Servants of Armenian King Gagik Spotted a Mysterious Pink Snake in the Palace

We wondered: why is watermelon called "dzmeruk" in Armenian, when "dzmer" means winter?

It turns out there is a legend about this on the internet!

"Servants of Armenian King Gagik noticed a mysterious pink snake in the palace. The snake was trying to shed its horns. The king's servants cut off the snake's horns and thus saved it. In gratitude, the next day the snake brought a seed and left it at the palace.

Soon a large strange fruit grew from the seed. The servants decided to test the unknown fruit and offered it to an old man who was near death. A miracle happened: the old man not only recovered but felt better than ever before.

King Gagik also decided to try this natural remedy. After that, he felt a surge of strength. Since then, Armenians have called the gift of the grateful snake “chmeruk,” meaning “did not die.” Over time, the sound “ch” changed to “dz,” and the fruit became known as “dzmeruk.”

Beautiful, isn't it? But there is a less romantic explanation: thanks to its thick rind, some varieties were stored until winter, so watermelon became associated with cold.