Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/460

 430 Notes from Armenia.

(Arabic ward), which in my judgment were nihil ad re?n.^ Nor did they know that what they were doing was a rain- charm. In one or two places it seemed to have been confused with the charm against rain. Thus we were told that at Sivas, Erzeroum, and some other places, it was the custom to let a pigeon fly, in remembrance of Noah. This is not done at Egin, nor could we verify it in other places visited. At Aintab we found that they not only threw water over one another, but that they made a special point of throwing water upon the graves. At Egin, when they throw water, they say, " I didn't see you last Vartevar."

Upon inquiry from the Jacobite Syrians as to whether they had a Vartevar like the Armenians, the reply was in the affirmative, only they differed from the Armenians in keeping the custom upon the Feast of Pentecost instead of the Transfiguration. I think there is no doubt that the custom prevails throughout both the Churches named.

The more intelligent amongst the Armenians said that they thought the custom had come down to them from the worship of Anahid, which preceded their conversion to Christianity; others said that "our fathers did it when they were Fire Worshippers," but this maybe only free specula- tion. With the assistance of a very small knowledge of history, it will be seen that, thus far, the parallel with the rain-charms of the Golden Bough is limited to the throwing of water. No parallel has been adduced to the drenching of an image, or of a human being dressed up to represent a tree-spirit or a corn-spirit, though human beings them- selves are drenched ; nor are there any signs of a sacrifice, animal or human, in connection with the charm. We shall, however, be able to make up the deficient matter when we

' Cf. Conybeare, Key of Truth, for the list of Armenian festivals perhaps as far back as 425, Wardawarh, i.e. Splendour-of-Roses or Rose-resplendent. This was an old Pagan festival of Anahid. On it, says Sahak, the congregations and married priests presented the first-fruits and best of the corn-crop. It was afterwards identified with the Feast of the Transfiguration.