There is a particularly rich folklore tradition in Agiassos.
The cultural lighthouse is the Reading Society “I ANAPTIXI” (Development) the influence of which goes far beyond the town itself. The island was still under Turkish Occupation, the Reading Society expressed the need of certain restless intellectuals for cultivation and information, through books and newspapers. Then in 1894 a night school, amateur theatre company, and choir which organised music – literary nights.
It was a nucleus of national uplifting and offered significant support
to the Macedonian Struggle. Its activity and presence in the cultural and artistic life of
Agiassos is significant up to our days. The Reading Society which is housed in a private
building complex, just outside the lower entrance to the town, includes : a Library
with over 20.000 volumes of old and new books on all every fields of science, a large
reading room, a theatre for theatrical performances and screening of films, a folklore
museum and an exhibition room with a permanent collection of paintings.
The Arts department stages a large number of plays of both foreign and Greek playwrights
(Infact many are from Agiassos). Since 1954 the Reading Society has staged more than 35
theatrical plays. Some of its performances have been staged in Mytilene and almost all
other villages of Lesbos, in Athens, Pireus and even as far away as Australia, always with
tremendous success.
The Chairman, Panos Pratsos, has been the soul of the Reading Society for the past fourty five years. His knowledge and love for music resulted in the establishment of a Music department and the Children`s Choir, which often make appearances. Lectures and literary events are also organised by the Reading Society.
The Carnaval
Agiassos is the Mecca of the Carnaval of Lesbos, where thousands of people flock every year to take part in its festivities. The carnaval of Agiassos differs from the carnivals of the rest of Greece because of its eccentricity, mordacity and witty satyres (iambic fifteen syllable verse) expressed by the folk poet in the vernacular of Agiassos.
The
Carnival’s history begins in the times of the Turkish Occupation and continues to this
day. In the course of its century-old history this custom went through a number of stages
as it was influenced by countless events and evolved with each historical time. Today it
retains the form it took during the post-war period, that is, a folklore event with
distinct theatrical elements held in open air, creating a thematic unity combining satiric
verses and carnival floats. Its folk muse themes cover a broad spectrum. A famous myth is
usually chosen, through which the current socio-political situation is portrayed by using
allegorical representation and symbolism. Public figures and current affairs issues are
satirized through parallelism. The folk poet does not to go about merrymaking in disguise
during the festival just to amuse his audience, but seeks to inspire, to set an example,
to cauterize the decayed section of the social body with the thermocautery of his fountain
pen. The folk poet is not prudish, instead, he lashes out mercilessly against all that is
wrong or unjust, he speaks his mind and is honest. He is daring and prophetic. He does not
fear or compromise, nor does he come out in favor of anyone. His caustic sauciness is like
an injection used to treat an ailing social body.
There are close correlation between the carnival of Agiassos and the cultural creation and tradition of Ancient Greece. The Carnival is a tragic figure. It tries to deal with the buffets of fate by mocking its own trials, it manages to get the society to laugh about its own farrago of sufferings, in order to be able to bear them both in body and soul and ultimately to survive. These carnivals were bacchic festivals devoted to the worship of Dionysus, where eternal recreation, fertility and regeneration of nature during spring were exalted. They were characterised by the dionysian orgasm of those initiated to divine worship (bacchic orgies), by which it was believed achieved catharsis of the soul, spiritual renewal and the exaltation caused by perfection of unearthly life.
The carnival of today preserved relics of the bacchic perception of life such as the “tripsimata”, songs of rhyming couplets that are a hymn to the genitals and the “im’ tzouromata” of those who “archionti” (the word archiomi, is derived from the ancient greek verb “orchoumai” which means to participate in an orcho (pool), to dance, to take part in the circle of those initiated to the Dionysian worship, whose bodies were painted with tartar , the residue of the grapes and wine, which were red).
The Carnival of Agiassos is a vivid cultural symbol. It is a unique sample of local folk cultural and artistic creation on the national scale. Despite the fact that it receives little support by the State, the carnival manages to survive, thanks to the sacrifices and will of the people of Agiassos.
The traditional costume of Agiassos
The
distinctive feature of the traditional costume of Agiassos dating from the 18th
century, are the pleated bloomers or breeches called a “salvari”. This loose fitting
garment was worn in a number villages on the island, e.g. Plomari. These bloomers are
usually six-leaved, with a width of three leaves. The material covering the inner part of
the legs, from the crotch to below the knee named “kalamovrakia” or “klapatses” -
are longer than the middle section i.e. the seat of the (bloomers).
The length of the bloomer leg in relation to the seat of the bloomers varied according to the woman’s height. The snugness of the fit depended on the how correct these measurements were. The bloomer legs, which were often made from a plain fabric for reasons of thrift, were gathered below the knee. The bloomer leg cuffs had eyelets through which crocheted cordons called “vrakothilies” were passed, thus ensuring the pleated material fit snugly around the ankles.
The features that made the bloomers of Agiassos special, particularly those worn by young women, are the textiles from which they were made, the colour of the dyes created warm colours such as red and yellow. The warmth of the tartan and striped designs that were more vivid in combinations of white and the various shades of “geranium” red, dark blue and green.
Another feature of the bloomer was the puffed effect created by the “overstuffing” by two, three or more pairs of underpants, of the same or smaller size which were worn under the outer garment. These underpants or “katovrakia” as the people of Agiassos call them and an underskirt were worn next to the skin and were indispensable especially for an appearance on a special occasion.
These clothing accessories insured there was enough volume to create a plasticity effect and thus highlight a plethoric femininity, according to aesthetic views of the time. The traditional garment was supplemented by a camisole and a brocade bolero worn over the young woman’s Sunday-best shirt.
From the first decades of the 20th century, European fashion reached the villages of the island and influenced aesthetic tastes to such a degree that the local traditional garment was gradually put aside. The higher social classes were, as one would expect, the first to forsake the traditional costume, purchasing their garments from Constantinople, Smyrna and other centres of fashion abroad.
This trend was more popular in the town of Mytilene. Close-pleated skirts were now considered to be very fashionable. The beautiful, bright-coloured textile bloomers were now a thing of the past. Nevertheless, some of the elderly women of highland Agiassos can still be seen wearing their traditional “vraka” (bloomers).
Today even farmers’ wives who now follow the trends of fashion, wear the special bloomer (salvari) when they work in the fields during the winter. They put on their traditional bloomer or a less intricate version which is somewhat more easily worn, and take to the slopes for the olive or chestnut harvest. Though it has now become a museum item, this well preserved traditional garmet, the “ salvari ” is still worn by women both young and old during the olive and walnut cultivation.