Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 5.101 September 4, 1995 1) More Jewish superstitions (Zellig Bach) 2) An-Ski's _Der Dibek_ (Zellig Bach) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 3 Sep 1995 16:20:47 -0400 From: zellig@aol.com Subject: More Jewish superstitions This a brief addendum to my recent post "Yiddish Superstitious Expressions" (5.090), plus two general comments: A. "Baba Yaga": The several posts describing the Russian superstition of the evil house spirit with chicken legs further attest to the universality of the nature of evil spirits. Like all nit-gute or nisht-gute, they are no respectors of geographical boundaries and invade all cultures. For some "unearthly" reasons the evil spirits seem totally unconcerned with inclement weathers, and find residence all over the globe, regardless of climates... B. "Maiteh" not a superstitious protective name: In my paper referred to above (p. 4) I enumerated several superstitious protective names. I regret to say that the suggestion that the female given name "Maiteh" or "Maitah" (5.097,1) falls in the same category is incorrect. The writer thinks that it is a superstitious protective name because the meaning of "Maiteh" or Maitah" is one who is already dead, so that the Angel of Death would therefore overlook her altogether. Is the name Maiteh related to the modern Hebrew "meytah" (deceased)? Highly unlikely! This suggestion is wrong on several grounds: a) Psychologically: It is unimaginable that parents would give a child a name that is a constant reminder of death; And the naming of a child is first and foremost generally bound up with hope and an overwhelming wish for success in all aspects of health and life. Thus, among girls' names (for instance), are the four Hebrew-Yiddish biblical names Miriom, Rokhl, Rivke, and Sore, and such Yiddish names as Blume (flower), Gute or Gite (goodnes), Golde (of gold), Nekhe (after a male family member called Noyekh), Shprintse (hope), Simke (after a male family member called Simkhe, joy, festivity) -- all omens of life and a good future. b) Etymologically: In Yiddish the name is Matl, and its roots are the German old variants Maedel or Maidel (A. Harkavy: _Yiddish-English-Hebrew Dictionary, 1987 (p. 528). The fact that Maiteh's mother changed her daughter's name to Musia is no proof whatsoever that "Maiteh" meant, and was understood to mean, "geshtorbn," passed away, as in modern Hebrew "meytah." It rather demonstrates an assimilationist trend. Herewith two more Jewish superstitions: C. Gilgl: The phrase "May he (or she) rest in peace (R.I.P.) is a universally expressed, deeply felt human sentiment with regard to a deceased. This is, of course, a reference to the _soul_ that departed the body, believing, and hoping, that it coninues to live. There is a widespread superstition that a sinful soul would find no rest and, as a punishment, pass from one body into another body until it atoned for its sins. These souls could pass in any life form, such as a bee, crow, dog, and so on. The demotional character of this type of punishment is quite evident -- instead of living in a human body the soul in this restless stage is now housed or, so to speak, embodied, in a lowly animal. This belief is called in Yiddish _gilgl_ (from the Hebrew gilgUl), meaning cycle, rotation, transformation. D. Di'bek: Another variant of the above superstition is the concept of the di'bek. The Yiddish word _di'bek_ derives from the Hebrew "dibUk" and means adhesion, cleaving together, attachment. According to khasidic literature, the soul of a deceitful, sinful person becomes an evil spirit with the power of _transmigration _ into a living body and, thereafter, refusing to leave until "driven out." This belief in evil spirits and _migrant_ souls was very popular throughout the world, and found expression in mystical literature, folklore, and in secular writings echoing and mirroring for literary effect the dark beliefs of the people. Zellig Bach 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 3 Sep 1995 16:20:47 -0400 From: zellig@aol.com Subject: An-Ski's _Der Dibek_ The folklorist and playwright Sh. An-Ski (pen name of Shleyme Zanvel Rapoport (1863 - 1920) published in 1916 in Yiddish his play called _Der Di'bek_. It was produced to great acclaim all over the world, including a movie version. The well known choreographer Jerome Robins [I heard that he is a relative of Sholem Aleykhem/Rabinovits/], who choreographed the famous dance of the gang in _West Side Story_ and the equally famous "botle dance" in _Fiddler on the Roof_, created several years ago a ballet on the theme of the di'bek. Herewith a brief synopsis of An-Ski's drama (to the best of my recollection): Two young yeshi've bokherim (yeshi've students), who studied the Talmud together and became great pals, made a pact that they closed with a firm handshake and the mention of God's name as witness. This pact stipulated that when they will get married, and the issue of one will be a girl and the issue of the other a boy, the children will be married to each other. And thus their bond of deep friendship prior to their marriages will continue afterwards. When they got married one was blessed with a baby girl, and the other with a baby boy. The match therefore seemed fated and truly _bashert_ (predestined), according to their fathers' youthful agreement. When the children reached their marriage age, however, the father of the girl refused to live up to his "contractual" promise. By then the young woman and the young man were deeply in love with each other. Pining for his destined beloved, the young man died with a broken heart, and his soul cleaved unto her by entering her body, symbolizing not a carnal union, but a spiritual union, that is a union of their souls. There is a noteworthy diviation from the original belief: the young man's soul was not wicked unto itself, which would have been the cause for its tansmigration. The very fact that it chose on its own to attach itself to her body and to possess it made it wicked, and called for the dreaded ceremony of its expulsion. It is further noteworthy that An-Ski introduced in this drama, based on the di'bek legend, a modern romantic motif. I saw the play when I was a youngster, and to this day, about sixty years later, still remember the powerful effect of the adjuration scene. Zellig Bach Lakehurst, NJ ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 5.101 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Send change-of-status messages to: listserv@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele nomail b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele Other business: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu ****Getting back issues**** 1. Anonymous ftp archives are available. ftp ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files A table of contents is also available, along with weekly updates. 2. 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