On Line Library of the Church of Greece

A.A. Pallis

Τhe Ballad- Poetry of Modern Greece

From Greek Miscellany. A collection of essays on medieval and modern Greece, Athens 1964
© A.A.Pallis

The creative period of Greek folk-poetry comes more or less to an end with the termination of the War of Independence which marks the beginning of Greek literary poetry. 

Modern Greek poetry, in its literary form as opposed to folk-poetry, began in the Ionian Islands. 

The reason is easy to explain. Ιn Continental Greece, under the Turks, there was nο scope whatsoever for literary production in the proper sense. There were hardly any schools, and the level of education, even among the upper classes, was extremely low. Very few, except among the higher clergy, or a few schoolmasters like Rhighas Pheraios, had read the Greek classics; even fewer were those who knew foreign languages and Western literature; most of the people, even among the upper classes, were illiterate. There were no printing-presses and hardly any books, except for a few printed in Venice or Vienna which found their way into the country. But the Ionian Islands were fortunate enough never to have been under Turkish rule. Until 1797 they were under the Venetians, then for a short time successively under the French and Russians, and from 1815 onwards they became a British Protectorate. 

The Ionian aristocracy and bourgeoisie were people of culture and refinement. While under Venetian rule, the young Ionian nobles used to frequent the University of Padua, where they studied the ancient classics, Dante, Ariosto and the other Italian poets. After the establishment of British rule in 1815, Lord Guilford, a distinguished philhellene and scholar, founded the Ionian Academy at Corfu, which did a great deal to promote education among the Ionian upper classes. 

The first literary poets of Modern Greece -Solomos, Marcoras, Calvos, Valaoritis-were all from the Ionian Islands. They were influenced by the Romantic School of Western Europe -Byron, Shelley, Lamartine, Chateaubriand- but they also drew inspiration from the Greek popular ballad-poetry, and both their language and style were much influenced by these ballads. Valaoritis in particular drew most of his material from that source. 

Solomos, a cultured Ionian aristocrat from Zante who was a contemporary of the Greek War of Independence in the first quarter of the 19th century, is principally known as the author of the "Hymn to Liberty" which has been adopted as the Greek National Anthem. His masterpiece, however, is the short ode commemorating the destruction of the heroic island of Psara by the Turks in 1823.

μελετά τα λαμπρά παλληκάρια

Valaoritis, another Ionian, from Lefkada, who wrote in the latter half of the 19th century, drew his inspiration from the Ali Pasha Cycle as well as from the stirring events of the Greek War of Independence. He was a man of great eloquence and lively poetic imagination, and his verses vibrate with romantic passion. 

His masterpiece, in my opinion, is the "Vrykolakas" or "Vampire", which describes the sad fate of the widow of Thanassi Vayias, one of Ali Pasha's principal henchmen,

represented by Valaoritis as as traitor who, after his death, was turned into a vampire. The story, however, is fictitious, and the poet's version is unjust to the memory of Vayias who, as has been proved since, was a perfectly good patriot and was rewarded by Capodistria with a pension. 

The following are two passages from Valaoritis' works, one from "Kyra Frossyni" and the other from "Athanassios Diakos", a poem which celebrates the death of one of the most sympathetic heroes of the Greek War of Independence: 

τα παρδαλά τα στήθια τους, κι αυτές αναγαλλιάζουν.

Πλένουν τα φύλλα στη δροσιά χαρούμενα τα ρείκη,

και στο ελαφρό το φύσημα του αγέρα που διαβαίνει

συναπαντούσε φιλικά με τον ανασασμό του

ακούοντ'οι νεροσυρμές από εγκρεμό σε βράχο

να παραδέρνουνε γοργά, και λες με τη γαργάρα

Εκυματίζαν τα σπαρτά, χαρά του ζευγολάτη,

και κάπου-κάπου ανάμεσα ξεπρόβαιν' ένα στάχυ

κ έγερν'εδώ κ έγερν'εκει το τρύφερό κεφάλι

Ιn the middle and latter part of the 19th century we have a good deal of learned poetry, written in the pedantic Kαtharevousa of the period, which had been adopted as the οfficial language of the new Greek State. 

Poets like Rangavis and Soutsos wrote a lot οf tasteless romantic poetry which hardly anybody reads today, since the Dimotiki -the vernacular- has become established as the sole vehicle of poetic expression.

There is one late 19th century poet who certainly must always rank high in Modern Greek literature, and that is Crystallis. Crystallis comes straight from the people and uses the language of the people. By origin a poor shepherd-boy, he had spent the whole of his youth among the mountains of his native Epirus in the society of the "τσέλιγκες"- the nomad shepherds of the mountains. Pastoral life is one of the most picturesque and characteristic features of the Greek and, indeed, of the whole Balkan countryside.

Those who happen to be familiar with the Greek mountains around Parnassus know the attraction of the sights and sounds of the mountainside -of those flocks of sheep and goats browsing among the scrub, their bells tinkling gently as they move up and down the steep stony slopes in charge of a little shepherd-boy who occasionally throws a stone to divert any odd animal that may have strayed away from the main body. Not so far away will be the "στάνη"- the shepherd's settlernent consisting of small straw huts.

Crystallis, in one of his most famous odes, describes the life of the στάνη with a wealth of language that only one born and bred to those surroundings could command. 

κ'ένα σωρό μαντρόσκυλα, νάχω και βοσκοτόπια

το καλοκαίρι στα βουνά και τον χειμώ στους κάμπους.

νά'χω φλογέρα να λαλώ, ν' αντιλαλούν οι κάμποι,

να μου βοηθάει στο σάλαγο, να μου βοηθάει στα γρέκια,

κι όντας θα τα σταλίζουμε τά δειλινά στους ίσκιους,

στης ρεματιάς τη χλωρασιά μαζί της να πλαγιάζω,

The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century sees a great development of Greek poetry, which was a branch of literature especially cultivated by the Δημοτικιστές -the champions of the vernacular- in their struggle against the Καθαρευουσιάνοι or upholders of the pseudo-classical literary tradition, still powerful in official circles.

Ι may mention among the followers of Psycharis, who was the leader of this School, my father whose semi-humorous lyrics, published in "Κούφια Καρύδια" (Empty Nutshells), are still popular, Lavrentios Mabilis, Miltiadis Μalakassis, Drossinis, Polemis, Gryparis and the great Palamas, who were all contemporaries. Here is one of my father's lighter ditties, the "Ρουμελιώτισσα" or "Girl from Rumeli".

Ζουλεύω εκείνο το χωριό,
στον κάμπο κάτου,
με τ'αψηλό καμπαναριό
στην εκκλησιά του ,
πού'χει την Ιlαναγιά χρυσή
κι άσημωμένη,
και να την ασπαστεί η Ρηνιώ
συχνοπηγαίνει.
Ζουλεύω εκείνο το χωριό,
στον κάμπο κάτου,
με τα χωράφια τα βαθιά,

με τα δεντρά του

που, φορτωμένα τις ελιές,

σαν τα χειλάκια της Ρηνιώς
που στάζουν μέλι.

Ζωή σκορπούνε τα νερά...
Ρηνιώ, να ζήσεις,

με λίγη αγάπη έλα, κ' εσύ,
να μ'αναστησεις.

One of my father's best is his short ode to Canaris. Canaris, the intrepid sailor of the Greek War of Independence, is shown defying the opinion of the notables of Psara who wanted to defend the island on land instead of following Canaris' advice and taking to the ships -those wooden walls which, ever since ancient times, had been Greece's surest defence. 

είπε πως όξω στη στεριά τους Τούρκους θα προσμένει.

Τότε έβγαλα το φέσι

"Τίποτα, αρχόντοι, δε φελά· μονάχα το καράβι!"

"Ποιος είναι αυτός, και πώς τον λεν, που συβουλές μας δίνει;”

κ' είπα από κει -δε βάσταξα- με χείλια πικραμένα:

"Να πως με λεν εμένα!"

"That is how they call me!³

Mabilis, whom Ι met as a boy at Corfu, was a very sympathetic figure, one of the last representatives of the Ionian School which has given so many eminent poets to Modern Greek literature. Mabilis was killed during the First Βalkan War, in 1912, at Driskos near Yannina.

He has written some charming verse, of which the following, dedicated to his beloved island of Corfu, is a specimen:

λάμπει ενώ σβηέται της αυγής τ'άστέρι.

εδώ βουΐζει μέλισσα, εκεί σφήκα·

λαχταρίζει η ζωή σ'όλα τα μέρη.

πόθο στα φυλλοκάρδια μου κ ελπίδα

να ξαναϊδώ και το δικό σου Μάη,

Malakassis, like most of the poets belonging to this School, was a writer of short lyrics. His best known poem is called "Batariΰs". (Batariΰs is the name of a popular minstrel whom Malakassis had known in his early days at Missolonghi, his home town.) Those who have lived in~ Greece, and have known the charm of the small seaside tavern where the παρέα -the jolly company of friends- foregathers οn the moonlit summer-nights, will appreciate the eminently Greek atmosphere of this delightful poem.

Σάββατο βράδυ, κάποτε, τό 'ριχναν στο μεράκι,

που σίγουρα τον εύρισκαν εκεί.

Κι ο Κώστας, λαγοκοίμητος, πάντα με την ποδιά του,

τους δέχονταν ορθός,

Κι ως να στρωθή και να σιαχτή, και να συγκαιριστούνε

τα λιανοτράγουδα άρχιζαν, τα γιαρεδάκια, οπού'ναι

Μα στο τραπέζι ως κάθουνταν, κι άνοιγεν η φωνή σου,

μεγάλε Μπαταριά,

ξυπνούσανε κι αηδόνια στα κλαδιά.

τ'αρματολίκι ανέβαζες, και την αγάπη αντάμα,

στ' αστέρια, στο φεγγάρι, στους θεούς.

Μα εκεί που πέλαγο η φωνή σάλευε πια τα φρένα,

πού πήγαινε δεν ήξερε, με τα φτερά χαμένα

ξάμωνε ο Μπαταριάς μεμιάς και πέταε το δοξάρι,

με το στερνό του βόγκο, στα νερά.

Although my preference goes to the poets of the Ροpular School, who are the lineal descendants of the anonymous bards of the 18th century, Ι must mention one poet who, both from the point of language, style and subject, belongs to a more academic school -Ι mean Cavafis. Cavafis was an Alexandrian Greek; he learnt his Greek abroad, and his style and outlook are much more scholastic than those of the other poets Ι have mentioned who were born and bred in Greece itself and drew their inspiration direct from the soil.

Cavafis, like the French poet Hιrιdia, whom he somewhat resembles, prefers historical subjects, more especially those connected with the Alexandrine or Roman period. The language he employs is somewhat of a jargon in which he mixes up classical and modern forms in a manner which is often unaesthetic. Nevertheless some of his poems have an undoubted quality, although their appeal is to a much narrower circle owing to their scholastic flavour.

His poem, "Οι Βάρβαροι" (The Barbarians), which describes the weary fatalistic atmosphere in the last days of Imperial Rome, when the Germanic invaders were hourly expected to arrive and extinguish the Empire, is one of his most characteristic and effective productions.

Τι νόμους πια θα κάμουν οι συγκλητικοί;

και κάθεται στης πόλεως την πιο μεγάλη πύλη

κι ο Αυτοκράτωρ περιμένει να δεχθεί

για να τον δώσει μια περγαμηνή. Εκεί

Γιατί οι δυο μας ύπατοι κ' οι πραίτορες εβγήκαν

σήμερα με τες κόκκινες, τες κεντημένες τόγες·

Γιατί αδειάζουν γρήγορα οι δρόμοι κ' οι πλατείες,

Γιατί ενύχτωσε κ' οι βάρβαροι δεν ήλθαν,

"Because to-day the Barbarians will be here,

Κosti Palamas, the doyen of Greek poets of the Demotic School, who died only recently during the German occupation, was the last link with the generation of poets of the 19th century who form the main theme of this essay.

Volumes have been written about Palamas and he really deserves a chapter to himself in order to do justice to the varied character of his genius. The limits of this essay do not allow me to quote more than a single extract from his best known work- the "Δωδεκάλογος του Γύφτου"-(Τhe Law of the Gipsies). It is called "Το Πανηγύρι της Κακάβας" (The Fair of Kakava) and describes a Gipsy gathering somewhere in Thrace.

με κόκκινα φορέματα ήρθαν,
με κίτρινα μακριά μαντίλια·
ω λάγνα μάτια, ω κόρφοι, ω χείλια!
Κ'ήρθαν ανθοστεφανωμένες
μ' όλα τα λούλουδα του Μάη,
κι άνθια κρατώντας και στα χέρια,
ντέλφια χτυπάνε και κουδούνια,
και κύκλους πλέκουν και χορεύουν
και τραγουδάν το Μάη, το Μάη.
Κι ανάμεσό τους αρχινάει,
ξεχωρισμένη από τις άλλες,
τρικυμισμένο ένα χορό,
λυγιέται, σέρνεται, πετάει
κορίτσι δεκοχτώ χρονώ
στο μανιωμένο το χορό,
και του χορού βασίλισσα είναι,
κι άφρισμα, λάγγεμα, τρεμούλα,
η γυφτοπούλα, η μαγιοπούλα!

Ι should like to finish with a short poem dedicated to the hero of the Pindus Gorges - the immortal Evzone. It is taken from a short collection of verse, by Nicolas Lelis, entitled "Epinikion" and inspired by the epic of the Αlbanian Front in November 1940.

* Α celebrated Greek guerilla leader who distinguished himself during the Greek War of Independence and was captured at the battle of Alamana (April 24, 1821) by Omer Vrioni and roasted alive οn a spit.

2. Α famous Albanian general who commanded the Albanian troops against the Greek insurgents in the war of 1821.
3. The reference is to the blowing-up of the Capudan Pasha's flagship in Chios harbour by Canaris, who was famous for his daring use of fireships.