FREEFORUM

The Synod has asked for prayers for rain this month. From the valleys I hear the old jamgyr tilöö is being done again in places that hadn't bothered for years. Anyone seen it?

For the record, the Church is fine with it as long as nobody kills anything. White ribbons, milk and kymyz on the stones, juniper smoke. My old professor called it "the Psalms with livestock".

Yes, at the spring above our camp, last Sunday. The grandmothers tied white ribbons on the old willow and poured kymyz on the stones. Juniper smoke. A priest came up with the travelling idta and said the rain prayer in Iradi. Then the children threw water at each other, which is the important part, according to the children.

Three days later it rained, on the next valley. The old women say it was aimed wrong.

In Arslanbob the men prayed the rain prayer in the mosque. And my grandmother walked up to the spring above the village and tied a white rag on the tree like she always does. The imam pretends not to see. Everyone's grandmother does it, Christian or Muslim. Grandmothers are their own religion.

Spelling note for the city people: tilöö, with the ö. It means "asking". Not "tiloo", which my students write every year and which means nothing at all.

The line at Maryam-Bulak on Sunday was two hours. My mother brought milk in a lemonade bottle. I am sure the Mother of God does not mind about the bottle.

Horses know rain before people. My mares turn their tails west the evening before. Cheaper than a priest.

Kenkol, please don't tell the Synod. They will want to ordain the mares.

Bump. Dry again, Synod prayers again. This year young men came to the spring too, phones in their pockets. One of them filmed. The grandmothers made him delete it. Rain is not for the internet.

"rain is not for the internet" ok that hit. also the grandmothers would be great a&r people