Spooky stories from Greece - Part 3 - Other Demonic creatures
Half-woman and half-serpent, her presence in the Greek folklore is evident since ancient times. She is described as having a human upper body from the waist up and a serpentine body from the waist down. The Byzantine lexicon Suda (10th century) gave an entry for lamia (Λαμία), with definitions and sources much as already described. The lexicon also has an entry under mormo (Μορμώ) stating that Mormo and the equivalent mormolykeion[f] are called lamia, and that all these refer to frightful beings. “Lamia” has as synonyms “Mormo” and “Gello” according to the Scholia to Theocritus.
In the modern Greek folk tradition, the Lamia has survived and retained many of her traditional attributes. John Cuthbert Lawson comments, “…the chief characteristics of the Lamiae, apart from their thirst for blood, are their uncleanliness, their gluttony, and their stupidity”.The contemporary Greek proverb, “της Λάμιας τα σαρώματα” (“the Lamia’s sweeping”), epitomises slovenliness; and the common expression, “τό παιδί τό ‘πνιξε η Λάμια” (“the child has been strangled by the Lamia”), explains the sudden death of young children.
During his travels in Greece in the nineteenth century, Renell Rodd describes stories about witches that were old in many communities in Greece.He writes, In modern Italy, the Strega, like the Greek Strigla (“the female shrieking one”), is looked upon as a witch woman,who has the power of changing her form, and flying by night in the shape of a crow, sucking human blood, with breath of deadly poison; distinct, however, from the vampire, which is generally held to be material resuscitation of a dead person, while the Strigla is a living being who has assumed a birdlike form.
Unlike ghosts,witches (στρίγγλα or μάγισσα) were living beings and were able to take the form of other living creatures.It was also not unusual for someone(usually an elderly woman) to be thought to be a witch.
People argue that Lamia and Strigla are the same demonic creature. Their role and nature in the Greek stories is similar.
Leo Allatius version of the Legend of St. Sisinnos, the twelve-and-a-half names of the demon are given as Gylo, Morrha, Byzo, Marmaro, Petasia, Pelagia, Bordona, Apleto, Chomodracaena, Anabardalaea, Psychoanaspastria (breaker of soul), Paedopniktria (child suffocator), and Strigla. Her Greek epithets are: Petasia, “she who strikes”; Apleto, “boundless, limitless”; Paedopniktria, “child suffocator.” Byzo is a form of Abyzou, abyssos, “the Deep,” to which Pelagia (“she of the sea”) is equivalent.
The names of Gylo also include Homodrakaina (“female dracon of the below”). In one text dealing with the gello, she is banished to the mountains to drink the blood of the drako (male dragon); in another, she becomes a drakaina (female dragon) and in this form attacks human beings. (The drakos/drakaina of the Greeks is different than the Western dragon).
Mykonos is considered the homeland of the Striglas. The Strigla that takes human form is recognized by the weapon with which she was wounded. The usual type of recognition, in the numerous similar traditions of other peoples, is from the wound, which she received in the form of an animal, and which she maintains in her human body.
“Once someone from the village of Amalos came out of his house to attack the need to kill a Kallikantzaros. The creature was presented to him in the form of a large goat, which approached him. The man did not waste time. He grabbed the goat by the horns and inserted his black-sleeved knife into her neck, which he had long ago bought from Smyrna. But with supernatural force, after being pushed away by the goat’s horns, he was forced to abandon her, while she ran towards the west. He saw her clearly, under the moonlight, swimming in the sea, towards- Mykonos, in the Ikarian sea.
Five years passed and the man travelled to Mykonos for business. He was welcomed in the house of an old woman. When she cut the bread for dinner, he recognized the knife she was using. It was the knife he had tried to kill the goat with! He run away from the house to save his life.”
AT THE CROSSROADS FOR THE GIFT OF MUSIC
The belief of people in craftsmen gods and artists, god fathers or patrons of arts and gods teachers of arts in people is very old and widespread. Within the framework of this belief, the perception of the divine origin of music prevailed.
Crossroads (“double roads” or “double crossings”) are generally considered gathering places for evil spirits; therefore, one should not cross a crossroads after they have just bathed and, if one does, one should hold salt to their chest. of. For this reason, iconostasia are often established in the crossroads, but also various spells and black magic ceremonies are performed there. This belief, which may not be unrelated to ancient traditions related to moral dilemmas (cf. the dilemma of Virtue and Wickedness of Hercules).
Anyone who wants to learn to play the lyre well goes to a deserted crossroad at midnight, where he carves a round with a black-sleeved knife, enters it and sits and plays. In a little while come Fairies (Neraithes) and walk around him. Their intentions are not good. But since they can not enter the round that is carved with a black-sleeved knife, they try in every way to seduce him and pull him out. And they say sweet words to him, and beautiful songs, and dance seductively. But, for his own good, the instrument player should not move and continue his playing.
(Listen to a song with lyra)
According to the legends in Crete, the creatures then tell the man: “But you don’t know how to play the lyre! Why do you insist on playing it?”. “This is how I know to play it and this is how I will play it,” he responds. “Why do you care?”. “We don’t,” they answer. “But if you want, we can teach you to play so well even the stones will dance. Please, come out of the circle!”
After many pleadings he must not come out. Then the creatures ask only for his lyre. He gives it to them without putting a part of his body outside the circle. If a body part gets outside, it gets cut or withers. The Faeries play the lyre with mastery and taunt the player some more. The man wastes their time with worse music until the morning comes. Because the light will destroy them, the creatures ask for his lyre one last time.
Now he must give them a gift. He puts his little finger outside the circle and it gets cut as an offering. Then, the Faeries teach him how to play like them. After that, they vanish.
Obviously, you must be very careful during the process. Once there was a man who wanted to learn to play the lyre at the crossroads. The creatures asked him “For how many years do you want to play the lyre?” After this question, you should touch your hair, meaning that you want to play the lyre well for as many years as the hair in your scalp are. However, this particular man got scared and forgot that. He gestured with his ten fingers, instead. So, the Faeries gave him the ability to play well only for ten years.
After ten years he was invited to play at a wedding. But midnight came and his time ended. He disappeared from the wedding and found himself lying at the rim of a well. Above him, the creatures shouted “Now you are here. Next time you will get inside!”
In the 20th century the masters of the lyre in Crete, when they got compliments, didn’t hesitate to say “See? I learned the lyre in the crossroads.” (“Aμ’ είντα θαρρείτε; Eγώ τη λύρα την έμαθα ’ς το σταυροδρόμι”).
Andreas Rothinos (1912-1934), a leading lyre player from Rethymno, is rumored to have learned the lyre at the crossroads – perhaps in exchange for his youth, since he died at the age of 22. When he was 10 he bought a lyre for 5 drachmas. He said “I’m not afraid and I will go to the gorge at midnight to play without speaking; When the devils come and hit me with their horns I will play and learn.”
Kallikantzaroi (ka-lee-KAN-tza-ree , καλλικάντζαροι) or Xotika (kso-tee-KA) are the goblins of the Greeks. They live underground, sawing the great Tree that supports the world.
Their stories were told to children during the 12 days of Christmas. The kallikantzaroi were often described as half-human and half-animal-like creatures with bright red eyes and goat-like features. Some early scholars believed that the kallikantzaroi were merely adapted from the ancient Greek centaurs and satyrs. While the kallikantzaroi were mostly harmless, they usually appeared on Christmas Eve, and stuck around until the Epiphany, when they blessings of the Holy Ghost reach the Earth. They were known for causing havoc in many communities, mainly on Christmas Eve, when they come up to have fun. Here, John Tomkinson describes the kallikantzaroi’s habits during the 12 days of Christmas.
During the 12 nights of Christmas, they would issue from caves where they spent the days feasting on toads, lizards, and suchlike. And would pester people in various ways. They would rush about in the darkness, bruising and trampling all who got in their way, breaking into mills, eating some of the flour and fouling the rest by defecating on it. In houses, they would break furniture, eat and drink the food, and defecate all over the place.
In the Greek Cypriot folklore the Kallikantzaroi (Kallikantzarouthia) are also called Planitarouthia. It was said that when the child of a woman is aborted the child becomes such a creature. Only people who sleep lightly (Αλαφροΐσκιωτοι) can see them. They take the form of a dog, donkey, camel, rabbits and more. The people try to catch them or ride them and then the Kallikantzaroi attempt to kill them.
When going out to do their nasty things they mainly spoil the gardens unless the lady of the house places a colander with holes.It was believed that since the creature could not count above two (three was believed to be a holy number,and by pronouncing it, the kallikantzaros would supposedly kill itself) the Kallikantzaroi start counting the holes till the sun rises and they are forced to escape back to their caves.
Another supposed method of protection from kallikantzaroi was to leave the fire burning in the fireplace,all night,for the duration of the 12 days so that they could not enter through it. An additional way to keep them away includes marking one’s door with a black cross on Christmas Eve and burning incense.
Another name for these creatures is Karkatzelia.
THE DAEMON PAN IN ARCADIA / HAMOTHRAKIA
The Hamothrakia are shepherd demons which in the Arcadian tradition are associated with the Satyrs and the god Pan. In Zacynthos there is a tale of a young shepherd who was gifted a goat with golden fleece, silver ears and golden horns by Pan.
In the mountain Parnassos the Greeks believed (at least until the beginning of the 20th century) that there lived a demon who had dominion over rabbits and wild goats. He scars his animals on the ear, so he can tell them apart. This demon has the form of a goat with a long goatee beard and his name is Lavoma (“Wound”). He leads the goats to their death. When the shepherds try to shoot him their gun explodes and wounds them.
In other areas, Pan is the one who causes this disaster in the form of a human or a hairy child. It often takes the form of the animal it attacks and sometimes appears as a hound, or vulture. The forms in which the demon appears in popular tradition have remained unchanged since ancient times. Pindar had named Pan “Dog” («Κύνα» και «σκυλλακοτρόφον»).
This demon causes doom in the herds, blackening their skin and swollen their bellies. On their skin remains the imprint of the demon’s feet and nails. Death is instantaneous, but some animals survive until sunrise.
Rituals are performed to avoid this Evil. The transport of the flock to another place and the burning of stinking substances on the spot and then coating the hindquarters of the animals with ash and water. Thus the demon is prevented from approaching the animals.
The names of this demon are Hamothraki (Χαμοδράκι), Smerthaki (Σμερδάκι), Ameletito (Αμελέτητο), Lavoma (Λάβωμα), Apokaromeno (Αποκαρωμένο), Armathiako (Αρμαδιακό), Zoulapi (Ζουλάπι) etc.
Hamothraki means “small dracon of the earth” (χάμω (χαμαί) + δράκων). It doesn’t necessarily mean that the demon looks like a dracon. The medieval Greeks sometimes named dracon the aborted or unbaptized kid.
Smerthaki comes from the adjective smerthos (σμερδός), the newer version of the ancient adjective smerthnos (σμερδνός), which means “difficult/cursed/evil/spoiled/two colored”.
Demons exist all over Greece. According to the folk tales of the Pierians, demons resided in the flour mills and it was there they played music with windpipes. Others say they were just whistling loudy and shouted.
As a local story goes, one of seven brothers loaded a goat on his donkey to take it to his wife. On the road he met the devils and they started chasing him. He threw them pieces of the goat to keep them busy and he managed to arrive to his house. To give him time to come inside, his wife threw a big sieve to the demons. The demons are bound to count the holes in the sieve. Until they finished the man had gotten inside the house.
Its Greek name Anemoxouri (or Anemoxouria) comes from άνεμος + εξορίζω.
In Arcadia people say that inside this wind fly and dance Faeries. They carry away people, animals and objects. When someone sees this wind coming they must hug a tree so they won’t drift away. If they have rue on them they should show it to the wind and exorcise it. If they have nothing they should make a cross with their two fingers and mutter prayers.
You can see the Faeries in the wind if you throw salt on the earth. If you take her red cap or her headscarf she will beg for you to return it. Then you can ask from her the Immortal Water or Faeries’ clothing which cures any ailment. It is possible to grab the cap or headscarf from inside the Wind if you are brave enough.
If you want the Banishing Wind to go away you can shout “I will throw salt so the Faerie will appear!” And the Faeries go away and don’t harm you.
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