Author Archives: Anastasia

Armenian Sacrificial Ritual

Nationality: Armenian
Age: 54
Occupation: Driver
Residence: Glendale
Performance Date: February 14, 2020
Primary Language: Armenian
Language: Arabic, Turkish, English, and Spanish

Name of Ritual : Matakh (մաթախ)

Description: The Ritual involves the sacrifice of a goat or a cow. They use the blood from the sacrifice to put a cross on a child or a person who has gone through a difficult ordeal. The blood needs to stay on for one day. After the sacrifice, they must cook the meat and distribute it to 7 houses.

Background: The informant is of Armenian Lebanese descent and has lived in America since their adolescent years. They say that this ritual is very common among Armenian communities around the world. This is usually done if someone has struggled with a harrowing ordeal such as cancer, an accident, or family death. This is done as a way to be thankful for surviving the ordeal and somewhat asking for better times and continued peace. The informant says that this ritual has origins in Paganism although they couldn’t elaborate more on that topic due to lack of knowledge on it.

Context: The informant told me this during a conversation about folklore at dinner.

Thoughts: I definitely can relate to this piece because I am also of Armenian descent and I myself have took part in Matakhs. It is definitely a sacred ritual that is done during very hard times. This is done among families and is very personal. I think it is interesting that this ritual has a pagan origin. I did not know much about its origin and would not have attributed it to paganism because Armenians are very devout Christians. I think this shows how Pagan rituals have carried onto Christian traditions.

Arabic Proverb

Nationality: Armenian( but was born and raised in Lebanon)
Age: 54
Occupation: Driver
Residence: Glendale
Performance Date: February 14, 2020
Primary Language: Armenian
Language: Arabic, Turkish, English, and Spanish

إذا ضربت الماء فسيظل الماء.

Transliteration: iidha darabat alma’ fasayazilu alma

Translation: If you hit the water it will still be water

When someone is trying to explain something to someone else and they are not absorbing the information.

Background Information: Common Arabic proverb used in different parts of the middle east such as Lebanon.

Context: The informant had immigrated to the United States from Lebanon when he was in his adolescence. I started interviewing the informant when he visited my house for dinner. I specifically asked him for a common Arabic proverb and this was the first that came into his mind.

Thoughts: I think that this proverb doesn’t explain much about Arabic culture but is just a simple way of explaining that someone is not understanding what you are saying. It reminds me of the American proverb that says that “talking to you is like talking to a wall”. This just means that that there is no productive communication being made.

Russian Wedding Tradition

Nationality: Russian
Age: 24
Occupation: Student
Residence: Glendale
Performance Date: 4/3/2020
Primary Language: English
Language: Russian

каравай

Transliteration: Korovai

Description: Korovai is a large bread that is baked for the wedding day. It takes a few days to prepare it. The bread is always round, decorated, and supposed to represent the God of the sun. The bread is brought out on a towel or a blanket that has symbols of love and happiness. On the day of the wedding, the couple need to take a bite out of the bread. It is supposed to provide a blessing to the couple. After the couple takes a bite, then the rest of the guests can have a bite.

Background Information: Common Russian wedding ritual. Not necessarily practiced by Russians living outside of Russia. Seen as an older ritual that does not necessarily need to be practiced in the present day.

Context: The informant told me about this tradition through a video call. She told me this after I asked her about Russian wedding rituals/traditions.

Thoughts: I think that the wedding tradition of baking and eating Korovai is done to make sure the couple’s marriage is prosperous and fruitful. I believe that the laborious preparation of the bread is to show the immense amount of work that it takes to ensure a successful marriage which includes having children, sustaining a household and finding happiness. Possibly shows that Russians value a prosperous marriage and want to make sure that it is.

Russian Spirit

Nationality: Russian Armenian
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Glendale
Performance Date: 4/3/2020
Primary Language: English
Language: Russian, Armenian

Name: Домовой

Transliteration: Domovoy

Translation: Household Lord

Description: House spirit that exists for every household/ family. Spirit of hearth, family fortune, and mischief. Known to move things around the house such as furniture. Also known for breaking things in the house such as plates. If someone in the house is misbehaving, then he might bring bad fortune to the house/family. He can also protect the house. He is not usually seen. Has been described as gnome-like and made out of hay. Not described as a harmful spirit. If the Domovoy falls in love with a woman from the houshold, then she will not get married. Make sure you respect the Domovoy.

Background Information: Russian spirit whose story is told by adults to children or spread from children to children.

Context: The informant had originally told me this story when we were children. She recently reiterated it to me through video call. She is of Russian and Armenian descent. She was originally introduced to the Domovoy by her cousin who was living in a small town named Stary Oskol, which is located in Russia.

Thoughts: I believe that the Domovoy is used to explain weird occurrences in the home, such as a missing sock. Purpose is to bring a sense of comfort for the unexplainable things in life. Also used as a way to keep members of the family behaving and disciplined. This could especially apply to small children who are misbehaving. They are warned about the Domovoy to remind them to behave or else the spirit will bring bad fortune to them. When it comes to the idea of the Domovoy falling in love with a woman in the household, I think that this is done as a way to scare the woman into getting married.

For Another Version See:

Ivanits, Linda J. Russian Folk Belief, 51-62. M.E. Sharpe, 1992

Armenian Proverb About a Fox

Nationality: Russian Armenian
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Glendale
Performance Date: 4/3/2020
Primary Language: English
Language: Russian, Armenian

Երբ աղվեսը չի կարողանում հասնել խաղողի, աղվեսը ասում է, որ դեռ հասունացած չէ

Transliteration: Yerb aghvesy ch’i karoghanum hasnel khaghoghi, aghvesy asum e, vor derr hasunats’ats ch’e

Translation: When the fox cannot reach the grape, the fox says that the grape is not ripe yet.

Explanation: When some people cannot reach their goals, they would always make excuses to justify why they haven’t.

Background Information: Popular Armenian proverb usually used by Armenians in Armenia.

Context: The informant told me about this proverb during a video call in which I asked her to tell me about an Armenian proverb that she knows about.

Thoughts: I think this proverb shows that Armenians value hard workers and do not believe in making excuses as to why you have not succeeded in your dreams and goals. I believe that a fox was used in this proverb because of the fox being a symbol of trickery and slyness. I think the fox is used to show that by making excuses you are trying to get away with not having to work hard and being able to actualize your aspirations.