The Revolution in danger
The first martyr of the Struggle
The first martyr
of the Struggle
“You and your faith need to get lost. I was born a Greek and a Greek I will die... I do not want you to feel sorry for my bravery. He who dies for his homeland and the faith of Jesus Christ is not afraid of being impaled or baked.”
The lion of the klephts
The lion of the klephts
“We must not sit with crossed arms and look at the sky. God gave us hands and knowledge. Let us ask our heart what it wants and whatever it answers, let us make it happen. And let us be assured, brothers, that our beloved Jesus Christ, will put His hand over us. To arms, brothers, we shall free ourselves or we shall die!”
Together on earth,
together in heaven
Together on earth, together in heaven
They drag her to court. First, they try to convince her with kind words and promises of a comfortable life. Akylina steadily says: "I am a Christian".
Kyranna stands tall peacefully.
"I am a Christian. My pure soul belongs to Jesus Christ. It's Him I long for and have longed for since my childhood. I'm ready to shed my blood for His love... You heard my response, so don't expect any other word from me."
Κάτω στου Βάλτου τα χωριά,
Ξηρόμερο και Άγραφα,
και στα πέντε βιλαέτια
φάτε, πιέτε, μωρ' αδέρφια.
Εκεί είν' οι κλέφτες οι πολλοί,
ούλοι ντυμένοι στο φλουρί,
κάθονται και τρών και πίνουν
και την Άρτα φοβερίζουν.
Πιάνουν και γράφουν μια γραφή
και φοβερίζουν τον κατή,
γράφουνε και στο Κομπότι,
προσκυνούνε τον Δεσπότη.
Βρε Τούρκοι, κάτσετε καλά,
γιατί σας καίμε τα χωριά!
Γρήγορα τ' αρματολίκι,
γιατ' ερχόμαστε σαν λύκοι!
Κάτω στου Βάλτου τα χωριά,
Ξηρόμερο και Άγραφα,
και στα πέντε βιλαέτια
φάτε, πιέτε, μωρ' αδέρφια.
Εκεί είν' οι κλέφτες οι πολλοί,
ούλοι ντυμένοι στο φλουρί,
κάθονται και τρών και πίνουν
και την Άρτα φοβερίζουν.
Πιάνουν και γράφουν μια γραφή
και φοβερίζουν τον κατή,
γράφουνε και στο Κομπότι,
προσκυνούνε τον Δεσπότη.
Βρε Τούρκοι, κάτσετε καλά,
γιατί σας καίμε τα χωριά!
Γρήγορα τ' αρματολίκι,
γιατ' ερχόμαστε σαν λύκοι!
This is one of the oldest folk songs and recorded in a written form for the first time in 1824 by the French historian and traveler Claude Fauriel. It is a song with a heroic character informing us about the lives of the Klephts and the Armatoloi. It refers to their activities in the area of Valtos in southern Pindos. The mountains of Valtos, Makrynoros and the Acarnanian Mountains, became a refuge and a base for the launch of the attacks of the klephtic arms.
A customary wish during those times was “(I wish you to) Become a klepht in Agrafa and an armatolos in Valtos”. In the area of Valtos and Agrafa, many renowned klephts and armatoloi operated, like Katsantonis, Gogos Bakolas, Boukouvalas, Iskos (who raised young Karaiskakis as an errand boy), and others.
There, the klephts were breathing the air of freedom. Not only were they not submitting but they were even threatening the Katis (the Turkish ruler) of Arta that they would burn its villages, where many rich Turkish estates were located.
“…προσκυνούνε τον Δεσπότη…”, meaning “they are worshipping the Master”. Heroism, battles, hard life, but also faith in Jesus Christ and respect to the Mother Church, as the most foundational element of the national consciousness. Many folk songs reveal this deep relationship of the Church with her children.
Τ’ Ανδρούτσου η μάνα χαίρεται
Του Διάκου καμαρώνει
Γιατί έχουν γιους αρματωλούς
Και γιους καπεταναίους
Ανδρούτσος φυλάει τη Γραβιά
Διάκος την Αλαμάνα
Androutsos’s mother rejoices
and Diakos’s (mother) is proud,
for they have sons who are armatoloi
and sons who are captains.
Androutsos is guarding Gravia
and Diakos (is guarding) Alamana.
Τ’ Ανδρούτσου η μάνα χαίρεται
Του Διάκου καμαρώνει
Γιατί έχουν γιους αρματωλούς
Και γιους καπεταναίους
Ανδρούτσος φυλάει τη Γραβιά
Διάκος την Αλαμάνα
Androutsos’s mother rejoices
and Diakos’s (mother) is proud,
for they have sons who are armatoloi
and sons who are captains.
Androutsos is guarding Gravia
and Diakos (is guarding) Alamana.
Website purpose
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821, the website epanastasi1821.online aims to aid the younger generations in becoming familiar with the history of our homeland and getting inspired by it. Its purpose is solely educational and not profit- or advertisement-driven.
Intellectual Property Rights
For the creation of this website we used images from various sources.
We reserve all rights only for the content we created ourselves (passages - song performance - structure).