The word gave Armenians their identity. When Mesrob Mashtots developed an alphabet for the Armenian people so that they could read scripture in their own tongue, he gave them the powerful combination of a written language and a new religion. That religion became a means to express individual cultural elements. It became an open tapestry on which an expansive iconography, shared metaphors and symbols could be deposited. Ten centuries of development made them a cultural treasure trove of Armenian mythology and art. Despite conquests, deportations and wars, some 31,000 have survived. Their rich bounty of culturally specific metaphors and allusions has served as inspiration for Aram Vartanov.

Mike Harutunian
Associate professor, College of the Canyons