Re: Of Tenderness and Henna

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: : : In answer to your question Ms. Jones about henna use : : in urban Syria, it's really hard for me to be a judge : : on the state of henna in that part of the world, partly because I : have been away for about a decade from home : : (visited occasioanlly.) But the way I perceive it is : : really a complex issue. I mean to put that in its local : perspective, old monuments, bazaars, and ancient ruins : : and relics are interwined with newer type architecture, : : or designs. This in itself can be seen in other aspects of : : a culture striving to preserve its roots, while accomodating modern : trends. So the point is really you will : : find henna tradition alive and well in some parts of the city : : of Aleppo. If you make a trip to one of the ancient bazaars there ( : that humbly goes back to 4000 years ago) you still : : find small shops that trade only henna with all its varieties. : Women in some parts of Aleppo still carry traditions that go back : millenia ago. One thing that comes to mind is sugar parties (hair : removal(legs) parties, or as I would like to refer to them as women : hair removal support groups:-) : : Now here is something that might be of interest to you Ms. : : Jones. I have not seen this explanation attempted anywhere else : yet, and if no one so far has dealt with the topic, please feel free : to quote me on that as an authority on the topic since I hold a : Master's Degree in Linguistics from : : a known US University. Here it is. : : Semitic Languages are based on a root system from which all : : other words are derived from the meaning of that particular : : root. Now if we look at the word henna, the root that this : : word was derived from is (HNN) which correlates to tenderness. : Semitic Languages (and Arabic for that matter) : : use vowels to derive nouns or adjectives, etc, while consonants : bear the meaning (semantics.) : : So henna, in this regard, is a noun derived from that root : : that points to the quality of tenderness. Hanan, also is : : tenderness itself. Hanoun(masculine) Hanouna (feminine) : : means tender. Haneen, also derived from the same root, means : nostalgia or homesickness, which really bears semantic (meaningwise) : relationship to tenderness. : : As far as your point about how the Middle East is projected : : in western society in general, is really a game politicians : : and media benificiaries have always enjoyed playing here there, : everywhere else for that matter. It reflects temporal biases seasoned : with political events here and there. But for people to enjoy each : others' cultures requires unlearning those biases. Unlearning, my : dear friend, as I found out having lived in a different culture, : : is waaaaaaay more challenging than learning. You know what : : though? It is equally waaaaaaaaay more rewarding. : : My Best Regards : : Babaganooj : : *please feel free to drop me a line or two on : : my e-mail address above, if I can be of help : : on some cultural aspects here and there. : : Love : : Babaganoo : Reading your letters makes me nostalgic. It has been quite a long : time since I thought of the womens hair removal support groups I : attended. The friends I made and the times we shared will always be : with me. You are a breath of fresh air that was much needed on this : list. Please continue to share your experiences with us. I think we : each receive something different and special from your writing. : Best regards, : Zahira Hanan

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