ՔԱՐԱՆՁԱՎՆԵՐԸ՝ ՈՐՊԵՍ ԱՅԼ ԱՇԽԱՐՀԻ ԽՈՐՀՐԴԱՆԻՇ, ՀԱՅ ԵՎ ՉԻՆԱԿԱՆ ԱՂԲՅՈՒՐՆԵՐՈՒՄ

Abstract

Caves (or grottoes), as abodes of supernatural forces, hold great significance in Taoism. In Armenian traditions, caves also function as symbolic spaces representing the otherworld, although they do not always conceal a blissful realm, as is often the case in Taoist writings. This article explores caves as symbols of heavenly and blissful realms in Taoist works, while Armenian narratives present caves as places inhabited by supernatural forces. The study has two main objectives: first, to analyze the role of caves in Armenian and Chinese literature, and second, to highlight similarities in cave narratives through a comparative analysis of selected Armenian and Chinese sources.