Dope AF, thanks for making the journey and sharing.
The 7 deadly sins page is amazing. Looks like a dragon for greed btw, not a frog. Was amazed to learn recently that early dragon legends often featured dragons hoarding not only gold but also virgins. European dragon mythology is very much moral mythology concerning the pitfalls of tyranny and greedy leadership, as opposed to the natural spirit dragons of the Far East.
I didn't have a theory of my own, so I tried googling it — the first result suggests that the frog / the toad is greedy for wanting to live both in the water and on the ground, which is an interesting way to frame greed. I think this whole motif is not Armenian but copied from European sources.
I did some googling myself on dragons and serpents and the seven deadly sins. If the winged snake depicted is meant to represent the spirit/demon associated with a deadly sin, rather than the material animal symbolism, perhaps it is meant to depict the demon Leviathan, one of the ‘seven princes of hell.’ According to what I could gather, depending on the source, Leviathan appears like a winged dragon, or sea serpent, and is traditionally associated with the sin of envy.
[26] The fairies are not to be seized on, and brought to answer for the hurt they do. So also the ecclesiastics vanish away from the tribunals of civil justice.
[27] The ecclesiastics take from young men the use of reason, by certain charms compounded of metaphysics, and miracles, and traditions, and abused Scripture, whereby they are good for nothing else but to execute what they command them. The fairies likewise are said to take young children out of their cradles, and to change them into natural fools, which common people do therefore call elves, and are apt to mischief.
[28] In what shop or operatory the fairies make their enchantment, the old wives have not determined. But the operatories of the clergy are well enough known to be the universities, that received their discipline from authority pontifical.
[29] When the fairies are displeased with anybody, they are said to send their elves to pinch them. The ecclesiastics, when they are displeased with any civil state, make also their elves, that is, superstitious, enchanted subjects, to pinch their princes, by preaching sedition; or one prince, enchanted with promises, to pinch another.
[30] The fairies marry not; but there be amongst them incubi that have copulation with flesh and blood. The priests also marry not.
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan: with selected variants from the Latin edition of 1668. Ed. Edwin Curley. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994 . . . Part IV. Of the Kingdom of Darkness . . . Chap. xlvii. Of the Benefit that proceedeth from such Darkness, and to Whom it Accrueth . . . https://cwspangle.substack.com/p/leviathan-part-iv-of-the-kingdom
What lovely art! We humans like to think we've evolved to be smarter than ever, but we're probably less wise than they were. Thanks for sharing.
Dope AF, thanks for making the journey and sharing.
The 7 deadly sins page is amazing. Looks like a dragon for greed btw, not a frog. Was amazed to learn recently that early dragon legends often featured dragons hoarding not only gold but also virgins. European dragon mythology is very much moral mythology concerning the pitfalls of tyranny and greedy leadership, as opposed to the natural spirit dragons of the Far East.
Isn't the snake more dragon-like? Either way, I coped the breakdown of the sins and the animals from a plaque in the museum
Now I see it! Sorry for my mistake.
Any ideas why a frog symbolizes greed?
I didn't have a theory of my own, so I tried googling it — the first result suggests that the frog / the toad is greedy for wanting to live both in the water and on the ground, which is an interesting way to frame greed. I think this whole motif is not Armenian but copied from European sources.
Again, fascinating, thank you! So metal.
I did some googling myself on dragons and serpents and the seven deadly sins. If the winged snake depicted is meant to represent the spirit/demon associated with a deadly sin, rather than the material animal symbolism, perhaps it is meant to depict the demon Leviathan, one of the ‘seven princes of hell.’ According to what I could gather, depending on the source, Leviathan appears like a winged dragon, or sea serpent, and is traditionally associated with the sin of envy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_of_demons#Binsfeld's_classification_of_demons
[26] The fairies are not to be seized on, and brought to answer for the hurt they do. So also the ecclesiastics vanish away from the tribunals of civil justice.
[27] The ecclesiastics take from young men the use of reason, by certain charms compounded of metaphysics, and miracles, and traditions, and abused Scripture, whereby they are good for nothing else but to execute what they command them. The fairies likewise are said to take young children out of their cradles, and to change them into natural fools, which common people do therefore call elves, and are apt to mischief.
[28] In what shop or operatory the fairies make their enchantment, the old wives have not determined. But the operatories of the clergy are well enough known to be the universities, that received their discipline from authority pontifical.
[29] When the fairies are displeased with anybody, they are said to send their elves to pinch them. The ecclesiastics, when they are displeased with any civil state, make also their elves, that is, superstitious, enchanted subjects, to pinch their princes, by preaching sedition; or one prince, enchanted with promises, to pinch another.
[30] The fairies marry not; but there be amongst them incubi that have copulation with flesh and blood. The priests also marry not.
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan: with selected variants from the Latin edition of 1668. Ed. Edwin Curley. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994 . . . Part IV. Of the Kingdom of Darkness . . . Chap. xlvii. Of the Benefit that proceedeth from such Darkness, and to Whom it Accrueth . . . https://cwspangle.substack.com/p/leviathan-part-iv-of-the-kingdom
Not really answering, but the question reminded me of the Chinese coin frog. Perhaps mere coincidence?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Chan
«ВЗЯТИЕ ЦАРЬГРАДА» КНЯГИНЕЙ ОЛЬГОЙ . . . http://www.pravoslavie.ru/3481.html
Fascinating, definitely some wings on a snake-like creature there. I guess the ‘spirit’ of envy is the dragon? not clear to me but cool AF regardless
I can't wait to get home and see these on a big screen.
Armenian step-dad survivor, checking in.
Stunning images.
OMG, these are so beautiful.
Part of what’s blowing me away is, for some of the pages, the absolute proximity to graphic novels. It’s like no time has passed.
thanks for sharing