The Religion of the Flock: Rural surbs in modern Armenia

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2019-47-3/256-265

Abstract

According to opinion polls, Armenia is one of the most religious countries in Europe. However, in some villages of the Aparan district Aragatsotn Marz parish life is almost completely absent. Everyday religiosity of the locals is connected with surbs – home and rural sanctuaries. These include some natural objects in the surrounding villages. Two parallel systems coexist in Armenia’s religious culture. One is the official Armenian Apostolic Church with its churches, a priesthood, and its spiritually cared flock, the other one includes vernacular practices and beliefs of much of this very flock. Rural surb is one of the phenomena of vernacular religious culture. The article attempts to typologize surbs, describes the rituals and practices of veneration of rural shrines.

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