Armenian henna wedding traditions

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Posted by Catheirne Cartwright Jones on September 30, 1999 at 02:49:05:

A year or two back, I met an Armenian fellow who hennaed at weddings
(Christian)in Armenia, and talked with him about present henna
practices there...which involve the bride and her friends doing their
fingertips and hair with henna; and the groom and his friends
hennaeing their little fingers and having an Armenian cross hennaed on
their biceps.

BUT I found a reference to hennaed Armenian brides about 2 centuries
ago in that I think is absolutely enchanting!

Reference source is "The Wedding Day in All Ages and Countries", by
Edward J. Wood; Harper and Brothers, New York, New York, 1869.

"An Armenian girl's marriage has been thus cescribed. She had flowers
of celestial blue delicately painted all over her breast and neck; her
eyebrows were dyed black; and the tips of her fingers and nails ere
stained a bright orange color (with henna). She wore on each hand
rings set with precious stones, and round her neck a string of
turquoises. Her shirt was of fine spun silk, and her jacket and
trowsers of cashmere of a bright color." (....description of the
priest coming in, and a bit of praying and such...) "Whereupon the
priest placed upon the head of each a wreath of flowers ornamented
with a quantity of hanging gold threads. These coronets he changed
three times from the head of one to the head of the other, repeating
each time" I unite you, and bind you one to another. Live in peace.""

There's one very intriguing thing about the blue flowers....in
Transoxiana (don't even bother looking on a map...it is east and north
of the Aral Sea...I think its currently Uzbekistan) the women in the
17th century of the upper classes had FULL BODY floral tattoos (vines,
tree of life, etc) ...(of the bluish sort that come from carbon,
needle and thread) to complement their henna. I think its possible
that the Armenian blue floral designs may have been an echo of that. I
certainly would love to know more about those ladies!!!! I've got a
sheet of Transoxianian patterns...and I've had a passion for their
textiles and garb for ages. Those babes had style to the bone!

Also...once I found a poem about the hardships that Armenian women
endured when they were abducted and taken to the regions to the
south...(I'll have to go find this book again...I didn't copy it at
the time...I was laughing too hard).....the poem went on at length
about how delicate and cultured and used to daintiness Armenian women
were...and that in Armenia they were used to dining on ox brains, but
in this land of savages wherein they were enslaved, they were forced
to eat vegetables, like savages!

If you need Armenian or Transoxianian patterns, with a side of savage
vegetables....email me!

Follow-ups:

Re: Armenian henna wedding traditions Alison 12:59:57 2/02/01 (0)
Re: Armenian henna wedding traditions Teresa Peters 12:23:50 1/11/01 (0)
Re: Armenian henna wedding traditions Anita Pangbourne 18:31:39 11/18/00 (0)
Re: Armenian henna wedding traditions Maria 05:09:26 10/01/99 (0)
Transoxianian patterns Kathy 06:31:45 9/30/99 (4)
- Re: Transoxianian patterns Catherine Cartwright Jones 14:03:40 9/30/99 (3)
  - Excellent Description Kathy 22:13:55 9/30/99 (2)
    - Thanks...but not Rom Catherine Cartwright Jones 23:50:24 9/30/99 (1)
      - Patterns? Patterns? SeeSee 21:13:19 10/02/99 (0)

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: A year or two back, I met an Armenian fellow who hennaed at weddings : (Christian)in Armenia, and talked with him about present henna : practices there...which involve the bride and her friends doing their : fingertips and hair with henna; and the groom and his friends : hennaeing their little fingers and having an Armenian cross hennaed on : their biceps. : BUT I found a reference to hennaed Armenian brides about 2 centuries : ago in that I think is absolutely enchanting! : Reference source is "The Wedding Day in All Ages and Countries", by : Edward J. Wood; Harper and Brothers, New York, New York, 1869. : "An Armenian girl's marriage has been thus cescribed. She had flowers : of celestial blue delicately painted all over her breast and neck; her : eyebrows were dyed black; and the tips of her fingers and nails ere : stained a bright orange color (with henna). She wore on each hand : rings set with precious stones, and round her neck a string of : turquoises. Her shirt was of fine spun silk, and her jacket and : trowsers of cashmere of a bright color." (....description of the : priest coming in, and a bit of praying and such...) "Whereupon the : priest placed upon the head of each a wreath of flowers ornamented : with a quantity of hanging gold threads. These coronets he changed : three times from the head of one to the head of the other, repeating : each time" I unite you, and bind you one to another. Live in peace."" : There's one very intriguing thing about the blue flowers....in : Transoxiana (don't even bother looking on a map...it is east and north : of the Aral Sea...I think its currently Uzbekistan) the women in the : 17th century of the upper classes had FULL BODY floral tattoos (vines, : tree of life, etc) ...(of the bluish sort that come from carbon, : needle and thread) to complement their henna. I think its possible : that the Armenian blue floral designs may have been an echo of that. I : certainly would love to know more about those ladies!!!! I've got a : sheet of Transoxianian patterns...and I've had a passion for their : textiles and garb for ages. Those babes had style to the bone! : Also...once I found a poem about the hardships that Armenian women : endured when they were abducted and taken to the regions to the : south...(I'll have to go find this book again...I didn't copy it at : the time...I was laughing too hard).....the poem went on at length : about how delicate and cultured and used to daintiness Armenian women : were...and that in Armenia they were used to dining on ox brains, but : in this land of savages wherein they were enslaved, they were forced : to eat vegetables, like savages! : If you need Armenian or Transoxianian patterns, with a side of savage : vegetables....email me!

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