Ενώ το λήμμα στη Wikipedia, εκ πρώτης όψεως, μοιάζει χιουμοριστικό τολμώ να πω πως τελικά δεν είναι. Στο ύφος των επιστημονικών λημμάτων, οι συγγραφείς παραθέτουν βιβλιογραφία και αναζητούν τις ρίζες της μούντζας στο Βυζάντιο και στην αρχαία Ελλάδα.
Να μια μικρή γεύση του κειμένουν για την (επίκαιρη όσο ποτέ) αγανακτισμένη κίνηση:
A "moutza", or mountza, (μούντζα) or "faskeloma", "φασκέλωμα" is the most traditional gesture of insult among Greeks which consists of extending all fingers and presenting the palm towards the to-be-insulted person in a forward motion. It is often coupled with the expletives "να" (na), "παρ'τα" (par'ta) or "όρσε" (órse), meaning "here", "take these" and "there you go", respectively.
An even more offensive version is achieved by using both hands to double the gesture, smacking the palm of one hand against the back of the other, in the direction of the intended recipient.
Origin
The origin of the gesture can be traced back to the ancient years, when it was used as a curse. It is said that even during the Eleusinian Mysteries, it complimented verbal curses against evil forces. It was then called faskeloma "φασκέλωμα" (the words faskeloma and faskelo, meaning moutza, are still used to this day).
In later years, the name changed to "moutza" when in the penal code of Byzantium, whereby a chained criminal was paraded around town sitting, facing backwards, on a donkey and with their face smeared with cinder to enhance their ridicule. Cinder in medieval Greek was called moutzos (μούντζος). And, because cinder was wiped on the person's face first by collecting it in the palm and then by extending open the fingers, the gesture itself became insulting, to be known as moutza, after the name of the material applied. The modern Greek word "moutzoura" or "mountzoura" (a smudge, scribble or dark stain) has the same origin.
Around the world
In the Persian Gulf, showing the palms of both hands to someone after clapping them is also considered an insult, together with saying "Malat Alaik". It's usually done by women as it is considered not manly if men do it.
Since the 1990s in North America, a similar gesture is used in "Talk to the hand". By showing the palm of the hand, with fingers spread, and saying "Talk to the hand... because the head ain't listenin'" is the equivalent of "You're wasting your breath" or "Shut Up".
Bibliography
Phaedon Koukoules, "Life and culture of the Byzantines", addendum 5, 1986
External links
Footballer Dario Fernandez directs a moutza towards the referee
Moutza in Greek Cinema
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