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)

Rain-magic in modern Greece 293

Dr J. Rendel Harris1 has drawn attention to analogous rain-charms
practised throughout Armenia and Syria:

'Amongst the Armenian people it is the custom, on a particular day in the year,
to throw water over one another. The day of this exercise is the Feast of the
Transfiguration, and the festival itself is called by the name of Vartevar.
Although in its modern form the custom of water-throwing is little more than a
sport of boys, the evidence is abundant that the throwing of water was originally
a religious exercise, and that it goes back to very early times. Its religious
character is attested by the fact that in the Armenian Churches there is an asper-
sion of the people by the priests on the Transfiguration festival; while the boys
are throwing water out of doors the priests are throwing water indoors....The
custom can be verified all over Armenia; we found it at Moush, at Pirvan, at
Egin, at Harpoot, at Ourfa, and practically in every place where we made enquiry
•■• we were told that at Sivas, Erzeroum, and some other places, it was the custom
t0 let a pigeon fly, in remembrance of Noah'1. 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....Upon enquiry from the Jacobite Syrians as to whether
tr»ey 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....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.'

Dr Rendel Harris3 further notes that at any time of drought the
Armenians may have recourse to the primitive practice of making
a Puppet and immersing it in water:

'At Egin, when rain is wanted, the boys take two sticks in the form of a
cross, and with the addition of some old clothes and a cap they make a rain-
dolly. This figure they carry round the town, and the people from the roofs of
the houses throw water on it. They call the dolly the "Chi-chi Mama," which
they interpret to mean "the drenched mother." As they carry the dolly about

G 1 J- Rendel Harris in Folk-Lore 1904 xv. 429 f. ('Annual Rain-Charm'), M. Hamilton
Ttek Saints and Their Festivals Edinburgh and London 1910 p. 131. Vartevar, pace
as el Harris, is certainly derived from the Armenian vart, ' rose,' and must be regarded
a survival of the ancient Rosalia (P. Carolidis Bcmerkungen zu den alien kleinasialischen
^rache" un*Mythen Strassburg i. E. 1913 pp. 139 ff., 178 ff., M. P. Nilsson in Pauly—

"SWWa Real-Enc. i a. mi ff., cp. fourn. Hell. Stud. 1900 xx. n ff.).
80 1 • ,Maclei in J- Hastings Encyclopa:dia of Religion and Ethics Edinburgh 1908 i.
aftt festival of the Transfiguration (Vardavai) is called the Festival of Roses,

cecl;1 an °ld healllen festival which was celebrated on the same day. On the day pre-
dav ng festival> the commemoration of the Tabernacle of the Jews is held. On that
□rL?-°ple sPrinkle each other with water when rhev meet in the streets : and in certain

Provinces of A 6 °lher Wat£r Whe" they meet the streets ' and certam
^bol of a , "nenia P'geons are set free, either in recollection of the Deluge, or as a

tyas J^f' the A™enian Venus.'

literature ^ °US tyPe 01 Noan in the ark on coins of the Phrygian Apameia Kibotos

3 J- R A\ "' 9> occasioned W a local festival of this sort ?

Hamilt d Harris in F°lk-Lorc 1904 xv. 431 f. ('Occasional Rain-charms'),

°n Greek Saints and Their Festivals Edinburgh and London 1910 p. 131.