Vahagn
The fiery birth and courage of the dragon-slaying god
The third god of the Armenian pantheon was Vahagn the Dragon-Slayer (Vishapakagh), a vibrant and fair-haired youth with fiery hair, a flaming beard, and eyes bright as suns. He was born during the turbulent labor of the universe, when its three constituent parts—heaven, earth, and the sea—were seized by labor pains. And from the smoke and flame-emitting stalk of a burning reed in the purple sea, reddened by labor, the youthful Vahagn came running forth.
Heaven was in labor, earth was in labor,
The purple sea was also in labor.
The labor pains in the sea had also seized the red reed.
From the stalk of the reed smoke arose,
From the stalk of the reed flame arose,
And out of the flame ran a fair-haired youth.
He had fiery hair,
He had a flaming beard,
And his eyes were suns.
Immediately upon his birth, he engaged in battle against the black and fierce dragons (vishaps), slaying them and saving the universe from the threat of destruction.
Vahagn was the Armenian god of thunder and lightning, from whom kings and military commanders beseeched courage.
Vahagn's main place of worship and sanctuary was located in Ashtishat of Taron, the spiritual center of Ancient Armenia.
Later, the people personified Vahagn and made him the third child of their beloved and honored king, Tigran the Great.
The purple sea was also in labor.
The labor in the sea also held the little red reed.
Through the stalk of the reed smoke arose,
Through the stalk of the reed flame arose,
And out of the flame ran a fair-haired youth.
He had fiery hair,
A flaming beard he had,
And his eyes were suns.