Lecture: “Anthropomorphism: Humanization of Flora and Fauna in the Fairy-Tale Environment”

On September 18, 2025, the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (IAE) hosted the first autumn lecture of the Department of Folklore. Dr. Alvard Jivanyan, Doctor of Philology and lecturer at Yerevan State University, delivered a presentation entitled “Anthropomorphism: Humanization of Flora and Fauna in the Fairy-Tale Environment” as part of the IAE’s Folkloristic Discussions series.

The event was attended by staff members of various departments of the Institute, as well as other interested participants. The Deputy Director of the IAE, Tork Dalalyan, welcomed the audience, introduced the speaker, and emphasized the importance of cooperation between the Institute and other scholarly institutions.

In her lecture, Dr. Jivanyan addressed the phenomenon of the “interchangeability of human beings and nature” in Armenian and world folklore. She presented examples of the attribution of human traits to natural phenomena (anthropomorphism), as well as the opposite process—the assimilation of humans to nature (dehumanization). She also touched upon several related issues connected with the topic. The lecture concluded with a question-and-answer session and discussion.