In Armenian mythology, a vishap is a dragon-like water spirit represented by carved stone monuments called vishapakar.
Vishapakar are large stone stelae found mainly in the Armenian Highlands, especially around high mountain lakes and water sources. Many date to the second millennium BCE, although their precise original meaning remains debated. Their forms commonly suggest fish, serpents, or other large aquatic creatures.
The monuments are associated by modern scholarship with ancient water cults and later Armenian traditions about vishaps. In folklore, vishaps can be powerful beings connected with storms, water, and mountains. Some stories portray them as dangerous, while others connect them with control over rain or natural forces.
The word vishap is often translated as “dragon,” but the archaeological monuments do not provide a single complete myth explaining every figure. Their importance lies in linking prehistoric stone art, highland water sources, and later Armenian dragon lore.