Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/458

 428 Notes from Armenia.

t'ncm in connection with what he has already elaborated in the Golden Bough.

The journey to which I refer took me by way of the Russian and Persian frontiers across the middle of Asia Minor to the Mediterranean. The route was in Russia by Batoum and Tiflis to Erivan, and thence to the Persian Frontier. Crossing the Araxes we went first to Khoi, and then across the mountains to Van ; from Van by the south of Lake Van to Bitlis and Moush, and through the heart of Kurdistan to Palu and Harpoot. From Harpoot I visited Egin on the Upper Euphrates, and then struck westward to Malatia (the ancient Melitene), from thence southward over the mountains to Adiaman, and crossing the Euphrates at Samsat (the ancient Samosata) reached Ourfa (the ancient Edessa) ; from Ourfa westward, crossing the Euphrates at Biredjik, and so to Aintab (a few miles to the north of which lies the ancient Doliche, the seat of the wor- ship of Jupiter Dolichenus), and then from Aintab to the sea-coast at Alexandretta.

The object of this journey was in the first instance the inspection of certain orphanages and industrial works for the oppressed Armenian people, in which I am interested. The journey, however, across wide tracts of country seldom visited by Europeans, and the close relation into which one was thrown wath the native population, often furnished me with favourable situations for finding out at first hand some of the ancient customs and expiring beliefs of the civilisa- tions of Western Asia.

I begin with the question of Rain-charms. The attempt to obtain rain, either for the immediate need or for the more remote need of a coming harvest, is one of the commonest and simplest cases of sympathetic magic. Such are the annual festivals of Adonis, Cybele, &c., and the popular customs of St. George's Day, May Day, &c. Most of the instances are regular calendar festivals, and a part of the established religion of the countries where they