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Lonely Souls
In my field work I found that Tatars give a symbolical essence to the colors. I asked an old Tatar woman about the meanings on her home made rug. She said that the pink color on her rug means childhood and the time before death. The order of life colors on her rug were: the pink as childhood, the green – youth; after that brown, gray, and again pink. Edges were black. She said the black means the distances between pink. Timeless…
Little Tatar babies and old Tatar women like to wear pink clothes.
“Al” is pink, “Alsu” is pinkish. The color “Al” is a symbol of beauty. “Alsu chechekler”, or “alsu chechekler” – pinkish flowers, or beautiful flowers, “al shefek” – pink sunset, “alsu yez” – beautiful face, “al irenner” – sweet lips, “alli-gelli” – twinkling all colors, etc.
About “Milesh”: I found in the dictionary a translation of “Milesh” as a “Rowan-tree, Rowan-berry.” The Rowan is a totemic tree for Tatars.
In Tatar songs “Milesh” is mostly used to describe mood. It is a friend to share secrets, and sorrow. In long cold winters “Milesh Checheklere”- Rowan Berries decorated my childhood nature. Usually “milesh” is planted near to Tatar windows. Everywhere the snow, naked trees and red, dark red “Milesh.” They survive in the coldest winter. You look through the windows, you see a bird eating red berries. White snow is everywhere. On stormy winter nights frozen berries knock on the windows. My mother said, “Lonely souls knock on our windows to remind us that we have to mention their names in our prayers.”
by Masguda
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