Traditional Dances
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“O Choros” (The Dance) According to the witnesses of local scholars, “the dance” has its roots in antiquity and specifically in ancient Kallisteia where “Kallikeladai Virgins” danced. In the years that followed and especially during the times of Saracens, the invasions, the loots and the slaughter of the inhabitants were common practice in Lesbos as well as in other islands. The story of such an invasion to a settlement of Mandamados (Palios area) has been kept alive through the dance. The pirates captured the women and after killing their husbands, tortured them and forced them to dance. In remembrance of this disaster, the locals composed a song danced and sung by women. During the week before Easter, all married and single women, while singing, danced in public places with simplicity and naivety. Obviously, this celebration is the remaining of an older ritual. In about 1821, this same dance is encountered in the town of Kidonies of Asia Minor. In Mandamados, in the past century the dance was taught in Primary School to girls that learned how to sing and dance. The lyrics of the song that are preserved until today, talked about the beauty of Lesbos and its girls. This dance is “syrtos” (round dance), it is called Mantamadiotikos, but the name was not given by the locals, but by the visitors who saw the girls of Mandamados dance. In Mandamados it was simply called “the dance”. In Kidonies, men danced along with women, something that had to do with the “civilization” of this area. On the contrary, life in Mandamados was more strict and conservative. In Mandamados, until 1980, young men would sing, under the windows of the girls which were decorated with basils and geraniums, the song “To kiparissi” ( The cypress). This song has really inspired lyrics, full of representations and was much loved by all the supporters of night love songs. |
