Showing posts with label Paganism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paganism. Show all posts
Monday, December 16, 2013
VIDEO: Am Hof der Götter - Jachsari-Fest im Dorf Schuapcho 2010 (Duscheti). Von Prof. Dr. Elguja Dadunashvili (youtube.com)
(youtube.com) Dieser ethnologische Film stellt einen paganen Kult des Heiligen Jachsari dar. Das Fest wird in Pschavi, einer Bergregion im Nordosten Georgiens gefeiert. Der Film basiert auf Feldforschungsmaterialien, gesammelt beim Jachsari-Fest im Dorf Schuapcho (Duscheti), Georgien im Jahre 2010 von Prof. Dr. Elguja Dadunashvili.
Tuesday, July 09, 2013
REISE: 28. Juli: Kwirikoba in Swanetien - Ein arachisches Wallfahrtsfest (kaukasische-post.com)
(kaukasische-post.com) Lagurka heißt die
wichtigste Wallfahrtskirche in Swanetien. Sie liegt hoch auf einer
Felsnase über dem Enguri im Dorf Kala, nur noch eine Autostunde von
Uschguli entfernt. Der Aufstieg ist sehr beschwerlich, er führt durch
einen zauberhaften Wald, einem den Swanen heiligen Hain, in dem kein
Baum jemals gefällt werden darf. Der Baumkult – solch heilige Haine gibt
es in jedem Dorf – ist ein Teil der vorchristlichen swanischen
Volkskultur, die sich über Jahrtausende erhalten hat und mit
christlichen Riten zu einer unvergleichlichen Einheit verschmolzen ist.
Jedes Jahr feiern
die Swanen auf Lagurka ihr wichtigstes Wallfahrtfest, Qurikoba. Es ist
nach dem heiligen Kwirike benannt, dem Schutzheiligen der Kirche. Ein
archaisches Ritual mit Gebeten und Trinksprüchen. Im Kirchhof wird ein
Ochse geopfert, der dann von Hunderten swanischer Pilger verzehrt wird,
bei Wein und Raki, dem swanischen Gerstenschnaps. Kwirikoba findet in
diesem Jahr am 28. Juli statt.
ERKA-Reisen
bietet Interessenten eine Dreitagestour zu diesem außergewöhnlichen Fest
an. Abfahrt nach Mestia ist am 27. Juli, übernachtet wird zweimal im
Hotel Old Seti (oder einem privaten Gästehaus). Am Sonntag Teilnahme am
Wallfahrtsfest mit einem Kurzbesuch von Uschguli. Rückfahrt am Montag.
Selbstfahrer können sich der Tour gerne anschließen.
Mehr Infos auf: www.erkareisen.de
Sunday, August 05, 2007
REPORTAGE & PHOTOGRAPHY:
ARMENIAN FESTIVAL COMBINES PAGANISM AND NATIONALISM
By Onnik Krikorian 7/27/07 (EurasiaNet) with great photos
Tradition, in the South Caucasus, dies hard. With the ancient July festival of Vardavar, one small group of Armenians is seeing a chance to relive Armenia’s pagan past, and affirm the country’s national identity.
Armenia adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD, thereafter destroying or converting its pagan temples. For most Armenians, this date represents the turning point for their nation, and one that would later distance it from Muslim neighbors in Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
But each year at Armenia’s only remaining pagan temple, at Garni, 32 kilometers east of Yerevan, a few hundred Armenians gather to celebrate Vardavar as an event that they consider represents Armenians’ true and original faith. The festival is perhaps the most popular of all traditional and religious events in the Armenian calendar, with youngsters and adults gleefully dumping water over hapless passers-by.
The celebration has now been absorbed into the Christian calendar, but was traditionally associated with Astghik, the Armenian goddess of water, beauty, love and fertility. The festival’s name is derived from the Armenian word for rose, "vard." Early observers of Vardavar offered Astghik roses and sprinkled water on each other, or feasted near water in the hope that she would provide rain in time for harvest.
Now re-invented to represent the transfiguration of Christ, the holiday is scheduled by the Armenian Church to be held approximately 98 days after Easter.
At Garni, pagan priests placed sacrificial knives in fire, as well as rose petals in earthenware jugs of water, before reading aloud from the Ukhtagir, a collection of pre-Christian folk stories and legends immortalizing Armenia’s pagan gods written by Slak Kakosian, the founder of the Pagan Covenant, one of Armenia’s main pagan organizations. Founded in 1990, the group now claims it has over 1,000 members.
In the group’s events, nationalism and paganism mingle equally. "We are pagans," said 43-year-old Zohrab Petrosian, Kakosian’s successor. "We are Armenians, but we don’t know our true religion. Simply lighting a candle in a church or wearing a cross around our necks does not make us Christian. I’ve been a member of this organization for 10 years, but as an Armenian I’ve been pagan since the day I was born."
At the Garni Vardavar observances, one of the highest-profile attendees was Armen Avetisian, leader of the ultra-nationalist Union of Armenian Aryans, who received a three-year suspended sentence in 2005 for inciting racial hatred against Jews. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Avetisian and his followers wore black t-shirts featuring the picture of Garegin Njdeh, an Armenian national hero who lived from 1886-1955. Njdeh was a skillful military leader and anti-Bolshevik activist who developed a philosophy that blended religious and nationalist elements. His ideas have been influential in shaping the political platforms of modern-day parties, including the governing Republican Party of Armenia, as well as its junior coalition partner, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnakstutiun.
Until recently, many of those attending the pagan festivals were affiliated with the Republican Party, but now members of other parties are starting to join in. This year, for example, apart from members of the Union of Armenian Ayrans, most other people in attendance identified themselves as members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnakstutiun.
The appearance of ultra-nationalists, however, raises concern in some circles that the pagan movement could make a radical departure toward the extreme right. Armenian pagans tend to dismiss the concern, though. Many at the Garni observances said politics wasn’t a factor for them. Robert Garabedian, an ethnic Armenian astrophysicist from Germany, was baptized as a pagan at the Garni event. Speaking to EurasiaNet, Garabedian said that spending Vardavar at the temple site carried a personal rather than political significance. "I’m Zoroastrian, Christian and Buddhist, and now I want to be baptized into the same religion that my [Armenian] ancestors followed," he said.
The hordes of children drenching pedestrians and motorists with water usually overshadow any such quests for meaning on Vardavar. Even so, Armenia’s pagans might take comfort in the fact that torrential rains unexpectedly hit Armenia at the festival’s end on July 15. As the rain poured down in the days that followed, one can only wonder if Astghik wasn’t listening, after all.
Editor’s Note: Onnik Krikorian is a journalist and photographer from the United Kingdom living and working in the Republic of Armenia.
There are more photographs at the following URLs: (Thanks Onnik!!!)http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/07/15/vardavar-garni-kotayk-region/
http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/07/15/vardavar-garni-kotayk-region-2/
http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/07/15/pagan-armenians-celebrate-vardavar/
ARMENIAN FESTIVAL COMBINES PAGANISM AND NATIONALISM
By Onnik Krikorian 7/27/07 (EurasiaNet) with great photos
Tradition, in the South Caucasus, dies hard. With the ancient July festival of Vardavar, one small group of Armenians is seeing a chance to relive Armenia’s pagan past, and affirm the country’s national identity.
Armenia adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD, thereafter destroying or converting its pagan temples. For most Armenians, this date represents the turning point for their nation, and one that would later distance it from Muslim neighbors in Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
But each year at Armenia’s only remaining pagan temple, at Garni, 32 kilometers east of Yerevan, a few hundred Armenians gather to celebrate Vardavar as an event that they consider represents Armenians’ true and original faith. The festival is perhaps the most popular of all traditional and religious events in the Armenian calendar, with youngsters and adults gleefully dumping water over hapless passers-by.
The celebration has now been absorbed into the Christian calendar, but was traditionally associated with Astghik, the Armenian goddess of water, beauty, love and fertility. The festival’s name is derived from the Armenian word for rose, "vard." Early observers of Vardavar offered Astghik roses and sprinkled water on each other, or feasted near water in the hope that she would provide rain in time for harvest.
Now re-invented to represent the transfiguration of Christ, the holiday is scheduled by the Armenian Church to be held approximately 98 days after Easter.
At Garni, pagan priests placed sacrificial knives in fire, as well as rose petals in earthenware jugs of water, before reading aloud from the Ukhtagir, a collection of pre-Christian folk stories and legends immortalizing Armenia’s pagan gods written by Slak Kakosian, the founder of the Pagan Covenant, one of Armenia’s main pagan organizations. Founded in 1990, the group now claims it has over 1,000 members.
In the group’s events, nationalism and paganism mingle equally. "We are pagans," said 43-year-old Zohrab Petrosian, Kakosian’s successor. "We are Armenians, but we don’t know our true religion. Simply lighting a candle in a church or wearing a cross around our necks does not make us Christian. I’ve been a member of this organization for 10 years, but as an Armenian I’ve been pagan since the day I was born."
At the Garni Vardavar observances, one of the highest-profile attendees was Armen Avetisian, leader of the ultra-nationalist Union of Armenian Aryans, who received a three-year suspended sentence in 2005 for inciting racial hatred against Jews. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Avetisian and his followers wore black t-shirts featuring the picture of Garegin Njdeh, an Armenian national hero who lived from 1886-1955. Njdeh was a skillful military leader and anti-Bolshevik activist who developed a philosophy that blended religious and nationalist elements. His ideas have been influential in shaping the political platforms of modern-day parties, including the governing Republican Party of Armenia, as well as its junior coalition partner, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnakstutiun.
Until recently, many of those attending the pagan festivals were affiliated with the Republican Party, but now members of other parties are starting to join in. This year, for example, apart from members of the Union of Armenian Ayrans, most other people in attendance identified themselves as members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnakstutiun.
The appearance of ultra-nationalists, however, raises concern in some circles that the pagan movement could make a radical departure toward the extreme right. Armenian pagans tend to dismiss the concern, though. Many at the Garni observances said politics wasn’t a factor for them. Robert Garabedian, an ethnic Armenian astrophysicist from Germany, was baptized as a pagan at the Garni event. Speaking to EurasiaNet, Garabedian said that spending Vardavar at the temple site carried a personal rather than political significance. "I’m Zoroastrian, Christian and Buddhist, and now I want to be baptized into the same religion that my [Armenian] ancestors followed," he said.
The hordes of children drenching pedestrians and motorists with water usually overshadow any such quests for meaning on Vardavar. Even so, Armenia’s pagans might take comfort in the fact that torrential rains unexpectedly hit Armenia at the festival’s end on July 15. As the rain poured down in the days that followed, one can only wonder if Astghik wasn’t listening, after all.
Editor’s Note: Onnik Krikorian is a journalist and photographer from the United Kingdom living and working in the Republic of Armenia.
There are more photographs at the following URLs: (Thanks Onnik!!!)http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/07/15/vardavar-garni-kotayk-region/
http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/07/15/vardavar-garni-kotayk-region-2/
http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/07/15/pagan-armenians-celebrate-vardavar/
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