Hayk

Hayk, also known as Hayk Nahapet, is the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation. He is a central figure in Armenian mythology and national identity, and is traditionally regarded as the eponymous ancestor from whom the Armenian people, the "Hay", derive their name. His tale is recounted in the History of Armenia attributed to the 5th-century historian Movses Khorenatsi, as well as in the anonymous Primary History. Additional fragments of his legend survive in other medieval sources and continue to be echoed in Armenian oral tradition and epic poetry.