The Aralez, the Dogs Who Heal
In Armenian myth, winged dog spirits came down from the sky to lick the wounds of fallen warriors, and bring them back to life.
What was reported
The aralez are spirits of Armenian mythology, often imagined as winged dogs, who live in the sky. When warriors fell in battle, they descended and licked their wounds, healing them or raising them from the dead.
In the legend of Ara the Beautiful, the Assyrian queen Semiramis, who desired the Armenian king, made war on him and he was killed. She is said to have laid his body out for the aralez to restore.
Explanations offered
The aralez are a figure of ancient Armenian myth, recorded by the historian Movses Khorenatsi. Armenia's large native sheepdog, the gampr, is sometimes linked with them, and the name is used for Armenian military and sporting units.
- When
- Told since ancient times
- Where
- Ararat plain, Armenia
- Witnesses
- Armenian myth
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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