Notes from Armenia, 439
beare on the same page, we find that such sacrifices were offered on the leading ecclesiastical festivals. Mr. Cony- beare also shows that this matab was repudiated by the Paulicians, as an animal sacrifice offered in expiation of the sins of the dead {Key of Truth, p. clxiv.).
At Archag, not far to the east of Lake Van, I took the opportunity of inquiring from the priests of the village with regard to this custom. They readily admitted the fact ; the sacrifice occurred at leading festivals such as Easter, but especially, if I understood rightly, on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin. The victims were usually lambs. Their blood was poured out upon the ground and the meat given to the poor. The sacrifice was not, how- ever, performed in the church, but outside. They also informed me that it was done in remembrance of the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham ! This statement was con- firmed to me elsewhere, I do not know whether there is a memory of human sacrifice lurking in the illustration.
At Egin I found these sacrifices were also made, but especially on the Festival of the Assumption of the Virgin (August 17th this year). They buy sheep from the church funds, collect boulgour (cracked wheat), &c., and on leaving the church each person has a piece of bread and meat given to him. The sacrifice does not occur inside the church ; some people perform it at their own homes.
From Egin I learned that this festival of the Assumption was also a festival of first-fruits, and that before that time it was not lawful to eat of the new grapes. I did not gather that there was any expiation of the dead in the sacrifice referred to, but it is quite possible that my ques- tions were not suited to elicit this fact, of which the Armenian literature quoted above furnishes decisive evidence. The impression made upon my own mind was that the custom was more like an early Christian agape, and I see that Mr. Conybeare in one place makes a some- what similar suggestion.
