Jesus meets Headache

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mwh
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Jesus meets Headache

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Ἡμίκρανον ἐξήρχετο ἀπὸ θάλασσαν κρουόμενον καὶ βρυχούμενον καὶ ὑπήντησε αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ποῦ ὑπάγεις, κράνιον καὶ ἡμικρὰν καὶ πονοκεφάλι καὶ ὀφθαλμόπονον καὶ νεμοπύρωμα καὶ δάκρυα καὶ λεύκωμα καὶ κεφαλοσκότωσις; καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ πονοκέφαλος πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν· ὑπάγομεν, ἵνα καθίσωμεν εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ δούλου <τοῦ θεοῦ> ὁ δεῖνα· καὶ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· βλέπε, μὴ ὑπάγε εἰς τὸν δοῦλόν μου, ἀλλὰ φεύγετε καὶ ὑπάγετε εἰς τὰ ἄγρια ὄρη καὶ ἀνέβητε εἰς ταύρου κεφαλήν, ἐκεῖ κρέας φάγετε, ἐκεῖ αἷμα πίετε, ἐκεῖ ὀφθαλμοὺς διαφθείρετε, ἐκεῖ κεφαλὴν σκοτώσατε, κυμαίνετε, διαστρέψατε· εἰ δὲ καὶ παρακούσατέ μου, ἐκεῖ σε ἀπολέσω εἰς τὸ καύσιον ὄρος, ὅπου κύων οὐκ ὑλακτεῖ ὅ τε ἀλέκτωρ οὐ φωνεῖ· ὁ πήξας ὅριον ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, στῆσον τὸ κράνιον καὶ ἡμικρανον καὶ τὸν πόνον ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τοῦ μετώπου καὶ τῶν βρεφάρων <καὶ τῶν> μυελῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ δεῖνα· στῶμεν καλῶς, στῶμεν μετὰ φόβου <θεοῦ>, ἀμήν
(Text copied from http://www.textkit.com/greek-latin-foru ... 6&p=191086, posted by jeidsath)

Headache came out from the sea crashing and bellowing and our Lord Jesus Christ met him and said to him, “Where are you going, headache (…)?”
And the headache answered our Lord Jesus Christ, “We are going to sit in the head of the servant of God (nn.). [and to dissolve his marrow and to set his eyes spinning].”
And our Lord Jesus Christ says to him, “See, do not go into my servant, but flee and go to the wild mountains, and go up into a bull’s head. There eat flesh, there drink blood, there destroy eyes, there make the head dark, make it seethe, make it whirl.” ... [He then threatens to destroy them if they refuse to go.]

This encounter is not recorded in the Gospels, where Jesus is reported to have cast out a variety of demons but not specifically migraine-inducing ones. It has particular affinity, as jeidsath observes, with the episode in which Jesus is said to have driven out multiple demons which he diverted onto a herd of pigs (as here onto a bull), as recounted in all three synoptic gospels.

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Paul Derouda
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by Paul Derouda »

I actually find this interesting from the point of view of medical history. Ἡμίκρανον isn't just any headache but seems to refer specifically to migraine. Migraine is a rather severe form of headache, where the pain is typically 1) pulsating or throbbing, 2) unilateral, 3) associated with sensitivity to light and sound (the affected person typically goes lying in a dark, calm place), 4) associated with nausea and/or vomiting. A migraine attack is often preceded by a visual aura that last from a few minutes to one hour, i.e. a visual disturbance where part of the field of vision is blurred by colorful blobs or zigzag lines; the pain starts when the aura remits. Anyone who has migraine with aura knows what I'm talking about, whereas to the rest of us this cluster of symptoms doesn't mean much (I mean that it's pretty specific).

I think ἡμι- obviously refers to the pain being unilateral. ὀφθαλμόπονον, κεφαλοσκότωσις, ὀφθαλμοὺς διαφθείρετε and κεφαλὴν σκοτώσατε might refer to the visual aura or light sensitivity or more likely both, typical and quite specific signs of migraine; "normal" headaches (such as I have, for instance) are not particularly associated with eye/visual symptoms, whether hangover-related or otherwise.

For the rest, it's not so obvious. κρουόμενον just might refer to the headache being throbbing/pulsating in nature, although this is maybe less specific. (Still, wouldn't κρούω be the mot juste for "throb/pulsate"?) κυμαίνετε isn't probably too specific either, but I wonder if it could be a reference to nausea and vomiting - migraine makes you sort of seasick.

κρέας φάγετε and αἷμα πίετε seem to be just poetic exaggerations to me...

What is νεμοπύρωμα? I couldn't find the word

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Paul Derouda
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by Paul Derouda »

ὁ πήξας ὅριον ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, στῆσον τὸ κράνιον καὶ ἡμικρανον καὶ τὸν πόνον ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τοῦ μετώπου καὶ τῶν βρεφάρων <καὶ τῶν> μυελῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ δεῖνα· στῶμεν καλῶς, στῶμεν μετὰ φόβου <θεοῦ>, ἀμήν

I have some difficulties with the end: Who is the subject of ὁ πήξας? And what does στῶμεν καλῶς, στῶμεν μετὰ φόβου <θεοῦ>, ἀμήν mean? "May we be well, may we be in fear of God"?

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Re: Jesus meets Headache

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The other version that I posted has the following that I found interesting:

Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, Χριστὸς ἐσταυρώθη ἐν τόπῳ κρανίου· φεῦγε, τὸ ἡμίκρανον, τὸ ἡμισὸν τοῦ ἡμικράνου, ἀπὸ τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ δεῖνα.

Christ is particularly effective against migraine, apparently, because he was crucified in the Skull-place. This second version also repeats the phrase that Paul asks about.

There are a great many similar stories in the original. I imagine that this is a Christianized version of a pagan spellbook. What's interesting, I suppose, is that the Christianization appears complete here, rather than halfway done.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

I find some of the syntax interesting, such as the use of ἀπό + accusative. Whence this text?

Ah, saw the link, and answered my own question. And nice to get another ebook free!
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mwh
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by mwh »

Paul, Thanks for the medical input. (α)νεμοπυρωμα I presume. I don't know just what it is. The list allows the exorcist to choose the appropriate item or simply covers all bases as in regular prayers and the closing στησον bit.
ὁ πήξας κτλ. I could guess but won't without comparison texts.

jeidsath, ἐν τόπῳ κρανίου. I had the same thought but I expect it's no more pertinent than Bethlehem. Is the same formula used with other types of possession?

Barry, Case leveling. απο takes acc. in modern Greek and now and again in later koine. The second version doesn't even pretend to follow classical or even NT norms, though it's quite easy to see the development. Medieval at a guess, but possibly earlier.

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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by jeidsath »

Here is a description of the folk medicine surrounding ἀνεμοπύρωμα, along with a couple of songs. Some sort of facial rash along with fever, apparently.

Notice the second song especially.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

mwh wrote: Barry, Case leveling. απο takes acc. in modern Greek and now and again in later koine. The second version doesn't even pretend to follow classical or even NT norms, though it's quite easy to see the development. Medieval at a guess, but possibly earlier.
Yes, Mittelalters in the title of the book kind of gave that one away... :)
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mwh
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by mwh »

A less dramatic headache charm, Pennsylvania Dutch Braucherei (various sources):
"Tame thou flesh and bone, like Christ in Paradise; and who will assist thee, this I tell thee (name) for your repentance sake." + + + This you must say three times, each time lasting for three minutes.

Incidentally, “(name)” would be ὁ δεῖνα in Greek.

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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by jeidsath »

I couldn't really understand this, so I looked up the German source. Hohman's Der Lange Verborgene Freund.
Ein Mittel für Kopfroeh

Zahmen Bein und Fleisch, wie Christus, im Parradeis; der dazu hillft, das sage ich dir N. zur Buße.

+ + +

Das sagst du dreymal, jedes mal drey Minuten ungefähr von einander; dann wird sich dein Kopfweh bald legen.

Sollte es aber seyn, daß das Kopfweh durch starkes Getränk entstanden wäre, oder sonst nich gleich vergehen wollte: so mußt du alle Minuten den Spruch sagen; welches letztere mit Kopfweh nicht oft der Fall ist.
The comma is important. Christ is now in Paradise, but he tamed bone and flesh on the cross. The strong drink amendment may also be useful to some. Maybe the translator is right about "der dazu hillft," but it's confusing to me.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

mwh
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by mwh »

The charm’s performer should surely be someone other than the person afflicted. The last part will be an appendage (which I why I didn’t copy it in the englished version).

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Paul Derouda
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Re: Jesus meets Headache

Post by Paul Derouda »

Just one little comment. Ανεμοπυρωμα in modern Greek medical parlance seems to refer to erysipelas, a rather severe acute bacterial infection of the skin that was probably often deadly before the advent of antibiotics. (I can't say if it's an "official" medical term or a layperson's word.) I don't see the connexion with headache or migraine, so I suppose the meaning of the word has changed, unless it was a layperson's word that never meant anything very specific. (Compare "cellulitis": in medical parlance, cellulitis=erysipelas, in women's magazines cellulite=something else entirely)

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