ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the legendary context of the images of the Prophet of Islam in medieval Armenian literature and folklore. The medieval Armenian world looked upon Islam in three contexts: Biblical-apocalyptic, Islam as God's punishment; and as a cycle of legends about a villainous world-conqueror called Mahmet/Mehmet and his fictitious stories. The Armenian Mahmet/Mehmet/Mahmat was and still is the protagonist of legends about villainous and formidable world-conqueror. There are many references to Islam in medieval and modern Armenian histories but rarely any interest was detected among scholars to understand and conceptualize this religion, independent of the political background of Islam as the faith of oppressive rules. The alliance of Armenian sectarians with the Muslims was a very significant factor in dealing with both political and doctrinal Islam and the legendary Mahmet turned into an "argument" of sorts to deal even with this alliance. In some Armenian sources there is even the view that Bahira wanted to baptize Muhammad.
