ELEMENTS OF THE REGION OF TSAKONIA
TSAKONIAN DANCE
(By Philip Bekyros and Helen Tsaggouri)
The Tsakonian dance is executed with the right arm of one dancer hooked tightly in another's crooked elbow. In this way, lateral movement is limited.
The origin of the dance has provoked many interpretations the most prevalent opinions of which suggest that it is based on the dance of the crane or of the Pythia. The first opinion (that of Dora Stratou and her school) supports the theory that the dance represents Theseus’ attempt to find a way out of the Labyrinth. It was executed in Delos and from there it spread to Asia Minor and to other cities in Greece, however it was preserved in south Cynuria. The second opinion supports the claim that the Tsakonian dance originated from the crane dance, from which it broke away in continuance and represents Apollo's victorious fight against the huge serpent, Python at Delphi. In other words it retains the labyrinthine style of the crane, but choreographically represents the movement of the serpent. The sacred dance of Minoan Crete was brought to the east coasts of the Peloponnese and was preserved by the Achaeans of Laconia who took refuge on the inaccessible Parnon range in order to avoid slavery and the ruthlessness of the Dorians. With the domination of the twelve Olympian gods, the inhabitants dedicated the sacred dance to Apollo, who according to archaeological information was the principle god already worshipped in ancient Cynuria from archaic times.
THE TSAKONIAN DIALECT
(Bibliographic support for the text is from the book by Thanassis Kostakis ‘Samples of the Tsakonian Dialect’)
In Ancient Greece before the Classical periods, four dialects were mainly spoken: Ionic, Aeolic, Doric, and Attic. Attic was based on Ionic and is its evolution later in the period when Athens flourished. After the 5th century BC, the Attic dialect dominates as a result of the intellectual and economic development in Athens. In continuance after the 4th century BC with the expansion of Hellenism in the East the language is simplified and it is then when Alexandrine or Hellenistic Koine (the common language) begins to be spoken. It is familiar to us as the language of the New Testament. With its continuous evolution, we are able to speak the present Greek we know. However not all areas necessarily followed this course of change. Areas such as Pontos and Tsakonia retained many elements from former dialects. The reasons for which the Tsakonians preserved the Doric dialect are not the purpose of the present text. Anyone wishing for more information may consult the works by the great tsakonologian Thanassis Kostakis. (relevant bibliography is provided in the "Travel Guide").
The Tsakonians retained many elements of the Laconic-Doric dialect, without this meaning that it was not interspersed by elements of Koine (Hellenistic Greek). Let us not forget that the language of the church in Tsakonia is Hellenistic Greek and it is certain that the Tsakonians did communicate with the rest of their compatriots.
So what are the elements that link it directly to the Doric dialect? According to Professor Thanassis Kostakis they are the following:
1. The Doric α, that is, where the Ionians used η the Tsakonians use α. Examples: ημέρα (imera) ‘day’ = αμέρα (amera), ηθώ (itho) 'strain' (σουρώνω - sourono) = ασού (asou), ψηλαφώ (psilafo) ‘finger, fumble, touch’ – ψαλαφώ (psalafo) = ψαφού (psafou), σήμερα (simera) ‘today’= σάμερα (samera), μηκωνίδα (mikonida) ‘type of flowering plant’= μακουνία (makounia) etc.
2. Rhotacism, that is the conversion of the final ς to ρ when the preceding word begins with a vowel. Examples: Καλός είναι (kalos ine) ‘he is good’= καλέρ ένι, πώς είπες (pos ipes) ‘what did you say’ = πουρ επέτσερε, της ημέρας (tis imeras) ‘of the day’ = ταρ αμερί etc.
3. The conversion of the semivowel σ, initially to 'daseia' (rough breathing) which is later dropped. Examples: ορώσα (orossa) – ορώα (oroa) – ορώα in Tsakonian ορούα (orua) = βλέπουσα, λαλόυσα (lalussa) λαλόυα (laloia) λαλόυα (laloia) in Tsakonian = λαλούα (lalua) etc.
4. The conversion of θ to σ. Examples: ηθώ = σαού, θέρος = σέρι, θυγατήρ = σατη. The phenomenon is clearly Laconian. (Aristophanes writes Ασαναίοι = Αθηναίοι ‘Athenians’).
5. The retaining of the digamma F which had already disappeared in 800 BC from the Ionic, was maintained in the word βάννε (Fαρνός) and its derivatives Βαννί and βαννιούλι = αρνάκι.
Apart from the above elements, there are others which support the Doric descent of the Tsakonian language. Relevant bibliography is provided in the "Travel Guide"
Translation: John Karamatzanis Email: johnk@arg.forthnet.gr
Remarks
The word Tsakonian means nothing for the people of Tsakonia. The name Tsakon and tsakonian etc was given by the people outside the region of Tsakonia. For the people of the region of Tsakonia, the Tsakonian dialect is genuine Greek language. The Modern Greek language is called by them "Roman"
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TSAKONIAN DANCE
(By Philip Bekyros and Helen Tsaggouri)
The Tsakonian dance is executed with the right arm of one dancer hooked tightly in another's crooked elbow. In this way, lateral movement is limited.
The origin of the dance has provoked many interpretations the most prevalent opinions of which suggest that it is based on the dance of the crane or of the Pythia. The first opinion (that of Dora Stratou and her school) supports the theory that the dance represents Theseus’ attempt to find a way out of the Labyrinth. It was executed in Delos and from there it spread to Asia Minor and to other cities in Greece, however it was preserved in south Cynuria. The second opinion supports the claim that the Tsakonian dance originated from the crane dance, from which it broke away in continuance and represents Apollo's victorious fight against the huge serpent, Python at Delphi. In other words it retains the labyrinthine style of the crane, but choreographically represents the movement of the serpent. The sacred dance of Minoan Crete was brought to the east coasts of the Peloponnese and was preserved by the Achaeans of Laconia who took refuge on the inaccessible Parnon range in order to avoid slavery and the ruthlessness of the Dorians. With the domination of the twelve Olympian gods, the inhabitants dedicated the sacred dance to Apollo, who according to archaeological information was the principle god already worshipped in ancient Cynuria from archaic times.
THE TSAKONIAN DIALECT
(Bibliographic support for the text is from the book by Thanassis Kostakis ‘Samples of the Tsakonian Dialect’)
In Ancient Greece before the Classical periods, four dialects were mainly spoken: Ionic, Aeolic, Doric, and Attic. Attic was based on Ionic and is its evolution later in the period when Athens flourished. After the 5th century BC, the Attic dialect dominates as a result of the intellectual and economic development in Athens. In continuance after the 4th century BC with the expansion of Hellenism in the East the language is simplified and it is then when Alexandrine or Hellenistic Koine (the common language) begins to be spoken. It is familiar to us as the language of the New Testament. With its continuous evolution, we are able to speak the present Greek we know. However not all areas necessarily followed this course of change. Areas such as Pontos and Tsakonia retained many elements from former dialects. The reasons for which the Tsakonians preserved the Doric dialect are not the purpose of the present text. Anyone wishing for more information may consult the works by the great tsakonologian Thanassis Kostakis. (relevant bibliography is provided in the "Travel Guide").
The Tsakonians retained many elements of the Laconic-Doric dialect, without this meaning that it was not interspersed by elements of Koine (Hellenistic Greek). Let us not forget that the language of the church in Tsakonia is Hellenistic Greek and it is certain that the Tsakonians did communicate with the rest of their compatriots.
So what are the elements that link it directly to the Doric dialect? According to Professor Thanassis Kostakis they are the following:
1. The Doric α, that is, where the Ionians used η the Tsakonians use α. Examples: ημέρα (imera) ‘day’ = αμέρα (amera), ηθώ (itho) 'strain' (σουρώνω - sourono) = ασού (asou), ψηλαφώ (psilafo) ‘finger, fumble, touch’ – ψαλαφώ (psalafo) = ψαφού (psafou), σήμερα (simera) ‘today’= σάμερα (samera), μηκωνίδα (mikonida) ‘type of flowering plant’= μακουνία (makounia) etc.
2. Rhotacism, that is the conversion of the final ς to ρ when the preceding word begins with a vowel. Examples: Καλός είναι (kalos ine) ‘he is good’= καλέρ ένι, πώς είπες (pos ipes) ‘what did you say’ = πουρ επέτσερε, της ημέρας (tis imeras) ‘of the day’ = ταρ αμερί etc.
3. The conversion of the semivowel σ, initially to 'daseia' (rough breathing) which is later dropped. Examples: ορώσα (orossa) – ορώα (oroa) – ορώα in Tsakonian ορούα (orua) = βλέπουσα, λαλόυσα (lalussa) λαλόυα (laloia) λαλόυα (laloia) in Tsakonian = λαλούα (lalua) etc.
4. The conversion of θ to σ. Examples: ηθώ = σαού, θέρος = σέρι, θυγατήρ = σατη. The phenomenon is clearly Laconian. (Aristophanes writes Ασαναίοι = Αθηναίοι ‘Athenians’).
5. The retaining of the digamma F which had already disappeared in 800 BC from the Ionic, was maintained in the word βάννε (Fαρνός) and its derivatives Βαννί and βαννιούλι = αρνάκι.
Apart from the above elements, there are others which support the Doric descent of the Tsakonian language. Relevant bibliography is provided in the "Travel Guide"
Translation: John Karamatzanis Email: johnk@arg.forthnet.gr
Remarks
The word Tsakonian means nothing for the people of Tsakonia. The name Tsakon and tsakonian etc was given by the people outside the region of Tsakonia. For the people of the region of Tsakonia, the Tsakonian dialect is genuine Greek language. The Modern Greek language is called by them "Roman"
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