenian eternity
Downtown, North End. "Armenian Heritage Park to participate Saturday in World Labyrinth Day", Posted by
heritage_park_to_part.html) -‐ "A single jet of water and the symbol of eternity mark its center, representing
Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) logo is an ancient symbol used in Armenian architecture and
carvings. The symbol signiaies Eternal Life -‐ in Armenian Haverjoutian Nshan or Sign of Eternity."
See also
Petroglyph
Triskelion
Swastika
Borjgali
Pictish stone
Khachkar
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