Screams Into the Abyss: Navasard – Ancient Armenian New Year

Legend has it, on August 11, 2492 BC, a military leader named Haik (also sometimes spelled Hayk) led his people, known as the Hay, out of Babylon and north into the Armenian Highlands and Lake Van, to escape the tyrannical rule of a titan named King Bel. However, he was pursued by Bel and his army, and eventually cornered Haik’s army, and a battle ensued. Haik was an expert archer, and scored a decisive victory when he aimed his arrow and let it loose at Bel, piercing him at just the right spot where his armor left him exposed, killing him. From that moment on the Hay were independent. Haik established the kingdom of Haik, known later to many outsiders as Armenia. To this day Armenians call themselves Hay (Հայ, pronounced like the word “high”) after this patriarch. Ancient Armenians knew the constellation Orion as Haik, seeing this legendary archer in the pattern of the stars. This story was recorded by the early historian Moses Khorenatsi in the 400’s AD, who although known to embellish some histories to make them fit in with his Christian perspective, has been proven to be more or less accurate on several occasions. In fact, geneticists who have studied Armenian DNA actually came to the conclusion that the genetic isolation of the Armenian people began around that time, making it at least somewhat possible that this oral history passed down through the centuries might actually have some validity. I have read it theorized that the later Urartian deity Khaldi was based on Haik, although this has yet to be definitively proven.

In pagan times, this battle was commemorated as the festival of Navasard, when it was said the Gods descended from Mt. Ararat to bathe in the rivers of Armenia and watch as the mortals participated in games and athletic competitions, not unlike a local version of the Olympics. There were grand feasts. Navasard was the beginning of the New Year on the ancient Armenian calendar, and also the name of its first month (corresponding with August 11- September 10). When Armenia became Christian and adopted the Gregorian calendar, rather than become Christianized like a few other pagan holidays, Navasard was instead phased out, which is certainly unfortunate since it marks the very genesis of the Armenian people. There have been efforts to revive the holiday, mainly spearheaded by neopagans, but the holiday as of yet hasn’t been recognized by the current Republic of Armenia. Since its independence from the Soviet Union, however, the call for the recognition of Navasard has grown. Just look at this video from six years ago.

Above is the Navasard celebration of 4507 in Yerevan.

The holiday isn't as "forgotten" as one might think. But I find the overall neglect of an important holiday to be a shame. Even if the main objection to the holiday were on religious grounds, it wouldn’t be that difficult to secularize it. The fact that is hasn’t been, yet holidays such as Vardavar and Trndez (which have far more clear pagan religious roots) have been adopted and Christianized, is baffling. Moses Khorenatsi even tried to say Haik was Noah’s grandson, so it wouldn’t even be that much of a leap to Christianize Navasard. I don’t personally like when an ancient pagan holiday is Christianized, but it is preferable to having it be forgotten. This isn’t to say Haik has been completely forgotten, mind you. There is a large copper statue of Haik in Yerevan, Armenia, located in the Nor Nork district. However, the statue is somewhat hidden, and really deserves to be at the center of the city in Republic Square. Just like Haik has been hidden and obscured in the current Armenian consciousness for a long time now; not completely forgotten, but tucked away. Like the statue of the God Vahagn in Yerevan, it is very easy to miss. The story of Hayk has similar themes to the story of David and Goliath; the story of an underdog who prevailed against a giant, the victory of freedom over tyranny. This theme has followed Armenia throughout history, as it was passed on from colonizer to colonizer, surviving multiple attempts at either integration, or failing at that, genocide. Hence it is not a story that should be forgotten, but one which should inspire the current and future generations.

The Ancient Armenian Calendar

Picture credits: (Found on Facebook years ago; if whoever took this picture wants to make themselves known I'll credit them)

There are actually two different ancient Armenian calendars, in use at different times in history and in different regions. One started on Navasard, as previously mentioned, the other on the Birth of the God Vahagn on the Spring Equinox. The calendar with Navasard as its New Year is the one I know more about. It has twelve months of thirty days each, and an extra 13^th “month” of only five days, six on a leap year. I think that is a better way of doing things, rather than “this month has 30 days, this one has 31, this random month here only has 28,” etc. But, it is understandable, perhaps, that in our current global society it would be somewhat awkward, difficult and impractical for Armenia to return to the Ancient Armenian calendar. There's not enough people who would even want to do that, for one thing, but even if there was a demand for it, it would be difficult to implement. But the calendar shouldn’t be forgotten, either. When I was in Armenia, I felt that the transitions of the seasons and weather were more in rhythm with the changing of the months in the Armenian calendar than the Gregorian calendar. It was a calendar specifically made for that area of the world. The Gregorian calendar doesn't suit Armenia, anymore than it suits Florida where winter is nearly nonexistent.

I have encountered some disagreement in the past about what the current year in the calendar is. The website I often consult, haytomar.com, posits that this current year is 4513. Other sources say 4512. The Battle of Navadard happened in 2492 B.C. 2492 + 2020 = 4512. I can see where they get that number from. But you see, the majority of the ancient Armenian year overlaps with 2021, not 2020. Seven of the months (as well as the last week or so of the month of Kaghots, which begins in December, also the extra five days at the end of the year) will be in 2021. I think that’s where the confusion comes from. So, it depends on if we’re starting the Armenian New Year before or after the Gregorian New Year. If you say before, and are aligning it with 2021 rather than 2020, it’s the year 4513. However, technically year 1 of the Armenian calendar should have begun on August 11, 2491 B.C., the first anniversary of the battle. Does that mean it is actually 4511 this year from a certain point of view? I don’t know. I’m a writer and I hate math. But I’m just going to go with 4513 because that seems more correct to me. In the grand, universal, cosmic scheme of things, one calendar is either as valid or invalid as another. It doesn’t matter what magic number you use to describe this particular orbit of our planet around the sun, nor where you say that orbit begins or ends. Time is merely a construct of human perception. An abstraction.

Screams Into the Abyss

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Navasard – Ancient Armenian New Year

The Ancient Armenian Calendar

Further Reading

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