There’s a sound that
reverberates through Skyros town during the ‘Apokries’ Carnival season
that you will never forget.
It clangs and rumbles and bounces by, hiding
in the side streets before emerging again, louder, as if its force has
doubled. It’s an echoing chime that makes you either stop in your tracks
or inquisitively follow…
In the weeks leading up to the 40-day
fasting period before the Greek Orthodox Easter, parts of the country
come alive with grand celebrations. I never thought of Greece as being
associated with carnivals – perhaps because of the many years spent on
islands where the atmosphere was serene and mass gatherings more
intimate – yet there is great significance in them.
While Athens is awash with street
parties and late-night reveling, some of the mainland towns put on quite
a show, including the ‘Flour War’ in Galaxidi and the grand parade in
the port city of Patras. The Sporades island of Skyros is no exception
to the rule of continuing age-old tradition during this time. In fact,
it has one of the most unique.
Here, masquerade and merriment stem from
the folklore of the ‘geros’ and ‘korela’. Men play the role of the
‘geros’ and wear a furry black cape, white trousers, waist belt of goat
bells (weighing in at around 50 kilos) and a hanging goatskin to cover
their faces. Jumping around and waving their wooden sticks, they are
accompanied by the veiled ‘korela’ – the island girls or Skyrian brides –
dressed in white and yellow waving a scarf to lead the way (some men
dress this part too).
This spectacle is unlike any carnival
I’ve ever witnessed. It captures your attention by startling you with
its cacophony, and by the awe as you question the meaning. This
celebration is not only about the coming of Lent but about the end of
winter and the start of spring, as well as the mythological tales of a
young Achilles who used Skyros as his hiding place to avoid being
dragged into the Trojan war, where he was disguised as a girl. Skyros,
it seems, has a long history of clever disguise.
For weeks, these figures can be seen strolling the streets and
piercing the still air with the clatter as soon as evening sets in. But
on the last weekend before what is known as ‘Clean Monday’ (‘Ash Monday’
or the first day of Lent), the Carnival becomes a true spectacle.
Starting from the castle at the very top
of the hill in the early evening on the Saturday, dozens of these
traditional figures paraded down through the main street that winds
through the quiet neighbourhoods of Skyros town. The town was heaving
with people awaiting the final performance, filling bars and
restaurants, pavements and balconies. Rather than wait at the bottom, I
decided to join the mix of quirky, masked characters and become a part
of the convoy, whose aim was to make as much noise as possible as it
entered the last stretch of town, to gather in the open square to dance.
The side streets form the backstage of
the Carnival, where veils of costumed locals briefly come off as they
take a rest from the hard work of the performance. The majority of these
guys continue until the early hours of the morning, so the switch of
commotion to calm is necessary, and builds excitement in the crowd
awaiting their reappearance.
And while the goat men are laid to rest
for another year, the playfulness continues until the final day when
satirical performances known as the ‘Trata’ take place. These comical
performances poke fun at topical issues, society, the island’s Mayor and
innocent bystanders. Even if you don’t understand, it’s fun to join the
energetic crowds, sip alcohol from the cups hanging around their necks
and rejoice with them in what is undoubtedly one of the happiest times
of the year.
source : http://www.bordersofadventure.com/skyros-island-greece-mischief-and-masquerade-of-carnival/
