Armenian Eternity sign

Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 1

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The Armenian Eternity sign is an ancient Armenian national

symbol and a symbol of the national identity of the Armenian
[1]
people. It is one of the most common symbols in Armenian
[2][3]
architecture, carved on khachkars and on walls of churches.

Contents

1 Evolution and use

The eternity sign appears on the base of this 1965
monument at the top of Yerevan Cascade, named
"Revived Armenia ", dedicated to the 50th
2 ArmSCII and UNICODE anniversary of the establishment of Soviet rule in
Armenia . See another view. There are 9 eternity
signs on this 50 m long monument, including 5 on
the base and 4 on top.

3 Gallery

4 References

5 External links

6 See also

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Evolution
Armenian   and
Eternity   sign  use
-­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 2

[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).

ArmSCII and UNICODE

In ArmSCII -­‐ Armenian Standard Code for Information Interchange, an Armenian Eternity sign has been encoded in
7-­‐bit and 8-­‐bit standard and ad-­‐hoc encodings since at least 1987. In 2010 Armenian National Institute of Standards
[24]
suggest The Unicode Consortium encoding an Armenian Eternity sign.

Font glyphs

Regular Italic Bold Bold Italic

Gallery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arevakhach 17.  Dezember  2013  05:07:07

5-­‐arched Eternity sign
on Harichavank
Monastery, 7th century
Makaravank, 10th
18 eternity signson
century
Armenianfresco of the
Coptic White Monastery
 Monastery, 7th century Coptic White Monastery
in Egypt, 12th century
Armenian
 Eternity
 sign
 -­‐
 Wikipedia,
 the
 free
 encyclopedia 3
Saint HripsimeChurch,
7th century

Gandzasarmonastery, Decor of Teghenyats Miniaturein Gospel by

13th century Geghard, 13th century Stepanos, 1201
Monastery

Illuminatedmanuscript Grand prince HasanJalal Aghout cemetery in

Jewish cemetery in
by Hovsian, 1316 Vahtangian, 1214-­‐1261 Sisian
Yeghegis, 13th century

A modernkhatchkar in A khachkar in memory

Yerevan of the victims of the
1988 Spitak earthquake
ArmenianGenocide A monumentdedicated
memorialin Yerevan, to the memory of the
1965 Armeniansoldierskilled
in the Nagorno-­‐
KarabakhWar, Sisian

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Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 4

Logo of the Republican A 1992 monumentin A monumentof

Party of Armenia, c. the Yerevan Cascade Saint Mesrop Mashtots ArmenianAlphabetand
1990 dedicatedto the Cathedralin Oshakan Eternity sign on
adoption of Christianity Oshakan tower
as state religion in
Armenia, known as the
"First ChristianState"

Symbol of National Rubber stampof the Commemorativecoins Seal of Yerevan,

Library of Armenia "ArmenianComputer of Armenia, Armenia adoptedin 2004
Center" Ltd., 1998 joining the Council of
Europe, January 25,
2001

References

1. ^ Armenian Eternity Sign (http://www.sarm.am/js/editor_innova/assets/Armenian _Eternity_Sign1.pdf), IT Development

Support Council of the Government Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (http://www.ada.am/arm/secretariats /

itdsc/), Workgroup of Language & Culture , 2010 (http://www.ada.am/eng/secretariats /itdsc/workgroups/).

From page Prehistory of the Armenian Dram and Armenian eternity signs (http://www.sarm.am/am/news/amd_eternity ) of

National institute of Standards of Republic of Armenia (http://www.sarm.am/en).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arevakhach 17.  Dezember  2013  05:07:07

Armenian Eternity Sign is the ancient national symbol and in Armenian reality it can be met in many variations.

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.

It can be performed both two-­‐dimensionally and three-­‐dimensionally .

p. 171 "... Quite a different version of the Celtic triskelion, and perhaps the most common pre-­‐Christian symbolism found
Eternity Sign opens the list of symbols included in ArmSCII .

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

typical symbol of eternity in ancient Armenian architecture ."

part of artistic expression and spiritual symbolism.

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."

5. ^ N. Sahakyan/ Armenian Highland : / RAU Press. 2006, page 150(349)

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Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 6
6. ^ Jacob G. Ghazarian (2006), The Mediterraneanlegacy in early Celtic Christianity: a journey from Armenia to Ireland, Bennett &

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

a long established national iconographical practice."

7. ^ (Armenian) Zarian, A. K. (1989). "Խաչքարերի խորհրդանշաններին և միթրայականությանը վերաբերող պատկերագրական հարցեր

[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

9. ^ R. Kartashyan , «Architectural complex of Khoranashat » (http://lraber .asj-­‐oa.am/4541/1/1986-­‐4(42).pdf), The journal of

social sciences №4, Yerevan , 1986, pp. 42—52

10. ^ Hayden Herrera (2005), Arshile Gorky: His Life and Work , Macmillan, pp. 784

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arevakhach 17.  Dezember  2013  05:07:07

Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 7
11. ^ Károly Gink, Károly Gombos, Armenia: landscapeand architecture, Corvina Press, 1974

12. ^ Nicolas Holding (2011), Armenia, Bradt Travel Guides, pp 312, p. 130, 148

13. ^ G. Sargsyan, U. Melkonyan, Litographical sketches -­‐ 2 (http://hpj.asj-­‐oa.am/5769/1/2012-­‐3-­‐(94).pdf), Historico-­‐

phylological journal of Armenian Academy of sciences, № 3, 2012, p. 101

14. ^ R. L. Khachatryan , Russian academy of Art, Rudolg Khachatryan: high-­‐dimensionalobjects, Galart , 2002, p. 13

15. ^ Armenia Today, vol. 5-­‐6, Yerevan , 1982, p. 4

16. ^ G. Karakhanyan , «Medieval domesstic reliefs of Armenia » (http://lraber .asj-­‐oa.am/5485/1/31.pdf), The journal of social

sciences, №8, Yerevan , 1975, pp. 31—47

17. ^ see image of the dome

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։"

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19. ^ Kartashian , Hrach. "The architectural ensemble of Nor Varagavank " (http://lraber .asj-­‐oa.am/5168/). Patma-­‐Banasirakan

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:"

20. ^ Asratyan M., Tsitsernavank (http://hpj.asj-­‐oa.am/3293/1/1980-­‐2(39).pdf), Historico-­‐phylological journal of Armenian

Academy of sciences, № 2, 1980, p. 50

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Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 9
21. ^

"Մամլո հաղորդագրություն -­‐ "Շուշիի ազատագրման 20-­‐ամյակ" (ոսկի) [News release -­‐ A golden coin dedicated o the 20th

anniversary of the Liberation of Shushi]" (https://www.cba.am/AM/pmessagesannouncements /6%20new%20com.%

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

Մասին" (http://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?DocID=82810). Armenian Legal Information System. 18 April

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/

xorhrdanish %207.pdf), 2010, see the logo of Yerevan

Ministry of Justice of RA, about the medals and decorations (http://www.justice.am/storage/iiles/legal_acts/legal_

acts_61745932 _q_46.pdf), 2007

The governmment of Armenia , symbol of the cooperation «Armenia -­‐Diaspora» (http://cscouncil.am/doc/

Tert /21.03.12.pdf), 2012

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 Ministry of Emergency Situations, about the medals and decorations (http://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?

Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 10

22. ^ National Council of Western Armenia , the ilag of Western Armenia (http://www.western -­‐armenia.eu/stat.gov.wa/
DocID=72184), 2011, see the symbol of the cooperation «Armenia -­‐Diaspora»

arm/2011/Nakhaqahagan -­‐Hramanaqir -­‐21.10.2011.pdf), 2011

Central Bank of Armenia , coin «15-­‐years of liberation of Shushi» (http://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?

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

p=2889). Armenian Aryan Union. Retrieved 4 October 2013.

24. ^ "Armenian Eternity Sign" (http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2010/10372-­‐n3921.pdf). Unicode. 2010. pp.  10–12.

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

symbol as it alows out of the helping hands."

Downtown, North End. "Armenian Heritage Park to participate Saturday in World Labyrinth Day", Posted by

Jeremy C. Fox April 29, 2013. (http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2013/04/armenian_

heritage_park_to_part.html) -­‐ "A single jet of water and the symbol of eternity mark its center, representing

hope and rebirth."

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Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 11
Armenian Engineers & Scientists of America (http://www.aesa.org/index.php?x=1&y=75). "The Armenian

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."

Armenian Monuments Awareness Project (http://www.armenianmonuments.org/en/)

See also

Petroglyph

Triskelion

Swastika

Borjgali

Pictish stone

Castro culture (Economy and Arts, Stonework, Metallurgy)

Khachkar

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Armenian  Eternity  sign  -­‐  Wikipedia,  the  free  encyclopedia 12
List of national symbols

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Categories: Armenian mythology ArmSCII National symbols of Armenia

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