The Armenian lullaby is significant for its historical, cultural, and linguistic aspect beyond its purpose of comfort and serving as a bridge to sleep.
Influenced in part by their region of origin, Armenian lullabies are characterized by a lightness in melody and the rhythm of simple, repeated phrases that mimic the sound of the rocking cradle.
The content of many of the lullabies gives them the quality of a soliloquy, sung by women to themselves — domestic asides that reveal much about Armenian folklore and daily life.
Many Armenian lullabies express yearning, disappointment, longing for a former lover or a husband who has emigrated, or the desire for personal or historical revenge, which are inculcated in the sleeping child.
In Armenian manuscripts, the nativity scene depicts Mary lying in a cave next to a wooden box holding the Christ child.