Intrigues in a Slum House

Zhou Enlai tried but failed to protect Jack, and so in 1969, Jack and Yuan-tsung were evicted from their apartment and forced to live in a corner room at a slum house on Sheep Market Street. Most of their neighbors came from the urban underclass; among them were a retired prostitute, a semireformed thief, a laundress who doubled as a bed playmate to her employer, and an old witch who practiced black magic. They were purveyors of gossip and became new sources of information for Yuan-tsung. A Japanese woman named Noriko, punching bag to her Chinese husband, became Yuan-tsung’s best friend and played a key role in her fight against the Red Guards.

In search of traces of the mandrake myth: the historical, and ethnobotanical roots of its vernacular names

Background Mandrake (Mandragora spp.) is one of the most famous medicinal plant in western cultures since Biblical times and throughout written history. In many cultures, mandrake is related to magic and witchcraft, which is said to have a psychosomatic effect (especially when mandrake contains narcotic compounds) in addition to the pharmacological influence, as occurs with other narcotic magical plants. Due to its unique properties and related myths, it is not surprising that this plant has many names in many languages. Methods This paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the historical, ethnobotanical, and folkloristic roots of 292 vernacular names of Mandragora spp. in forty-one languages. We used the plant’s morphological data, philology, myths and legends, medicinal properties and uses, as well as historical evidence and folkloric data, to explain meaning, origin, migration, and history of the plant’s names. Results The names were classified into the following main categories: Derivatives of mandragora (19 languages), alraun (7) and of yabroukh (5). The salient groups of the plant’s vernacular names are related to: Anthropomorphism (33 names in 13 languages); Similarity to other plants (28/9); Supernatural agents (28/9); Narcotic effects (21/8); Leaves, fruits, and seeds (21/8); Aphrodisiac properties (17/10); Use of a dog (15/9); Gallows (14/5); Black magic, sorcery, witchcraft (13/8), and Medicinal use (11/7). Conclusions This frequency distribution of the mandrake’s vernacular names reflects its widespread reputation as related to the doctrine of signatures, beliefs in its supernatural, natural, and mythic powers, and to a lesser extent, its uses in magic and medicine. A spatiotemporal analysis of the mandrake’s names supports the old idea that the pulling ceremonies for this plant originated in the Near East and that various other myths related to this plant may have originated in different places and periods.

Cagliostro em l’affaire du collier de la reine: entre a história, a literatura e o cinema

Cagliostro (1743-1795) foi uma figura histórica envolvida na trama social conhecida como l’affaire du collier de la reine, ocorrida em 1785 na Corte de Luís XVI e de Maria Antonieta, retratada no romance histórico Le Collier de la reine (1850-1852) de Alexandre Dumas, Pai. Na narrativa, o autor francês dialoga com arquivos históricos a respeito do personagem e é bastante inventivo na sua caracterização, apresentando-o como um agente inoportuno de um episódio político considerado preparador da queda da Bastilha. O enigmático e influente Cagliostro, inventado por Dumas, tornou-se transficcional, sendo retomado no filme Black Magic/ Cagliostro (1949). Nessa obra, o personagem passou a transitar alterado e renovado, indo do texto ao filme parcial ou totalmente modificado, enriquecendo mais ainda o repertório adquirido.

The Theme of Fear in Folklore Narratives by Descendants of Stolypin Migrants to Eastern Siberia

Статья посвящена теме страха (рационального или иррационального) в семейных нарративах, записанных от потомков столыпинских переселенцев в Восточную Сибирь, проживающих в д. Жизневка Заларинского района Иркутской области. Наиболее часто тема страха встречается в местных быличках о лешем, причем и сегодня яркую эмоциональную реакцию вызывает не только любая потенциальная коммуникация со сверхъестественным существом (например, очень опасно наступить на след лесного, так как он обязательно уведет человека с собой), но и сам рассказ о ней. Обычным людям в таких рассказах противопоставляется «знающий человек», который умеет с помощью заговоров вернуть человека из леса. Зафиксированные фольклорные фабулаты и мемораты циклизуются вокруг местного знахаря-колдуна (переселенца из бывшего Быховского уезда Могилевской губернии), который, по словам рассказчиков, привез с собой книгу черной магии и умел общаться с духом леса. Свои «знания» он передал дочери, о которой также продолжают бытовать многочисленные мифологические рассказы. Именно к ней обращались в самых безнадежных случаях люди со всей округи (поиск самойбийц, повесившихся в лесу, заблудившихся и т. д.). Устные нарративы, записанные от потомков знахаря, отличаются интересными, редко встречающимися деталями магических практик, применяемых для того, чтобы обезопасить человека от лешего и преодолеть страх перед хозяином леса. The article is devoted to the topic of fear (rational or irrational) in family narratives recorded from the descendants of Stolypin migrants to Eastern Siberia. These descendants live in the village of Zhiznevka in the Zalarinsky district of the Irkutsk province. The most common topic of fear is found in local bylichki about Master of Forest (leshiie), and even today, a vivid emotional reaction is caused not only by any potential communication with a supernatural character (e.g., it is very dangerous to step on the trail of a forest spirit because a person who did this will be kidnapped by the forest spirit), but also by the story itself. Ordinary people in such stories are contrasted with a “knowledgeable person” who knows how to bring people back from the forest-spirit with the help of magic spells. The recorded folklore fabulates and memorates are cyclized around the local healer-sorcerer (a migrant from the former Bykhovsky district of Mogilev province), who, according to the narrators, had brought with him a book of black magic and was able to communicate with the forest-spirit. He passed on his "knowledge" to his daughter, about whom numerous mythological stories are still existing. People from neighboring areas have visited her in the most hopeless cases (during searches for those who committed suicide in the forest or for those who got lost, etc.). Oral narratives recorded from the descendants of the healer included interesting, rarely encountered details of magical practices used to protect a person from the forest-spirit or overcome fear towards him.

Understanding the Magical Property of the Desharis, Bejunis (Witch Doctors) of the Kandhs of South Orissa

Deshari, Bejuni, Shamanins are known as indigenous physicians or Vaidyas among the Kandhas of south Orissa. The Deshari is well acquainted with the medical effect of the roots and herbs required for curing of the diseases using charms and spells. Bejunis are experts for the treatment of mental patients. Through magical spells and charms (known as white Magic), she takes up the cases of mental illness. The services of Shamanins are requires for harming an enemy by mantras and tantras.They are expert in Black Magic. Kandhs are experts or specialists in treatment of drowned, night goblin, labour pain and pain in mother’s breast and pulta-bagha. This particular magical property enabled them to transform themselves into tigers and in this shape to attack human beings and their cattle1 . John Campbell* , a top ranking ICS officer witnessed such cases of Pulta-bagha in his own eyes. Their magical properties are amazing and tremendous. But they had no written books on this magical property. It goes from mind to mind, mouth to mouth and generation to generation. The charms, spells, magic-lores, magic cords, folk method of treatment and folk medicines are the traditional heritage of these people. If we will not collect, document or preserve in digital form, this valuable wealth of the centuries will disappear from the society very soon. An humble attempt has been made in this paper to present a vivid account of the role of Desharis, Bejuni, Shamanins and their magical property for the treatment of the diseases.

THE EFFECTS OF PARAFFIN AND PARAFILM APPLICATIONS AND DIFFERENT ROOTSTOCKS ON YIELD OF GRAFTED VINE IN ‘BLACK MAGIC’ GRAPE CULTIVAR

The scions belonging to 'Black Magic' grape cultivar were grafted on ‘41B’, ‘1103 P’, ‘Fercal’ and ‘SO4’ American rootstock cuttings using omega grafting method in the experiment. Paraffin was applied to one half of the grafted cuttings. The other half was wrapped with parafilm and then paraffin was applied. Grafted cuttings were planted in perlite medium at 3.0 x 3.5 cm intervals inside plastic buckets and kept in the stratification room for 4 weeks. Grafted cuttings, which had been maintained under room conditions for one week, were then grown for two months under unheated greenhouse conditions. In order to determine rootstock and application effects, bud burst ratio (%), callus formation rate (%), callus formation degree (0-4), rooting ratio (%), rooting degree (0-4), shoot length (cm), shoot diameter (mm) and grafted vine ratio (%) were examined. According to the results of the study, it was determined that paraffin+parafilm application yielded better results than paraffin application in terms of bud burst ratio (respectively 70.83%, 53.33%), callus formation ratio (respectively 83.75%, 69.58%) and yield of grafted-vines (respectively 68.33%, 51.67%). In terms of the rootstocks, bud burst ratio was determined to be the highest in SO4 rootstock (71.67%) and the lowest in Fercal (54.17%). 1103 P rootstock yielded a highest value than other rootstocks in terms of shoot length (26.17 cm), callus rate at grafting surface (88.33%), and rooting ratio (97.50%). The effect of rootstocks on shoot diameter, rooting degree, and grafted vine ratio was found to be similar.

On the origins of the crowd scenes in the novel “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov

The article deals with the roots of the crowd scenes in “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov, focusing on such motifs of the novel as death's head hawkmoth and theatrical motifs. The origins of the crowd scenes in Mikhail Bulgakov’s literary work are all connected with the mentioned three motifs. The researcher uses information from the little-known literary, historical, and cultural sources. These include, firstly, the occult works of the Fin de siècle writers, such as novels “The Gloomy House Mystery” and “The New Power” written by the “Criminal Novel Master” Aleksandr Tsehanovich (1862-1896); the play “The Fair God” by David Aizman (who has been justly called “Chekhov of the Jews”) (1860-1922); the story “The Succubus” written by the Belgian writer Antoine Louis Camille Lemonnier. “A House in a Delirium” by a German prose writer W.Hollander. Second, these include literary work by a Soviet writer: story “The Condemned” by Mikhail Kozakov. Third, an important role belongs to sketches from the “The Red Panorama” journal: “The Footsteps Leading Westward” by Jānis Larri, “Travelling from Resort to Resort: Yalta” by D. Gorodinskiy. The plots and details of the named works had a great influence on Mikhail Bulgakov and inspired him while writing such chapters of the novel as “Never Talk with Strangers”, “The Seventh Proof”, “The Chase”, “Praise Be to the Rooster”, “News from Yalta”, “Black Magic and Its Exposure”, “Nikanor Ivanovich’s Dream”, “The Great Ball at Satan's” and some fragments of the auxiliary plot connected with the figure of Pontius Pilate.

In Search of Traces of the Mandrake Myth – The Etymological, Historical, and Ethnobotanical Roots of Its Vernacular Names

Background: Mandrake (Mandragora spp.) is perhaps the most famous medicinal plant in western cultures since Biblical times and throughout written history. In many cultures, mandrake is related to magic and witchcraft, which and is said to have a psychosomatic effect (especially when mandrake contains narcotic compounds) in addition to the pharmacological influence, as occurs with other narcotic magical plants. Due to its unique properties and related myths, it is not surprising that this plant has many names in many languages.Methods: This paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the etymological, ethnobotanical, and historical and folkloristic roots of 296 vernacular names of Mandragora sp. in forty-two languages. We used the plant’s morphological data, philology, myths and legends, medicinal properties and uses, as well as historical evidence and folkloric data, to explain meaning, origin, migration, and history of the plant’s names.Results: The names were classified into the following main categories: Derivatives of mandragora (20 languages), alraun (7) and of yabroukh (5). The salient groups of the plant’s vernacular names are related to: Anthropomorphism (33 names in 13 languages); Similarity to other plants (29/9); Supernatural agents (28/9); Narcotic effects (21/8); Leaves, fruits, and seeds (21/8); Aphrodisiac properties (17/10); Use of a dog (15/9); Gallows (14/5); Black magic, sorcery, witchcraft (13/8), and Medicinal use (11/7). Conclusions: This frequency distribution of the mandrake’s vernacular names reflects its widespread reputation as related to the Doctrine of Signatures, beliefs in its supernatural, natural, and mythic powers, and to a lesser extent, its uses in magic and medicine. A spatiotemporal analysis of the mandrake’s names supports the old idea that the pulling ceremonies for this plant originated in the Near East and that various other myths related to this plant may have originated in different places and periods.