The Armenian Parable "Zoroaster's Laughter" and the Plot of Zoroaster's Birth in the Literary Traditions

Abstract

In the Collections of Vardan's Parables by the Annenian fabulist Vardan Aygelcc'i published by Nicolas Marr in St. Petersburg, 1894-1899. we found a parable titled laughter. It turned out to be one of the most uncommon allusions to the Ancient iranian Prophet Zoroaster in the Armenian literature (apart from the writings by Movses Khorenac'i, Eghishe, Eznik and Towmay Arcruni. - Jackson 1899, pp. 274-278). The parable laughter has never been translated into foreign languages, it has never been studied and remains unknown to most researchers. The N. Marr's edition contains the Armenian text only, no mention being made of it in the research section of the work. Neither has the parable been included into the fable collections by Mkhitar Gosh, Vardan Aygekc'i and Olompian published in Russian translation by Joseph Orbeli (Orbeli). The parable features a famous plot on the miraculous and uncommon birth of the old Iranian Prophet Zoroaster. Related descriptions of Zoroaster's birth are contained not only in the Iranian literary sources: in the Zoroastrian Middle Persian writings Denkard and Vizidagihai Zadspram, in the New Persian Zoroastrian poem Zaratu?t-Nama, in the book Dabistan, but also in the writings by the Muslim authors Muhammad Sahristani and Mirkhond. The unusual birth of Zoroaster is also reported in the Classic sources: in Natural History by Plinius Secundus, in the City of God by Aurelius Augustinus. And, finally, the miraculous birth of Jesus are described in a resembling manner in the apocryphal gospels: the Arab Gospel of the Saviour's Childhood, in the Protogospel by James and in the Gospel by Thomas on the Childhood of Jesus. The Armenian parable laughter is a substantial supplement to this list, and can undoubtedly be of great interest for a large community of experts on the Iranian culture and