On the Semantics of Pendants. Part - 2
Finger Counting
Some researchers reasonably associate the cult of the hand with the fact that in the past it served as a counting mechanism. In science, this method of counting is referred to as finger counting. In this system, each finger represented a specific unit, which is why ancient traders used multiplication even when dealing with large numbers.
According to one medieval author, the hands were covered with a cloth so that those around would not know the final sum of the deal. The great Ferdowsi in the "Shahnameh," in a satire on Mahmud of Ghazni, also resorted to expressions typically used in finger counting.
And nine times nine - like a vice.
Or three times four - Mahmud's hand.
In the counting of "nine times nine," the fingers are pressed against the palm of the hand, i.e., clenched into a fist, while in the counting of "three times four," the fingers are slightly spread. Previously, many scholars of the "Shahnameh" believed that these lines referred to Mahmud as "stingy with his hand." However, V. Zhukovsky, based on information from his informant Melik-Tudjar, proposed a different interpretation of these lines: to seek the mystery of this verse not in finger counting, but in "the abjad counting." If we replace the numerical values of the verse with letters according to "the abjad counting," we get:
93- /4 x 3/+ /9x9/
93-/4+2+6/+/40+10+1+30/
If we substitute the corresponding letter values for these numbers, we obtain the expression "La'im astu bad." In this case, these lines would read:
"The hand of Shah Mahmud, of noble lineage,
La'im astu bad."
Literally, this means: "The hand of Shah Mahmud of high descent is the most miserly and contemptible."
The "mysteries" of finger counting were well known to the kafirs of Hindukush, and to this day, the old-timers of Leninabad, Ura-Tyube, and other regions of the republic remember and use it. The position of the fingers on some small bronze or bone figurines, similar to Russian "pencils," clearly indicates the action of the fingers during the aforementioned counting. Moreover, they are often found in domestic ambaras, which possibly symbolized "barakat," i.e., abundance, a symbol repeated in various forms in other narratives. For example, on several large vessels intended for storing grain from Southern Turkmenistan, traces of finger impressions are distinctly visible, which ultimately could also reflect the symbol of "barakat," or indicate the volume of the vessel or the mass of the goods stored in it. As for finger counting, it was a widespread method of calculation, as evidenced by a number of mathematical treatises by medieval authors specifically dedicated to this counting method.
The hand, as a creative and benevolent force, occupies a significant place in the omens and beliefs of people.
For example, among modern Indians, a tremor in the right hand was seen as an omen of marriage to a beautiful woman. Among the lowland and mountain Tajiks, it is traditional that before the bride enters the groom's house, her right hand is dipped three times in a bag of flour or a vessel with oil. The meaning of the ritual is simple: may the bride bring peace and prosperity into the house. This same goal was evidently pursued by the ceremony of "hand viewing" among many peoples of the world, including the Tajiks. The Khufis believed in the magical power of the hand during the ritual of "unveiling the bride's face." Another example: in the regions of Leninabad during the circumcision ritual, the boy's mother, sitting in another room, holds the pinky finger of her right hand in a bowl of flour or in a vessel of warm water. This is said to alleviate her son's pain (flour - a symbol of light - removes spirits). The gesture of the hand was a specific magical act among shamans, as well as among Central Asian kalandars.
A. Shishov, who was well acquainted with local customs, writes that people from the upper class "after embracing, shake hands and each kisses the other's hand."
On the Semantics of Pendants. Part - 1
