The Ancient Lands: ...all together, ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses
...: ...all together, ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses
Wednesday 30 July 2014
The Ancient Lands: Hera - The Greek Goddess of Marriage.
The Ancient Lands: Hera - The Greek Goddess of Marriage.: Hera - The Greek Goddess of Marriage.
The Ancient Lands: The Legend of Hestia
The Ancient Lands: The Legend of Hestia: The Legend of Hestia
The Ancient Lands: "Demeter, the Miracle of Fertility"
The Ancient Lands: "Demeter, the Miracle of Fertility": "Demeter, the Miracle of Fertility"
The Ancient Lands: Hades God of the Underworld.
The Ancient Lands: Hades God of the Underworld.: Hades God of the Underworld.
The Ancient Lands: ARES and ERIS - Quarrels of the Gods
The Ancient Lands: ARES and ERIS - Quarrels of the Gods: ARES and ERIS - Quarrels of the Gods
The Ancient Lands: ATHENA and APHRODITE - Wisdom and Love
The Ancient Lands: ATHENA and APHRODITE - Wisdom and Love: ATHENA and APHRODITE - Wisdom and Love
The Ancient Lands: ARTEMIS - The Forces of Nature
The Ancient Lands: ARTEMIS - The Forces of Nature: ARTEMIS - The Forces of Nature
The Ancient Lands: APOLLO - Harmony and light
The Ancient Lands: APOLLO - Harmony and light: APOLLO - Harmony and light
The Ancient Lands: DIONYSUS - The Joy of Life
The Ancient Lands: DIONYSUS - The Joy of Life : DIONYSUS - The Joy of Life
The Ancient Lands: Poseidon.Master of the Seas
The Ancient Lands: Poseidon.
Master of the Seas: Poseidon. Master of the Seas
Master of the Seas: Poseidon. Master of the Seas
The Ancient Lands: today we will learn a bit about Greek mythology....
The Ancient Lands:
today we will learn a bit about Greek mythology....: today we will learn a bit about Greek mythology.Lets start with Zeus!
today we will learn a bit about Greek mythology....: today we will learn a bit about Greek mythology.Lets start with Zeus!
Tuesday 29 July 2014
The Ancient Lands: Erotokritos ("Tried by Love") is an adventurous lo...
The Ancient Lands: Erotokritos ("Tried by Love") is an adventurous lo...: Erotokritos ("Tried by Love") is an adventurous love poem of 10.010 lines composed about four centuries ago (early 17th century)...
Erotokritos ("Tried by Love") is an adventurous love poem of 10.010 lines composed about four centuries ago (early 17th century), written by Vitsentzos Kornaros during Venetian rule and the pre-Ottoman burst that came to be known as "Cretan Renaissance". Erotokritos and Erophili by Georgios Hortatzis constitute the classic examples of Greek Renaissance literature.
Its themes are love, honour, friendship and courage. It is written in the Cretan variety of Greek language. A particular type of rhyming used in the traditional mantinades was also the one used in Erotokritos.
It remains a popular work until today, largely due to the music that accompanies it when it is publicly recited. Several groups of renowned Cretan musicians have added selected parts of the poem to their music, often exploring the boundaries of their local musical tradition.
Vitsentzos Kornaros is considered to be the greatest of all the Cretan poets and one of the most significant and influential figures in the entire course of Greek poetry. He was the son of a Venetian-Cretan aristocrat and was born near Sitia in 1553.
Later, when he got married, he came to live in Candia (now Heraklion) where he joined the Academia dei Stravaganti. Kornaros died in 1617, thus he is an exact contemporary of William Shakespeare.
Erotokritos sets great store by true love, friendship, courage, and patriotism.
here,performing one of the greatest artists of Crete in the 70s XILOURIS NIKOS
The Ancient Lands: and now you can enjoy from the delayed broadcast o...
The Ancient Lands: and now you can enjoy from the delayed broadcast o...: and now you can enjoy from the delayed broadcast of the Concert Hall, presented the Cretan Pentozali, of the most famous dances of Kriti. ...
and now you can enjoy from the delayed broadcast of the Concert Hall, presented the Cretan Pentozali, of the most famous dances of Kriti.
Kouretes accompany Anthony Martsakis.
Violin-Song: Anthony Martsakis
Lyra: George Skordalos
Lute - Song: George Psaroudakis
Lute: Marentaki Nikolaos, Karavyrakis Nick, Chris Davris
Tabor: Koufakis Simeon
Kouretes accompany Anthony Martsakis.
Violin-Song: Anthony Martsakis
Lyra: George Skordalos
Lute - Song: George Psaroudakis
Lute: Marentaki Nikolaos, Karavyrakis Nick, Chris Davris
Tabor: Koufakis Simeon
The Ancient Lands: a bit more about Crete island and the people there...
The Ancient Lands: a bit more about Crete island and the people there...: a bit more about Crete island and the people there the modern way of living AND a pic at the old.
Monday 28 July 2014
The Ancient Lands: The Minoans Ancient Civilization of Crete
The Ancient Lands: The Minoans Ancient Civilization of Crete: The Minoans Ancient Civilization of Crete
The Ancient Lands: Incredible Crete! Surprisingly Yours
The Ancient Lands: Incredible Crete! Surprisingly Yours: Incredible Crete! Surprisingly Yours
The Ancient Lands: now... THAT'S the way we do it! (welcoming an old ...
The Ancient Lands: now... THAT'S the way we do it! (welcoming an old ...: now... THAT'S the way we do it! (welcoming an old friend OR a knew one, in Greek style)
The Ancient Lands: Greece in 12 minutes
The Ancient Lands: Greece in 12 minutes: Greece in 12 minutes
The Ancient Lands: meet the World...in Greece!
The Ancient Lands: meet the World...in Greece!: meet the World...in Greece!
The Ancient Lands: .....if only Popeye the sailor knew this !!! WAY t...
The Ancient Lands: .....if only Popeye the sailor knew this !!! WAY t...: .. ...if only Popeye the sailor knew this !!! WAY tastier than plain spinach from the box.
The Ancient Lands: Pelion, the mountain of the CentaursPelion... the ...
The Ancient Lands: Pelion, the mountain of the CentaursPelion... the ...: Pelion, the mountain of the Centaurs Pelion... the mountain of Centaurs! Another area of my country which is famous for its natural...
Pelion, the mountain of the Centaurs
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Pelion... the mountain of Centaurs! Another area of my country which is famous for its natural beauty and it has been a popular tourist destination.
I travelled in Pelion to celebrate the entrance of 2008 in my life. When you seek the happiness and beauty in your life you must visit places like Pelion. They offer you part of their beauty filling your heart with warm feelings and they calm your mind.
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The eye is overwhelmed by the village's unique position on the mountain right above the city. Makrinitsa has a well-earned second name: The Balcony of Pelion, for the visitor of its main square will be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city spreading out below at a depth of 600 meters.
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Makrinitsa was built between 1204 and 1215 by the Byzantine family of Malliasinon. This small settlement, that appeared in the first centuries of Ottomans possession at the area, developed economic activities in both the Balkans and Europe by cultivating silkworms and working out leather. In 1878, Makrinitsa plays a leading role in the Revolution against the Turks.
At the same time, Margarita Basdeki - chief of troops - excels for her courage in fight. After the liberation from the Turks, Makrinitsa turns to be the largest municipality in the area in extent, population and activities. By the end of the 2nd World war Makrinitsa's rural character changes thanks to tourism that opened new horizons for its inhabitants.
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Continuing the ascent up the slope of the mountain, after Anakasia the road leads to Portaria (13 km., alt. 600 m.), a lovely summer resort with abundant crystalline water and a number of hotels. What is unique here is the houses, its windows and its doors which are painted beautifully with a variety of colors with beautifully colored edges.
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When you visit Pelio don't forget to taste the local delicacies, bean soup and "spetzofai" - a spicy concoction of sausages and peppers- served in the traditional restaurants (" tavernakia").
You can try also the local speciality "tyropsomo" (cheese-bread) and "firikia", a kind of lady apple. In Hania in a cold day like the one I visited you will have the opportunity to enjoy another Greek delicacy... "Kokoretsi", a traditional Greek dish consisting mainly of seasoned lamb or goat offal. Recipes usually include chopped intestines, sweetbreads, hearts, lungs and/or kidneys, marinated in lemon, olive oil and oregano, and seasoned with salt and pepper.
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Zigzagging up the mountainside past a series of stunning ridges, the main road climbs up to Hania (26 km., alt. 1200m.), which has become a winter sports centre thanks to the development of Agriolefkes , where there is a refuge, ski lifts, a big slope for experienced skiers and a separate area for beginners, along with all the comforts of a modern ski resort.
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Hania is 26km from Volos and 13km from Portaria. Hania is actually the passage from the east to the west of Pelion.
In the old days, travellers and traders used to stop for the night at the hostels in the village, and from this was derived the name Hania, which means hostels. During the summer, Hania is also very cool and not as hot as some of the coastal villages in Pelion. Here you can find rooms to let, taverns and restaurants. |
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Milies (28 km. from Volos, alt. 360 m.) one of the villages I visited and one of the most delightful larger villages of Pelion and an important cultural centre, as witnessed by the wealth of rare books and manuscripts in its library. Some of its traditional homes have been renovated to operate as guest houses. Milies also has a fine collection of folk art (local museum), while its little railway station - the end of the old Volos line - is particularly attractive.
Just 3 kilometres further up the road you will find Vizitsa (32 km. from Volos , alt. 450 m.), a mountain village concealed among plane trees whose lovely Pelion-style towers and magnificent old mansions have led to its declaration as a landmark settlement protected from unseemly development. Some of the latter have been renovated and are run as guest houses. If you feel like forgetting your cares and troubles for a while, try a little of the potent local brew, "tsipouro".
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The Ancient Lands: Volos Magnesia Greece
The Ancient Lands: Volos Magnesia Greece: Volos Magnesia Greece
Jason and the Golden Fleece
Classic tale
The Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece has been told for 3,000 years. It's a classic hero's quest tale - a sort of ancient Greek mission impossible - in which the hero embarks on a sea voyage into an unknown land, with a great task to achieve. He is in search of a magical ram's fleece, which he has to find in order to reclaim his father's kingdom of Iolkos from the usurper King Pelias.
The story is a set a generation before the time of the Trojan War, around 1300 BC, but the first known written mention of it comes six centuries later, in the age of Homer (800 BC). The tale came out of the region of Thessaly, in Greece, where early epic poetry developed. The Greeks have retold and reinterpreted it many times since, changing it as their knowledge of the physical world increased.
No one knows for sure where the earliest poets set the adventure, but by 700 BC the poet Eumelos set the tale of the Golden Fleece in the kingdom of Aia, a land that at the time was thought to be at the eastern edge of the world. At this point the Jason story becomes fixed as an expedition to the Black Sea. The most famous version, penned by Apollonius of Rhodes, who was head of the library at Alexandria, was composed in the third century BC, after the invasion of Asia by Alexander the Great.
Since the 1870s a series of excavations at Mycenae, Knossos, Troy and elsewhere has brought the Greek Heroic Age - the imaginary time when the great myths were set - to life. The archaeologists' discoveries of Bronze Age (2300-700 BC) artefacts made it clear that the Greek myths and epic poems preserve the traditions of a Bronze Age society, and may refer to actual events of that time. The story could also perhaps represent an age of Greek colonisation around the shores of the Black Sea.
Jason's task
Village in Svaneti region of north west Georgia. Here people still pan for gold using the fleece of a sheep ©According to the legend, Jason was deprived of his expectation of the throne of Iolkos (a real kingdom situated in the locale of present day Volos) by his uncle, King Pelias, who usurped the throne. Jason was taken from his parents, and was brought up on Mount Pelion, in Thessaly, by a centaur named Cheiron. Meantime his uncle lived in dread of an oracle's prophecy, which said he should fear the 'man with one shoe'.
At the age of 20 Jason set off to return to Iolkos - on his journey losing a sandal in the river while helping Hera, Queen of the Gods, who was in disguise as an old woman. On arriving before King Pelias, Jason revealed who he was and made a claim to the kingdom. The king replied, 'If I am to give you the kingdom, first you must bring me the Fleece of the Golden Ram'.
And this was the hero's quest. His task would take him beyond the known world to acquire the fleece of a magical ram that once belonged to Zeus, the king of the gods. Jason's ancestor Phrixus had flown east from Greece to the land of Cochlis (modern day Georgia) on the back of this ram. King Aietes, son of Helios the sun god, had then sacrificed the ram and hung its fleece in a sacred grove guarded by a dragon. An oracle foretold that Aietes would lose his kingdom if he lost the fleece, and it was from Aietes that Jason had to retrieve it.
Why a fleece? Fleeces are connected with magic in many folk traditions. For the ancient Etruscans a gold coloured fleece was a prophecy of future prosperity for the clan. Recent discoveries about the Hittite Empire in Bronze Age Anatolia show celebrations where fleeces were hung to renew royal power. This can offer insight into Jason's search for the fleece and Aietes' reluctance to relinquish it. The fleece represented kinship and prosperity.
Black Sea colonisation
Ships in the old Turkish harbour at Lemnos, Greece. Legend has it that Lemnos was populated entirely with women ©Jason's ship, the Argo, began its journey with a crew of 50 (which swelled to 100, including Hercules, in subsequent retellings of the myth) - known as the 'Argonauts'. The Greek claim that the Argo was the first ship ever built can not be true, but Jason's journey was seen by the ancient Greeks as the first long-distance voyage ever undertaken.
Indeed, the voyage can be seen as a metaphor for the opening up of the Black Sea coast. Historically, once the Greeks learned to sail into the Black Sea they embarked on a period of colonisation lasting some 3,000 years - but the time they first arrived in the region is still controversial.
Lemnos, an island in the north-eastern Aegean was Jason's first stop. This was a place inhabited by women who had murdered their husbands after being cursed by Aphrodite. Next the Argosailed to Samothrace, where the Argonauts were initiated into the Kabeiroi, a cult of 'great gods' who were not Greek and who offered protection to seafarers. From Samothrace the adventurers passed the city of Troy by night, and entered the Sea of Marmara the next day.
The Jason tale is a founding myth for many towns along this shore. It is, however, most likely that local accounts of events have arisen out of the story itself, rather than being based on historic facts that themselves became the basis of the myth.
It is along this stretch of coast that the Argonauts rescue a blind prophet, Phineus, by chasing away the Harpies - the ugly winged females Zeus had sent to torment Phineus. In return Phineus prophesies that Jason will be the first mariner to sail through the 'clashing rocks' that guard the entrance to the Black Sea. The myth arose when Greek sailors were first able to negotiate their way up the powerful currents of the Bosphorus to enter the Black Sea beyond. In time the sea was transformed in Greek eyes fromAxeinos Pontus, the 'hostile sea' to Euxeinos Pontus, the 'welcoming sea'.
City of Aia
A bull fight near Trabzon, Turkey. Bullfighting is still popular in regions of Turkey where the ancient Greeks founded colonies ©The story continues with the Argonauts finally reaching the land of Colchis, and the first part of their quest is achieved. The heroes land and hold council, deciding to walk up to the city of Aia. Along the way they see bodies wrapped in hides and hung in trees, a sight that travellers in Georgia recount right up to the 17th century.
The ancient Greeks speak of Aia as a real city on the River Phasis (the modern River Rhion). Archaeologists have yet to find it, although in 1876 gold treasure was found in this region at an ancient site near the town of Vani, and it was suggested that this might be the city of the Argonaut legend. Heinrich Schlieman, the excavator of Troy and Mycenae, proposed to dig here but was not given permission.
Then in 1947 excavations revealed that between 600 and 400 BC (the time the Jason legend took its final shape) Vani was indeed an important Colchin city. The city was not inhabited during the Heroic Age (when the Jason story is set), but it was the Colchin 'capital' at the time the Greek poets located the myth here. This suggests that some parts of the myth depict the culture of the historical Iron Age rather than the earlier Bronze Age of Jason.
The story continues
Site of Medea's shrine, near Corinth ©In the myth, once in Colchis Jason asks King Aietes to return the Golden Fleece. Aietes agrees to do so if Jason can perform a series of superhuman tasks. He has to yoke fire-breathing bulls, plough and sow a field with dragons' teeth, and overcome phantom warriors. In the meantime Aphrodite (the goddess of love) makes Medea, daughter of King Aietes, fall in love with Jason. Medea offers to help Jason with his tasks if he marries her in return. He agrees, and is enabled to complete the tasks.
Thus the classic triangle of hero, dark power and female helper is formed, to be repeated in stories all the way down to Hollywood. And it seems possible that this theme was based on an even earlier myth. An excavation of the 1920s and 30s, at Boghaz Koy, in central Turkey, uncovered Indo-European tablets from a Hittite civilisation dating to the 14th century BC. One of these has an account on it of a story similar to that of Jason and Medea, and may reveal the prehistory of the myth.
It is not known at what date the Greeks borrowed it, but it very possibly happened in the ninth or eighth century BC. This was the time when many themes were taken from the east and incorporated into Greek poetry.
To continue the story. King Aietes organises a banquet, but confides to Medea that he will kill Jason and the Argonauts rather than surrender the Golden Fleece. Medea tells Jason, and helps him retrieve the Fleece. From here the Argonauts flee home, encountering further epic adventures. The ancient storytellers give several versions of the route Jason took back to Greece, reflecting changes in Greek ideas about the geography of the world.
On the final leg of their journey, the Argonauts are caught in a storm, and after they pray to Apollo an island appears to them. The inhabitants of modern-day Anafi, 'the one which was revealed', and which is said to be the island in question, continue to celebrate their part in the story to this day. They regularly hold a festival inside an ancient temple to Apollo, built on the spot where legend says Jason gave thanks to the god for his rescue.
Dénouement
Map showing the ancient Greek view of how Jason might have returned home ©On his return to Iolkos Jason discovers that King Pelias has killed his father, and his mother has died of grief. Medea tricks Pelias by offering to rejuvenate him, and then kills him. Jason and Medea go into exile in Corinth, where Jason betrays Medea by marrying the king's daughter. Medea takes revenge by killing her own children by Jason.
Pausanias, in his first-century guidebook to Greece, describes a shrine to the murdered children next to a temple to Hera, queen of gods, at Corinth. Centuries later, in the 1930s, a British excavation at Perachora uncovered an eighth-century BC temple to Hera, supposedly dedicated by Medea, near an oracle site with pilgrimage offerings left by women devotees over many centuries - perhaps there's a historic basis to the myth?
In the end, Jason becomes a wanderer once more, and eventually returns to beached hull of the Argo. Here the beam of the ship (which was said to speak and was named Dodona) falls on him and kills him. His story has come full circle - as in all Greek myths, the hero's destiny is in the hands of the gods.
We know the story of Jason, but not exactly when it was first told. By classical times the myth had spread across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and it continues to fascinate us in our own day, informing archaeological investigations and bearing continued retellings - a testimony to the perennial appeal of the tale of the hero's quest.
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