Long before modern medicine and until the end of the last century, our parents used to heal any pain or disease following our grandmothers’ and sometimes grandfathers’ prescriptions and skillfully made healing preparations and measures. They used saliva mixed with a pinch of soil in case of bee bite, yogurt in case of sunburnt skin, garlic ointment to clean eyelash pus, ground ginger-sugar in case of throat cough, vinegar as antiseptic, and cloths soaked in vinegar-water mixture to damp down the patient’s high temperature....
In case of gastric and intestinal disorders, they used Moloshov soup (Stinging nettle). These techniques and remedies are part of our ethnic culture and its development evolution. Analists interested in folk culture believe that these independent measures guarantee the people's endurance and survival in any environment and its conditions.
On 19 November 2016, a very useful "Coffee, tea and opinions" gathering took place at the ″Aharonian″ Hall of the Armenian Center, organized by the ″Sanahin″ Chapter of Hamazkayin, and prepared due to tireless efforts of Tiruk Manjikian. The topic of the day was ″Grandmother's Remedies″. The participants of this gathering were the permanent members of all such previous discussions of the last three years, and those who were interested in the topic of the day. The program consisted of two main parts.
As always, from the very beginning of the forum, Com. Manjikian successfully attracted the audience and focused their attention on the subject. Thus, the participation of the audience in the discussion was ensured, and they freely expressed many of their opinions and displayed laugh reactions.
Seda Mangassarian delivered a speech and opened the carefully prepared program. She presented quite a funny piece from her performance "From Daily Life of Grandmother Mary" closely connected with the subject, after which Com. Manjikian delivered a speech on the topic.
After the presentation of grandma’s remedies in the first part of the program, she read an extract from Dr. Garbis Harboian’s ″Doctor G″ about our grandmothers’ healing abilities and skillfully made remedies. The presented range of them was rather long. Any disease had its proposed treatment, sometimes quite a logical one, which we have been using so far, but sometimes they were rather absurd and based on beliefs and prejudice.
After this presentation, Tiruk Manjikian started the discussion related to each part of our body, from toes up to the head. It was rather interesting that no one proposed any remedy against any mental illness. Instead, almost all of the participants of the discussion proposed healing remedies for each part of the body. Moreover, all remedies, ointments or food proposed against body pain or disease were coming from Western Armenian cities and villages, skipping Lebanon and Egypt. After all, our grandmothers came from Western Armenia and not from the Diaspora. Thus, not only the number of remedies increased, but also their options…
The present physicians and pharmacists approved some of those remedies and expressed doubts towards the others...
Prior to the second part of the program, Vrej-Armen Artinian read an interesting story by Viken Khechoomian called "Love Remedy", which somehow filled the gap between the physical pain and the mental.
The second part of the program, dedicated to prejudices, superstitions, and social customs turned into traditional, started. Tiruk Manjikian first gave the definition of the word "prejudice", which means ″to believe in the occult and supernatural forces and be fearful of their influences and consequences″.
According to Malkhasian dictionary, ″superstition″ means a deceptive opinion formed in the consequence of ignorance. In the discussed examples, one of the dominant unfounded beliefs was the 13th day of the month called unlucky day.
This part of the program was very interesting and caused a lot of laugh. Now we live in a completely different time. The generations have changed, and fear is not dominant in our life any more. So long as the source of superstition is fear, the only way to overcome difficulties and fear is to get rid of them mentally and live free of them. In fact, not only we have prejudices and beliefs. Their different options are spread everywhere and especially on the east side of the world. The main countries where people believe in superstitions are India, China, Mexico, Arab countries, Greece etc.
Here are some of the superstitions
- When a cat crosses your way, change the way not to have troubles.
- Don’t sweep the house in the evening.
- Don’t leave the scissors open so as not to let your enemy spread gossip about you.
- Don’t sit in the corner of a dining table not to stay single for 7 years. Let children do it.
- If your right hand is itching you will get money, if your left hand is itching you will spend money.
- Knocking on wood and stating the phrase ″Touch wood″ to avoid evil eye is the most popular prejudice.
The members of the discussion expressed their opinions about superstitions and the reasons that make people believe in them. Com. Manjikian, however, rightfully said, "If we do not believe in the evil eye, and if it doesn’t exist, then why there is a prayer on page 94 of Cyprian prayerbook called ″Prayer for evil eye and evil tongue″, which, I am sure, some of us often read in fear". It is short but powerful prayer, which asks the God to protect from evil eye, evil tongue and the sword, and of all visible and invisible stabs." Then Tiruk Manjikian concluded by saying, "Consequently we should protect ourselves from evil eye, tongue, or supernatural evils by praying." And then she raised the question. "Can we allow our everyday life be dependent on invisible enemies, and live in horror?"
″Coffee, tea, and opinions" gatherings take place regularly. They are interesting and the atmosphere during the discussions is very pleasant. We not only listen to different opinions of the speakers but also express our own opinions, learn from each other and get to know each other.
Varti Tanielian