Editing Hayk (section)

== Legend ==
[[File:Mkrtum Hovnatanian. Hayk Nahapet.jpeg|thumb|right|''Hayk'' by Mkrtum Hovnatanian (1779–1846). Hayk is depicted standing next to the tomb of Bel, with his arrow still in Bel's chest. In the background is [[Mount Ararat]], with [[Noah's Ark]] on its peak. The map at his feet depicts Armenia.]]{{Quote box
| quote = Hayk was a handsome, friendly man, with curly hair, sparkling eyes, and strong arms. He was a man of giant stature, a mighty archer and fearless warrior. Hayk and his people, from the time of their forefathers [[Noah]] and [[Japheth]], had migrated south toward the warmer lands near Babylon. In that land there ruled a wicked giant, Bel. Bel tried to impose his tyranny upon Hayk's people. But proud Hayk refused to submit to Bel. As soon as his son Aramaniak was born, Hayk rose up and led his people northward into the land of [[Ayrarat|Ararad]]. At the foot of the mountain he built a village and gave it his name, calling Haykashen.
| author = Moses of Chorene
| source = ''History of Armenia'' I.10–12
| align = left
| width = 31%
}}
According to the accounts of [[Movses Khorenatsi]] and the anonymous ''Primary History'', Hayk fought against and killed the tyrannical Babylonian king Bel ([[Belus (Babylonian)|Belos]], Belus). Depending on the mythological tradition, [[Belus (Babylonian)|Belus]] can refer to a symbolic Babylonian/Akkadian god of war or mythical founder of Babylon.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Russell L.L.D. |first=Rev. Michael |title=A Connection of Sacred and Profane History |publisher=William Tegg |year=1865 |pages=334}}</ref> Moses identifies Bel with the biblical [[Nimrod]] and gives a list of his ancestors and successors, drawing from the Bible and [[Abydenus]] via [[Eusebius|Eusebius's]] works.{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|p=73}}

In Movses Khorenatsi's account (which he claims to have learned from [[Mar Abas Katina|Mar Abas Catina]]'s writings), Hayk, son of [[Togarmah|Torgom]], had a child named Aramaneak while he was living in [[Babylon]]. After the arrogant [[Titans|Titanid]] Bel made himself king over all, Hayk emigrated to the region near [[Mount Ararat]] with his extended family, servants, followers and about 300 warriors and founded a village called ''Haykashen''.{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|p=85}}<ref>Movses Khorenatsi, ''History of Armenia''. Ed. by G. Sargsyan. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1997, pp. 83, 286.</ref> On the way he had left a detachment in another settlement with his grandson Kadmos. Bel sent one of his sons to entreat him to return, but Hayk refused. Bel decided to march against him with a massive force, but Hayk was warned ahead of time by Kadmos of his pending approach. He assembled his own army along the shore of [[Lake Van]] and told them that they must defeat and kill Bel, or die trying to do so, rather than become his slaves.{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|pp=87–88}}

[[File:Hayk defeats Bel - Guiliano Zasso.jpg|thumb|left|Hayk defeats Bel with an arrow.]]
Moses writes that the armies of Hayk and Bel clashed near Lake Van "in a plain between very high mountains."{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|pp=87–88}} King Bel was initially in the [[vanguard]], but seeing that the outcome of the battle was uncertain, he withdrew to a hill to await the arrival of the rest of his army.{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|pp=87–88}} Seeing this, Hayk slew Bel with a nearly impossible shot using his long bow, sending the king's forces into disarray.{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|pp=87–88}} Hayk named the hill where Bel fell with his warriors ''Gerezmankʻ'', meaning "tombs".{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|pp=87–88}} He embalmed the corpse of Bel and ordered it to be taken to Hark‘ where it was to be buried in a high place in the view of the wives and sons of the king.{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|pp=87–88}} Soon after, Hayk established the fortress or settlement (''dastakert'') of Haykʻ or [[Çavuştepe|Haykaberd]] at the site of the battle, which, Movses Khorenatsi says, is why the district is called [[Eruandunik|Hayotsʻ Dzor]] ("The Valley of the Armenians")<ref>''[[History of Armenia (Moses of Chorene)|History]]'' 1.11; a district to the southeast of Lake Van, see Hubschmann, AON, p. 343</ref> and the country of the Armenians is called ''Hayk‘''.{{Sfn|Moses Khorenatsʻi|Thomson|1978|pp=87–88}}

[[File:Hayk and Bel.jpg|thumb|Battle of Hayk and Bell by [[Josef Rotter]]]]
The 18th- and 19th-century scholars [[Ghevont Alishan]] and [[Mikayel Chamchian]], using different methods, calculated the date of the [[Battle of Hayots Dzor (2492 BC)|mythical battle]] (also known as the ''Dyutsaznamart'', {{langx|hy|Դյուցազնամարտ}}, "Battle of the Giants") between Hayk and Bel to have been August 11, 2492 BCE or 2107 BCE, respectively.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kosyan |first=Aram |date=2019 |title=First Haykides and the «House of Torgom» |url=https://arar.sci.am/dlibra/publication/287948/edition/264411/content |journal=Fundamental Armenology |volume=2 |issue=10 |page=95 |via=Pan-Armenian Digital Library}}</ref>