Madagh

"Madagh" is an Armenian custom of commemorating victims through requiem services, most often associated with the annual remembrance of the Armenian genocide. "Madagh" is typically celebrated with community gatherings sponsored by churches, which include public offerings of food. Food offerings often include lamb stew with pilaf made from bulgur, and Armenian flat bread or "katah" bread. Some academics associate the food offerings with pagan practices of animal sacrifice that the early Armenian Orthodox Church incorporated with reference to Biblical sacrifices.

Historical Origins & Contemporary Interpretations

Some religious scholars assert that "madagh" (or sometimes "matal") has its roots in ancient liturgical sacrifice, evoking the animal sacrifice of Armenian pagan religious rites. Early Christian church fathers allowed to continue because of its parallels with biblical Old Testament sacrifices and as a means of winning pagan practitioners over to the Church. The legitimation of the "madagh" sacrifice within the early Armenian Christian church is particularly associated with Gregory the Illuminator. [Gilhus, Ingvild Saelid. 2006. "Animals, Gods and Humans: Changing Attitudes to Animals in Greek, Roman and Early Christian Thought." Routledge.] The "madagh" is still considered one of the most important religious blessings in the contemporary Armenian Church. [ [http://www.armenianchurch.net/worship/resources.html Official Armenian Church website] ] Contemporary church leaders assert that the ritual today is imbued with a new set of religious significance within the canon of Orthodox Christian practice distinct from whatever pagan roots it may have. [ [http://www.sain.org/window/ Armenian Church Research and Analysis Group] . "Testing the Myth and Beyond." Window Vol. II, No. 4] Contemporary interpretations link the "madagh" with the practice of Christian "agape", or communal fellowship and love. It is also connected with the practice of religious charity, because the meal is often given to the community for free and is associated with feeding the poor. [http://www.sthagop.com/LSPRING05.pdf St. Hagop's Armenian Church] ]

Members of the Armenian diaspora typically associate the serving of the "madagh" with an annual commemoration of " [http://www.armenianchurch.net/diocese/ministries/education/mar2006/12WaystoMarkApril24th--MartyrsDay.html martyr's day] ", the anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide in Turkey. Most mark April 24 1915 as the beginning of the Armenian genocide, however "madagh" celebrations take place throughout the summer months. The connection of the "madagh" to commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey may be a contentious point, as the genocide is not officially recognized within Turkey. This post uses the term "genocide" to accurately reproduce the understanding and interpretations of those populations that are enacting the ritual and is in keeping with most scholarly accounts. Moreover, despite its association with the genocide, the "madagh" may be used as part of other requiem services ("Hokehankisd"), including victims of other massacres or departed loved ones.

Food & Festivities

Such events are popular in New York as well as in the sizable Armenian decent population concentrated in Southeastern Wisconsin [Phyllis Sides. " [http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/06/25/local/22101967.txt Annual Armenian Picnic Shared Food, Fellowship] ." "Racine Journal Times" June 25 2007] and Northern Illinois. The events are often an opportunity to showcase traditional cuisine of Armenia. At such feasts, particularly in the midwestern USA, the "madagh" is typically celebrated with [http://www.globaldialog.com/~tallen/recipes.html#madagh Lamb Stew] and [http://www.globaldialog.com/~tallen/recipes.html#pilaf Bulgur Pilaf (Wheat Pilaf)] (click links for recipes). Older men from the community dig large pits in the earth the night before the feast, in which the communal pots of pilaf and lamb stew are roasted. On the day of the festival, which is free and open to the public, the presiding priest blesses the food and asks for God to remember the departed who are being commemorated as part of the Requiem Service. After the blessing, families line up with pots and bowls into which volunteers pass out the communal lamb stew and pilaf.

Occasionally, one of the few remaining living survivors of the Armenian Genocide will be brought in to join the event. When such an honored guest is present, feast attendees typically gather around to hear a first person account of the history as lived in 1915 through the eyes of a child. As of 2004, it was believed that there were only four remaining living survivors of the Genocide in the USA.

Annual "madagh" festivals are important cultural and community events apart from their historic connection to commemorating Armenian genocide. You may see young men playing soccer or throwing a football while the old men play backgammon in the shade. After the eating is finished, an Armenian band may play Armenian folk music for traditional dancing. Dancers line up next to each other, link pinkie fingers, and move their feet in pattern to the music as the line snakes around the pavilion. At most festival celebrations, guests attending the festival but unfamiliar with the history would be unlikely to note a connection to the genocide.

External links

* [http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/ Hye Etch]
* [http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/armenian.html The Gutsy Gourmet: Armenian Food]
* See [http://www.asainc.org/common/events/national_tionsmadcnyc_04202008.html Armenian Students Association] for "Madagh" dates on the east coast of the USA.

References