Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 3,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (earthquake, clouds, wind, dew, rain, meteorits): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1940)

286 Rain-magic in modern Greece

flowers goes round the village and at every house is drenched with
water, while her comrades sing1:

The Walker walks her ways
And God the Lord she prays.
God, send the rain
On us again,

That strong the corn may grow
And strong the laddies too.

The name Perperid has many variations. At Kataphygi it has been
corrupted into Piperia, 'Pepper-tree2':

Piperia, dew-collecting piperia, etc.
In Zagorion, a district of Epeiros, it has become Papparoima,
'Garden-poppy,' and the chief actor in the ceremony must be largely
dressed in poppies3. Other forms used by the Greeks are Perperma*,
Perperitscfi, Pitrperouna^, Purpiround''. In Bulgaria we hear of
Prepericga or Peperngcfi; in Wallachia, of Papeluga9 or Papaluga1"'-

Papaluga, climb into heaven,
Open its doors,
Send down rain from above,
That well the rye may grow.

E. Gerard11 gives the following account of Papaluga:

'When the land is suffering from protracted and obstinate droughts, the
Roumanian not unfrequently ascribes the evil to the Tziganes [sc. gypsies], who
by occult means procure the dry weather in order to favour their own trade of
brick-making. In such cases, when the necessary rain has not been produced
by soundly beating the guilty Tziganes, the peasants sometimes resort to the
Papaluga, or Rain-maiden. This is done by stripping a young Tzigane girl quite
naked, and dressing her up with garlands of flowers and leaves, which entirely
cover her, leaving only the head visible. Thus adorned, the Papaluga is conducted
round the village to the sound of music, each person hastening to pour water

1 Text and translation (by R. M. Dawkins) in M. Hamilton Greek Saints and their
Festivals Edinburgh and London 1910 p. 120 TlopTrar^pa iropirarei, | Kol 6ebv irapaicatel I
Kipiov, Bel, I Bpl£e p.ia f}poxn, | Nd d^ow to. aiTupia, | Nd dflji"' rd iraWiKapia.

" G. F. Abbott Macedonian Folklore Cambridge 1903 p. 119.

3 J. C. Lawson Modem Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion Cambridge 191°
p. 24 (after Lamprides ZayopiaKct p. 172 ff.).

4 B. Schmidt Das Volksleben der Neugriechen Leipzig 1871 i. 30.

5 Id. ib., J. C. Lawson op. cit. p. 24.

6 T. Kind TpctywSia tt)s vlas 'BXXdSos Leipzig 1833 p. 13, J. Grimm Teutonic Myth6'
logy trans. J- S. Stallybrass London 1883 594, W. Mannhardt Wald- und FeldkuHe
Berlin 1904 i. 328 f-

7 W. R- S. Ralston The Songs of the Russian People- London 1872 p. 228.

8 W. R. S. Ralston op. cit? p. 228, W. Mannhardt op. cit? i. 329.

9 W. R. S. Ralston op. cit? p. 229.

10 J. Grimm op. cit. ii. 593 n. 2, W. Mannhardt op. cit." i. 329.

11 E. Gerard The Land beyond the Forest Edinburgh and London 1888 ii. 13.