Tag Archives: greek

Folk Narrative: Legend – The Secret School

  1. Text: During the Ottoman occupation of Greece between the 15th-19th centuries, it is said that Greeks were subordinated to censorship and a lack of free expression by the colonizing empire. Under the enemy rule, Greeks were said to be prohibited from freely expressing their patriotic, religious and cultural identities, forced to forgo their heritage and what defined them. As a consequence, the Greek people are said to have built out schools across the nation that would operate in secrecy. These schools allegedly needed to be outside the purview of the Ottoman empire. Consequentially, Greeks would base these schools in caves, underground tunnels, perhaps even monasteries. They were led by priests or monks who had the knowledge and education to impart information onto younger audiences. Rumors circulated that these priests would have to sparsely light their underground schools with single candle lights so as to prevent their organizations from being ousted and found out by Ottomans. These secret schools are said to have been solely responsible for preserving the Greek language, Orthodox Christianity and the history of the country.
  2. Informants Context: Growing up as a first generation Canadian, my parents forced me to attend Greek school on the weekends. It was in that space that I learned the fundamentals of my Greek heritage. This included learning how to read and write in Greek, the history books, Greek dancing… these are the usuals for any Greek child. I dreaded being there when I was young. A brutal way to spend a Saturday. I understood why I needed to be there as a kid, but it wasn’t until I began sending my own kids to Greek school that I learned how this concept of a Hellenic education actually started. It turns out the tradition of a “Greek school” stems from as far back as the War for Independence. My wife told me about this – she’s much better educated on this stuff than I am. It turns out that while Greeks were subject to occupation, something called Krifo Scholio (Secret school) developed. These were apparently secret schools that existed during the occupation for the purpose of keeping Greek culture alive, in all its forms. The Turks didn’t want Greeks stirring patriotism through education, whether that be through something as simple as preserving Greek language or something more significant, like sharing the war stories of Greeks who had previously rebelled against the empire. The existence of these secret schools apparently became fuel for the revolution towards independence. Increasingly, word spread amongst Greeks of the alleged underground society that was upholding the culture. The image of the Holy Priest teaching sage, forbidden knowledge about the beauty and destiny of our people to younger generations – its a beautiful image. This quiet, simple act of rebellion became one of the key images of the revolution. Long story short, when Greeks immigrated from Greece to different countries, they established Greek schools that were inspired by Krifo Scholio’s of the revolution. Immigrants likewise didn’t want their heritage to dissipate as they arrived in a new country. That’s the whole idea. I can’t speak to whether these alleged secret schools were ever real. The whole concept was that they would never be discovered, only heard about through word of mouth. I personally believe their popularity may have been exaggerated to inspire a rebellious fervor. That said, I think the emphasis on the value of secret schools probably reflects the greater durability of Greek heritage. Our culture, our language are some of the oldest in the world. Greek people are intent on maintaining their long-standing identity, no matter the cost.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: The alleged secret schools of the Greek independence movement are an example of a piece of history that is centered around folkloric culture, at every layer. Firstly, the actual rumored existence of the schools is an example of legendary folklore. As a consequence of the fact that these schools were only discovered through secretive word of mouth, it’s impossible to confirm whether they ever existed. The way the very rumor of their existence inspired the rebellion movement feels almost Jungian though. The priest feels like the reemergence of the sage archetype that Jung often described. Jung theorized that archetypes introduced themselves in the general populace to meet the needs of the collective unconscious whenever necessary. The popularity of the priest figure, imparting back onto the Greek people their true potential, feels almost mythic. To that point, the concept of the secret school becomes even more connotated with folklore as it was folklore narratives that the priests often educated the youth about. In addition to traditional education, children and youths were taught about stories of Greek independence, rebellion, heroism and greatness. Stories that would inspire future generations to take back their homeland. The school itself, if real, used folklore as its currency. As this story relates back to the values of the Greek people, I must echo the sentiments of my informant. Greece is one of the oldest cultures in the world. It’s preserved and maintained a general consistency in that culture for a long time, and it can be assumed that’s a consequence of Greek prioritization of cultural maintenance. Additionally, the story demonstrates key themes about how education is critical for overthrowing tyranny. If anything, its the most essential basis for overthrowing tyranny.

Fields

AGE: 55

Date_of_performance: April 15, 2025/May 9, 2025

Informant Name: (Confidential)

Language: English/Greek

Nationality: Canadian/Greek

Occupation: Lawyer/Entrepreneur

Primary Language: English

Residence: Canada

Folk Narrative: Tale – The Bridge of Arta

  1. Text: In the city of Arta there was once a master builder. He was brilliant – he could craft anything he desired, he only had to put his mind to it. One day, he was made responsible for building a bridge over the Arachtos River. This was a necessary construction as this bridge was to be the connecting point between two different cities. The master builder began immediately in his efforts to craft the bridge – and he soon completed it. The morning afterward though, the builder discovered the bridge had been destroyed by the river. The master builder and his crew of workers labored tirelessly to construct the bridge. Every day they did, and every morning they would discover it destroyed by the river. Spiraling into despair, the master builder was soon visited by a supernatural figure, a fairy of some kind. This creature revealed to the builder that he would not succeed in building the bridge unless a human sacrifice was made. Not just any human being – but his very wife. The builder was shocked at this proposal and found himself at a crossroads. Ultimately, the builder made the choice to lure his wife to the place of construction. From there, his workers grabbed the master builders wife and started building around her. Despite her dismay, the bridge was built with her at the foundation. Before they built her in, the wife cursed the bridge to break. Her husband, the builder, repelled her curse by claiming this would only ever happen in the event that her brother crossed the bridge, an occurrence unlikely to ever transpire. The Bridge of Arta still stands to this day
  2. Informants Context: Myself, my sisters and my parents travelled throughout the mainland of Greece when we were young. My father, an immigrant of Greece, loved to show us the country and travel by car. He wanted to impart wisdom on us, not just in life but also about the homeland and its history. This was an opportunity for him to get close to us. Ultimately, we travelled to the midpart of Greece until we finally arrived at the Bridge of Arta. The actual structure itself was immensely beautiful. The arches were incredible. It was only after myself and my sisters spent a few minutes admiring the construction that our dad revealed the folkloric story behind its creation. Naturally, my siblings and I were flabbergasted. My mother simply rolled her eyeballs. My father laughed at our reaction. Once he’d had the laugh, he impressed onto us a lesson – the tale was a microcosm for what life and ambition. Nothing strong and reliable comes with ease. Those things which are good come at the cost of deep sacrifice. To leave something great behind in this world, one must be ready to give up their pound of flesh.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: The tale of the Bridge of Arta is an extremely dark and heavy-handed tale that at the core of it has themes relating to sacrifice, the power of the human oath and persistence. The father of the informant correctly perceives the Arta bridge to be a testament to the need for sacrifice. The story metabolizes the concept that all durable qualities and achievements are strictly a result of great personal costs to the person who gained the achievement. The story reflects how human oaths are forces of nature decide the trajectory of all things. By promising that the bridge would never break unless her brother would cross it, the builder guaranteed the stability of the construction. So long as the bridge stands, his oath remains uncompromised. Moreover, the story raises questions about the morality of what it means to be “great”. Is the cost of immortal recognition too high? Is the folklore making a statement about how many of histories most accomplished people are morally compromised? I would lean towards answering yes to that question. The folklore is recognizing the immorality of ambition obsessed men but it is not condemning them. It is simply recognizing that greatness comes at a deep personal and moral cost. As all these ideas relate back to Greek culture, one should assume that the continued existence of the bridge has only reinforced the folk tales themes in the minds and culture of all Greeks who have witnessed the structure.

Fields

AGE: 50

Date_of_performance: May 9, 2025

Language: English

Nationality: Greek/Canadian

Occupation: Teacher

Primary Language: English

Residence: Canada

Minor Genres: Proverbs – Salt

  1. Text: “Δεν γνωρίζεις πραγματικά κάποιον μέχρι να φας ένα καράβι αλάτι μαζί του” or “You don’t truly know someone until you’ve eaten a boatload of salt with them”.
  2. Informants Context: In my village where I was originally born, we were not educated. We had very little compared to what people have today. I was born and raised in the village of Nestane, in the province of Arcadia, Greece. Because we had so little available to us, our lives became dependent on how we could trust one another within our small community. There was no one who could help us besides the people who were in the community. We had no technology back then, there weren’t big cities near by and travelling to the ones that were farther away was very expensive. We had very little money. So again, the only support we had around us was through the people we knew. This is why Greeks are so close to their family – when you come from humble means, your blood is the only thing you can trust and rely on. So, when you meet someone new who isn’t your family, you can’t know whether to trust them or not. It’s not possible to truly know someone until you’ve spent a large amount of time with them. That’s what the saying means. You don’t know the true character of a person until you’ve shared enough meals with them that you can fill all the salt from those meals combined into a filled boat. This was a common saying that emerged out of my village, often spoken by people around us. It was my father who first gave me this advice. He always intended to make me aware of how two-faced people could be. Be very careful about who you let into your house. Once you have shared meals with a person though, you will have “passed through salt” with them. This is all one needs to know that they have become like family.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: This is not only a succinct and revealing proverb, it is also a ritual of initiation. Anyone who participates and upholds this mantra must first go through a long and intimate relationship with another Greek before they know they can truly trust each other. It reflects how Greek culture hinges around concepts of loyalty, perception and trust. It’s typical that Greeks will have said they have, “passed through salt” together once they’ve known each other long enough. This means that the two people have known each other long enough to pass this initiation alongside each other and become true friends. This proverb also relates to personal concepts of trust and trauma that the informant may have lingering from their childhood of humble means. As this is the proverb of a village, it comes with great authority – it is the voice and agreed upon value of an entire community.

Fields

AGE: 87

Date_of_performance: May 9, 2025

Language: Greek

Nationality: Greek/Canadian

Occupation: Retired

Primary Language: Greek

Residence: Canada

Greek Red Egg Cracking on Easter

TEXT:

I have a Greek friend whose family still practices lots of older Greek folk traditions. One of these is an Easter tradition involving eggs that are dyed red. Everyone takes one and they begin smashing them against each other, two at a time. Typically, when two eggs meet, only one of them cracks. The person whose egg is left untarnished is said to have good luck for the rest of the year! It’s almost like a competition or a game, and my friend told me there’s some strategy to it, since you can use either side of the egg to hit someone else’s.

CONTEXT:

My friend doesn’t really believe in the superstitious aspects of Greek traditions, even if his mother and extended family do. He does, however, enjoy participating because some Greek traditions are very fun, like this one. My friend didn’t really know the significance of the eggs cracking or why they were painted red. We had to do some research to find out that the cracking of an egg symbolizes Jesus’ opening of the tomb he was buried in, and the red dye is to symbolize Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. He told me that his grandma definitely knew about this but had not discussed it to him as a child, probably because of its grotesque nature. For my friend’s Greek family, the tradition has a significance greater than its religious one because it brings the family together for the holiday.

ANALYSIS:

I did some more research on my own and found out that some people attribute the egg tradition to Mary Magdalene, whose cooked eggs miraculously turned vibrant red when she witnessed Jesus rising from the grave. Easter egg painting has remained a tradition across Europe and into the Americas. In America, where religious tradition has become remarkably secular, Easter egg painting has become a simple activity to entertain kids on the holiday. In my friend’s family, however, I believe the intention was to teach children about important religious stories and celebrations. Painting eggs red and cracking them is an easy way to remember what happened when Jesus rose from the dead. My friend may have been too young for the lesson to be taught, but he did know his grandma to be a teacher of religious stories to her chidlren and grandchildren.

Greek Fortune-Telling Coffee

TEXT:

I have a Greek friend whose family still practices lots of older Greek folk traditions. One of these is Greek coffee cup fortune telling, practiced specifically by his grandma. She has her subject drink a cup of Greek coffee, which leaves lots of residue in the cup after it’s drunk. Then, she flips the mug on its side, spins it three times clockwise, and then lets it dry on the side of a plate for a little. She would pick out certain shapes or patterns from the way the coffee residue stained the cup and use them to draw conclusions about her subject’s life. They’re usually scarily accurate, and predict specific things like falling in love, losing a loved one, or making successful decisions at work.

CONTEXT:

My friend witnesses this often at family gatherings. It doesn’t take long to perform and his grandma is an expert. He, however, does not really believe in the fortune telling, most likely because it doesn’t always pan out. He remembers one time where she told an uncle that she saw a rat for him, which meant that someone near him would die soon. The uncle was shocked, but my friend acknowledges that she could’ve been messing with him since he’s one of the only non-Greeks in the family (married in). Nothing bad ever happened to the uncle. My friend’s mother, on the other hand, does believe in the fortune telling along with some other traditional Greek superstitions. His grandma has taught his mother a few things about the process in hopes that one day she might be able to do it herself.

MY ANALYSIS:

The tradition is common to some others from around the world, like Chinese tea leaf readings. These types  I read online that that’s where it might have originated from. The coffee cup readings stem from a belief that there’s something in your being that becomes translated into the way you drink your cup of coffee that can reveal your fortune. I think the original purpose of the tradition was to provide hope in times of crisis and to have a way to be prepared for the possibly unpredictable future. Now, however, the tradition seems outdated and not that many Greek people believe in it. This could be a trait of the large Greek diaspora that lives outside of the homeland. It could also be a symptom of the times – science has progressed so far and we have so much faith in it that it seems impossible that something could tell our fortunes through just coffee grounds. The tradition functions as mere entertainment for the most part, now, and as a way to bond Greek families.