BURIAL RELATED BELIEFS AND RITUAL SYSTEMIN ARMENIAN ORAL CULTURE

Authors

  • Tamar L. Hayrapetyan Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography
  • Lusine G. Madatyan Institute of Archeology and Ethnography; Russian-Armenian University
  • Siranuysh Shakar Arakelyan Institute of Archeology and Ethnography 0009-0008-0236-9019 (unauthenticated)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH223594-607

Keywords:

death, burial, hell, deceased, soul, angel, heaven, lamentation, funeral, sleep

Abstract

This study examines the funeral ritual system described in Armenian oral tradition, including subsequent memorial ceremonies, related beliefs and concepts, and the different types of burial. While the ideas and symbols associated with death are universal, Armenian tradition expresses them through unique ritual forms and oral narratives. Drawing upon ethnographic, folkloric, archaeological, and textual sources, including both published research and fieldwork materials, the study analyzes the cultural and religious layers of Armenian funeral practices and their transformation over time. Although many traditional customs have changed or disappeared, certain beliefs and practices continue to retain their significance by adapting to new socio-political and cultural realities. Particular attention is given to representations of death, the soul, and the afterlife in folktales and epic poems, where these concepts are personified and poetically interpreted. The persistence of such elements demonstrates the continuity of Armenian spiritual life, revealing funeral beliefs not as mere remnants of the past, but as living expressions of a cultural philosophy that continues to shape collective identity and spirituality, preserve cultural memory, affirm the immortality of the soul, and provide meaning to the mystery of death.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Tamar L. Hayrapetyan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography

    Dr. Sci., Leading Researcher, Head of the Department of Folklore Texstology

  • Lusine G. Madatyan, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography; Russian-Armenian University

    Cand. Sci., Researcher;
    Senior Lecturer

  • Siranuysh Shakar Arakelyan, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography

    Researcher 

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Published

2026-09-30

How to Cite

1.
Hayrapetyan TL, Madatyan LG, Arakelyan SS. BURIAL RELATED BELIEFS AND RITUAL SYSTEMIN ARMENIAN ORAL CULTURE. ИАЭК. 2026;22(3):594-607. doi:10.32653/CH223594-607