Namus

Nāmūs is the Arabic word (Greek "νόμος") of a concept of an ethical category, a virtue, in Middle Eastern patriarchal character. Literally translated as "virtue", it is now more popularly used in a strong gender-specific context of relations within a family described in terms of honor, attention, respect/respectability, and modesty.

The concept of namus in respect to sexual integrity of family members is an ancient, exclusively cultural concept which predates Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Etymology

The Arabic word "nāmūs" (ناموس) may mean "law", "custom" or "honor". The Ancient Greek word "nómos" (νόμος) means "law, custom".

Context

For a man and his family, namus may, on the one hand, mean sexual integrity of women in the immediate family, their chastity in particular. On the other hand, the man has to provide for his family and to defend the namus of his house, his women in particular, against the threats (physical and verbal) to members of his extended family from the outer world.

Namus (disambiguation)

Namus is an ethical category of respect and honor in some Middle Eastern societies.

Namus may also refer to:

Namus (film)

Namus (Armenian: Նամուս, meaning "honor") is a 1925 silent film by Hamo Beknazarian, based on Alexander Shirvanzade's 1885 novel of the same name, which denounces the despotic rites and customs of Caucasian families. It is widely recognized as the first Armenian feature film.

History

Background

The Armenfilm studio was founded two years later, on April 16, 1923 as the State Cinema Organisation.Hamo Beknazarian, who was an actor prior to the 1917 Revolution, became actively involved in directing films after the Bolsheviks took over.Namus became his first notable work as a director.

Production and reaction

Namus was first premiered in Yerevan's Nairi Theatre on April 13, 1926. On October 3 of the same year, the film was presented in Moscow. A poster in Leningrad in 1926 called Namus the "biggest blockbuster of the season". When asked about the film, Hamo Beknazarian said "I wanted to set the power of custom in the pillory, that stupid force of the concept of "father's honor". The film had incredible success and brought Beknazarian to fame in the Soviet Union, which helped him in his later works, making him the founder of Armenian cinematography.