Armenian mythology is rich with stories of gods and goddesses. I’ve always been fascinated by the legends and lore of the lesser-known gods of various pantheons. Ayg (or Arshaluys), the goddess of dawn in Armenian mythology, is a figure about whom little is known. When I discovered Ayg, I was immediately drawn to her role as the herald of a new day and her association with renewal and hope. Despite the scarcity of information available about her, I was inspired to incorporate Ayg into my work-in-progress young adult fantasy novel and offer my own interpretation of her mythology.

During my research, I initially came across the idea that Ayg may be the daughter of Aramazd, the chief god of the Armenian pantheon. However, upon further investigation, I could not find any definitive information about her parentage, and it appears that Ayg is often considered a separate deity.

Ayg is often depicted as a beautiful woman with a radiant halo of light surrounding her. She is sometimes portrayed with wings, carrying the sun in her hands or on her shoulders, symbolizing her role in bringing forth a new day. In some depictions, Ayg is also shown sitting on a boat, surrounded by the golden light of the rising sun. Her arrival each morning is seen as a symbol of a fresh start, a chance to leave the troubles of yesterday behind and embrace the possibilities of the present.

Though there is very little known about Ayg, her representation as the goddess of dawn speaks to the importance of the sun and the dawn in the daily lives and beliefs of ancient Armenians.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

In my young adult fantasy novel I sought to depict Ayg in a unique way. Rather than portraying her with wings, I surrounded her with a halo of light and situated her on a boat, where she carries a golden disk in her lap to represent the sun. She has winged horses to help her carry the sun and mark the arrival of a new day. These winged horses also have other important roles to play in aiding my protagonist in her important work.

Despite the discrepancies in Ayg’s myths and legends, she still holds significant symbolism as the goddess of dawn and new beginnings. As a writer, I found it exciting to create my own interpretations of her role. The universality of dawn goddesses in different cultures underscores the importance of the concept of new beginnings and the promise of hope that each new day brings. Personally, I find it fascinating to explore and compare the similarities found in the mythologies of different cultures.