Harutik-Marutik

[Arpa]

Harutik-Marutik.

 

I only remeber part of this song;

 

Mara tukh bardzr sarin ah,

Dzun a kitvel katarin,

.....

Xorotik-morotik,

Xorotik morotik im yarn e

Mek hatik a xumar e.

 

Khorotik morotik is supposed to mean something sweet just like the singer's sweetheart.

No wonder.

It is a variation on the theme of "khorot morot" whic in turn is variation of "horot morot". The horot flower is seldom mentioned alone, almost always as horot-morot.

Horot (spelled, ho vo re o tyun) also known as horout, khorot and... harout (ho ayb re o u tyun) is sweet smelling flower, whis is related to the Persian haurvata often abbreviated to "haurut". It is believed to be a sweet smelling flower similar to the hyacinth.

 

During preChristian times the Armenians had a spring festival that was known as "haurot-maurot" during which young maidens gathered flowers all day and in the evening they placed them in a bucket of water, singing "khorotik-morotik" all along. The next day the sweet smelling water was spread all over as well as spriknled over each other, not to forget the young men too.

 

So, how did "Harutik Marutik" figure in here?

This is totally my conclusion. I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else except in James Russell's book Zoroastrianism in Armenia where the festival is decribed without tying it ot any other.

Remember that the festival was during the spring. And just as every other pagan festival was superseded by a Christian holiday Horot Morot was also superseded and replaced by the feast of the resurrection. The fact that there is no convincing explanation of the Armenian word "harutyun" (resurrection), it is my opinion that the to rise, to resurrect meaning of the word derived from that festival which may have in time eveloved to be known as the feast of "haurut(maurut)" and not the visa versa.

 

Now we can sing;

 

Harutik marutik, Harutik marutik im yarn e mek hatik a xumar e.

[Harut]

yerkek, yerkek tuyl em talis, yerkek

 

 

(bayts miayn aghchiknerin )

[MosJan]

Harout jan hastat es ??? nAyi ha chposhmanes )