Hayeren (Հայերէն) Gematria
The mystical, occult history and development of the Armenian language...
In previous posts like this one and this one, I’ve attempted to piece together an anthropological theory that goes something like this:
The ancient, paganic (pre-Christian) Armenian peoples were prime purveyors of a proto-scientific approach to life and spirituality. They were likely the direct ancestors (once removed) of the mysterious Horse People, better known to anthropologists and historians as the Aryans. Further, after settling in the Transcaucasian highlands, they developed relationships with the Zoroastrian Iranian people who, in turn, were purveyors of many Vedic principles/ideas/practices (including the use of mind-altering hallucinogens to transmute with the realm of the divine/dead). As the Hellenic era blossomed, the clerics and scholars of Armenian peoples learned from the Greeks and Egyptians some of their magical ways, including the way of the magoi—the mages. Though the Armenian nation was conscripted into being Christians, the proto-scientific, pagan, alchemical, and philosophical ways of these learned Armenians resisted the invasion of the Christian tyranny by archiving and preserving alchemical writings and formulas.
As I’ve continued my research, I’ve come across more evidence of the Hermetic nature of the ancient Armenian philosophy and way of life.
But first, a bit about Gematria and the Armenian language, Հայերէն.
Gematria
Gematria is a system of assigning numerical values to words or phrases based on their letters. It is believed to have originated in Hebrew and has been widely used in Jewish culture. The practice of using gematria is based on the idea that words and phrases have hidden meanings and connections that can be uncovered through the use of numerical values.
In gematria, each letter of the alphabet is assigned a numerical value. For example, in Hebrew gematria, the letter aleph is assigned the value of 1, while the letter bet is assigned the value of 2, and so on. The numerical value of a word or phrase is calculated by adding together the values of each of its letters.
Gematria has been used in various ways, including as a tool for interpretation of the Hebrew Bible and as a method of finding hidden meanings in texts. It has also been used in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah as a way to uncover hidden truths and connections. In recent times, gematria has been adopted by some non-Jewish cultures, such as the Greeks, and has inspired similar systems in other languages, such as Arabic and English.
It’s generally associated with Jewish mysticism and the Hebrew language. But, if you stick with me, dear reader, I’ll make the case that it was also an occulted code of the Armenians, too.
Proto-Armenian Language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people, who are native to the Armenian Highlands in the region of Transcaucasia. The Armenian language has a long and rich history, with written records dating back to the 5th century AD. In the language itself, the name of the language sounds like “Hayeren” (hi-ren).1 It’s based on a now-lost, Proto-Armenian alphabet.
One of the earliest references to the existence of an Armenian alphabet comes from Philo of Alexandria, a Greek philosopher, and historian who lived in the 1st century AD. In his writings, Philo notes that the work of the Greek philosopher Metrodorus of Scepsis, On Animals, was translated into Armenian!
Another early reference to the Armenian alphabet comes from the Roman theologian Hippolytus of Rome, who lived in the 3rd century AD. In his Chronicle, Hippolytus mentions that the Armenians were among the nations with a distinct alphabet.
These early references suggest that the Armenian alphabet had already been in use for several centuries before the 5th-century monk Mesrob Mashtots is credited with inventing the Armenian alphabet. However, it is not clear what form the Armenian alphabet took before the time of Mashtots, and it likely underwent several changes and modifications over the course of its history.
The origin of the Proto-Armenian language is subject to scholarly debate. To understand the issue, one must grasp the origin of the Armenian people (a mystery itself). One theory, known as the Armenian hypothesis, proposes that the Armenian language is the oldest living Indo-European language developed in situ in the Armenian Highlands. However, another theory, known as the Kurgan hypothesis, suggests that the Armenian language was introduced to the region by Proto-Indo-European speaking nomadic pastoralists known as the Kurgan culture.
The Armenian Hypothesis
The Armenian hypothesis is a theory that proposes that the Armenian language is the oldest living Indo-European language. It suggests that the Armenian language is the direct descendant of the Proto-Indo-European language, the hypothetical common ancestor of the Indo-European language family and that it has preserved many features and characteristics of this ancient language.
The Armenian hypothesis is based on linguistic and historical evidence, including the structure and vocabulary of the Armenian language, the location of the Armenian homeland, and the cultural and historical connections of the Armenian people.
According to the Armenian hypothesis, the Proto-Indo-European language was spoken during the 5th–4th millennia BC in "eastern Anatolia, the southern Caucasus, and northern Mesopotamia". Armenian has retained many of the characteristics of the Proto-Indo-European language, including its grammar, phonology, and vocabulary.
The Armenian hypothesis is supported by several linguists and scholars, who argue that it provides a more comprehensive and accurate explanation of the origins and development of the Indo-European language family. However, the Armenian hypothesis is also the subject of debate and criticism, and linguists and scholars do not universally accept it.
The Kurgan Hypothesis
The Kurgan hypothesis is a theory that proposes that the Proto-Indo-European language, the hypothetical common ancestor of the Indo-European language family, was spoken by a group of nomadic pastoralists known as the Kurgan culture. The Kurgan hypothesis suggests that the Kurgan culture spoke the Proto-Indo-European language in the Pontic-Caspian steppe, which is located in what is now modern-day Ukraine and Russia, and that it spread throughout Europe and Asia as the Kurgan culture expanded and migrated.
The Kurgan hypothesis was developed in the 1950s by the Russian linguist and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas, who argued that the Kurgan culture was the source of the Proto-Indo-European language and the Indo-European language family. According to the Kurgan hypothesis, the Proto-Indo-European language was spoken by the Kurgan culture around 4000 BC, and it spread throughout Europe and Asia as the Kurgan culture expanded and migrated.
The Kurgan hypothesis is based on a combination of linguistic and archaeological evidence, including the structure and vocabulary of the Proto-Indo-European language, the cultural and technological characteristics of the Kurgan culture, and the location and distribution of the Indo-European languages.
There is also evidence to suggest that other languages have influenced the Armenian language in the region, including Urartian and the languages of the Phrygians. This suggests that there may have been long periods of bilingualism and cultural exchange between the Armenian people and their neighbors.
Overall, the origins and evolution of the Armenian language continue to be the subject of debate and research, and there is still much that we do not know about the early history of this unique and ancient language.
Grabar
The earliest form of the Armenian language was Old Armenian, also known as Classical Armenian or Grabar. Old Armenian was the literary language of the Armenian people from the 5th to the 11th century AD, and it is still used as the liturgical language of the Armenian Church. Old Armenian was heavily influenced by the languages of its neighboring cultures, including Greek, Persian, and Syriac.
After the 11th century, the Armenian language evolved and split into two distinct forms: Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian. Western Armenian, spoken by the Armenian diaspora in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, was influenced by Ottoman Turkish and other Middle Eastern languages. Eastern Armenian, spoken in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, was influenced by Russian and other Slavic languages.
Throughout history, the Armenian language has faced numerous challenges, including periods of suppression and attempts to assimilate it into other languages. However, the Armenian language has managed to survive and thrive, thanks partly to the efforts of linguists and language activists who have worked to preserve and promote the language.
Today, the Armenian language is spoken by around 6.7 million people worldwide, and it is recognized as one of the oldest living Indo-European languages. It is the official language of Armenia and is also recognized as a minority language in several other countries, including Georgia, Iran, and Russia. Despite its long and complex history, the Armenian language remains an important part of Armenian culture and identity, and it continues to be passed down from generation to generation.
The Founder of the Modern Armenian Alphabet
It is difficult to pinpoint a single founder of the Armenian language, as it has evolved and developed over thousands of years. However, one figure who played a significant role in the early development of the Armenian language was Mesrob Mashtots. He was born in the year 361 AD in the region of Vaspurakan, which is located in what is now modern-day Turkey.
Not much is known about Mesrob Mashtots's early life, but it is believed that he received a thorough education in theology, philosophy, and linguistics. He later became a monk and devoted his life to the study of the Armenian language and the promotion of Armenian culture.
One of the main challenges facing the Armenian people in the 5th century was the lack of a suitable writing system for their language. The Armenian language was written using various scripts, including Greek, Farsi, and Syriac (Aramaic), but these scripts were not well-suited to representing the unique sounds and characteristics of the Armenian language. This made it difficult for Armenians to translate and preserve their literature.
To address this problem, Mesrob Mashtots set out to create a new alphabet that would accurately represent the sounds and structure of the Armenian language. He traveled throughout the region, studying different writing systems and working with linguists and scholars to develop a new alphabet. After several years of work, he succeeded in creating a new alphabet that consisted of 36 letters and was specifically designed to represent the sounds of the Armenian language.
The Armenian alphabet Mesrob Mashtots invented became the basis for the written form of the modern Armenian language and played a crucial role in developing Armenian literature and culture. It was used to translate the Bible into Armenian and to create a rich body of Armenian literature, including hymns, prayers, and historical texts.
Mashtots’ pupil, Koryun, wrote The Life of Mashtots sometime in the 5th century AD, a biography of his teacher. In the biography, Koryn tells us that a Syrian bishop named Daniel…
“…of noble lineage, who unexpectedly had come into the possession of letters of Armenian alphabet. And when the King told them concerning Daniel’s discovery, they prevailed upon him to do what was needful. He then dispatched a man named Vahrij along with messages to a priest called Habel, who was an intimate of Bishop Daniel.
As for Habel, upon hearing it, he hastened to Daniel, and first became familiar, through Daniel, with the letters, then taking them from him sent to the King in the land of Armenia. The [letters] reached his hands on the fifth year of his reign. Upon receiving the letters from Habel, the King rejoiced with Sahak and Mashtots.
Then the blessed stewards taking the unexpectedly discovered object of their search, requested of the King young children through whom they might experiment with the alphabet. And when many of them had been taught, the King commanded that everywhere the instruction be effected through the same [letters]. Thus the blessed one attained the noble rank of teacher, and taught for two years with the use of the same letters.
Yet when they became aware of the fact that those letters were insufficient to form all the syllables of the Armenian language, especially since the letters essentially proved to have been buried and then resurrected from other languages, they found themselves once more in the same anxieties and for some time were engaged in search of a solution.”
Bottom line: according to Koyrun, Mashtots set out to rearrange and re-purpose the recovered letters. He struggled for a long time without success until one day, miraculously, he received a vision from God, who instructed him and aided in this process.
By the way, Koyrun also tells us that the following phrase translated from Solomon's Book of Proverbs (1:2) was the first sentence to be written down in Armenian by Mashtots:
Ճանաչել զիմաստութիւն եւ զխրատ, իմանալ զբանս հանճարոյ:
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding.
Today, the Armenian alphabet is still used to write the Armenian language and is considered an important part of Armenian cultural identity. Mesrob Mashtots is remembered as a hero and a cultural icon in Armenia, and his contributions to the development of the Armenian language continue to be celebrated and honored. So, we can consider Mesrob Mashtots as the founder of the Armenian language.
Here is the Armenian alphabet, along with the transliteration of each letter and the corresponding sound:
Ա - ա - [a]
Բ - բ - [b]
Գ - գ - [g]
Դ - դ - [d]
Ե - ե - [e]
Զ - զ - [z]
Է - է - [ē]
Ը - ը - [y]
Թ - թ - [t']
Ժ - ժ - [zh]
Ի - ի - [I]
Լ - լ - [l]
Խ - խ - [kh]
Ծ - ծ - [ts]
Կ - կ - [k]
Հ - հ - [h]
Ձ - ձ - [dz]
Ղ - ղ - [gh]
Ճ - ճ - [ch]
Մ - մ - [m]
Յ - յ - [y']
Ն - ն - [n]
Շ - շ - [sh]
Ո - ո - [o]
Չ - չ - [ch']
Պ - պ - [p]
Ջ - ջ - [j]
Ռ - ռ - [r]
Ս - ս - [s]
Վ - վ - [v]
Տ - տ - [t]
Ր - ր - [r']
Ց - ց - [ts']
Ւ - ւ - [w]
Փ - փ - [p']
Ք - ք - [k']
Օ - օ - [o]
Ֆ - ֆ - [f]
Sacred Geometry and Prophetic Alchemy
In addition to serving as a writing system, the Armenian alphabet was used as a numerical system for math calculations and recording calendar dates. Each letter of the alphabet has its numerical value based on its order in the alphabet, and these values are used to represent numbers.
The Armenian numerical system is arranged in 4 columns and 9 rows, with the first column representing single digits, the second representing tens, the third representing hundreds, and the fourth representing thousands. This system allows for representing large numbers using a combination of letters from the alphabet.
Some believe the Armenian alphabet to contain geometrical secrets and hidden meanings. For example, if the Armenian alphabet is arranged into an equilateral triangle, the three letters at the edges spell out A, K, and S, which represent the Christian trinity of the Father (Astvats), the Son (Kristos), and the Holy Spirit (Surb Hogin).
Another arrangement of the Armenian letters, inside a square in the shape of an octagram, spells out the old Armenian name for the country, "Hayk," when read clockwise. This name is significant because it represents the homeland of the Armenian people.
But wait. It gets even more impressive! This is where the connection to alchemy and Hermetic tradition will become obvious:
It has been suggested that the numerical order of the Armenian letters corresponds to the atomic numbers of the chemical elements from the periodic table for the 7 metals known in antiquity. These metals are gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, iron, and mercury, known and used by humans in prehistoric times. These metals are considered the "metals of antiquity" because they played a crucial role in the development and advancement of human society.
According to some sources, each of these metals was associated with one of the 7 celestial bodies known in antiquity, as well as one of the 7 days of the week. This suggests that the Armenian alphabet may have had a deep connection to the natural world and the cosmos and that it may have been used to encode and understand the mysteries of the universe.
The periodic table is a comprehensive and organized arrangement of chemical elements, which are the basic building blocks of matter. It is arranged according to atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, as well as electron configuration, which refers to the arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of an atom.
The atomic number of a chemical element is a fundamental property that determines the identity and characteristics of the element. It is defined as the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom of the element, and it is an important factor in determining the behavior and properties of the element.
For example, the chemical element gold, represented by the symbol Au in the periodic table, has an atomic number of 79. This means that the atoms of gold contain 79 protons in their nucleus. The atomic number of an element is fixed and cannot be changed, and it is used to differentiate one element from another.
In Armenian, each letter of the alphabet is assigned a number.
The word "Gold" in Old Armenian, "Voski," is made up of the letters ՈՍԿԻ. These letters correspond to the 24th, 29th, 15th, and 11th letters of the Armenian alphabet, respectively. If we add these numbers together (24+29+15+11=79), we get the atomic number for the chemical element gold (Au) on the periodic table. This is an interesting coincidence, as the sum of the numerical values of the letters in the Armenian word for gold equals the atomic number of gold.
This may seem like just a coincidence, but there may be more to it than that. It's possible that this connection between the numerical values of the letters in the Armenian word for gold and the atomic number of gold is not just a coincidence. It appears to hold for all of the seven metals that were known in antiquity. This suggests that there may be a systematic connection between the Armenian alphabet and the periodic table of elements, at least for these particular metals.
Connections to Hermeticism
In the tradition of Hermeticism, metals have a symbolic and spiritual significance. Hermeticism is a philosophical and religious tradition based on the teachings of the ancient Egyptian god Hermes Trismegistus, who was revered as a patron of alchemy, astrology, and other esoteric arts.
In Hermeticism, metals are believed to be imbued with unique properties and energies that can be harnessed for spiritual and personal growth. Each metal is associated with a particular planet and elemental force, and it is believed that the properties of a metal can be used to evoke the energies and qualities of the corresponding planet and element.
For example, gold is associated with the sun and the element of fire, and it is believed to be a powerful metal that can be used to invoke the energies of the sun and bring warmth, light, and illumination to the soul. Similarly, silver is associated with the moon and the element of water, and it is believed to be a soothing metal that can help to balance and harmonize emotions.
In the tradition of Hermeticism, metals are often used in rituals, meditations, and other spiritual practices to tap into the energies and properties of the corresponding planets and elements. They are also used as symbols and talismans to help focus the mind and invoke the desired energies and qualities.
Overall, the relationship between the Armenian alphabet and the metals of antiquity is an interesting and intriguing aspect of the history and symbolism of the Armenian language and culture. It’s just another clue in the trail I’ve picked up to see if the ancient Armenians were one of the key civilizations that brought magic and, eventually, science to the world.
Just like the Iranian language isn’t “Persian”—it’s Farsi.