Joseph Sarkissian Artwork

Oil Pastel on paper, 1987
The “Great Lady Anahit” is the most loved and honored Armenian goddess. She is the golden mother, patroness of women, the MAGNA MATER of the Armenians, or MEDZAMOR. Mother of all virtues, beauty, fertility, fecundity, healing, and wisdom, protector of the womb and of children. (Here I am inclined to say that she preserved her title of “protector of the waters” in reference to the “waters of the womb” which give life) Together with her father ARAMAZD and her brother MIHR, they formed the “holy trinity” of the Armenian pantheon.
Her most sacred temple was at EREZ, where there was a golden statue erected for her worship. She was so revered in all of ancient Armenia, that Greek historians went so far as to call the region ANAITIS CHORA (Αναϊτης χώρα) or “country of Anahid“ and in Armenian, Անահտական գաւառ. It is also interesting to note that being a “protector of waters”, these temples were so close to the headwaters of the Euphrates, which as we know arise from the Armenian Highlands and provides life and irrigation to the whole region, including Mesopotamia. Here is where the MIGHTY and life-giving river was the cleanest and HER WATERS most IMMACULATE. (ARDVI SURA ANAHITA)

From the "Pantheon of the Armenian gods" series. Pastel and charcoal on paper, 2021
Nane (Armenian: Նանէ) was an Armenian pagan mother goddess. She was the goddess of war, wisdom, and motherhood, and the daughter of the supreme god Aramazd. Nane is depicted as a beautiful woman clad as a warrior, with spear and shield in hand, like the Greek Athena. Her temple was at T’il, near ancient Erez or modern Erzincan.
The cult of Nane seems to be intertwined with the cult of mother goddess Anahit. Nane was also revered as the Great Mother (in Armenian, the name “Nane” acquired the meaning of “mother” or “grandmother” and the name Nane continues to be used as a personal name). The name Nane also turned into “nanna” (“aunt”) in Greek, “nonna” in medieval Latin, and “nanny” in English and Russian.

charcoal and pastel on paper, 2020
Aramazd is the chief creator god, master and father of all Armenian gods, the architect of the Universe and the creator of heaven and Earth, governor of the movements of the planets. Regarded as the generous god of fertility, the source of Earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful with rain and abundance. He was a bringer of prosperity, thus Amenaber was his title. He presided over Navasart, which was an “act of sympathetic magic to ensure rain”.
The celebration in his honor was called Am'nor, or New Year, which was celebrated on March 21 in the old Armenian calendar (also the Spring equinox). Aramazd's main sanctuary was located in Ani Kamakh, former Kummana, one of the cult centers of Ancient Armenia.

charcoal and pastel on paper, 2022.
She is the creator of all life, the mother goddess. Her symbols are the rose and the dove. and. Statues of her found in Satala depict her naked while bathing. The Vartavar festival was devoted to Astghik, during which doves were released, and roses were dedicated to her. People would sprinkle water on each other as a “cleansing” ritual to purge uncleanliness and start over again. It Is still celebrated by the Armenians.
Most of her given names allude to a sacred “star”, and Astghig basically means “little star”. She enjoyed such a divine supremacy, that to explain the most important concept in ancient civilization, the “STAR”, many languages adopted the same root of the word, DERIVED from this mother goddess. The oldest linguistic term is just three consonants from the Sanskrit STR, , Աստղ astġ (Armenian), STAR (Pahlavi), STORAI (Pashto), STAR (English) STERN (German) Αστέρι (Greek), Sitara (Persian), l’astre (French), Stella (Latin), Astro (Spanish) etc.
Astghig in a broader sense symbolizes love, beauty, moisture, water sources and springs. The concept of water can be identified with both the water of the womb, hence childbirth and fertility - or universally even the “birth” of humankind - as well as purity, as denoted by her “bathing”, symbolizing the cleansing of the body and soul of impurities.
Quoting from Vahanyan, “…the source of ancient religious experiences was the great mystery of woman’s life-giving power of creation. The great mother goddess, whose sacred darkness of the womb originated all creations, was the metaphor of nature itself, the universal source of life and death, constantly updated in the continuous change of life, death and resurrection.”

TIR
Charcoal and Pastel on paper, 2020
Tir is the son of the Chief god Aramazd, who appointed him as his personal scribe and messenger. Tir is the god of scribes and poets. He was entrusted with the patronage of science, arts, writing, and oratory. The day of Tir’s worship was February 13, which was and still is the day of Trndez, a feast of purification in the Armenian Apostolic Church and Armenian Catholic Churches. Armenian King Artashes I (reigned ca. 190 – 160 BC) was particularly fond of Tir’s cult and thus built a new shrine to him on the same site where the Zvartnots Cathedral, the pearl of the Armenian architectonics, would be erected in the 7th century AD.
Tir is the god of dream interpretation. At night, Tir appeared before people and cast prophetic dreams. That’s why his main shrine was called Yerazamuyn, meaning “immersion in dreams.” These dreams were interpreted by priests who have been engaged in teaching noble teenagers in a variety of fields, especially astronomy and cosmography. And on the annual feasts in honor of Tir, Yerazamuyn gathered the poets of the country who would demonstrate their skillfulness: holding a chalice for fire, the chief priest would come out of the temple and name a poetic topic.
This chalice is related to the Armenian word “hraman”, which used to indicate that chalice. The word “hraman” was derived from “hur” (“fire”) and “aman” (“vessel”). The chief priest himself was titled “hramanatar”, i.e. the one carrying the fire chalice (“tar” meaning carrier).

Charcoal and pastel on paper, 2023
Haldi is he chief Urartian god. I have used numerous elements of Armenian and other ancient ornamental, mythological and archeological symbols, including Armenian rug motifs. Various symbols of eternity are also used including the wheel of eternity, the six-and eight-pointed stars, and the swastika, all ever-present in ancient rock carvings throughout the Armenian highlands. One will notice the mysterious Tree of Life so ubiquitous in Urartian and Mesopotamian carvings and inscriptions, elements of the Anunnaki gods, mythological creatures such as the Griffin, and symbols taken from the oldest rug in the world, the Pazyrik rug, which was woven during the time of the Urartians and exhibits fibers, dyes and knot techniques unique to Armenians.
The chief deity of Urartu was called HALDI. So venerated was this god that the Urartians were sometimes called the Haldians or “children of Haldi”. Haldi was the chief warrior deity to whom the kings of Urartu would pray for victories in battle. The ruling king was known as the “servant of Haldi” and many inscriptions ended with the phrase “By the power of Haldi” (Haldini ušmaši), just like we would say today “asdoudzo gamkov”. Haldi’s weapon was called “šuri” , which equates to the modern Armenian “sur“ (meaning sword or sharp). Similarly, the word “Uš” means “power” in Urartian, linguistically related to the Armenian word “uzh” meaning “power”. The warlike nature of Haldi the conqueror reminds us of Mars, from which name the Armenian word “mardig” (warrior) or “mard” (battle) derive. Even more significant derivations from the actual word “Haldi” are the Armenian word for victory “hałt”, or to win “hałt-el”. Reinforced by the fact that the Urartian word “to conquer” was also “ald”.
Along with Haldi, the other chief deities of the trinity of the pantheon of Urartu were Teisheba the storm god and Shivini the sun god.
His wife was ARUBANI, goddess of fertility and art. The Armenian word for art may derive from her, “arvesd”

Pastel and charcoal on paper, 2020
Vahagn is the god of storm, war and fire, sometimes carried a lyre like Apollo, and is depicted wearing the same Phrygian cap seen depicted on Attis, Mithras and the Dionysian opponent of Apollo, Marsyas. He was identified with Hercules by Armenian writers.
Vahagn is the eighth of the Armenian gods, an “afterthought” after the seven main gods, but the most important, and the most authentic of all the Armenian god. He quickly displaced Mihr in the triad of the gods, and became considered the son of Aramazd and the brother of Anahid. Together, Aramazd, Vahagn and Anahit form a triad of gods.
Vahagn’s consort was Astghik , the goddess of beauty and love whose name means “little star”
Moses of Khorene passes on an important ancient folk tale related to the cosmogony of the gods. He quotes ancient Armenians on the birth of Vahagn as follows:
Երկնէր երկին, երկնէր երկիր, երկնէր և ծովն ծիրանի.
երկն ի ծովուն ունէր և զկարմրիկն եղեգնիկ.
ընդ եղեգան փող ծուխ ելանէր, ընդ եղեգան փող բոց ելանէր.
և ի բոցոյն վազէր խարտեաշ պատանեկիկ.
նա հուր հեր ունէր, … բոց ունէր մօրուս,
և աչկունքն էին արեգակունք:
Heaven was in travail, earth was in travail, the purple sea was also in labor;
The labor pangs of the sea held the little red reed.
Along the reed-pipe smoke ascended, Along the reed-pipe flames ascended.
And from the flame a red-headed young boy jumped out.
He had (celestial) fire for hair, and had flame for beard,
and his eyes were suns.