It was the hardest period of the war with the Persians when the Persian hordes broke into the Armenian kingdom. Only King Arshak, abandoned by most of his nobles, bravely and stubbornly defended his country. Unfortunately, he was captured and imprisoned while conducting negotiations.

Then Armenia was overrun by enemy hordes… Yet, some impregnable strongholds remained. One of them was the Artagers fortress in the region of Arsharunik defended by Queen Parandzem, the wife of King Arshak. She did not hesitate to take the place of her captive husband. Parandzem became an example of courage and perseverance.

Only when there was a sudden outbreak of a plague in the Artagers garrison and all of its defenders died were the Persians able to take the castle and seize the Armenian queen… She was brought to Tizbon and subjected to a terrible and disgraceful execution. Parandzem was beautiful, noble and intelligent.

After her death, the places where she had been born and lived were honoured as sacred. Mothers would bring their daughters to the cold spring in the family castle Bagaberd. Even as a child Parandzem loved to walk in these gardens and drink the water from the cold spring. So, young girls would drink of its waters in the hope that they too could grow up to be beautiful, intelligent and strong-spirited like Parandzem. Although one day the cold spring dried up, people of Armenia, young and old, still visit that wonderful place to this day.

They go there to place their hands cautiously against the cold stones, hoping to get a piece of strength, wisdom, and majesty of the beautiful queen.

Source:

100 Legends Of Ararat