Part 5 (2/2)
Like a star whose brightness grows On the earth my beauty shows; Thou shalt long for yet, and seek My dark eyes and arching brows.
3.
Long and lone this night to me Pa.s.sing slow and wearily; Pa.s.sing full of sighs and tears-- Love, what doth it bring to thee?
4.
Eden's smile my vineyard wore, Flowers bloomed, a goodly store; Handsome youth and ugly maid-- This was never seen before! [140]
Thus each one carries its bit of prophesy, daintily and prettily expressed, which when sung at the foot of some mountain, in the bright eastern sunlight of the morning, while a little child is holding tokens beside a bowl surrounded by the group of beflowered maidens, makes as complete and charming a picture as one could well imagine.
Many curious beliefs, superst.i.tions, customs, and legends are directly related to Ascension Day. It is believed, for example, that on the eve of this day the water of the springs, brooks, and rivers lies peacefully motionless for a single moment during the night. At the same moment heaven and earth, mountain and stone, trees and flowers beckon and congratulate one another. First heaven congratulates and kisses the earth, then one star beckons to another, one flower to another, and so forth until all of nature's objects have expressed their mutual good feeling. Even plants and ”soulless”
objects receive the gift of speech and share their secrets one with the other at this time. He who hides himself in a stone crevice of the mountainside may listen to the conversation of stones and flowers, and understand what they tell each other. They tell on this night what sort of sicknesses they and the springs will heal, and many people endeavor to attend at this moment, but only a few succeed. [141]
At midnight the waters are believed to have the power of healing, and people bathe themselves in the streams. As the children are not to be troubled during the night, water is warmed for them the next morning, bits of gra.s.s are thrown in and the children are bathed. During the magic moment the door of the cavern of ”Maher,” the revered hero G.o.d who dwells upon earth, is opened: and one may enter to see him, his steed, and the ”wheel of the starred heavens” or the wheel of fate. In one of the national epics (David of Sa.s.sun) Maher is represented as the strongest of the heroes, and is supposed to dwell in a rocky cave in the vicinity of Van [142] (probably the rock of Van). In this cave all of the world's riches are heaped up, and the ”wheel of the world,” the wheel of fate which constantly turns a.s.signing to people their destinies, stands there. Maher looks continually at the wheel and if it should stand still, he comes out of his cavern to ravage the world. The door of the cave is made of stone and covered with cuneiform inscriptions. It is locked during the entire year except for the night of the ascension of Christ, when it is opened during the single magic moment. Whosoever perceives this moment may step into the cave and take as much gold as he pleases. The idea of the ”wheel of fortune” is considerably extant, although it is not always understood as separated from heaven and connected with Maher. [143]
That the idea of fate or of fortune is generally a.s.sociated with the day, not only by romantic maidens, but by the people, is very evident.
The flowing waters are believed to change into gold during the silent minute, and if one places an object in the water and wishes at the same time that it become gold, the object turns to gold. Accordingly the young men and women go to the springs and rivers in order to draw water, trusting their fates that they may select the happy moment. Superst.i.tions and magic are not lacking, for while one member of a party seats himself upon a pair of fire-tongs in the fas.h.i.+on of a rider, another performs likewise upon a long-handled spit. The iron tools are also regarded as a necessary protection against the calls that one hears behind after the water has been drawn, for if one should look back perchance, he would surely fall under the influence of the evil spirits. The oldest of the party carries a gourd flask full of wheat and barley, which is poured into the stream towards midnight with the words ”I give you wheat and barley; you give me everything that is good.” Thereupon he fills the gourd flask with water, and the party hurries homeward to discover the gold. [144]
The fortune-telling festival is given by Abeghian as he observed it in his home village, and I shall give a free translation of his account at this point because of a few interesting variations. In Astapet, the festival is called the ”Festival of the Mother of Flowers.” On the day before Ascension Day the girls and young women of the village divide themselves into two groups, one to gather special sorts of flowers from the mountainside, while the other goes to ”steal”
water from seven springs, or seven rivers. The ”thieves” must not see each other, nor must the people of the village know aught of what is happening. Having filled their vessels with water, each throws a stone into the spring and then they turn back, taking care neither to look about, to set down their vessels, nor to talk. They imagine that the mountains, the valleys, trees, and meadows call out behind them and if they should turn about they would be turned to stone. [145]
At night of the same day the ”water thieves” and flower gatherers meet together in a garden to prepare the ”Havgir” or magic bowl in which is poured the water from the seven springs, and in which seven stones from the seven sources, together with leaves of the gathered flowers are dropped. Each one who wishes her fortune told now throws in a charm token, such as mentioned before. Those who are not present send their tokens in order to have them thrown into the ”Havgir” by others. The bowl is then adorned with flowers, after which the ”Vicak” meaning destiny or fate, is prepared. This consists of two pieces of wood tied together in the form of a cross, which is dressed and adorned with jewels and pearls to make it appear as a newly-married doll-bride. The ”Vicak” is fastened to the ”Havgir,” and both are placed under the stars, in order that these who are the real destinies, may work the proper magic upon the charm tokens. [146] A few girls guard it during the whole night against the young men who try to steal it.
Early the next morning the maidens gather together in the garden laden with food baskets and prepared to make a day of it. The ”Havgir”
and strangely fas.h.i.+oned ”Vicak” are carried to a nearby spring, the young girls decking themselves with flowers as they go. The spring is decorated about with flowers, green leaves, and branches, and the ”Havgir” is placed in the middle, and then after they have prepared everything and eaten, the oldest among them takes the ”Vicak,” kisses it, gives it to another, who does likewise, and so it pa.s.ses from hand to hand. Finally a seven-year-old girl receives it. She sets herself in the middle of the group and holds the ”Vicak” while the ”Havgir” stands before her. The little girl is called ”bride,” is the interpreter of the ”Vicak” and is specially selected and dressed for the occasion. When she has received the ”Vicak” a red veil is pa.s.sed over both, and all is ready for the central event of the festival. A charm song is sung by the group, and after each stanza the ”bride”
draws a token from the vessel. The preceding verse reveals the fate of the one to whom the token belongs. [147]
The fortune-telling festival of Ascension morning stands quite alone. Bodeful of the future and suggestive of the past, it can not but have a serious tenor, for there are maidens whose lovers have not been born, as there are also sadder ones. Perhaps they do not take their verses very seriously. Whether they do or not there is always the charm of sunrise colors, and the out-of-doors that makes it as beautiful as it is romantic. The best of the future, their brightest hope, the best of the present, warmth of suns.h.i.+ne and color, and the best of the past, their golden dreams of youth, are brought together on this day and given a common expression in a way that must charm them as it charms the observer. Festivals to be perfect festivals must be out-of-doors and the day must be bright.
CHAPTER III
CHRISTIAN FOLK FESTIVALS
The second group of festivals comprises those newly created by the church, such as the Blessing of the Grapes, New Year, Easter, and Christmas. I wish also to include in this group a few of the peculiarly characteristic church ceremonies which also have a distinct festival value for the people, i.e., the ceremony of the ”Was.h.i.+ng of Feet”
on Maundy Thursday, ”Khatchanguist” or the ”Blessing of Water,” the consecration of the Katholikos, and the manufacture of the ”holy oil.”
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