Armenian Folk Beliefs, by Manuk Abeghyan.

Armenian Mythology, by Mardiros H. Ananikian. From The Mythology of All Races Volume VII (New York, 1925).

The Eight Sanctuaries of Pagan Armenia, by A. Carriere (Paris, 1899).
David of Sassoun, Armenian epic, translated by Artin K. Shalian (New York, 1964).
A Bibliography of Armenian Folklore, by Margit Abeghian Hazarabedian. From the journal Armenian Review, volume 39, Autumn 3(1986), pp. 32-54.

Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Persian epic, translated by Helen Zimmern (1883).
Analogies in Iranian and Armenian Folklore, by Eugene Wilhelm. From the Spiegel Memorial Volume (Bombay, 1908) pp. 65-83.

Soma among the Armenians, by Robert Bedrosian (2000).
Eastern Asia Minor and the Caucasus in Ancient Mythologies, by Robert Bedrosian (1993).

Demons and Spirits, entry from the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (New York, 1922), volume 4, pp. 565-636. Multiple authors on numerous cultures. 72 pdf pages. Download here: Demons and Spirits.

Magic, entry from the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (New York, 1916), volume 8, pp. 245-321. Multiple authors on numerous cultures. 78 pdf pages. Download here: Magic.

Search Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature
(Bloomington, Indiana, 1955-1958) at ruthenia.ru/folklore

Bibliography and Abbreviations for the Motif-Index

Download Sumerian Mythology, by Samuel Noah Kramer (Philadelphia, 1944, revised 1961). 93 pdf pages. Download here: Sumerian Mythology.

Hittite/Hurrian Mythology, by Christopher B. Siren.

Urartian and Armenian deities from M. Kavoukjian's Armenia, Subartu and Sumer (Montreal, 1987).

The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, by Morris Jastrow. File size: 2.26 MB.

Myths of Babylonia and Assyria, by Donald A. Mackenzie. File size: 1.48 MB. Also at sacred-texts.com, Myths of Babylonia and Assyria.

Download Myths of Babylonia and Assyria, by Donald A. Mackenzie (London, 1915), 663 searchable pdf pages. Download here: Myths of Babylonia and Assyria. File size: 50.1 MB.

Download The Reports of the Magicians and Astrologers of Nineveh and Babylon in the British Museum, by R. Campbell Thompson: volume 2, English translations, vocabulary, etc. (London, 1900), 256 pdf pages. File size: 11.9 MB.

Download The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia, by R. Campbell Thompson: Both volumes contain English translations, vocabulary, etc. volume 1, (London, 1903), 290 pdf pages. File size: 7.7 MB; volume 2, (London, 1904), 248 pdf pages. File size: 5.7 MB.

Egyptian Magic, by E. A. Wallis Budge, at sacred-texts.com

Download Egyptian Magic, by E. A. Wallis Budge (London, 1899). 264 pdf pages. Download here: Egyptian Magic. File size: 10.0 MB.

Download Legends of the Gods, by E. A. Wallis Budge (London, 1912). Egyptian texts edited with English translations. 198 searchable pdf pages. Download here: Legends of the Gods File size: 1.9 MB.

Myths of Crete and Pre-Hellenic Europe, by Donald A. Mackenzie, at sacred-texts.com

From Encyclopaedia Iranica, multiple authors:

Entries about demons.
Entries about the supernatural.

Search Encyclopaedia Iranica

The Zoroastrian Religion in Armenia by Mardiros Ananikian, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 1 (1908), pp. 794-802. This article describes Zoroastrianism in Armenia and some Armenian myths, customs, and folklore associated with it.

The Republic, Book 10, 613-621, by Plato (ca. 429-347 B.C.) contains the story of Er, son of Armenius, believed to be an echo of the Armenian story of Ara. The Armenian legend of Ara is available in The Primary History of Armenia.

Download "Two Essays on Semiramis," a pdf file containing two short essays about the deity, mythical and/or historical figure called Semiramis or Shamiram: "The Semiramis Legend" by W. Robertson Smith (English Historical Review (1887) pp. 303-337 and "The Legend of Semiramis" by A. H. Sayce (EHR (1888) pp. 104-113). Discussions of classical and Mesopotamian legends about this woman to whom were attributed numerous cyclopean structures by the Euphrates, Lake Van, and in Iran; description of her cult in Nineveh and in Syrian Hierapolis (Bambyce, Mabbog). Download here: Two Essays on Semiramis. 25 pdf pages. File size: 3.0 MB.

Download Semitic Magic, Its Origins and Development, by R. Campbell Thompson (London, 1908), 364 pdf pages. Download here: Semitic Magic. File size: 22.2 MB.

Download Mythology among the Hebrews and its Historical Development, by Ignaz Goldhizer (London, 1877), 553 pdf pages. Download here: Mythology among the Hebrews and its Historical Development. File size: 16.7 MB.

El's Abode: Mythological Traditions Related to Mount Hermon and to the Mountains of Armenia, by E. Lipinski.

References to Eastern Asia Minor in the Bible, by Robert Bedrosian.

Download from archive.org, various formats available:

Folklore in the Old Testament vol. 1 by James G. Frazer.
Folklore in the Old Testament vol. 2 by James G. Frazer.
Folklore in the Old Testament vol. 3 by James G. Frazer.

Old Testament Legends, by M. R. James (London, 1913).

Download M. R. James' Old Testament Legends from archive. org. Various formats available. Download here: Old Testament Legends.

Folk-lore of the Holy Land, by J. E. Hanauer (1907), at sacred-texts.com

Download Louis Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews (Philadelphia, 1911-1918):

volume 1. Creation to Jacob. File size: 5.4 MB.
volume 2. Joseph to Moses. File size: 4.4 MB.
volume 3. Exodus to the death of Moses. File size: 7.4 MB.
volume 4. Joshua to Esther. File size: 6.1 MB.

Download "The Demonology of the New Testament," a study by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, which was serialized in four parts in the Jewish Quarterly (1896-1897). Download here: The Demonology of the New Testament. File size: 9.6 MB.

Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism, by Franz Cumont, at sacred-texts.
The Mysteries of Mithraism, by Franz Cumont, at sacred-texts.
Astrology and Religion among the Greeks and Romans, by Franz Cumont, at sacred-texts.

Download Astrology and Religion among the Greeks and Romans, by Franz Cumont. Six lectures: 1. Chaldeans; 2. Babylonia and Greece; 3. Dissemination in the West; 4. Theology; 5. Astral mysticism. Ethics and Cult; 6. Eschatology. Download here: Astrology and Religion among the Greeks and Romans. 252 pdf pages. File size: 6.0 MB.

Download "The Development of Paganism in the Roman Empire." This study, which appeared as Chapter 12 in Volume 12 of the Cambridge Ancient History [The Imperial Crisis and Recovery A. D. 193-324] (Cambridge, 1939), was written by the historian and theologian A. D. Nock. Chapter 12 "The Development of Paganism in the Roman Empire" includes: 1. Introduction; 2. Official Religion; 3. The Eastern Provinces; 4. The Western Provinces; 5. Tendencies in Popular Piety; 6. Paganism in Thought; 7. Oriental Cults and Christianity; 8. Conclusion. Includes Title Page, Table of Contents, Chapter 12 (pp. 409-449), and the Bibliography for Chapter 12 in 51 pdf pages. Unfortunately, page 421 is missing. Download here: The Development of Paganism in the Roman Empire. 51 pdf pages. File size: 17.8 MB.

Isis and Osiris, by Plutarch (1st-2nd century A.D), at LacusCurtius.

Download Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, by E. A. Wallis Budge in two volumes, (London, 1911): volume 1, 449 pdf pages. File size: 14.4 MB; volume 2, 460 pdf pages. File size: 21.7 MB.

Download The Serpent Myths of Ancient Egypt, by W. R. Cooper (London, 1873). Download here: The Serpent Myths of Ancient Egypt. 111 pdf pages. File size: 2.5 MB.

Egyptian Mythology and Egyptian Christianity, by Samuel Sharpe, at sacred-texts.com

The Syrian Goddess, by Lucian of Samosata (2nd century A.D.), at sacred-texts.com

The Golden Ass/Metamorphoses, by Lucius Apuleius (2nd century A.D.). This is the only Latin novel to survive intact. Full of amusing folk tales, it is also "the only surviving work of literature from the ancient Greco-Roman world to examine, from a first-hand perspective, the abhorrent condition of the lower classes" (Wikipedia article). Contains several references to the area of our interest. At sacred-texts.

Life of Apollonius of Tyana, by Flavius Philostratus (third century A.D.), translated by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, at sacred-texts.com

Download F. C. Conybeare's translation of the Life of Apollonius of Tyana: volume 1 (London, 1912), 618 pdf pages, File size: 20.9 MB; volume 2 (London, 1912), 640 pdf pages. File size: 21.2 MB.

Magical Elements in the Avesta and Nerang Literature, by Antonio Panaino, at Encyclopaedia Iranica.

Gnosticism, by Kurt Rudolph at Encyclopaedia Iranica.

Manichaeism and Its Iranian Background, by George Widengren (Cambridge, 1983).

The Book of Giants, by W. B. Henning. A fragmentary Manichean text, at sacred-texts.com

Entries on Manichaeism/Manicheism at Encyclopaedia Iranica:

General Survey, by Werner Sundermann.
The Manichean Pantheon, by Werner Sundermann.
Cosmogony and Cosmology in Manicheism, by Werner Sundermann.
Buddhist Elements in Manicheism, by P. Bryder.
Mithra in Manicheism, by Werner Sundermann.
Missionary Activity and Technique, by Werner Sundermann.

Khorammis, by Patricia Crone at Encyclopaedia Iranica.

Magic in [Persian] Literature and Folklore in the Islamic Period, by Mahmud Ormidsalar at Encyclopaedia Iranica.

Download F. C. Conybeare's article "The Survival of Animal Sacrifices inside the Christian Church," from The American Journal of Theology, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan., 1903), pp. 62-90. Focus is on the Armenian Church. Download here: The Survival of Animal Sacrifices inside the Christian Church.

The Syriac Factor in the Development of Armenian Christianity and the Early Sects, by Seta B. Dadoyan.

Download "Armenian Paulicianism and the Key of Truth." This study, which appeared in the American Journal of Theology 10 (1906) pp. 267-285, was written by the historian and theologian Leon Arpee. It is an analysis of information found in Greek and Armenian historical and ecclesiastical sources about the Paulicians, dissident iconoclastic Christians of Western Armenia. Hated and persecuted by both the Greek and Armenian Church establishments and savaged by the Byzantine military, the Paulicians in the 9th century made common cause with the Muslims. They were a power to be reckoned with, doctrinally and militarily, and were never destroyed as an ideological current. Mystical Sufism and extremist (ghulat) Shiism were to develop and thrive in the same geographical area once controlled by the Paulicians. Deported to the Balkans, some Paulicians founded kindred movements such as the Bogomils, and may have had an influence on the development of Protestantism in Europe. The Key of Truth, the Paulicians' only surviving work of doctrine, is examined in detail. 21 pdf pages. Download here: Armenian Paulicianism and the Key of Truth. File size: 2.5 MB.

The Paulicians and the Muslim Factor, by Seta B. Dadoyan.

Download The Key of Truth, a Manual of the Paulician Church of Armenia. Introduction, English translation, Armenian text, and scholarly notes by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare (London, 1898). 412 pdf pages. Download here: The Key of Truth. File size: 21.6 MB.

Download Die Paulikianer im Byantinischen Kaiserreiche.., by Karapet Ter-Mkrttschian (Leipzig, 1893). Download here: Die Paulikianer im Byantinischen Kaiserreiche. 186 pdf pages. File size: 4.4 MB.

Armenia and Armenians in the Byzantine Epic [Digenes Akritas], by Hratch Bartikian.

Armenian Elements in the Beliefs of the Kizilbash Kurds, by Matti Moosa.

Pagan, Christian, and Islamic Elements in the Beliefs of the Ghulat, by Matti Moosa.

Hamshen before Hemshin: the prelude to Islamicization, by Hovann H. Simonian.

For more on the Hemshin, see also:
   Selected Writings of Hovann H. Simonian.

Download Christianity and Islam under the Sultans, by F. W. Hasluck. Invaluable material on the folklore of Asia Minor: volume 1, (Oxford, 1929), 439 pdf pages. File size: 17.3 MB; volume 2, (Oxford, 1929), 544 pdf pages. File size: 32.6 MB.

Download Heterodox Tribes of Asia Minor, by F. W. Hasluck. This article appeared in The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 51 (1921) pp. 310-342. 34 pdf pages. Download here: Heterodox Tribes of Asia Minor. File size: 4.4 MB.

Download Prolegomena to the Study of the Kurds, by Garnik Asatrian. This article appeared in the journal Iran and the Caucasus 13(2009), pp. 1-58. 57 pdf pages. Download here: Prolegomena to the Study of the Kurds. File size: 2.4 MB.

Ahl-i Hakk, by Vladimir Minorsky. In this Encyclopedia of Islam entry, Minorsky discusses a heterodox religious faith practised in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, northern Mesopotamia, and western Iran.

Sultan Sahak: Founder of the Ahl-i Haqq, by Matti Moosa.

Download The Influence of Animism on Islam, an Account of Popular Superstitions, by Samuel Marinus Zwemer (New York, 1920), 289 pdf pages. Download here: The Influence of Animism on Islam. File size: 7.5 MB.

Download Survivals of Primitive Religion among the People of Asia Minor, by G. E. White. This article appeared in the Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute, volume XXXIX (London, 1907), pp. 146-166. Download here: Survivals of Primitive Religion among the People of Asia Minor. 27 pdf pages, some plates.

Download The Shia Turks, by G. E. White. This article appeared in the Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute, volume XL (London, 1908), pp. 225-239. Download here: The Shia Turks. 17 pdf pages, one plate.

Download Some Non-Conforming Turks, by G. E. White. This article appeared in The Moslem World, volume VIII (New York, 1918), pp. 242-248. Download here: Some Non-Conforming Turks. 10 pdf pages.

Download Saint Worship in Turkey, by G. E. White. This article appeared in The Moslem World, volume IX (New York, 1919), pp. 8-18. Download here: Saint Worship in Turkey. 13 pdf pages.

Download Evil Spirits and the Evil Eye in Turkish Lore, by G. E. White. This article appeared in The Moslem World, volume IX (New York, 1919), pp. 179-186. Download here: Evil Spirits and the Evil Eye in Turkish Lore. 10 pdf pages.

Download Histoire et religion des Nosairis, par René Dussaud (Paris, 1900). 446 pdf pages. Download here: Histoire et religion des Nosairis. File size: 13 MB.

Download Mysteries of the Nusairian Religion..., by Sulaiman Effendi of Adhanah. Edward E. Salisbury, translator. This is a translation of Sulaiman's Kitab al-Bakura al-Sulaymaniyya, which appeared in the Journal of the American Oriental Society, volume 8 (1866), pp. 227-308. 85 pdf pages. Download here: Mysteries of the Nusairian Religion. File size: 3.9 MB.

The Druze and Other Shiite Ghulat Sects: A Comparative Perspective, by Matti Moosa.

Devil Worship, the Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz, by Isya Joseph (Boston, 1919) at sacred-texts.com

Download Devil Worship, the Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz, by Isya Joseph (Boston, 1919), 232 searchable pdf pages. Download here: Devil Worship. File size: 6.6 MB.

Download The Women of Turkey and Their Folklore, by Lucy M. J. Garnett (London, 1890), volume 1 [Christian and Jewish Women]. 1118 pdf pages. Download here: The Women of Turkey and Their Folklore. File size: 25.4 MB.

Download Customs and Manners of the Women of Persia and Their Domestic Superstitions, by James Atkinson (London, 1832). 124 pdf pages. Download here: Customs and Manners of the Women of Persia. File size: 3.9 MB.

Download Persian Life and Customs, by S. G. Wilson (New York, 1900). 367 pdf pages. Download here: Persian Life and Customs. File size: 6.8 MB.

Ethnobotanica

Gods and Plants in the Classical World, by Carl A. P. Ruck.

The History of the Poppy and of Opium and Their Expansion in Antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean Area, by P. G. Kritikos and S. P. Papadaki.

Soma among the Armenians, by Robert Bedrosian.

The Sacred Narcotic Water Lily of the Nile: Nymphaea caerulea Sav., by William A. Emboden, Jr.

From Encyclopaedia Iranica, multiple authors: Entries on Botany, Flora, and Herbs.

Download Hashish in Islam in the 9th to 18th Century, by Gabriel G. Nahas. From the Bulletin of the N.Y. Academy of Medicine 1982 December; 58(9), pp. 814-831. Download here: Hashish in Islam in the 9th to 18th Century.

Folk-lore of Plants, by T. F. Thiselton-Dyer.

Download The Divine Origin of the Craft of the Herbalist, by E. A. Wallis Budge (London, 1928). Topics include: The old gods as herbalists and their divine medicines; the divine herbalists; water a divine element; vegetable substances of divine origin; ancient Egyptian herbals and books of medicine; holy oils and medicated unguents; Sumerian and Assyrian herbals; the Greek herbals; the Latin herbals; the herbal in Syriac; the herbal in Arabic; Coptic lists of plants; the Ethiopian (Abyssinian) herbal. 106 pdf pages. Download here: The Divine Origin of the Craft of the Herbalist. File size: 6.5 MB.

Download Enquiry on Plants, by Theophrastus (c. 371- c. 287 B.C.), translated by Arthur Hort in two volumes (New York, 1916): volume 1, 517 pdf pages. File size: 7.8 MB; volume 2, 526 pdf pages. File size: 8.7 MB.

Download Natural History, by Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.), translated by John Bostock in six volumes (London, 1855). Volumes 3, 4, and 5 in particular deal with plants:

volume 1, 538 pdf pages. File size: 21.9 MB. Stars, planets, aerial phenomena, world geography;

volume 2, 589 pdf pages. File size: 19.1 MB. Geography continued, humanity, life cycles, terrestrial animals, fish, birds;

volume 3, 565 pdf pages. File size: 19.3 MB. Insects, trees;

volume 4, 551 pdf pages. File size: 19.0 MB. Grains, plants, remedies from plants, flowers, properties of plants and fruits, remedies from cultivated trees;

volume 5, 588 pdf pages. File size: 24.6 MB. Remedies from forest trees, wild plants, remedies classified by disease, remedies from living creatures, remedies from waters;

volume 6 [includes General Index], 562 pdf pages. File size: 19.9 MB. Remedies from aquatic animals, history of metals, history of paintings and colors, stones, and precious stones.

Star-Names and Their Meanings, by Richard Hinckley Allen, at LacusCurtius.

Download Star Names and Their Meanings, by Richard Hinckley Allen (London, 1899). 599 pdf pages. Download here: Star Names and Their Meanings. File size: 16.5 MB.

Download The Magic of Jewels and Charms, by George Frederick Kunz (Philadelphia, 1915). 566 pdf pages. Download here: The Magic of Jewels and Charms. File size: 16.3 MB.

Numbers: Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues, by W. Wynn Westcott, at sacred-texts-com

Download Numbers: Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues, by W. Wynn Westcott (London, 1911), 136 searchable pdf pages. Download here: Numbers: Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues. File size: 6.3 MB.

Collections of Tales

Downloads:

The Panchatantra, translated from Sanskrit by Arthur W. Ryder (Chicago, 1925). Contains some of the world's oldest folk tales, stories which were also current in ancient Egypt. Tales from the Panchatantra appear in later collections such as the Middle Eastern Kalila and Dimna, and One Thousand and One Nights. 484 pdf pages. File size: 26.4 MB.

Popular Tales of Ancient Egypt, collected and edited by Gaston Maspero, translated by C. H. W. Johns (New York, 1915). 432 pdf pages. File size: 10.5 MB

The Story of Ahikar, from the Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Old Turkish, Greek and Slavonic Versions, by F. C. Conybeare, J. Rendel Harris, and Agnes Smith Lewis (Glasgow, 1898). English translations and texts of this wonderful tale in the aforementioned languages. The Story of Ahikar was one of the earliest works translated into Armenian, possibly the work of Mesrop or Sahak. File size: 5.5 MB.

Kalila and Dimna, or the Tales of Bidpai, translated from Arabic by Wyndham Knatchbull (Oxford, 1819). 389 pdf pages. File size: 10 MB.

Contes arméniens, traduits de l'arménien moderne par Frédéric Macler (Paris, 1905). The tales are translated selections from Garegin Sruandzeants' collection in Hamov Hodov [Delicious and Fragrant]. 214 pdf pages. File size: 2.6 MB.

Notes sur la mythologie arménienne par Minas Tcheraz, in Transactions of the Ninth International Congress of Orientalists (London, 1893) volume 2, pp. 822-845. Contains material collected by the author in Asia Minor. Topics include: Fire, Arev, Loussounga, Askh, Akhbour, L'Euphrate, Abres Sacres, Dragon, Cult des Ancetres, Kichermout, La Fille d'Alexandre, Magie, Vetzazarya, Les Devs, Les Peris, Al, Khebelig, Khederellee, Grogh, Gaghend, Derendas, Choudig, Gudjug, Chevod, Khondjolos. 26 pdf pages. 2.4 MB.

Histoire de Pharmani Asman traduite de l'arménien par Frédéric Macler (Paris, 1906). 54 pdf pages. File size: 1.8 MB.

Notes de mythologie syrienne, par René Dussaud (Paris, 1903). 210 pdf pages. File size: 9 MB.

Contes syriaques traduits de l'syriaques par Frédéric Macler (Paris, 1903). Histoire de Sindban. 115 pdf pages. File size: 2.8 MB.

The Book of Sindibad, from the Persian and Arabic, by W. A. Clouston (London, 1884). 460 pdf pages. File size: 8.1 MB.

The Bakhtyar Nama, a Persian Romance, William Ouseley (trans.) and W. A. Clouston, editor (London, 1883). 297 pdf pages. File size: 4.8 MB.

Flowers from a Persian Garden and Other Papers, by W. A. Clouston (London, 1890). Middle Eastern tales and legends, including unusual Biblical and Rabbinical tales. 395 pdf pages. File size: 6.4 MB.

Persian Tales, collected and translated from Kermani and Bakhtiari by D. L. R. Lorimer and E. O. Lorimer (London, 1919), 436 pdf pages. File size: 8.8 MB.

Popular Tales and Fictions, their Migrations and Transformations, by W. A. Clouston (London, 1907). In two volumes: volume 1, 512 pdf pages. File size: 15.3 MB; volume 2, 532 pdf pages. File size: 15.9 MB.

Turkish Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, collected by I. Kunos (London, 1896), R. Nisbet Bain, translator. 319 pdf pages. File size: 6.8 MB.

Traditions populaires de l'Asie Mineure, par E. H. Carnoy et Jean Nicolaides (Paris, 1889), 398 pdf pages. This is tome XXVIII in the series Les littératures populaires de toutes les nations. File size: 5.2 MB.

The Golden Maiden and other folk tales and fairy stories told in Armenia, by A. G. Seklemian (New York, 1898). The tales are drawn from Sruandzeants' collections Hamov Hodov [Delicious and Fragrant], Mananay [Manna], and Seklemian's own collection made in the Karin/Ezerum area. 260 pdf pages. File size: 4.4 MB.

Armenian Legends and Festivals, by Louis A. Boettiger (Minneapolis, 1920). 117 pdf pages. File size: 3.6 MB.

Armenian Proverbs and Sayings, translated into English by Kevork Bayan (Venice, 1889). 73 pdf pages. File size: 1.2 MB.

Armenian Popular Songs, translated into English by Levon (Ghewond) Alishan (Venice, 1891). 101 pdf pages. Armenian text with English translation of songs, some of which date from the Middle Ages and have historic and folkloric value. File size: 1.7 MB.

Märchen und Sagen der Bukowinaer und Siebenbürger Armenier, by Heinrich von Wlislocki (Hamburg, 1891), 210 pdf pages. File size: 4.5 MB.

Sborniki pritch Vardana [Zhoghovatsoyk' ar'akay Vardanay/Collections of the Fables of Vardan] (Petersburg, 1899). This is the Classical Armenian text of the medieval fables of Vardan Aygekts'i (ca. 1170 - 1235), with a study and Russian translation by N. Marr. 1306 pdf pages. File size: 45.9 MB.

Choix fables de Vartan [Hate"ntir ar'akk' Vardanay vardapeti] (Paris, 1825). Classical Armenian text and French translation of forty-five of Vardan's fables. 115 pdf pages. File size: 2.6 MB.

Armenian Legends and Poems, by Zabelle C. Boyajian (1916), at sacred-texts.com

The Fables of Mxit'ar Gosh, by the late 12th to early 13th century Armenian vardapet and teacher.

The Fables of Aesop, at sacred-texts.com

One Thousand and One Nights, Richard F. Burton, translator.

The Laughable Stories of Bar-Hebraeus Collected by Mar Gregory John Bar-Hebraeus, Maphrian of the East from A.D, 1264 to 1286. English translation of the Syriac text by E. A. W. Budge, (London, 1897). At sacred-texts.com

Download The Laughable Stories of Bar-Hebraeus, Syriac text edited with an English translation by E. A. W. Budge, (London, 1897). 408 pdf pages. Download here: The Laughable Stories of Bar-Hebraeus. File Size: 16.7 MB.

Download The Wonders of the East [Mirabilia Descripta], by Friar Jordanus (ca. 1330) (London, 1863). This is volume 31 of the Hakluyt Society publications, translated from Latin by Henry Yule. Jordanus, a missionary who resided in India for some 20 years, narrates marvels and wonders he either saw, thought he saw, or heard about during his travels. Chapters on wonders in Armenia, Georgia, Arran, Mughan, Persia, Turkey, India, Arabia, Central Asia and elsewhere. Fascinating and highly entertaining. 113 pdf pages. Download here: Wonders of the East. File size: 2.8 MB.

Download Travellers' Tales, a Book of Marvels, by H. C. Adams (London, 1883). The author has collected some astounding examples of strangeness: ancient, medieval, and modern, reported by travellers from Herodotus to Baron von Haxthausen. Categories include people, beasts, fish, insects, plants, monsters, lands, customs, and more. 403 pdf pages. Download here: Travellers' Tales, a Book of Marvels. File size: 9.8 MB.

Gypsy Folk Tales, by Francis Hindes Groome (London, 1899) at sacred-texts.com

Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales, by Ignacz Kunos (London, 1913) at sacred-texts.com

Georgian Folk Tales, translated by Marjory Wardrop (London, 1894) at sacred-texts.com

Download Georgian Folk Tales translated by Marjory Wardrop (London, 1894), 200 pdf pages. Download here: Georgian Folk Tales. File size: 3.3 MB.

The Man in the Panther's Skin, by Shota Rustaveli (1172-1216) translated by Marjory Wardrop (London, 1912), is Georgia's national epic. Also at sacred-texts.com: The Man in the Panther's Skin.

The only freely available and complete English translation of Iran's magnificent epic, the Shahnameh/Shahnama or Book of Kings, was done by the brothers Arthur and Edmond Warner. The Warners' enormous translation was published in nine volumes between 1905 and 1925. Although in verse, most sections also have prose explanations and good notes.

Download the Shahnameh:

volume 1. File size: 12.5 MB;
volume 2. File size: 17.4 MB;
volume 3. File size: 13.0 MB;
volume 4. File size: 13.2 MB;
volume 5. File size: 12.2 MB;
volume 6. File size: 15.2 MB;
volume 7. File size: 23.1 MB;
volume 8. File size: 18.0 MB;
volume 9. File size: 17.2 MB.

Download the Sharaf-nameh:

volume 1-1. File size: 31.5 MB;
volume 1-2. File size: 18.0 MB;
volume 2-1. File size: 19.9 MB;
volume 2-2. File size: 27.8 MB.

Downloads:

Toros Aghbar [Brother Toros], by Garegin Sruandzeants'/Karekin Servantsian, a renowned Armenian folklorist and ethnographer (1840-1892). The download includes vol. 1 (Constantinople, 1879), and vol. 2 (Constantinople, 1884). This massive study of Armenian-populated areas of western historical Armenia and Turkey is subtitled "Hayastani Chambord" (Traveller of Armenia). The author travelled throughout Asia Minor visiting Armenian communities in Samson, Bafra, Sinope, Marzuan, Amasia, Zile, Tokat, Sevast, Severik, Teprike, Kasmon, Akn, Arabkir, Malatya, Trabizon, Gumishane, Erznka, Kamakh, Kapan mate and Kharpert, Chimishkadsak, Palu, Tigranakert, Baghesh/Bitlis, Van, Manazkert, and elsewhere. He recorded noteworthy folk tales, legends, and riddles, and additionally described churches and monasteries, providing diocesan information and population figures for the Armenian communities. This invaluable study also describes the important monastic and church libraries and their manuscripts, and colophons. It includes drawings of Armenian cuneiform and even tattoos. 861 pdf pages. File size: 19 MB.

Mananay [Manna], by Garegin Sruandzeants' (Constantinople, 1876). Folklore and folk tales mostly from the Van area. Includes nine folk tales, songs, riddles, bird language, magic, amulets. There are also short lexicons of plant names, agricultural equipment and village vocabulary. 471 pdf pages. File size: 8.9 MB.

Hamov Hodov [Delicious and Fragrant], by Garegin Sruandzeants' (Tiflis, 1904). The ethnographer's descriptions of village life, folk tales, songs, and proverbs. Includes a lexicon for dialects. 445 pdf pages. File size: 7.3 MB.

Hay zhoghovrtakan diwts'aznakan vepe [The Armenian National Epic]. This is a study of the Armenian epic David of Sasun/Sassoun by the great ethnographer Bagrat Xalat'eants'/Khalat'iants' (Vienna, 1903) in 99 pdf pages. Azgayin matenadaran series volume #42. File size: 1.8 MB.

Irani herosnere hay zhoghovrdi me'j [Iranian Heroes among the Armenians], by Bagrat Xlat'eants'/Khalat'eants' (Paris, 1901), 94 pdf pages. File size: 2.2 MB.

Hay zhoghovrdakan arhaspelnere M. Khorenats'u Hayots' patmut'ean mej [Armenian Folk Myths in Movses Khorenats'i's History of the Armenians], by Manuk Abeghyan (Vagharshapat, 1899), 609 pdf pages. File size: 16.2 MB.

Hin hawatk' kam het'anosakan kro'nk' Hayots' [The Ancient Faith or Pagan Religion of the Armenians]. Written by the renowned 19th century polymath Levon (Ghewond) Alishan, this work has been highly praised and extensively used by mythologists and folklorists since its publication (Venice, 1910). Topics include: nature worship, worship of celestial bodies, animal worship, monsters, spirits, mythological heroes, pagan gods, magic, charms/divination, the next world, and cult objects. A major source for the folk beliefs, customs, myths, and history of the Armenian Highlands. 556 pdf pages. File size: 27.6 MB.

Hayastan yar'aj k'an zlineln Hayastan [Armenia Before Becoming Armenia], by Levon (Ghewond) Alishan, (Venice, 1904). Alishan's remarkable ideas about the prehistory of the Armenian Highlands, mostly based on the Old Testament and Armenian legends. 291 pdf pages. File size: 5.5 MB.

Haybusak [Armenian Botany], by Levon (Ghewond) Alishan (Venice, 1895). An invaluable encyclopedic work on the flora of the Armenian highlands. This massive study contains alphabetical entries for the major plants, trees, shrubs, as well as fungi. Many entries are accompanied by gorgeous, life-like drawings. There is also precious anecdotal evidence of these plants' usage by the Armenians of the 19th century and before. Latin, French, Turkish and Arabic names (the last two in Armenian characters) appear in cross-referenced indices at the back. This is a major source for the study of Armenian ethnobotany. 697 pdf pages. File size: 17.4 MB.

Sisakan, Teghagrut'iwn Siwneats' ashxarhi [Sisakan, Topography of the Land of Siwnik'] (Venice, 1893). Alishan's thorough study of the twelve districts of Siwink' in eastern historical Armenia. Topics include geography, topography, natural resources, flora, fauna, history, current conditions, customs, folklore, and much more. Lavishly illustrated with drawings, and numerous photographs unavailable elsewhere. 642 pdf pages. File size: 70.8 MB.

Arshaloys k'ristoneut'ean Hayots' [The Dawn of Christianity among the Armenians], by Levon (Ghewond) Alishan (Venice, 1901), in 304 pdf pages. File size: 4.3 MB.

Ankanon girk' hin ktakaranats' [Uncanonical Books of the Old Testament]. Sargis Hovsep'eants', editor. Classical Armenian text (Venice, 1896). File size: 8.3 MB.

English translation of the above: Uncanonical Writings of the Old Testament, translated into English from Classical Armenian manuscripts by Rev. J. Issaverdens (Venice, 1900). Includes some rarities: The Book of Adam, The History of Assaneth, The History of Moses, The Deaths of the Prophets, Concerning King Solomon, A Short History of the Prophet Elias, Concerning the Prophet Jeremiah, The Vision of Enoch the Just, The Testaments of the XII Patriarchs, The Third Book of Esdras, and Inquiries Made by the Prophet Esdras. File size: 11.5 MB.

Usumnasirut'iwnk' hin ktakarani anvawer grots' vray [Studies on the Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament], by Barsegh Sargisean (Venice, 1898), 509 pdf pages. File size: 25.6 MB.

Ankanon girk' nor ktakaranats' [Uncanonical Books of the New Testament]. Classical Armenian text, in two volumes: volume 1 (Venice, 1898), Esayi Tayets'i, editor, 553 pdf pages. File size: 7.3 MB; volume 2 (Venice, 1904), Kerovbe Chrak'ean, editor, 533 pdf pages. File size: 7.2 MB.

Ganjak. This is a study of the district of Gandzak (Kirovabad/modern Ganja), an area which frequently passed back and forth between Armenian and Aghuanian states, in the pre-Turkic period. The bulk of the study concentrates on the 19th-20th centuries when Armenians were still an important part of the population. The author, the renowned ethnographer/folklorist Ervand Lalayan (1864-1931), founded the Armenian Ethnographic Society (1901) as well as the scholarly journal Azgagrakan Handes [Ethnographic Review] (1895-1916). Topics include: 1. Historical Survey (large section on the Armenian Melik families); 2. Topography: noteworthy Armenian villages, monasteries, fortresses, German settlements, Russian Molakan settlements, Turkish villages (descriptions include population statistics); 3. Ethnography: dwellings of Armenians; clothing and ornaments; family system and customs; beliefs. This download includes both volume 1 (Tiflis, 1900) and volume 2 (Tiflis, 1901). 324 pdf pages. Some photographs by Lalayan. File size: 31. 2 MB.

Javaxk', by Ervand Lalayan, extracted from the journal Azgagrakan Handes [Ethnographic Review] volume 1 (Shushi, 1895), pp. 138-409). Topics include: 1. Historical Survey; 2. Topography; 3. Antiquities; 4. Residents; 5. Statistical information; 6. Economic Situation; 7. Popular enlightenment; 8. Dwellings of Armenian peasants; 9. Clothing and ornaments; 10. Family system and customs; 11. Beliefs. 272 pdf pages. Some photographs by Lalayan. File size: 17.8 MB.

Artsakh, by Makar Barxutareants' (Baku, 1895). An ethnographic and historico-geographical study of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh). Descriptions of physical features, natural resources, flora and fauna, villages, churches, monasteries, social institutions, and cultural life. 773 pdf pages. File size: 11.3 MB.

T'iflisets'ots' mtavor keank'e" [Intellectual Life of the Tiflis Armenians] Georg Ter Aghek'sandrean, compiler. Tiflis Armenian Book Circle, publication #22 (Tiflis, 1886). Invaluable source book for Armenian folklore. Chapters include: prayers, songs (including children's songs and games), chants, popular and bardic songs, folk tales, sayings, proverbs, riddles. 477 pdf pages. File size: 8.0 MB.

Atrpatakan, by E. Frangean/Frangian (Tiflis, 1905). An Armenian-language illustrated album showing aspects of the Armenian community of Atrpatakan (both the modern Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Iranian district of Azerbaijan) before the modern period: its history, demography (including population statistics), towns, monasteries and churches, industries, cultural and intellectual life. 321 pdf pages. File size: 12.5 MB.

Eminean azgagrakan zhoghovatsu [Emin's Ethnographic Review], vols. 1-4 (Moscow, 1901-). Publication of the Lazaryan Institute for Oriental Languages. This volume contains P'shrank' shiraki ambarnerits', collected by Agh. Mxit'areants', which is an ethnographic study divided into two parts. Part one contains folk tales, fairy tales, proverbs, sayings, and riddles from different parts of the Armenian district of Alexandropol/Shirak, many in their original dialects. Part two is a study of the customs and beliefs of Shirak 1743 pdf pages. File size: 43.8 MB.

Hin awandakan he'k'eat'ner Xotorjroy [Old Traditional Folk Tales from Xotorjur], compiled by M. Hajian/Hadjian/Hachean (Vienna, 1907), 103 pdf pages. File size: 2.7 MB.

Ulnia kam Ze'yt'un, ler'nayin awan i Kilikia [Ulnia or Zeytun, a Mountain Village in Cilicia], by H. Allahvertean (Constantinople, 1884). This invaluable ethnographic study describes the customs, beliefs, dialect, folktales, homes, clothing, and meals of Armenian Zeytun, among many other intriguing topics. It was used as a primary source by Manuk Abeghyan in his renowned dissertation Armenian Folk Beliefs. 225 pdf pages. File size: 3.5 MB.

Angir dprut'iwn ew ar'akk' [Unwritten Literature and Fables], by Vahan Ter-Minasean. In two volumes: volume 1 (Constantinople, 1893), 413 pdf pages. File size: 8.9 MB; volume 2 (Constantinople, 1904), 193 pdf pages. File size: 3.2 MB.

Usumnasirut'iwn Manik'ea-pawghikean t'onrakets'ineru aghandin ew Gr. Narekats'woy t'ughte [Research on the Manichaeo-Paulician Sect of the T'ondrakians and the Letter of Grigor of Narek]. This is the great philologist Barsegh Sargisean's study (Venice, 1893) of a fascinating medieval Armenian dissident movement which had religious, social, and military components. 139 pdf pages. File size: 2.6 MB.

Several volumes of the important journal Azgagrakan Handes [Ethnographic Review] (Shushi and Tiflis, 1895-1916) are available:

volumes 1 and 2. File size: 32.7 MB.
volume 3. File size: 29.5 MB.
volumes 6 and 7. File size: 22.9 MB.
volumes 8 and 9. File size: 22.6 MB.
volume 10. File size: 24.4 MB.

Travellers' Accounts

Travellers' Accounts: Journeys to the Armenian Highlands and Neighboring Lands

Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics

This important 12-volume work appeared between 1908 and 1927. It remains a major source for mythology, folklore, ritual, anthropology, and related topics. Entries were written by distinguished specialists and include extensive references and bibliographies. Twelve volumes plus an index volume, all searchable except volume 6.

Downloads:

File size: 65.3 MB. volume 1   A—Art
File size: 65.6 MB. volume 2   Arthur—Bunyan
File size: 64.4 MB. volume 3   Burial—Confessions
File size: 71.9 MB. volume 4   Confirmation—Drama
File size: 65.2 MB. volume 5   Dravidian—Fichte
File size: 76.0 MB. volume 6   Fiction—Hyksos
File size: 91.1 MB. volume 7   Hymns—Liberty
File size: 71.1 MB. volume 8   Life and Death—Mulla
File size: 103.9 MB. volume 9 Mundas—Phrygians
File size: 64.2 MB. volume 10 Picts—Sacraments
File size: 73.0 MB. volume 11 Sacrifice—Sudra
File size: 71.1 MB. volume 12 Suffering—Zwingli
File size: 47.0 MB. volume 13 Index

Mythology of All Races

The thirteen volumes of this magnificent series were issued under the editorship of Louis H. Gray, J. A. MacCulloch, and G. F. Moore between 1916 and 1925. Some of the treatments have not been surpassed.

Downloads:

File size: 14.2 MB. volume 1
Greek and Roman, by William Sherwood Fox.

File size: 1.1 MB. volume 2
Eddic, by John A. MacCulloch.

File size: 13.3 MB. volume 3
Celtic, by John A. MacCulloch, and
Slavic, by Jan Machal.

Unfortunately, volume 4 is not currently available:
Finno-Ugric, by Uno Holmberg.

Unfortunately, volume 5 is not currently available:
Semitic, by Stephen H. Langdon.

File size: 15.1 MB. volume 6
Indian, by A. Berriedale Keith, and
Iranian, by Albert J. Carnoy.

File size: 54 MB. volume 7
Armenian, by Mardiros Ananikian, and
African, by Alice Werner.

File size: 21 MB. volume 8
Chinese, by John C. Ferguson, and
Japanese, by Masaharu Anesaki.

File size: 8.2 MB. volume 9
Oceanic, by Roland Burrage Dixon.

File size: 10.7 MB. volume 10
North American, by Hartley Burr Alexander.

File size: 14.8 MB. volume 11
Latin American, Hartley Burr Alexander.

File size: 11.4 MB. volume 12
Egyptian, by W. Max Müller, and
Indo-Chinese, by James George Scott.

Unfortunately, volume 13 (Index) is not currently available.

      Vishnu in Bali

The encyclopedic Dictionaries of Sir William Smith

Downloads:

File size: 110.5 MB.
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, in three volumes:

File size: 108.6 MB.
volume 1

File size: 161.4 MB.
volume 2

File size: 136.8 MB.
volume 3

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, in two volumes:

File size: 122.9 MB.
volume 1

File size: 134.3 MB.
volume 2

File size: 65.2 MB.
Dictionary of the Bible

Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, in two volumes:

File size: 126.9 MB.
volume 1

File size: 118.1 MB.
volume 2

File size: 91 MB.
Dictionary of Christian Biography and literature to the end of the sixth century A.D., with an account of the principal sects and heresies.

Internet Archive

Search Internet Archive (archive.org). As an example, search on words such as Folklore or Mythology in the box below, for a list of available material.To download any of the items on that page, click on the item you want, then in the left hand frame of the page that invokes, click on "All Files: HTTP." From the list of files that appears, choose the .pdf or .zip version for download.

Sacred Texts

Search Frazer's The Golden Bough
at bartleby.com

Bulfinch's Mythology (or The Age of Fable) (London, 1913).

Search Bulfinch's Mythology
at bartleby.com

Bibliography and Abbreviations for the Motif-Index