This is not a sacrifice: interpretations of the Madagh among Armenians

Abstract

While preparing and sharing food both at home and at special feasts remains a valued tradition among Armenians world-wide, the visible shedding of animal blood preceding its preparation does not. In the Republic of Armenia and around the Middle East, the ritual public slaughter of an animal remains common, whereas elsewhere in the diaspora, it is usually regarded as “backward.” Here the impact of these differences is explored through the ritual of madagh, often glossed in English as “sacrifice” and also as “community meal.” Madagh may be a community-wide celebration or a family-based ritual prepared with salt blessed by the priest and distributed to other households. Across regional variations, clergy and lay people negotiate the meaning of the ritual and collaborate on defining the experience and its importance. The madagh prompts a discussion of what is theologically correct and, beyond that, provides insights into deeply felt perceptions of relationships with God, connections to faith and religion as practiced at home as well as within the church. Based on research and fieldwork in Cyprus, Syria, Armenia, London, and the United States, this paper explores continuing practices of the madagh and the interpretations that emerge in conversation with those who participate.