Village Life

setva karbunele bi chiriyyavate EOktober.E ka-tusa, ba tusa b-EOktoberE kulle mendi mavuruna, pike, tunta. ita anne anveva kulle ki-zakrivalun b-kha khola tandellivalun gu-chukhta. etvalan chukhyate akh-ambare. keshmishe etvalan, kma jurre keshmishe. anne garuyse anve atkha, gabushta ki-karakhvale. kha sama har al-kuntopa ki-peshiva brize. len-bedda kam atkheva, bush shapire vayeva. har b-kuntopa bet-mattetva gu-manukh ita b-gabetvale har b-kuntopa. le sardivalun atkha khina men-uydale.

Winter approaches in autumn, October. For example in October they bring everything in, fruit, fruit. Now as for the grapes, they used to thread them all on a rope and hang them in a basement. We had basements like storerooms. We had raisins, several types of raisins. The big grapes, like this, we used to call ɟabušta. Some of them would become dry while still in a bunch (on the vine). I do not know why it was so, they were nicer (like that). You would put it on your plate while in a bunch, so you would pick it while still in a bunch. They would not pull them apart.

keshmisheva, senjiyyeva yemishan u kamutre u-sparegleva raba. ki-zakrivalun medre b-khole ki-tandellivalun. ki-peshiva ka-tre-yarkhe khachcha pesha tla yarkhe atkha ki-peshiva gu-de ambar. anne hasilaniva kat etva. nipukhta ki-bashlakhvala. khina marchakhvalun anve. medre bademjane ki-bashlakhvalun murabba ki-tarsakhva. a EsyropE kat maren nipukhtet Urmi ayya bushlokh bi anve mriche. murabbe ki-bashlakhva raba anne men-yemishe, sparegle, meshmeshshe, khokhe. anne murabbe ki-bashlakhvala. khina bi shakar bashulokhva. yemishe bedrayekhva gu-shakar khachcha … vayeva akh duysha u miyye bush kuya vayeva beshkalekhva. anne murabbe raba bushlekh. raba betkharen b-nipukhta bushlukh a-mendi. shakar le maplekhkhiva raba.

Our fruits included raisins, jujube fruits, and there were many pears and quinces. They would likewise thread them on ropes and hang them up. They used to last for two months, almost three months, like that, they remained in the storeroom. These things were the produce that we had. We used to cook grape molasses. We crushed the grapes. We cooked tomatoes and made a preserve. The syrup that I am talking about, the molasses of Urmi, we cooked with crushed grapes. We cooked many preserves, from fruits, quinces, apricots, peaches. We cooked preserves from them. We cooked it with sugar. We put fruits into the sugar and they became like honey. When their liquid became thicker, we would take them (off the heat). We cooked many of these preserves. I remember we often cooked this with grape molasses. We did not use sugar much.

turshiyyeva ki-dokakhvalun jurri jurre. khvite raba ki-dokakhva. kha pesla buybare ki-malakhvalun akhchi ki-malakhvalun gellale. buybar gavo t-ile spika mlayukhva. khabuyshet arra etvalan. khabuyshet arra adi gu-darta akhnan etlan ilano. bar khachcha en av paltakhle khutu vena EartikhokeE etten. akhnan ki-tanakhvale khabuyshet arra shemmu iva khabuyshet arra ina gari ave kertopet arra, kha mendi atkha. anida gu-turshiyye.

There were pickles. We made various different types. We made many mixed. In one type we filled peppers, we filled them with herbs. We filled the middle of the pepper, which was empty. We had Jerusalem artichokes. Jerusalem artichokes—we have its plant in the garden. A little later, if we take it out, under it there are artichokes. We called it ‘earth apples,’ its name was ‘earth apple,’ but it should be ‘earth potato,’ something like that. These too (are put) in pickles.

kalya busra ita kalya raba mshamheva. a shula gu-kulle bate etva. yane kul beta gari kalya avedva ka-ganu chunket setvele talga kul dukta davekvala. anne katlanet kenyane le-ativa raba, akhchi k-avivalan akhnan men-rekhka ki-mayyiva kha-nasha kenyana ki-katelvale gu-mata, har o-yuma ki-palli yane ki-zonivale kulle. kulle ki-khabriva kat l-o-rishet mata kenyana primena, ita alma k-azelva ki-zavenva. ita ayya khachcha k-oyava bi setva. ita bas mu odi? kulle nashe etlun gu-pagane heyvane kenyane gane etlun, makhsusan kha sharkha masalan ki-rashmivale men-nisane ki-rashmivale kat-avva kalya pt-odakhle a-shita. ita bush raba ki-natrivale, matressival, makhlivale, gu-chiriyye avva bet-parmivale.

Fried meat and meat, now fried meat was very well known. This was found in all houses. That is, every family had to make for itself fried meat, because it was winter and snow used to cut off every place. The slaughterers of cattle did not come much, but we had one, we would bring a man from afar who would slaughter the cattle in the village and they used to divide it, that is everybody used to buy it. Everybody used to become aware that at one side of the village cattle had been slaughtered, then people would go and buy. Now, that happened rarely in winter. So, what should they do? Everybody had in their stables their animals and cattle, in particular a calf, which they would mark, they used to mark already in spring that we would make that one into fried meat this year. So they took greater care of it, they fattened it, fed it and in autumn they slaughtered it.

parmivale busru kulle p-kalivale gu-meshkha gu-kadale. tamada letvalan yakhchale. akhchi khina bi chiriyyavay, karta benpalela kulle anne chukhyatan kayre k-aviva. kalyeva, masteva, anne turshiyyaniva, guptela kat khina guptaze gu-chaghet EJune,E gu-yarkhet EJuneE gupta gari odakhvala chun e dana vayele raba khalvet erbe. ayya b-khalvet erbe k-odila. medre ki-mayyiva ki-zabnivalun. akhnan ganan lekh vide gupta. akhchi gari zonakhvala, tamrakhvala gu kadalyate, gu-arra kat-peshava ka-setva. ayya ki-tanakhvala gupta tumerta. adiyyaze lakhkha etlan. mut vitela adi lakhkha vekh kullan vado. hi gupta. raba etvalan gupta gu-setva. kulle arkhuyatan gupteva, turshiyyeva, arak khamreva. anneva khina gu-khluylane shule kulle.

They slaughtered it and fried all its meat in oil (and put it) in pots. There we did not have refrigerators. But in autumn, the cold comes and all the storerooms are cold. There was fried meat, there was yoghurt, there were pickles, there was cheese. We had to make cheese in the season of June, in the month of June, since at that time there is a lot of sheep’s milk. They make it with sheep’s milk. They would, likewise, bring it and sell it. We (our family) ourselves did not make cheese. Rather we had to buy it and bury it in pots in the ground so that it kept until winter. We called this ‘buried cheese.’ We have it even now. What was (there in the village), now here we all make it. Yes, cheese. We had a lot of cheese in the winter. All of our feasts involved cheese, pickles, arak, wine. These were at weddings etc.

kese hi. ki-jammakhvalun kese. ki-katkettakhvalun, anne kulle ki-tayberrakhvalun ka bukhari. patukhteva. medre ki-jammakhvala men-deshta. kamreva. kul nasha kut yum paluteva anne shekhtet heyvanu mattuye bedrayeva kha dukta. gu-kulle keta e-dukta bivayela tuptepta b-kvita. ita gu-chiriyyavaye ki-parmivala atkha atkha karpiche karpiche. parmivala, kharzivala, barzava. anize bet-morivalun gu-mulavate, dukta etvalan mukkesta. bi dani ki-sherakhva. sherakhva tanuyra bi dan kamre. khina kulle beta shakhina ki-khamivale bi dani, b-dan kamre b-kese.

Logs of wood, yes. We used to gather the logs of wood, chop them up and arrange them all for the stove. There was the long dung cake, again we would gather it from the field. There was the small dung cake. Everybody every day would go out and put the filth that his animal had made in a particular place. Throughout the summer this place has been trodden down making it hard. Then in autumn they cut it into blocks. They would cut it, arrange it, and it would dry. They would then bring them into barns. We had a covered place (in which we put them). With these we lit (fires). We lit the oven with these dung cakes. They kept the whole house warm with them, with the dung cakes, with the logs of wood.

khette daneva chagheva ki-khallellakhvalun chiriyyavay, kut etle ganu zeryele men-khettet ganu. ina gari khalliva tayberriva kulle b-chiriyyavay. chiriyyavay shulane rabeva et-mata. ot letle khette ki-zoniva, raba khette, masalan eshta-dane atkha jvale b-zoniva, raba. ita an khette kulle gari gu-kha-yuma yan tre yume, bet-khallivalun, b-shatkhivalun, barziva b-tammezzivalun kipe en letten gave. hazer, malivalun gu-jvale medre tamma.

As for wheat, it was its time, it was its season, we used to wash it in autumn, whoever had sown their own wheat. They had to wash and sort it all in autumn. In autumn jobs in the village were numerous. Whoever did not have wheat would buy it, (they would buy) a lot of wheat, for example, they would buy six sacks like this, a lot. Then it was necessary (to process) all of the wheat in one or two days, they washed it, they spread it out, they dried it, they cleaned it of stones in case there were any in it. (When it was) ready, they fill sacks with it (and) again (place them) there.

ita kut kma kha bayyi azi takhni al-erkhe kat-odile kamkha. kha men-dan jvale rame b-lablivala, takhnivala, kamkha t-atyava. ayya ka-lesha kat-avivalun ham-masha kamkha. kamkha ika khamuyuva? gu-kvara, gu-kulina, khette gu-kvara, kamkha gu-kulina. anne iva kha-kma EbokhE-e b-kesa turseva b-takhte gure, shemmane ina atkha iva. khette e dantet men-janjar mayena men-budrate kat khina janjar vide plitena khette rabena ani t-ati gu-kvara. kvara iva palget da Egarage.E bi EbokhE-e tursova, bi takhta, kha EbokhE gurta. etvala tarrane jurre jurre. atkha marmiva takhta kha bezza b-shartiva khette men do-bezza. ita takhta maslivala b-davrava, tarro b-daverva. ayya ramteva men, ramta makh davvo tarra kha-tkha ramteva. mennan yale sure raba ramteva. ita ayya k-oyava mlita khette.

So, every once in a while they need to go to grind (the wheat) on the watermill to make it into flour. They would take one of those tall sacks, grind it and it would come back as flour. This was for dough, so they would always have flour. Where did they keep the flour?—in a storage bin, in a storage box, wheat in a storage bin and flour in a storage box. These were boxes that they had made with large planks. These were their names. When they bring the wheat from the threshing machine, from the threshing floors, when it has been processed by the threshing machine and extracted (from the heads of wheat), the wheat is abundant and it goes into the storage bin. The storage bin was half (the size) of this garage. They made it of boxes, with a plank, a big box. It had different types of doors. They raised a plank, a hole, and the wheat flowed down from the hole. Then they would drop the plank and it would close, its door would close. It was higher than … high like that door, high like that. It was much higher than us children. So, this was full of wheat.

kha-khita etva mlita kamkha. khina kamkha ki-odivale b-chiriyyavate ki-takhnivale al-erkhiyye. kha-kma gahe anne takhnane k-ativa chun erkhavate letva raba ka-tusa gu-mat-diyyan etva tla arpa mavate khine letva. anne kulle bitayena gu-de-erkhet mat-diyyan takhniva.

There was another, which was full of flour. Now, they made flour, they used to grind it in the autumn on watermills. The millers would come only occasionally, because there were not many watermills, for example there was one in our village, but in three or four other villages there was not any. They all come to mill on the watermill of our village.

tuyneva khaltet heyvane medre ki-morivale setva, chiriyyavate mavuruna ambare mkhayuna. kulle setva etlan tuyna yonja. yonjaze ki-zarriva. kul beta etvale yonja. ki-zarriva khazdivala odivala gutte morivala gu-ambare ka-kenyane. ayyaze mikhultet heyvaneva.

As for hay, again they would bring in the food of the animals in winter, they brought it in during the autumn and put it in the storerooms. During the whole winter we have hay and clover. They used to cultivate clover. Every house had clover. They sowed it, harvested it, made it into balls and brought it into the storerooms for the cattle. This was the food of the animals.

kasla raba kalate ki-zakrakhva, akhnan bnate shulet diyyaniva, men-kattet khette. kattet khette yarekhtela. ayen b-shaklakhvala, markekhkhakhvala gu-miyya. e danet murkekhkhalan le shamta-khina. b-dayen ki-zakrakhva kalate. urze ina ki-zakriva. urze ki-zakriva atkha kalta ayya zarde mela gure kertale ka-anve grashta ka hasel keshmishe baruyze atkha ina gure, rame atkha. urze ki-zakrivalun anne. kha pesla ilana etva shemmu tuyra ki-karivale, tuyra. an tuyreva atkha. kertale ki-zakriva.

Straw—we would weave many baskets from the stems of wheat—it was the job of us girls. The stem of wheat is long. They would take it and soften it in water. When we have softened it, it would not break any more. With this we wove baskets. The men, in fact, used to weave. The men used to weave a basket like this—bring me that yellow one—, large pannier baskets for transporting grapes, for the produce of dried raisins, like this, but big, high like this. It was the men who used to weave these. There was a type of tree called osier, osier. The twigs of the osier were like this. They used to weave pannier baskets.

[GK: petet lakhma?] hi petet lakhmaze etva kha-kma m-yapyanyay. khina ki-leshiva kurba ka-tre yarkhe ka-tlay yuma eshti yumane yane atkha lakhma ki-payyi. kha-yuma ki-payyivale. medre bar-tre yarkhe medre b-sankiva. khina miyyeva m-kamkha, b-leshivale kha yuma ina gari dariva khmira gavu kat khammiva. khmirada mujjur vadut? udyu ana khmira shkeltun men-shveta . ki-khamivale men-ida al-ida. le shokiva parekva. av le manshiva la gari bakhtate manshiva. kha kunda gari khami. adi men-shveta muyitula gari yavva kha ka-shveta, kha ka-gano khamya. ita bi atkha har hammasha kha kunda etva. gu-kamkhada tamrivale, gu-de kulina. ita avun markukhuna berashe gu-do kamkha shima bekhvatuna bi miyya u-kamkha. morisha bekyamena bekhzayena atkha rimele, khemyele.

[gk: baking of bread?] Yes, (there was) also baking of bread. There were baking women. They used to prepare dough for (a supply of bread for) almost two months, for thirty days, sixty days, they used to bake like that. They baked in one day. After two months they would again be in need (of bread). Now it was water with flour, they would knead for one day, but they had to put leaven into it so that it would be leavened. How do you do the leavening? Today I have taken leaven from a neighbour. They preserved it from hand to hand. They did not let it finish. They would not forget it, the womenwere not supposed toforget.They had to keep a ball of dough. Now, if she has brought it from a neighbour, she had to give one to the neighbour and keep one for herself. So in this way there was always one dough ball. They used to bury it in the flour, in the flour storage box. Then they soften it in the evening in all that flour and mix it with water and flour. In the morning they get up and see that it has risen, it has been leavened.

ita khina kamta kunde pt-odiva kmat nasheze raba aviva ka da pyetet lakhma hayyarta aviva bush jalde ki-parkiva. ina payyanta khaiva kha-khta darren-nanta k-oyava. ana yemmi bakh-khaluyi ki-payyava ka-diyyan, ka-kulle kelpat, khezmane. yemmet diyyida ki-darrennava.

So, first they would make dough balls. The more people there were for this baking of bread, the more help there was, the quicker they would finish. But the baker woman was one person and another was the one who rolled (the dough). I, my mother, and the wife of my maternal uncle used to bake for us, for the whole family, the relatives. My mother used to be the roller (of the dough).

takhta khina takhta gurteva glulta kha-atkha ramta. dorana etva kat adize etlan akhnan, u-mazrakda. e bakhta kat pyayela lakhma bedrayula al-de-mazrak beshshayula gu-tanuyra. tanuyradashakhinavayele. [GK: kmajurrelakhmaetva?]kmajurreet? khalavasha etvalan kha-khta gerdeya. jurre jurre letvalan. gerdeyeva ki-khina e dantet prakta prakta kma dane kunde akhchi khachcha patkhivalun kha-atkha atkha glule ina khlime. save men-dani ki-bayyiva savune kat b-khalva k-akhlivale. patire medre k-odakhva shuk men-kadeva. letvalun gava le mattakhva mertukha gave. avunze har atkha kha kundeva patkhakhvale. ina kade gari gave ave mertukha. mertukha ki-mattakhva gu-kade.

A (rolling) board, it was a large round board, this high. There is a rolling pin, which we also have now, and also a baking cushion. The woman who was baking bread would put it on the baking cushion and stick it onto the oven. The oven is hot. [gk: How many types of bread were there?] How many types are there? One (of the types that) we had (was) a flat bread, another was a loaf. We did not have so many types. As for loaves, when the dough was coming to an end, they opened up a few dough balls just a little, like this round, but thick. The old folk used to like it, the elderly, who used to eat it with milk. Other than cakes, we also made unleavened bread. They had nothing in them, we did not put cake-filling in them. It was a dough-ball like this, which we used to open. But cakes had to have cake-filling in them, we put cake-filling in cakes.

[GK: masta?] ha masta ki-khina atkha. syashtet meta iva gu-shabta tre-ga. khalva mashkhunuva. khalva gane bekhlavuva berashe. kulle ki-mashkhennakhvale morisha. darakhvale gu-kadalyate. tla yume khine mastele hazer. ita ki-zediva an kadalyate, e masalet Yutamla, ki-zediva kadalyate ita ku-shabta tre-ga et dane yan shabta tla-ga. shabta tre-ga.

[gk: yoghurt?] Ah yes, yoghurt was indeed like this. Shaking the churn pot took place twice a week. They would boil the milk. They would milk the milk themselves in the evening. We used to warm it all in the morning. We put it into pots. Three days later it is yoghurt ready (to eat). Now, the (filled) pots would be left over sometimes, this is the story of Yutam, pots were left over, that is twice a week, occasionally three times a week, twice a week.

meta ay klitela kma masta t-avilan. hi. itar tla kadalyay arpa kadalyay darivalun gu-kha-dana meta gurteva. ayen b-sheshavala yemma. b-sheshavala ukhcha b-sheshavala hal de-danet o-karro kaliva al-pata davve. karra b-shaklavale, peshane davveva. an davve b-daryavalun gu-kesta. masyeppavalun kha yuma shima pt-oyava tep tep vada e-kesta. peshana iva kattegh. peshana iva kattegh peshana men-dan … e-dan besyapeva an davve. davve miyye zoda berrekhsheva, pyasheva kattegh. jaji vaduva. shalukuva, jajek taruseva. khina ketpeva, ani ki-rappiva. ki-khepiva biyye atkha kose, akh EshampooE k-aviva kate an-miyyet kattegh, hi ketpe.

As for the churn pot, that depends on how much yoghurt we have. Yes, now we would put (the contents of) three pots, four pots into one large churn pot. Mother used to shake it. She used to shake, shake it so much until its butter stood on the top (of) the buttermilk. She would take the butter and what remained was buttermilk. She put the buttermilk in a bag. She filtered it, for a whole day the bag went drip, drip. What remained was buttermilk cheese. What remained was buttermilk cheese, the remains of the (buttermilk) … when she filtered the buttermilk. When the surplus water of the buttermilk goes away, buttermilk cheese remains. They make jajəc. They boil it and make jajəc. As for the waste liquid, they used to throw it away. They used to wash their hair in it, it was like shampoo for them, the water of the buttermilk cheese, yes the waste liquid.

msetet julle khina etva shabta kha-geva. mashkhenniva miyya. akh lakhkha letva akhnan har-kut dana miyya patkhakh shir. tama gari mayyet men-shakita miyya. beta ki-mashkhennakhvalun al-tanuyra, al-ojakhta, bi keset … nuyra beshyara. ita p-ide kulle ki-masivalun yemmate. lablakhva al-shakita ki-parpiyyakhvalun, ki-parpiyyakhvalun bi miyya. ita mayyakhva b-shatkhakhvalun. etvalan tanape sire b-shatkhakhvalun.

There was the washing of clothes, it was once a week. They would heat the water. There were not (facilities) like here, where we always have water by opening the tap. There you had to fetch water from the stream. We heated it at home on the oven, on the hearth, kindling the fire with the wood of … Then, the mothers washed them (the clothes) all by hand. We took them to the stream and rinsed them, we rinsed them with water. Then we brought them back and hung them out. We had clothes lines which we tied and we hung them (the clothes) out.

ina chiriyyavate etvalan makhvartet batvate. bakhtate gane ki-makhver-riva. k-azakhva etvalan kha tuyra makhsusiva khvara, ki-paletva mennu o-tina khvara. khorana, shemmu ki-tanakhvale e-dana khorana, har adiyyaze khoranele, makhvartet betvate. bet-mayyiva. kha darya urze ki-mayyivale, ita anne bakhtay avun ki-mejivale gu-miyya. raba ki-tarsiva vadre. ita b-shakliva kanushyate dayke etvalan. anida men-deshta ki-mayyakhvalun. b-shakliva b-dan kanushyay dayke, yemmate k-askiva al-simalta makhverriva guydane u kulle. ayya pt-oyava chiriyyavay men-kam idavate, ida, ka-ida gari aviva betvate khvare parde mesye.

Now in the autumn we had (the custom of) whitewashing houses. The women used to whitewash by themselves. We used to go, we had a white mountain, which was special, from it came the white mud, whitener, we called it ‘whitener’ at that time, still now it (is known as) whitener, the whitewashing of houses. They brought it, the men would bring a lot, then the women would soften it into a paste in water. They made many buckets. Then they took fine brooms, which we had. These too we brought from the fields. They would take hold of these fine brooms and the mothers would go up on ladders and whitewash walls, and everything. This took place in the autumn before the festivals, the festival (of Christmas), for the festival the houses had to be white and the curtains laundered.

kuraneda zakriva, hi. atkha etvalan bi bi petvet da miz, tla akle, kulle khadervanet guydane kat la sandakhva b-guyda kayra vayeva. etvalan ki-zakrakhva, ki-zakrivalun ki-masneddivalun bi guyda kat sandakh b-dani. anne kuraneva. ina hasire etvalan bi jagan ki-zakrakhvale. ayen akh da presta masalan kat-shaviva. kulle otaghe k-aviva melye hasire. bar hada tilun khaliyye, presyay, alle shuvilan. ina b-shuraya al-hasire tivena, hasire ki-zakriva.

We used to weave wall-carpets (+k̭uranə), yes. We had ones like this with the width of this table, three feet, all around the walls, so that we did not lean on a wall that was cold. We had (such as these), which we used to weave, we used to weave them and attach them to the wall, so that we could lean on them. These were wall-carpets. We had mats, which we wove with jaɟan grass. This was like this rug, which they used to lay. All the rooms were full of mats. Later came carpets and rugs, on which we laid our bedding, but originally we sat on mats, we would weave mats.

[GK: dakh mashkhenniva betvate?] hi merri b-kese, b-kamre. kut kedamta garek sherivale tanuyra. ita avun bet-malivale raba ki-sheriva ki-tamrivalun khut-ketma b-morisha, men bart prekle tenna. ki-tamrivalun khut-ketma, ita a dana, bar kavutra, khachcha ki-paltiva men-ketmet kat shkhunta paltava. kusaryayda kulle khrizena tama eltekh miyya raba khrizena eltekh. miyya hammasha talme k-avivalun kat berdakha hazer gu-tanuyra.

[gk: How did they heat houses?] Yes, I have said, with logs of wood, with dung cakes. Every morning they had to light the oven. They would fill it, stoke it a lot and bury them under the ashes in the morning, after the smoke has finished. They buried them under the ash, then, at this time (as we speak), in the afternoon, they would take out some ash, so the heat would come out. The cooking pots are all lined up there, below, many (pots of) water were lined up below. We always had water in pots (talmə), which boiled ready in the oven.

[GK: keta?] keta [GK: keta ika ki-damkhitunva?] al-garavate, sama zoda al-garavate. anne shennet khina akhnan viyyekh otagheda iva, etva tre tabake kulle turseva, ina b-kamtet kamtada har al-garavay dmikhena keta. kut-berashebisemmaltab-yaskivaal-gare. itajul-makhetamaki-maksakhvalun. medre morisha b-kemakhva. al-balila ana, kut berashe gari o gare maryessakh-vale kat paykha aviva. bet-maryessakhvale, jul-makhe patkhakhvalun, hala tla arpa saatte men-kam kat-yaskakh damkhakh. anne ina gari odakhvalun. kha tre tla yarkhe an-jul-makhe tama ki-peshiva al-gare. kharta ki-maslakhvalun.

[gk: The summer?] The summer [gk: In summer where did you sleep?] on the roofs, mostly on the roofs. During the years that we were (in the village), there were rooms, there were two floors that were built, but long ago they slept on roofs during the summer. Every evening they went up to the roof by a ladder. They would spread out bedding there. In the morning we would get up again. I remember we had to sprinkle the roof every evening so that it would be cool. We would sprinkle it and open up the bedding, already three or four hours before we went up to sleep. We had to do these things. The bedding would stay there on the roof for two or three months, then we brought it down.

khluylane khina har akh lakhkha, kulle kelpat ki-jammava hayyerriva. talabuta etten kamta. berrekhshena kma ganate mashmuyena ka bi brata. ani marena hi, temun, hamzemmakh. kma ganate berrekhshena betlabona. kha nishanka mattuyena, kha surta isakta ya kha mendi sura b-kdalo dari kat ayya khina kha nasha khina le-azel but de brata, anne tlibalun, akh bershamona. bar hadaze shirennekh etten. bi yemmet brata, babet brata shirennekh gari odi, chedi nashe khezmane. ki-makhli, ki-mashti, keke sherniyyela o-yuma masalan. bar shirennekhda khluyla bitayele. nashet yala b-shari b-khluyla. khluyla k-aviva tre yume, tla yume, arpa yume, khluyla gura, bi sabakhta, arpa yume khluylane k-aviva. davlachiyye k-ativa, davla makhyane le avivalan gu-mata. men-mavate khine k-ativa. ina arkhe, men-kulle mavay arkhe k-ativa.

Weddings were just like here, the whole family would gather together to help. First there is the marriage request. Several people would go and present the marriage request to the family of the girl. They say ‘Yes, come, let’s talk.’ Several people go and ask for her hand in marriage. They give a betrothal gift, a small ring, or they place something small on her neck, so that another man would not go and (ask) for the girl, (showing that) they have requested her hand, as it were marking her. After that there is the betrothal party. The family of the mother of the girl, the father of the girl, must hold the betrothal party and invite people, relatives. They serve food, serve drinks. There are cakes and sweets on that day, for example. After the betrothal party comes the wedding. The family of the boy initiates the wedding. The wedding lasts two days, three days, four days, a large wedding, with the presentation of wedding gifts, such weddings lasted four days. Drummers would come. We did not have drum-players in the village. They used to come from other villages. As for guests, guests came from all the villages.

ita arkhe k-aviva raba, k-aviva tremma ganay. et dana khluyla arpamma ganay. anne arpamma ganay kulle anne bne mata gari pallivalun. pallakhvalun, esra pt-azi gu-do beta, shavva gu-do beta, tmanya gu-do beta. etva khezmane gu-dan arkhe. etva letva khezmane, har atkha, akhchi aturayeva. gari madmekhkhakh-valun b-lelavate halt khluyla parekva, chun la-amsi damkhi gu-bet-khluyla. ayyada rizet khluyleva.

So, many guests came. There were two hundred people. At times a wedding (had) four hundred people. All the villagers had to divide these four hundred people (among themselves). We used to divide them (among ourselves), ten would go to one house, seven in another house, eight in another house. There were relatives among the guests. There may or may not be relatives, it was like that, but they were Assyrians. We had to put them up for the night until the wedding finished, because they could not sleep in the house of the wedding. This was the organization of the wedding.

b-shuraya ila kha lele men-kam khluyla khenna etten, mkhayena al-ide. bejmayena gu-betet kalu, khenna tarusuna labuluna lab yala. adi o-yuma khina kenyana ki-parmiva, hazer avi, tre kenyane balket bet-parmi hazer vayena ka-khluyla. ina davlachiyye har-gu-matena, shoda har etten rekda zmara anne har mkhayena. ita o-yoma kamaya berrekhshena kalu mayona. e-dan muyyalun kalu men-kha mata khita ka-tusa tanakh mayokh.

At the beginning, a night before the wedding there is the henna ceremony, which they put on their hands. They gather in the house of the bride, they make the henna and take it to the house of the boy. Now, the next day they used to slaughter a head of cattle, if they were available, perhaps they would slaughter two head of cattle that were ready for the wedding. The drummers are constantly in the village, there is constant jollity, dancing, singing, they are constantly playing. Then, on the first day (of the wedding) they go and bring the bride. When they have brought the bride—let’s say we bring her for example from another village.

yuma kamaya bejmayena, khezmane kurba bejmayena. yumet tre lelet khenna. yumet tla khina kalu bitayela. kalu gu-teto ki ganvivala kamta ki-ganvivala shvave ayya etva kha … kha rizeva men … kharta yan ki-mashrivala tanakh. adi e-dan kalu men-mata khita mayona kha men-khezmane yan shvave bet-mashrivala. ani kamta pt-orava bet-dani, tanakh toze ida pate b-khalliva. ay kha arkhuyta gurta etva, gari yavviva kato mushriyyona. ita bi khemyana pt-aziva medre mayyivala m-do beta paltivala b-davla zurna lablivala gu-bet gnuna, betet khetna. kha beta gura k-aviva muryezza tama khluyla pt-aviva.

The first day they gather, the close relatives gather (and make plans): the second day the henna night, the third day the bride comes. When the bride came, they used to steal her, first, the neighbours used to steal her, this was a custom … then they would offer her hospitality. Now, when they bring the bride from another village, one of the relatives or neighbours offered her hospitality. First she entered their house, let’s say, they would wash away the dust from their hands and face. There was a big feast, which they had to offer her, they offered her hospitality. Then the family of the father-in-law would go and bring her from that house, bring her out with drum and pipe music, and take her to the house of the bridal chamber, in the house of the groom. They would have organized a large house and there the wedding would take place.

o-lele sabakhta b-jammiva. sabakhta iva kulle nashe ki-yavviva kha pashkash bi zuzanayit ka nashet khluyla. akh masalan kat-akhnanda yuvvekh o nasha yuvvele ka-kulle de mata e-dan khluyla videna adi anida nobele gari yavvi zuyza kha mendi zuyza ka da khluylet brunet da nasha kat kharujele raba ka-da khluyla. har akh lakhkha adiyyada o shula etten.

On that night they gathered for the wedding-gift ceremony. The wedding-gift ceremony was where everybody gave a gift, in the form of money, to the holders of the wedding. Just as we, for example, have given or that man has given to all the village when they have held a wedding, now it is their turn and they must give money, some money for the wedding of the son of that man, who spends a lot on the wedding. This practice also exists now.