T H E    A R C R U N I D    D Y N A S T Y

THE ARTSRUNID HOUSE DERIVED ITS NAME FROM
ARTSIV [EAGLE] WHICH WAS THE TOTEM OF THE
FAMILY. VULTURES WERE USED AS TOTEMS IN THE
EARLY CAVE ART AND 12,000 YEAR OLD WORLD'S FIRST TEMPLE -
PORTASAR IN THE VICINITY OF THE CITY OF URHA IN ARMENIA.
MANY OF THE NAXARAR [NOBLE] HOUSES DERIVED THEIR
NAMES FROM ANIMAL TOTEMS, THE PRACTICE GOING
ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE NEOLITHIC AGE. SOME OF THE
NOBLE HOUSE LIKE THE ATSRUNIS WHO DERIVED THEIR NAME
FROM PRIMORDIAL TOTEMS INCLUDED THE AYTSENAKANK‘
[TOTEM-CREST -THE GOAT] HAVNUNIK‘ [TOTEM-CREST
THE ROOSTER] VARAZNUNIK‘ [TOTEM-CREST - THE BOAR], BZNUNIK‘
[TOTEM-CREST - THE HAWK] ETC.

THE ARTSRUNI HOUSE IS NOTED IN THE RENOWNED MHERI DUR
[GATE OF MITHRA] VANIC-ARARATIAN INSCRIPTIONS
AS
WITH HAVING THEIR DYNASTIC PERSONAL FIEFDOM
 IN THE SUBURBS OF THE CAPITAL TUSHPA-TOSP-BIANA-VAN.
THEY MAINTAINED THESE POSSESSIONS
WELL INTO THE LATE MIDDLE AGES.

THE EAGLE-VULTURE CREST OF ARTSRUNIS WAS PROMINENTLY
FEATURED ON THE EARLY XTH CENTURY CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS
ON THE ISLAND OF AŁT‘AMAR OF LAKE VAN BUILD BY KING
GAGIK I ARTSRUNI OF THE KINGDOM OF VASPURAKAN.

THE VATCHUDIAN NOBILITY WHICH PERHAPS WAS AN OFF-SHOOT
OF THE ARTSRUNI HOUSE ALSO FEATURED THE ARTSRUNI
CREST ON THEIR COAT OF ARMS AND FLAG.
IN LATE MIDDLE AGES A BRANCH OF ARTSRUNIS FORMED
AN ALLIANCE WITH THE ZAKARIDS IN NORTHERN ARMENIA.

ANOTHER ARTSRUNI SYMBOL [IN A HOST OF REALISTIC AND MYTHOLOGICAL
ANIMALS] PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON THE CHURCH
OF THE HOLY CROSS IS THE WINGED TIGER ALONG WITH COUNTLESS
VEGETATIVE- FERTILITY SYMBOLS LIKE THE TREE OF LIFE IN THE FORM
OF A POMEGRANATE TREE AND GRAPEVINES THAT COVER THE SANCTUM.

ST. GREGORY OF NAREK [951-1003]. THE BRILLIANT TENTH CENTURY
TRANSCENDENTALIST PHILOSOPHER-POET WHO IN HIS METAPHYSICAL HYMNS
YEARNED FOR THE COMMUNION WITH THE ONE SUPREME BEING OF COSMOS...
THE SANCTUM SANCTORUM WHERE THE GREAT MAN COMPOSED HIS
MANTRIC CHANTS THE MONASTERY OF NAREK WAS UNDER THE PATRONAGE
OF THE ARCRUNI KINGS OF VASPURAKAN. THE RENOWNED CENTER OF LEARNING
AND WISDOM WAS UTTERLY OBLITERATED BY THE MARAUDING TURKIC BANDS
DURING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE...

KING GAGIK ARCRUNI [REIGNED - 908-943].

T   H   E      K   I   N   G   D   O   M      O   F      V   A   S   P   U   R   A   K   A   N

Gagik (908-943)
Derenik (943-958)
Hamazasp (958-968)
Ašot (968-990)
Gurgen-Xač‛ik co-rule (977-1003)
Senek'erim-Yovhannēs (990-1021)

XIXTH CENTURY ENGRAVING OF THE ISLAND OF AŁT‛AMAR ON LAKE VAN WITH
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS [915-921]. THE PRIDE OF THE ARCRUNI HOUSE.

XIXTH CENTURY ENGRAVING OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS ON
THE ISLAND OF AŁT‛AMAR ON LAKE VAN. THE ADJOINING MONASTERY COMPLEX
HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED IN THE 20TH CENTURY BY THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT.

IN THE XTH AND XITH CENTURIES THE ARCRUNI MONARCHS RULED
THE KINGDOM OF VASPURAKAN [CAPITAL -- VAN] -- IN CENTRAL ARMENIA
THE ARCRUNI HOUSE COMPETED WITH THE BAGRATIDS
WHO RULED MOST OF GREATER ARMENIA

THE WHOLE EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS IS COVERED WITH
BEAUTIFUL SACRED RELIEFS -- WHILE THE INTERIOR IS EMBELLISHED WITH
SACRED FRESCOES. THE MONUMENT LIKE SO MANY ARMENIAN
MONUMENTS IN HISTORIC ARMENIA IS ENDANGERED AND STILL MIRACULOUSLY
STANDS.

THE CHURCH INCLUDES FERTILITY SYMBOLS [LIKE POMEGRANATES AND GRAPES]
ALONG WITH BIRD SYMBOLISM SO PREVALENT THROUGHOUT ARMENIAN
DECORATIVE ART IN ALL KINDS OF FORMS.

THE GOLDEN CROWN OF GAGIK I ARCRUNI RECONSTRUCTED
BY HAYK TER-ŁEWONDEAN ACCORDING TO THE RELIEF FROM
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS ON AŁT‛AMAR ISLAND.

K I N G   G A G I K  I  [908-943] FOUNDER OF THE ARCRUNI [ARTSRUNI] DYNASTY
OF THE KINGDOM OF VASPURAKAN. RELIEF FROM THE
CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS [914-21] ON THE BEAUTIFUL
ISLAND OF AŁT‛AMAR [AGHTAMAR] ON LAKE VAN. THE KING IS SYMBOLICALLY
 HOLDING IN HIS LEFT HAND THE NEWLY ERECTED CHURCH.

THE LAZARIAN GOSPEL [ENDING FROM EUSEBIUS]. ONE OF THE OLDEST
SURVIVING ARMENIAN MANUSCRIPTS [DAT. 887] IN YERKAT‛AGIR SCRIPT.
MATENADARAN MS NO. 6200 P. 2a. TYP. SACRED MOTIF ARCH SUPPORTED
BY COLUMNS FORMING A RAINBOW PALETTE OF THE COLORFUL PRISM.
THE LATER [ON THE RIGHT] BOLORGIR 'FOOTNOTES' WERE SCRIBBLED
MANY CENTURIES LATER BY A PIOUS HERMIT.

GAGIK I WAS A GREAT PATRON OF CULTURE AND SCIENCE. THE  ARTSRUNI DYNASTY
WAS AMBITIOUSLY COMPETING WITH THE BAGRATIDS [WHO AMONG OTHER
WONDERS HAD IN THEIR ARSENAL THE CITY OF 1001 CHURCHES...]. THE PATRONAGE
OF THE ARTS FORMED AN IMPORTANT COUNTENANCE OF  THE ONGOING 'COLD WAR.'
SKETCH SHOWS THE ERODED CHURCH MODEL IN ITS CONTEMPORARY FORMAT.

DETAILED SCULPTURE OF
AN ARMENIAN WARRIOR FROM THE CHURCH
OF THE HOLY CROSS ON THE ISLAND OF AŁT‛AMAR.
ERECTED BETWEEN 915-21 AS A HOLY SANCTUM BY THE ARCRUNI KINGS
OF VASPURAKAN WHO COMPETED AND VIED FOR POWER
WITH THE RIVAL BAGRATID DYNASTY.
FULLY CLAD CHAIN MAIL, STEEL HELMET, POLISHED ROUND SHIELD,
SPEAR AND A THRUSTING SWORD FOR CLOSE COMBAT.

ECHMIADZIN GOSPEL [989]. MATENADARAN MS. NO. 2374. XORAN CANON 1 P. 2a.
THREE PILLARS SUPPORTING THE TWIN ARCHES IN RED, BLUE AND GOLD...
3 AND 3 BRANCHED BLOSSOMED FLOWER. TWO BIRDS ON THE SIDES
[UPON THE RED AND BLACK PLANT BRANCHES] FACING OPPOSITE
DIRECTIONS. TWO BIRDS [PRIMORDIAL COUPLE[ UPON ARCHES FACING
THE SACRED CHALICE/GRAIL WITH GLOWING RED AURA/DIVINE SPARK
WITHIN WITH TWO WINGS IMMEDIATELY BELOW.

ECHMIADZIN GOSPEL [989]. MATENADARAN MS. NO. 2374. XORAN CANON 10 P. 5a.

ECHMIADZIN GOSPEL [989]. MATENADARAN MS. NO. 2374. XORAN CANON 3 P. 3a.

ECHMIADZIN GOSPEL [989]. MATENADARAN MS. NO. 2374. XORAN CANON 2 P. 2b.
ECHMIADZIN GOSPEL [989]. MATENADARAN MS. NO. 2374. TEMPIETTO  P. 5b.
ECHMIADZIN GOSPEL [989]. MATENADARAN MS. NO. 2374.
ENTHRONED CHRIST AS A YOUTH, FLANKED BY TWO SAINTS.
GLOWING ARCH OF HEAVEN SUPPORTED BY TWO [RAM HEADED, RIGHT AND LEFT
SPINNING SPIRALS ON SINGLE STEM] PILLARS/COLUMNS. HOLY CHALICE ABOVE
FLANKED BY TWO BIRDS FACING EACH OTHER. 3+3 [NOTE THE FLEUR-DE-LYS-
LIKE -- LONGER CENTER -- TRI-STEM]. REEF OF GLORY BENEATH THE CHALICE.
ENCIRCLED WINGED CROSS FLANKED BY TWO BIRDS [UPON SACRED TREE OF
LIFE] WITHIN THE ARCH. NOTE THE MASTERY OF THE LAYERED ARCHING
RED GLOW [FROM DARKER TO LIGHTER LEVEL TONE].