Yertward Mazamanian
Yertward Mazamanian (8 March 1924 – 18 October 2010), widely known as "Eight Finger Eddie", was an American hippie of Armenian descent. He was credited with popularizing Goa, India as a hippie destination from the mid-1960s onward.[1]
Life
Mazamanian was born with only three fingers on his right hand, and was one of seven children of Armenian immigrants from Istanbul who apparently settled near Boston, Massachusetts. In his memoirs, he claimed to have been a Boy Scout, a regular churchgoer and an "honors student" at school.[1]
During
I abhor work, begrudging every moment I've wasted as a wage earner. My aim in life is to get through life doing what I want to do.
He performed occasionally as a
I was the first freak in Goa. I turned up and liked it so much, I just wanted to stay. And then others started coming. In those days, they came overland from Europe in camper vans and no one had any money ...
He started a soup kitchen at Anjuna, to assist the growing numbers of western travelers who came to the area as a final stopping place on the "
Apart from regular visits to
Some people say it's not like it used to be, and it's not. But I like it here now. I like the parties. And I like the music. It's good to dance to.
When he became ill, a Norwegian journalist, Øystein Krogsrud, launched a campaign to raise money for his medical bills. After his death, he was